The story of the rich young ruler shows up in Matthew 19 , Mark 10 , and Luke 18 .  It’s hard to read this story without it landing heavily. The man was not rebellious; on the contrary. He was sincere. He was a good man. He ran to Jesus. He knelt.  Respectfully. He asked the right question—the eternal one: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Apparently, he knew he had but a few moments in Jesus’ presence, and he asked the one thing he had been bothered by. And Scripture gives us a...

God hears our prayers, but excuses do not move Him—or heaven. You  will not threaten God with ultimatums, and if you try, you have clearly forgotten who created whom. Throughout Scripture, God was never impressed by people’s excuses. How tired someone felt, how old they were, how small they thought they were, or how impossible the situation seemed. Limited resources, age, and inconvenient timing have never intimidated God. What moves Him is a "YES." What stirs His heart is surrender. And yet,...

Not a symbolic gift.  Not a sentimental gesture.  But something real. If it were humanly possible to honor Him on His celebrated day of birth, what would actually make his heart smile? Scripture records humanity asking that very question. Micah 6:6–7  “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give...