In the passage surrounding the raising of Lazarus, we can learn a lot of different things. But undergirding it all is the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, that He is God, and this story proves it. John sought to prove that Jesus was who He said He was by writing this gospel. Throughout this book, he shows much evidence that proves Jesus is the God-Man. As we wrap up this series on Lazarus, I want to hone in on the central element to this story: Jesus as Messiah, and briefly wh

Martha and Mary show incredible insight in this chapter of John, don't they? Despite whatever doubt they may have shown (vss. 33, 40), they still understood that Jesus could save from death. When first speaking to Jesus, both sisters exclaim, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (vss. 21, 32), showing their understanding of who He was and what He could do. As we continue to draw application from the story of Lazarus, I wanted to look at our future hope

Wednesday's share is an article from Ligonier about daily devotionals. Do we need them? Are they legalistic? Honestly, I would prefer not to say much about the post, but instead to ask you to read it prayerfully. I hope it will be a help to you!

In the account of Lazarus, we see many different stories come together. We see the disciples both questioning and coming alongside Jesus, both on His decision to wait and His journey to see Mary and Martha. We see the plight of Lazarus' sisters as they grieve the death of their brother. We even see the watching Jews and their leaders, some who would believe, and others who would never believe no matter what (John 11:45-46). In the midst of it all, however, we see Jesus, both

Over the past few months, our church's youth group has been studying the book of John. Recently, as we wrap up the school year, we have been going through the story of Lazarus. It's a fascinating story, showing us so much of the human condition; even more, it shows us the heart of Jesus. There are too many application points for just one blog post, or even several. But, there are a few I want to hone in on in this short series on Lazarus. And the first one is that Jesus loved

As a kid, one of my favorite TV shows was Star Trek: The Next Generation. If you're familiar with the show, one of the main characters (and one of my favorites) was an android named Data. As the show progressed, Data strove to become more human-like, kind of like Pinocchio. Data eventually even acquired a special chip that gave human emotions. One particular episode that I recall involved a case where Data was on trial to defend the right to autonomy as an android. From a sci

Today's share comes from Got Questions; it's an article dealing with an interesting topic: the fear of man. It's a sin or struggle that, maybe, we have a harder time admitting we have a problem with. But, it's a problem for many of us just the same. Instead of spending time trying to explain it myself, instead I'll defer to the post, and hope that you find it a help and encouragement.

A common practice among photographers is applying something called a vignette to a finished image. If you're unfamiliar with that, the idea is simple: darken the edges of the frame. This helps keep the viewer's eyes focused on the center of the photograph. You can take it a step further by using a technique called dodging and burning, where you lighten or darken parts of the image to help direct the eye. It sounds like cheating, but it's pretty common and helps to tell the st