Posts from February 2022

This week, we will begin to look at the “I am” statements of Jesus, beginning with “I am the vine” in John 15. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. (John 15:1-2) Jesus is the source of real life, not merely physical existence, but abundant spiritual life. All other sources…

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the…

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23) Yesterday we heard Jesus warn us against…

“Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the…

“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.(Matthew 7:13-14) Jesus always speaks the truth for the good of his followers, and here is a sobering truth. In fact, as Jesus now begins to close his Sermon on the Mount, he speaks frankly of many hard…

Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12) This famous command of Jesus is commonly called “The Golden Rule.” Everything in the Bible is centered around love. The greatest commandments are that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and that we love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Living as a Christian is not as complicated as we…

“Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to…