July 26, 2026

Matthew 6: 33 (NIV)

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

One seeks God’s kingdom by seeking his righteousness.*

I confess: Sometimes I wonder if Jesus might have been out of touch with reality. Seeking his kingdom and his righteousness sounds like a good choice, but we still have to pursue the means to feed and clothe ourselves and our families. I can’t spend my day in prayer instead of going to work. Meditation doesn’t put a sandwich together for me or do the laundry. Bible study doesn’t keep me warm in winter. Doing good works doesn’t usually come with a paycheck.

I confess again: Sometimes I take Jesus’ words out of context. This particular verse is from the “Sermon on the Mount” collection. In this sermon, Jesus introduced the world to a whole new lifestyle. He talked about meekness and justice and mercy and charity. He commanded us not to worry and he preached about priorities. He’s not telling us to ignore the cares of life; he tells us where to put those cares on our to-do list: anywhere after seeking the kingdom. When you make a to-do list, you don’t check off the first item and think you’re done – you move on to the next task.

So put your priorities in order each day. Ask God what he wants from you today; ask him to help you accomplish it, and then move on to the next item. Don’t worry about tomorrow – just make another list:

1. Seek his kingdom. 

2. Everything else.

To seek first the kingdom of God is the fundamental choice everyone makes when they first repent and are converted. Yet every day after that, our Christian life will either reinforce that decision or deny it.*

July 25, 2026

John 6: 60 (NIV)

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

What God seeks in every person is not sacrifice, but a humble spirit, and a devotion to the Lord that is expressed in obedience.*

I have always thought that the disciples who are quoted in this verse in John were just struggling to understand what Jesus was trying to teach them, but the New English Bible renders their words differently: This is more than we can stomach. Jesus’ retort lends credence to this version. He asked, “Does this offend you?” (Verse 61) And from this time, many of his disciples “turned back and no longer followed him.” (Verse 66)

In his book, The Difficult Sayings of Jesus, William Neil lists 34 hard sayings of Jesus. Perhaps Jesus lost some disciples along the way following each one of his difficult sayings but apparently this is the one that separated the men from the boys. It was his I am the bread of life speech, which included his pronouncement that “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” John gives us no reason to believe that these grumblers thought Jesus was talking about cannibalism so what was it that they found so offensive?

I think they actually understood what Jesus meant. As someone has observed, “It was the parts they did understand that were really disturbing.”* They may not have comprehended the full symbolism of his body and blood because they were still hopeful for a revolutionary political liberator, not a crucified and resurrected Messiah; but, even though many of them had just witnessed his miraculous feeding of 5,000 people on the beach, they knew that following Jesus was going to be no picnic! Being his disciple was going to require more from them than they were willing to give. 

It is willingness that Jesus demands from us. Most of us will never be faced with having to give up our lives for our faith; but what are we willing to give up? Picture yourself dropping all your possessions at the landfill. Imagine turning your back on your family and friends, or having them reject you. What if you could no longer participate in the activities you enjoy? Examine how those scenarios make you feel. Jesus wants you to let go of your attachments to this world just in case you are asked to give up your body and blood for him. It’s what he did for you.

 
Following Jesus is really all about dying. Postmodern Christianity wants Jesus to do all the dying.*

July 24, 2026

Luke 12: 6, 7 (NIV)

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

The things that make God dear to us are not so much His great big blessings as the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us; He knows every detail of our individual lives.*

Every time I play Trivial Pursuit, I am amazed at all the useless information my brain has retained. Some of it – I have no idea why I know it. What is truly incredible is that every bit of trivia buried in the recesses of my memory is also housed in the mind of God. A penny for my thoughts? A sparrow is worth twice as much. How many hairs are there on my head? (A lot!) Who needs to know that?

The God who spoke the universe into creation; who keeps planets from colliding; who knows what calculus is (are?) – he is the same God who knows my favorite color and has blessed the earth with flowers to match. In a world of billions, I am not so much. In the eyes of God, I am worth the life of his Son. After all that, he isn’t going to forget about me. Or you. He will take care of us.

I have to wonder, though: would I be more valuable if I could remember important things instead of just the trivial ones? . . . Nope. The price is the same.

Understanding how God sees us and how he values us can help us see the truth about ourselves.*

July 23, 2026

Mark 14: 8 (NIV)

“She did what she could.”

Deliriously joyful are the ones who believe that if God has used sticks, rocks, and spit to do his will, then he can use us.*

I read this recently: “I just instagrammed a Bible verse with a mountain background, what have YOU done to make disciples today?”* I nodded my head in agreement. Yup, I thought. Exactly. The poster’s sarcasm was not lost on me. And then my better self thought, What if making memes of beautiful scenery and Bible verses is all you could do to share the gospel? Shouldn’t you do it? Isn’t that much better than being able to do more but not doing it?

In the story from which this verse in Mark is taken, Jesus gently reprimands the other guests at a dinner party for their harsh comments about a woman’s beautiful expression of devotion to the Lord. When she anointed his head with some expensive perfume, some of those present were indignant at the wastefulness of her gesture. There is no mention that she had stolen the jar of perfume from one of them so it seems it was her property to dispose of as she chose; nevertheless, they claimed that it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. I’m thinking they were just trying to impress Jesus with their piety, while she was making an offering to him using the resources available to her. She did what she could.

Your small acts of devotion may not be spoken of “wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world” (verse 9), but never doubt that Jesus takes note and remembers. Do what you can – because whether it’s an extreme sacrifice or a Bible verse superimposed on a mountain scene, it is the Holy Spirit’s job to make it effective.

It is a snare to long to be used to do miraculous things. It is often rooted in the pride that wants everyone to see just how greatly God can use me. I should be delighted in the power of God, not because He has used me to display it.*

July 22, 2026

Matthew 15: 12 (NIV)

Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

Jesus did not soften his words in the face of danger.*

Those disciples! You gotta love ‘em. What did they think Jesus was going to do when he heard that he had offended the Pharisees? Apologize? Make a run for it? Water down his message? Or were they trying to stir things up a bit? Maybe they thought Jesus would confront those self-righteous Pharisees. Wouldn’t that have been fun to watch? 

When we offend someone, most times apologizing is the right thing to do. In extreme cases, running away may be necessary. But diluting the gospel message is never the correct response. I don’t believe that Jesus deliberately set out to offend anyone, but he knew it would happen. He knew he would be in danger, but he didn’t run - he had a mission to fulfill. Proactively confronting the Pharisees wasn’t necessary – he knew they would be coming to him. “Leave them,” he tells the disciples in verse 14. Pick your battles. 

Upon learning that we have offended someone, we may be faced with the same choices Jesus faced: 

• Apologize – if we have done something wrong, or if the offense was unintentional but regrettable;
• Run away – if they are the dangerous sort;
• Confront – if we have an issue to settle.

But we should never let fear of offense prevent us from speaking the truth. Jesus models speaking the truth with love and discretion but he never advocates speaking less than the truth. We must stand with the Apostle Paul who said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” (Romans 1: 16.)

In the heat of battle, we find ourselves too vocal about thimble-sized issues and we drag others into the dark abyss of our narrow-mindedness. We would be wise to choose our battles . . . with greater care.*

July 21, 2026

Matthew 13: 57 (NIV)

And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”

Rejection is never fun, unless you’re being considered for jury duty.*

It’s hard to get respect from the people who have known you since you were a child. The son of the preacher who baptized me when I was eight years old is now a retired army colonel. I am sure he has earned the respect of many but to me he will always be that kid who went screaming through his house when my mom showed up at his door in a scary Halloween costume. My cousin has made a few appearances on Fox News – they seem to respect his insight on economic issues. I was proud of how confident and knowledgeable he sounded during his interview but still . . . how can I forget that he was the only person to ever be bitten by our normally mild-mannered beagle?

Jesus experienced a similar type of reaction from his hometown. The people he grew up with were not taking him seriously. Matthew says they took offense at him – perhaps, knowing his humble origins, they felt he was being presumptuous. He seemed to understand it as common human behavior. He didn’t allow it to stop him from doing his job – until he did. Verse 58 relates the sad news that he didn’t do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. He knew when to move on. “It is truly remarkable,” someone has observed, “that Jesus was, in some manner, limited by their unbelief.”*

I have friends who regularly request prayer for their family members who aren’t Christians. They try to witness to their loved ones, but at best they aren’t taken seriously; at worst, they are outcasts. When it comes to family, moving on, as Jesus did, may not be an option, but we still may need to step back and allow someone else to take over. Our lives will continue to speak and be a witness but the job of messenger will fall to others.

I urge you, if you have experienced similar rejection, don’t give up on your loved ones. Continue to pray for them; continue to be available to them; and never stop living for Jesus yourself.

We must trust God to do what only God can do in a person’s life.*

July 20, 2026

James 3: 1 (NIV)

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

While God’s Word is absolutely authoritative, my particular interpretation of it is not.*

As a writer and a teacher, I take James’ warning seriously. I ask God to speak through me and that my words will be his words. I caution my readers and my listeners to see for yourselves what the Word says. I beg you never to just accept my word for what the scripture says. Open your Bible and let the Spirit speak to you.

And perhaps I haven’t even applied this verse quite properly. Have I made its meaning too narrow by thinking it’s only my words that will be judged? As a teacher, is it not my responsibility to practice what I preach? If I am not consistent and authentic in my walk, how will others trust my talk? I have allowed myself to be placed in a position of influence and I will be judged more strictly if my words or actions cause another to stumble.

If you are one who leads others in opening the Word of God, join me in praying for wisdom and humility in the lessons we prepare and deliver, and in the path we walk. Let us be used by God to bless others and to glorify him. And please, don’t take my word for it!

 
A life that is not consistent with the lesson taught can undo everything.*