Galatians 6:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:2Someone helped unwrap you. Someone prayed for you, walked alongside you, pointed you to the cross, and helped you shed what the grave had left behind. Resurrection life is never meant to be hoarded. As you grow in Christ, you are called to turn and help someone else grow. You need a Paul, someone further along who pours into you. You need a Barnabas, someone walking b...  Read More

2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3:9-10When Lazarus walked out of the tomb, he was still wrapped in grave clothes. Jesus immediately told those around him to unbind him and let him go. New life had come, but the old wrappings still clung to him. Many believers experience genuine salvation and yet continue wearing the grave clothes of old habits, old mindsets, and old compromises. God has given you a...  Read More

James 1:22; John 11:38-41Jesus raised Lazarus, but he told the people standing nearby to move the stone. The miracle was his responsibility. The stone was theirs. God consistently invites his people to participate in what he is doing. He does not ask you to produce the miracle, but he does ask you to take the step of obedience that precedes it. Jesus thanked the Father before anything happened. He...  Read More

Luke 1:37; Romans 8:28Abraham and Sarah were told they were too old. The walls of Jericho looked immovable. Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. In every case, what looked like a permanent ending was simply the setting for a divine beginning. God is not limited by what limits you. He is not discouraged by what discourages you. The situation you have written off as finished may be the very groun...  Read More

John 11:28-35Jesus did not stand at a distance when Mary and Martha wept. He drew near, and he wept with them. The shortest verse in the New Testament carries one of the weightiest truths: God is not unmoved by your pain. He is angered by death because it was never part of his original design, and he is troubled by the suffering of those he loves. Whatever grief you are carrying today, you do not ...  Read More

Romans 8:28-39The Christian life does not promise exemption from pain. Jesus himself said in John 16:33 that in this world you will have trouble. But he also said to take heart, because he has overcome the world. The storms will come. The outcomes will not always match your prayers. The silence will sometimes stretch longer than you think you can endure. But Romans 8 does not say God causes all th...  Read More