Posts from 2026
“Unless I Wash You”
On the night before He died, Jesus did something nobody expected. He didn’t gather His disciples for a final strategy session or a farewell speech. He picked up a towel, knelt down, and washed twelve pairs of dirty feet — one by one. John tells us why: “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” Everything Jesus did that night — the foot washing, the bread broken, the cup poured out — flowed…
One Question That Changes Everything.
Mark 14:1-11 | John 13:21-27 | Matthew 27:1-5 There’s a moment at the Last Supper that’s easy to read past. Jesus looks out across the table at his 12 closest friends and says, “One of you is going to betray me.” The response is telling. Every single disciple — not just one or two — looked at each other and asked, “Is it I, Lord?” Not “Who is it?” but “Is it me?” That question should stop us cold. The Problem With Judas Isn’t That…
The Question Behind the Performance
A Holy Week Reflection | Countdown to Calvary We all have a system. Maybe it’s attending church a few times a month. Maybe it’s serving on a team, or giving generously, or knowing your Bible well. These are good things — genuinely good things. But Jesus has a way of looking past the action to the motivation underneath, and that’s where things get uncomfortable. This week in our Countdown to Calvary series, we followed Jesus through a relentless Tuesday of conflict with…
Condemned or Cleansed? Letting Go of What No Longer Works
Scripture: Mark 11:17 “Is it not written, my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of robbers.” Jesus didn’t walk into the temple to fix it. He walked in to condemn it. That’s a hard thing to sit with. The temple had been the center of Jewish worship for generations. People had given their lives to maintain it, protect it, and build it up. Herod had been constructing this massive structure…
Revolutionary Expectations
The crowd went wild when Jesus entered Jerusalem. They waved palm branches – not just any branches, but symbols loaded with political meaning. These same branches had been used during the Maccabean Revolt as flags of independence and revolution. The people were essentially declaring Jesus their revolutionary leader, expecting him to overthrow Roman rule and restore Israel’s political glory. They shouted “Hosanna!” which literally means “save us!” But they were thinking of salvation from taxes, oppression, and foreign rule. Jesus…
Growing Together in Grace
No marriage is perfect because no person is perfect. This reality shouldn’t discourage us but should actually bring relief and hope. The goal isn’t to achieve a flawless relationship but to grow together while extending grace for inevitable failures. You can’t expect more from your spouse than you’re willing to give, and you can’t demand perfection when you yourself fall short daily. The beauty of marriage lies in two imperfect people choosing to love each other through the messy, difficult,…
Speaking Truth in Love
There’s an art to speaking truth that heals rather than wounds. It’s not about what we say as much as how we say it and why we’re saying it. When we approach someone in anger, with a condemning spirit, or with the goal of proving we’re right, our words become weapons instead of tools for healing. But when we speak from a place of genuine care, with the goal of restoration, our words can become bridges back to relationship. This…
The Mirror Before the Magnifying Glass
It’s so much easier to see what’s wrong with everyone else, isn’t it? When conflict arises, our first instinct is often to grab a magnifying glass and examine all the ways the other person has failed, hurt us, or contributed to the problem. We can quickly compile a detailed list of their faults, mistakes, and character flaws. But before we turn that magnifying glass outward, we need to look in the mirror. Self-examination isn’t popular in our culture. We’re encouraged…
The Secret to Impossible Forgiveness
Some hurts feel unforgivable. The betrayal that shattered your trust. The words that cut so deep they changed how you see yourself. The actions that altered the course of your life. When someone has wounded you that deeply, forgiveness doesn’t just feel difficult – it feels impossible. But here’s the secret that makes even the hardest forgiveness possible: we don’t forgive by thinking about how much the other person needs forgiveness. We forgive by remembering how much we need forgiveness.…
Preventing Unnecessary Battles
Not every conflict needs to become a war. Sometimes we create unnecessary drama by misinterpreting situations or taking offense at every small slight. Two simple filters can save us from a lot of heartache: don’t assume the worst, and don’t take everything personally. That text message that seemed rude? Maybe they were just in a hurry. The friend who didn’t invite you to their gathering? Perhaps they thought you were too busy. The coworker who seemed dismissive? They might be…
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