The Scapegoat
Because God is perfect God cannot abide the presence of imperfection. Yet, because of our human nature, we are all imperfect. The biblical term for our imperfection is sin. In…
Trophy of Redemption
The Cross is our proof of God’s love, the trophy of our redemption. A trophy is a sign of victory, but in the ancient world a trophy was something you…
Hard Stuff
You can’t grow muscles without exercise. You can’t grow your intellect without study. All growth requires resistance. We have to learn to see things as they really are, through Kingdom…
What Was Done To Christ
Once Jesus has been handed over, he was no longer the active agent in his own story. He was a passive victim, and it is important to note that Christ’s…
Evil Exhausted
There is a war between Good and Evil. Good will win, but Evil must be taken seriously. In fact, for most of human history, it must appear as though Evil…
Jesus Died Alone
There was a place in Bethany where Jesus often retreated. It was the home of three siblings—Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. By all accounts, this is where Jesus went to refresh…
Despised and Rejected
Christ came into the world as a perfect human being, and his contemporaries condemned him for it. They couldn’t tolerate what he preached, what he proclaimed, and what he required….
How God Makes You Grow
None of the dark powers understood why Christ came into the world. If they had, they wouldn’t have pinned him to the cross (see 1 Corinthians 2.8). Maybe these dark…
Why Jesus Came
This is an extended excerpt from the upcoming book Dying for a Fix: Crucifixion, Resurrection, and New Creation Eschatology. You can learn more about the book here. Jesus came to…
Dying for a Fix Re-release
A few years ago I wrote a book called “Dying for a Fix.” It was meant to elucidate why Jesus had to die, and how exactly Jesus saved us through…
What We Experience Is Echoed Elsewhere
There are three incredible psalms in Revelation 19. One psalm by angels, one by Creation, and one by the saints. I love these kinds of augmented hymns in the scripture….
GUEST POST: HONEST WITH OUR FEAR
At Westwinds this season we are teaching through a book my friend Ben Redmond has written. His book explains how to relentlessly pursue the virtue critical to a mature Christian…