Monthly Archives: March 2018

14 posts

The Dark Saturday

Think about Saturday. This day was different. The trial, the crowds, the drama of Christ upon the cross was past. It was a dark Saturday. Disciples were alone, their anchor was gone, they were overwhelmed. The eleven and those close to them had spent three years with the most powerful person in all of human history. Now, his calming presence was gone. It appeared their hopes and dreams had vanished before their eyes on a cross. The Roman leaders were relieved that this whole mess was behind them. But there was at least one Centurion who knew that a great wrong had been done. And, then there was Pilate, still washing his hands, still haunted by his face-to-face encounter with […]

The Last Passover

On a Thursday evening, 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ celebrated the last Passover. This meal marked the fulfillment of the promise made to Eve in the garden. In one meal Jesus ended the symbolism and types the Old Covenant and established the New Covenant. The next day, Good Friday, Christ, himself, would become the Passover Lamb. After 33 years of perfect obedience, less than a day remained of his time on earth. It would be a time of crushing temptation and agony. Everything that Christ had accomplished in his life came down to these final hours. Being the perfect God-man Jesus knew he would bear the weight of my sin, my ugliness. He knew he would endure his Father’s terrible, […]

The Pursuit Of Purity

The pursuit of purity is not a popular quest! If someone asked you what your goal in life is and you answered “to pursue purity,” it would, for sure, be an unexpected answer. However, when James describes what wisdom that honors God looks like, the first word he selects is pure. Peter urges us to love one another from a pure heart. In the New Testament, to be pure is to be genuine, authentic and undefiled. Purity is vital to a life that honors God. So even though being pure may sound unexciting, that is exactly why it is worthy of pursuit. God’s ways are not our ways. The aggressive pursuit of purity will protect you from the attacks of […]

Guest Post: The Savior’s Anguish — Brian G. Hedges

The evidence of our Lord’s anguish that night spreads over the entire narrative—in his emotions, words, and actions. Consider just the opening verses of Mark’s version: And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” (14:32–34) Notice the language used to describe Jesus’ emotions. First, he is “greatly distressed and troubled” (v. 33). Jesus was in mental and emotional anguish. He felt deeply anxious. Add to this his deep sadness: “My soul is very sorrowful, […]

Violence and the Heart Of Darkness

Today hundreds of thousands of students across the globe are protesting gun violence. The motivation behind these protests is understandable and compelling. There is a growing, realistic fear that their school could be the next target. To date, despite impassioned political rhetoric, there is no appearance of protection for our students. So in this sense the need for action and protest seems clear and obvious. It is more than unsettling to walk out the door to go to school, wondering if you may never come back home again. The deeper sadness is that our nation’s political and educational systems have driven our children to trusting solutions based on laws to heal and stop the wreckage caused by human sin. The […]

The Gospel and Discipline

Parents don’t often think of the gospel and discipline in the same sentence. Typically, we tend to think that discipline is what you do now and the gospel is what you hope your children will embrace in the future. But Paul has a different understanding of the place of the gospel. For him, the gospel is the foundation, the hope of all of life for Christians (see Colossians 1:21-23). This means that your parental discipline must rooted and built upon the gospel. Just as you know that you can’t make yourself “good” enough for God to accept you, your children must know that they cannot make themselves “good” enough to earn your acceptance and approval. This is huge! You are […]

Video: Brian G. Hedges — Does Jesus teach his disciples about union with Him?

In this video, author Brian G. Hedges explains how Jesus taught his disciples about union with Him. With Jesus takes us on a tour through Jesus’ life to show us how we can find our place in the story of Christ. Christianity is not a only a faith founded on facts, but also a deeply personal experience of God’s transforming grace in Christ. While our hope is rooted in history—the events of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension—the Scriptures also teach that every believer is included in these events. From the manger to the cross, from the empty tomb to his glorious throne, Jesus acted for us. And the mystery and wonder of the gospel is that we are crucified, […]

Guest Post: How We Share in Christ’s Glory — Brian G. Hedges

The disciples saw Jesus transfigured and then crucified before their very eyes. They may not have caught on as the events unfolded, but they soon understood—as we can also now—that Jesus’ path to glory was marked by suffering. What seems less clear is how we get to share in his glory. How exactly does that work? The Scriptures give us good warrant for asking this question. Paul describes Christians as those who “rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:2c) and assures us that “When Christ who is [our] life appears, then [we] also will appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:4). God has called us to his kingdom and glory (1 Thess. 2:12). Jesus prayed that his […]

Enough Is Enough!

Ephesians 4:31 & 32 are seldom used as parenting directives. This is unfortunate. There is a powerful dynamic of grace here to help shepherd your children towards Christ. Read these words slowly: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Because of the gospel grace shown to you, Paul is directing you to rid your thoughts and your speech of the angry words of relational combat. The deceitfulness of our flesh entices us to justify our anger. So when a child, a teenager, a spouse, or a friend wrongs or hurts you, you feel […]

Protect Your Children

Will my child honor God when I am not with him? This one question is the weighty challenge that every parent faces. It is unsettling because you won’t know until the moment comes. This is humbling, you are confronted with your limitations as a parent and as a Christian. When the moment comes it will be between your child and God. You won’t be there, you won’t be in control. Scary. How can you protect your children in these critical moments? The answer is: you can’t! But God’s truth can. In Proverbs 6:20-22 Solomon tells children that God’s instruction given through their parents will guard their lives. This truth is priceless; it is to be regarded as if it were […]