The scribes in Jesus’s day had the robes, the greetings, the front-row seats. They could quote Scripture and lead prayers. From the outside, they looked like the most devoted men in the room. Jesus wasn’t impressed. He watched them devour widows’ houses while offering long prayers as cover. Religion had become a costume for them,…

Well, tax prep season is back around again. Have you filed yours yet? I’m not sure if anybody likes tax season but accountants and politicians. Have you ever thought, “Man, my citizenship is in Heaven. I shouldn’t have to pay taxes on earth,”? Well, in Luke 20, Jesus clearly addressed that thought. The scribes and…

One of the most powerful stories Jesus ever told was in Luke 20 as He was wrangling with the scribes and chief priests in Jerusalem. The story was of a vineyard owner who leased his land to tenants. When he sent servants on three separate occasions to collect what was owed, the tenants beat each…

One of the most shocking moments in Jesus’s ministry happened when He walked into the temple and overturned tables. That event is in all four Gospels, but today we’ll focus in on the Luke 19 version. For many folks, that action seems so out of step with who we think Jesus was, but sometimes we…

March Madness is just around the corner, that time of the year each year when basketball fans go crazy. They hoop and holler and cheer with all their might as their teams take the court and play for a victory. In Luke 19, Jesus encountered some frenzied fans as He rode a donkey colt over…

Have you ever read through a church directory? That’s almost what it feels like as you read through Colossians 4:10-18. It’s basically just a string of names. Most people just skip them, but slow down. These are real people God used to advance His kingdom, and their stories are more encouraging than you might think.…

If I were to walk over to your spice drawer in your house and have a peek, what might I see? Some Creole seasoning. Some lemon pepper. Some paprika. Some garlic power. Certainly, the staples of salt and pepper. Seasoning just makes food better, and we down here in the deep South know that well.…

If you were sitting in jail, what would you ask people to pray for? Your release, your health, your safety. Well, as Apostle Paul sat in jail for nothing more than sharing the gospel, he had one urgent prayer request he sent to the church in Colossae there in chapter 4 of his letter to…

Power in the hands of a person reveals their character. Give a person authority over others, and you’ll quickly discover what’s really inside them. Some lead with fairness. Others exploit. And in Apostle Paul’s day, the gap between a harsh master and a righteous and just one made a huge difference for those under them.…

Most people work harder when the boss is watching. It’s human nature. When the supervisor walks by, phones disappear and conversations end. We perform for the audience in the room. But the moment they’re gone, we drift back to whatever we were doing before. Paul had a word for that. He called it “eye-service” —…