We thank God for fatherhood and the responsibilities he has given to fathers to provide for their children, protect them from evil, and to train up their children in his saving Word. In God’s Word, we learn that God is our heavenly Father who so loved us all, his children, by sending his only begotten…

The celebrity in us thinks that we deserve the best seats in life. The celebrity in us thinks that we can do no wrong. But Jesus says, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled.” This is a call to repentance. If we think ourselves great in this life, we will learn the truth in the next:…

Mountains catch one’s eye. Climbing a mountain is often used as a metaphor for life: If you are going to succeed in life you’ve got to climb the mountain (there’s no other way). In Scripture, God tells us of three vital truths he fulfilled on mountains. There’s the mountain of law, sin and judgment: Sinai. There’s the…

Judgment is something we naturally fear, and we should. Punishment is for wrongdoing. Though we try to avoid it as much as possible as we live in the world, we cannot avoid it forever. Someday we will stand before the throne of God. How shall be escape judgment when only one sin condemns us? God…

Jesus wants his believing people to be ready for his second coming. So he tells us, “Provide yourselves moneybags that do not grow old.” “Stay dressed and ready for service.” “Keep watch all night.” He teaches us what these truths mean, and why they are so important to our readiness, that he will find us…

“Lord, teach us how to pray!” That’s what the disciples asked of Jesus. Jesus is the right person to ask. He is God’s Son, in sinless human form, who in perfect love and devotion raised his prayers to his Father on our behalf, as he labored to save us from sin. Save us he did,…

We tend to think that we will miss out on something important if we are not constantly doing things and going places, and the world around us (and in us) makes many demands on our time. Today, Jesus reminds us of the most important thing, His Word, which brings us rest and life. Since he…

“The LORD sets the prisoners free,” says Psalm 146:7, and this is not a promise for civil law breakers, but for moral law breakers. This means a promise for us all. We all have broken God’s moral law, the Ten Commandments; we have failed to live lives of holy light and love according to it,…

Money reigns supreme in the world and in our own hearts too. But is money everything? The Lord Jesus would teach us that money isn’t anything, not when it comes to the salvation of our souls. Jesus, God’s Son, our Lord, came into the world to redeem us from sin, death, and the devil, with…

Self-denial is often seen as the effort it takes to give up certain earthly pleasures. But when Jesus teaches us to deny ourselves, it is more than that. For Jesus, it is not so much we what give up, but what we take up: faith in his cross. In this faith, we deny ourselves and our ability…