To Be Exalted You Must Become Humble
The path to becoming humbled with shame is through self-exaltation. This is what Jesus meant by whoever exalts himself shall be humbled. If we promote our own greatness by way of worldly boasts, we will end up ashamed when Christ appears and inaugurates His kingdom. If we seek to humble ourselves before God and man, we will be exalted…
The Last Will Be First
In the chapter following Jesus’ statement that the first will be last and the last will be first, Jesus tells a parable (Matthew 20). The story concerns some laborers who complain that others, who did not work as long as they, were paid an equal amount. In other words, they saw their own labor as…
You Must Choose Who You Worship
In 1 Samuel, the Israelites decide they want a human king to reign over them. That’s was how all of the kingdoms around them ruled. They forfeited the Lord as their king for Saul, who ended up being an imperfect king. It isn’t often that we intentionally decide, “I am going to take God off…
To Be First You Must Be Last
Jesus made the statement “many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Matthew 19:30). He said this in the context of His encounter with the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16–30). The young man turned away from Jesus, unable to give up his great wealth. Jesus’ disciples asked the…
To Be Wise You Must Become Foolish
When someone falls for a practical joke or prank, he may feel “foolish” for a moment or two. But those who fall for “the wisdom of this world,” and build their lives on it, will spend all eternity regretting such a foolish choice. In order for our relationship with Jesus to mature, we must accept…
The Value of a Good Friend
New friends are made throughout our whole lives. Some friends are only there for a season, and others remain for a lifetime. Whatever the span of friendship, nothing can compare to the value of a good friend. Here are some biblical examples of good friends we can learn from. David and Jonathan “Jonathan said to…