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The Yoke of Jesus and the End of Striving “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”— Matthew 11:28–30 ESV When most people read this passage, they picture comfort. And it is comforting. But I believe Jesus was saying something much deeper than, “Come relax for a while.” He was confron

If you have spent much time around church, especially in charismatic or deliverance circles, you have probably heard teaching about “soul ties.” Most often, the subject comes up in conversations about sex. The idea is that sexual intimacy creates a spiritual connection between two people, and that those connections can remain after the relationship has ended. From there, people are often taught that they need to identify and break those ties in order to experience freedom. I

There is a particular kind of video showing up more and more on social media. Someone holds up an old Bible, turns to a book or passage that isn't in the Bible most of us carry, and asks a question designed to stop you in your tracks: “Why did they remove this from your Bible?” Sometimes it's the Book of Enoch. Sometimes it's the Gospel of Thomas. Sometimes it's the Apocrypha. Recently I watched someone holding a Bible more than two hundred years old showing Bel and the Drago

There are seasons when God gives us a clear destination. He speaks, the door opens, and the next step makes sense. Even if the journey requires courage, at least we can see where we are going. Then there are seasons when God speaks only one word: release. He does not show us what will replace what we are laying down. He does not hand us a detailed plan. He does not explain how the relationships, responsibilities, or sense of purpose we have known will be restored in another f

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” — Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) When we hear the word vision, we usually think about the future. We picture where we want to go, what we hope to build, or what we believe God has called us to accomplish. Churches create vision statements. Ministries make plans. Individuals set goals. We look ahead and ask, “What does God want to do next?” There is nothing wrong with that kind of vision. Vision for the future can awaken hope, give directio

For most of my Christian life, if someone had asked me what it meant to be saved, my answer would have been almost automatic. "It means my sins are forgiven, and I'm going to heaven when I die." Now let me say from the beginning, I believe that with all my heart. There is no greater news than knowing that through the finished work of Jesus Christ our sins have been forgiven, we have been reconciled to the Father, and eternal life is ours by grace through faith. But over the l

One of the greatest frustrations in the Christian life comes from confusing our gifting with our calling. We assume that because God has gifted us to do something, we must be called to use that gift in the biggest, most visible way possible. If we're not standing on a stage, leading an organization, or influencing thousands, we wonder if we've somehow missed God's will. But Scripture paints a very different picture. A gift is an ability God gives by His grace. A calling is Go

The Foundation Wasn't Destroyed Sometimes God speaks in the places we least expect. Not in a church. Not during a conference. Not while reading my Bible. Sometimes He speaks while you're making Walmart deliveries. That's exactly what happened to me. I was delivering groceries to a home in Northwest Arkansas when something caught my eye. It wasn't the house. It wasn't the landscaping. It was a single brick in the foundation. Stamped into the face of that brick were these words

Communion Was Never Meant to Terrify Believers Few passages in Scripture have produced more fear, self-condemnation, and religious anxiety than First Epistle to the Corinthians 11:23–32. For generations, many believers have approached communion nervously, wondering: “Did I confess everything?” “Am I worthy enough?” “What if I take communion wrong?” “Could God judge me for this?” But when we slow down and actually follow Paul’s argument, a completely different picture begins t