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Get Higher

As I was reading in Luke 19, I came across the story of Zacchaeus. Most of us know the story. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but there was a problem. The Bible tells us that he was a short man, and because of the crowd, he could not see over the people around him.

So what did he do?

He ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree so that he could see Jesus.

As I read that passage, I couldn’t help but think about how often this happens in our own lives. Sometimes there are things standing between us and a clear view of Jesus. Sometimes it is stress. Sometimes it is busyness. Sometimes it is fear, disappointment, distractions, or simply the demands of everyday life.

The reality is that when we stay down in the middle of it all, it can be difficult to see what God is doing.

Zacchaeus recognized that if he wanted a better view, he needed to get higher.

That reminded me of our recent trip to Hawaii. We hiked the Diamond Head Crater Trail on Oahu, starting at the base of the crater and making our way to the top. The climb was not easy. There were steep sections, uneven ground, narrow pathways, tunnels, and what felt like countless stairs. At times, all you could see was the next step in front of you.

But as we climbed higher, something changed.

The higher we went, the more clearly we could see. What was hidden at the bottom became visible from above. The view at the top was absolutely breathtaking. We could see the ocean, the coastline, and so much more than we ever could from where we started.

Life can be like that.

When we are stuck in the middle of our circumstances, it can be hard to understand what God is doing. We may not see how things could possibly work out. We may not see the purpose behind the struggle.

Yet Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

The challenge is that we do not always see that when we are standing at ground level.

Sometimes we need to climb higher.

For me, one of the ways I do that is by protecting my time with the Lord each morning. Before I start my workout, before I eat breakfast, before I dive into my to do list, I grab my coffee and spend time with God. I read His Word. I pray for my family and friends. I talk to Him about the day ahead and the things weighing on my heart.

That time helps lift my perspective above the noise of everyday life. It helps me see things through His eyes instead of my own.

What about you?

What might you need to climb above in order to see Jesus more clearly?

Maybe it is worry.

Maybe it is distraction.

Maybe it is a packed schedule that leaves little room for God.

Whatever it is, be encouraged today. Like Zacchaeus, make the choice to get higher. Position yourself where you can see Jesus clearly. The view is always better from above.

To listen to encouraging messages to build your faith and strengthen your walk with Jesus, head over to my YouTube channel! Link below

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Be the One

In Luke 17, Jesus healed ten men who were suffering from leprosy. What stands out to me is that the healing did not happen immediately. Jesus told them to go, and the Bible says that as they went, they were healed. It took faith for them to start walking before they saw the miracle.

Can you imagine being one of those men? After years of isolation, pain, and rejection, suddenly your skin is restored. Your life is given back to you. Your family, your future, and your freedom are all restored.

Yet out of the ten who were healed, only one came back.

When he realized what Jesus had done, he turned around, ran back, fell at Jesus’ feet, and thanked Him. Jesus noticed. “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” (Luke 17:17).

As I read this passage, I found myself asking a simple question. Which one am I?

I want to be the one.

I want to be the one who notices God’s blessings and takes time to thank Him for them. I want to be the one who chooses gratitude instead of complaining. I want to be the one who sees the good in people instead of focusing on their faults. I want to be the one who speaks life, encourages others, and looks for reasons to be thankful.

Our world is full of criticism, negativity, and complaints. It is easy to join the crowd. It is easy to become one of the nine who simply move on to the next thing. But gratitude sets us apart. It changes our perspective and reminds us that every good thing we have is a gift from God.

Today, let’s be the one.

The one who says thank you.

The one who chooses kindness.

The one who sees the good.

The one who gives God the glory.

Because while ten received the miracle, only one returned to worship the Miracle Giver.

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Faithful in the Little Things

This morning I was reading Luke 16, the parable of the shrewd manager. The story begins with a manager who is about to lose his job because he has been wasting his master’s resources. Knowing his time is running out, he takes action and begins settling accounts.

As Jesus explains the lesson, He makes a powerful statement:

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” (Luke 16:10)

For years, this has been something God has continually brought back to my attention.

Many of us have big dreams. We feel God has placed desires in our hearts, ministries we want to build, people we want to impact, opportunities we hope will come. But often, while we’re waiting, we spend more time complaining about what we don’t have than being faithful with what we do have.

Why would God trust us to speak to thousands if we aren’t preparing well to speak to twenty?

Why would He increase our income if we’re not managing the money we already have?

Why would He expand our influence if we’re not stewarding the opportunities right in front of us?

The truth is that preparation happens long before promotion.

Faithfulness looks like showing up to work on time. It looks like handling our responsibilities with integrity. It looks like being honest with our time, our finances, our relationships, and our commitments. It looks like serving wholeheartedly, even when nobody notices.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about this with my blog and with women’s ministry. Neither one is reaching the world right now, and that’s okay. My responsibility isn’t to make them bigger. My responsibility is to be faithful with what God has already placed in my hands.

God doesn’t ask us to be successful by the world’s standards. He asks us to be faithful.

So today, instead of focusing on what you wish you had, take inventory of what God has already entrusted to you. Are you stewarding it well?

Because often the little things we’re tempted to overlook are the very things God uses to prepare us for what’s next.

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A Different Kind of Clean

I was reading Matthew 23, where Jesus is speaking to the religious leaders, the Pharisees and others who were interpreting the law of Moses. He doesn’t hold back. He calls out how everything they do is for show, how they elevate themselves above others, and then He reminds them of what really matters.

“The greatest among you must be a servant.” (Matthew 23:11)

“Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)

He goes on to say that while they are careful to follow the law, they are neglecting what matters most: “justice, mercy, and faith.” (Matthew 23:23)

But what really stood out to me was this:

“You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy, full of greed and self-indulgence… First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean too.”

Matthew 23:25–26

“Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:28)

As I read this, it made me think about something very practical. I am in a season of spring cleaning right now, going room by room, getting rid of things that no longer serve us, donating what I can, throwing things away, and reorganizing what’s left.

And it hit me, how easy it is to do that in our homes, but not in our hearts.

It is easy to let things build up inside. Pride, greed, bitterness. Just like clutter in a room, those things do not just disappear. They sit there until we deal with them.

So while I am spring cleaning my home, I am also asking God to help me spring clean my heart.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart… See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23–24)

We live in a culture that puts so much emphasis on the outside. Looking put together. Wearing the right things. Presenting ourselves well. And while those things are not wrong, they can easily become the focus.

But God looks deeper.

“People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

And the truth is, when we look honestly at our hearts, we need Him.

“The heart is deceitful above all things.” (Jeremiah 17:9)

“All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6)

We cannot clean our hearts on our own. Real cleansing only comes through Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

So this has become my prayer in this season: that I would not just focus on the outside, but that I would take time to sit before God with an open heart, willing to receive His correction and His refining.

To let Him deal with what is inside first.

Because when He cleans the inside, the outside follows.

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Make it Enough

There’s a popular movie from the 90s, the best decade ever, with a scene where the main character’s mom sends him to the store. He looks at the money she gave him and complains that it isn’t enough for what she asked him to buy. She looks at him and simply says, “Make it enough.”

Have you ever felt like what you have just isn’t enough?

I was reading in Matthew 14:13 about when Jesus feeds the five thousand, and it led me to a simple but honest question.

I am not even talking about finances necessarily. Maybe you feel like you do not have enough time in the day to do the things you would like to do. Maybe you feel like you do not have enough energy to do the things you need to do. Or maybe you feel like you do not have the capacity to serve the way you want to serve. You are doing the best you can, you are doing what you can, but it still feels like it is not enough.

As I was reading this story, it really encouraged me. There were large crowds that had come out to see Jesus, and they were hungry. The disciples even encouraged Jesus to send the people away so they could go into the villages and find food for themselves. But Jesus responded in Matthew 14:16, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

This story is told in all four Gospels. In one account, a disciple finds a little boy with a small lunch. In Matthew, when Jesus tells them to feed the people, they respond in Matthew 14:17, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

They were stating a fact. What they had was not enough.

And that is often where we stop. We see the facts, and we feel defeated.

But Jesus did not stop at the facts. He gave them instructions.

First, He said to bring what they had to Him. When we feel like we do not have enough, what we do have needs to be placed in Jesus’ hands. I think about waking up in the morning and saying, “Lord, I have things I want to do today. Maybe I did not sleep well, maybe I feel tired, but I give this day to You.”

Then Jesus had the people sit down on the grass. He created order. He made a plan.

If you feel like you do not have enough, that may be true, but it is not the end of the story. Look at what you do have and give it to the Lord, then take a moment to organize. What actually needs to be done today? Maybe instead of trying to do twenty things, you only need to focus on three. Jesus paused and brought structure before the miracle.

Finally, Jesus took the loaves and the fish, looked up to heaven, and blessed them. He gave thanks for what was already in His hands.

That is a reminder for us to thank God for what we do have and trust Him to make it enough.

Matthew 14:20 says, “They all ate and were satisfied, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.”

Because the disciples were obedient in giving what they had to Jesus, it became more than enough.

If you are in a season where you feel like what you have is not enough, I want to encourage you to give it to Jesus.

He will make it enough.

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Take It Off: Criticism and Hypocrisy That Cover the Gospel (Week 5)

Scripture references: Galatians 5:14–15, 24–26; Matthew 7:3–5; Titus 1:16; Ephesians 4:22–24; Romans 12:2

I ended the message with a picture that has stayed on my mind:

We get saved.
We take off the old self.
We put on the new.

But over time, we start layering things over the gospel until it becomes hard to see.

This week is about two layers that can quietly become part of our “Christian outfit” if we aren’t careful:

  • criticism
  • hypocrisy

Criticism: when we lead with correction instead of Christ

Correction has a place. Truth has a place. Discernment has a place.

But criticism is different.

Criticism is when our default posture becomes:

  • picking at flaws
  • highlighting what’s wrong
  • speaking judgment faster than mercy
  • tearing down more than building up

Paul warned the Galatians:

“If you bite and devour each other, watch out… you will be destroyed by each other” (see Galatians 5:14–15).

That’s not just about arguments. That’s about a culture of criticism.

And Jesus addressed it directly:

Why focus on a speck in someone else’s eye when you have a log in your own? (see Matthew 7:3–5)

Jesus wasn’t saying “never help people.”
He was saying we can’t become blind to our own hearts while being obsessed with everyone else’s.

Because a critical spirit doesn’t just hurt others; it slowly makes love feel optional.

Hypocrisy: when we say “Jesus” but live like we don’t know Him

Hypocrisy isn’t “imperfect Christians.” We all grow. We all repent. We all stumble.

Hypocrisy is choosing a double life:

  • singing worship but refusing forgiveness
  • talking grace but withholding mercy
  • claiming surrender but living in secret rebellion
  • presenting holiness publicly while excusing sin privately

Titus says, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him” (see Titus 1:16).

That is sobering.

The call: take it off

Ephesians says to “put off your old self… and put on the new self” (see Ephesians 4:22–24). Romans says we’re transformed by the renewing of our minds (see Romans 12:2).

And Galatians tells us what this looks like in real life:

Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (see Galatians 5:24–26).

This is not about perfection.
This is about direction.

It’s about refusing to let anything cover up Jesus in our lives.

The simplest closing question of the whole series

If someone watched your life for one week, without hearing your words, would they still be able to tell:

Jesus came.
He lived.
He died.
He rose.
And He’s coming back.

Because church, the world needs to see the one gospel.

Not Jesus plus opinions.
Not Jesus plus traditions.
Not Jesus plus division.
Not Jesus plus criticism.
Not Jesus plus hypocrisy.

Just Jesus.

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Division: When the Church Fights, the Gospel Gets Muffled (Week 4)

Scripture references: Galatians 3:26–29; Galatians 4:17; Mark 3:25; Romans 16:17–18; John 17:20–23

Division doesn’t always start as hatred.

Often it starts as preference.

Then preference becomes position.
Position becomes pride.
Pride becomes separation.

And separation becomes a witness to the world that says:

“Jesus can save you… but He can’t unite us.”

Paul directly confronts the unity issue in Galatians:

“There is no longer Jew or Gentile… for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (see Galatians 3:26–29).

The gospel creates a new family. A new identity. A new belonging.

So when division takes center stage, it’s not just relational damage, it’s a gospel distraction.

Division is a strategy

Jesus said, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (see Mark 3:25).

That’s true in homes. It’s true in marriages. It’s true in churches.

And division doesn’t have to be loud to be effective. Sometimes it’s whispered:

  • “Don’t trust them.”
  • “That church is off.”
  • “Those believers aren’t serious.”
  • “We’re the only ones doing it right.”

Paul even warned that some teachers try to “shut you off” from healthy influence so you’ll pay attention only to them (see Galatians 4:17). That’s a control tactic and it fractures the body.

What division looks like in real life

Division can look like:

  • arguing over nonessential doctrines
  • splitting over preferences instead of truth
  • making secondary issues primary issues
  • speaking against other churches and leaders
  • creating “us vs. them” inside the body of Christ

Romans warns believers to watch out for those who cause divisions contrary to the teaching they’ve learned (see Romans 16:17–18).

Not everyone who divides is bold and obvious. Some divide by constant suggestion, constant suspicion, constant critique.

Jesus prayed for our unity

This matters so much that Jesus prayed for it (see John 17:20–23). He connected unity to witness so the world would know the Father sent the Son.

That means division is not just a church “problem.”

Division is a mission problem.

When the church is busy fighting, we stop reaching.

Next week we’re going to land this series where it gets very personal: criticism and hypocrisy. Because sometimes the gospel isn’t hidden by what we believe, but by how we live.

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Traditions: When “We’ve Always Done It This Way” Becomes the Rule (Week 3)

Scripture references: Galatians 1:13–14; Matthew 15:3–9; Colossians 2:8; Acts 15:1–11

Tradition is not automatically bad.

Some traditions are beautiful. They keep us anchored. They create rhythm. They help families and churches remember what matters.

But traditions become dangerous when they start carrying the weight of God’s command, instead of staying in the place of human practice.

Paul admitted he once was zealous for the traditions of his ancestors (see Galatians 1:13–14). That’s the part many of us can relate to. Tradition can feel like faithfulness.

But tradition is not the same thing as truth.

Jesus’ warning about tradition

Jesus confronted religious leaders because they elevated tradition above the Word of God (see Matthew 15:3–9). His point was clear:

When tradition replaces obedience, the heart drifts, even while the mouth keeps singing.

That’s what makes tradition tricky. It can look holy while quietly pushing Jesus out of focus.

What traditions can look like today

Traditions can show up as:

  • how communion must be served
  • what “real worship” sounds like
  • what “proper church” looks like
  • what people should wear
  • what programs are “necessary”
  • what time Sunday services should be

None of those are automatically wrong.

But when we act like someone can’t belong, can’t be saved, or can’t be “right” unless they adopt our way, we’ve turned tradition into a gatekeeper.

And the gospel does not need gatekeepers.
The gospel needs witnesses.

Galatia’s issue was tradition as requirement

The Judaizers weren’t just offering cultural preferences. They were making traditions a condition of acceptance (see Acts 15:1–11 for the broader early-church conflict).

Paul’s response throughout Galatians is essentially:

Don’t put a yoke on people that Jesus didn’t put there.

The cross is enough.

A simple test for tradition

Here’s a helpful question:

Is this tradition helping people see Jesus or helping people see us?

If a tradition:

  • produces pride
  • produces exclusion
  • produces control
  • produces shame
  • produces distraction from Christ

…it’s time to hold it up to the light of Scripture.

Colossians warns about being taken captive by human tradition instead of Christ (see Colossians 2:8). That’s not just a warning for ancient believers. That’s for us too.

Next week we’ll talk about division, because when believers fight each other, the world stops listening to the message we’re called to carry.

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Opinions: When “I Think” Starts Sounding Like “Thus Says the Lord” (Week 2)

Scripture references: Galatians 1:11–12; Proverbs 18:2; Romans 14:1–4; 1 Corinthians 8:9; Colossians 2:20–23

Opinions aren’t automatically sinful.

We all have preferences, perspectives, convictions, and experiences. But one of the easiest ways to accidentally cover up the gospel is to elevate opinions to the level of truth and then present them with the weight of God’s authority.

Paul said the message he preached was not from “mere human origin” or “human reasoning” (see Galatians 1:11–12). In other words:

“This gospel isn’t my take. It’s God’s truth.”

That matters because the moment we confuse truth with take, we begin leading people to ourselves instead of leading them to Christ.

How opinions become gospel add-ons

This is what it can sound like:

  • “A real Christian would never…”
  • “If you truly loved God, you would…”
  • “Well, Christians should vote like…”
  • “That church isn’t a real church because…”
  • “If you were mature, you’d do it my way…”

And now the message becomes:

Jesus + my opinion

Even if we don’t intend it, it can turn discipleship into pressure, and freedom into fear.

Convictions are real, but convictions aren’t universal commands

I shared in this message with the ladies at my church that I personally don’t drink. For me, that’s a conviction God has spoken clearly into. And convictions can be a gift from God. They can be for our protection, direction, and clarity.

But the Bible also warns us not to turn personal convictions into a standard of righteousness for everyone else (see Romans 14:1–4).

Convictions are about obedience.
The gospel is about salvation.

When we blur those two, we end up measuring people by our personal lines instead of by Christ’s finished work.

The Bible’s warning about “airing opinions”

Proverbs says, “Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions” (see Proverbs 18:2).

That verse convicts me because it reminds me:

Not every thought needs a microphone.
Not every preference needs a platform.
Not every conviction needs to become a rule.

Sometimes maturity looks like this:

  • “I’m listening.”
  • “I’m learning.”
  • “I’m praying.”
  • “I’m not making my preference your burden.”

When opinions become obstacles

Paul warns elsewhere about using our freedom without love, because we can harm others and distract from Jesus (see 1 Corinthians 8:9).

That’s the key: love.

If my opinion is louder than love, I’m not representing Christ well.

If my preference is heavier than grace, I’m not presenting the gospel clearly.

If my “I think” becomes someone else’s shame, I’ve stepped out of my lane.

A gospel-centered way to speak

Here’s a question that helps me:

Is this a gospel issue, a discipleship issue, or a preference issue?

  • Gospel issue: salvation, the cross, Jesus as Lord
  • Discipleship issue: holiness, wisdom, spiritual growth
  • Preference issue: my style, my comfort, my background

When we put things in the right category, we stop demanding agreement where the Bible doesn’t demand it.

And we leave room for the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do: transform hearts from the inside out.

Next week we’ll talk about traditions. Because sometimes what we call “spiritual” is just what we’re used to.

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One Gospel: Don’t Trade Grace for “Jesus Plus” (Week 1)

Scripture references: Galatians 1:6–10; Acts 9; Acts 13–14; Galatians 2:16; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Timothy 4:2; John 1:1, 14

Paul opens Galatians with a sentence that should make every believer sit up straight:

He says he’s astonished that they are “so quickly deserting” the One who called them by grace and turning to a different gospel (see Galatians 1:6–7).

That word “deserting” matters. Paul isn’t talking to unbelievers. He’s talking to people who have heard the gospel, responded to the gospel, and are now drifting from the simplicity of the gospel.

And Paul doesn’t treat it like a small issue.

He says that what they’re turning to is “really no gospel at all” (see Galatians 1:7). Then he repeats himself about anyone preaching another message (see Galatians 1:8–9). Paul is not being dramatic. He’s being protective.

Because when you change the gospel, you don’t just tweak a belief, you wreck the foundation.

The moment “one gospel” becomes “a different gospel”

To understand why Paul is so intense, you have to know what was happening in the churches of Galatia.

These churches weren’t just one congregation in one city. They were a collection of churches throughout a region Paul visited in his missionary journeys (see Acts 13–14). The believers were a mix of:

  • Jewish Christians (raised under the Law of Moses)
  • Gentile Christians (not raised under Jewish law)

When Jesus came, He fulfilled the Law. Salvation was no longer about trying to prove righteousness through rules. It was about receiving righteousness through faith in Christ (see Galatians 2:16).

But here’s where the conflict came in:
Some Jewish believers struggled to let go of the old way of measuring “holiness.” They believed Jesus was the Messiah, yes. But they still felt that Gentiles should also adopt certain Jewish markers, like circumcision and dietary restrictions.

So after Paul preached and left, teachers often referred to as Judaizers came behind him and told the Gentiles:

“Yes, Jesus saves… but you also need to do this and that to be truly right with God.”

And the moment the message becomes Jesus plus anything, the gospel gets blurred.

What is the gospel?

If we can’t define it simply, we’ll struggle to defend it clearly.

The gospel is this:

  • Jesus came
  • Jesus lived
  • Jesus died
  • Jesus rose
  • Jesus will return

That’s the message that saves. That’s the message that transforms. That’s the message the enemy works overtime to distract us from.

Paul told Timothy, “Preach the word… in season and out of season” (see 2 Timothy 4:2). And we know the Word is not just a concept; it is Jesus Himself (see John 1:1, 14).

So when Paul says “one gospel,” he’s saying:
Preach Jesus. Stay with Jesus. Don’t mix Him with requirements He never asked for.

The “not the gospel” list

Let me say this plainly:

There are many important topics in the Christian life. There are many practices that matter. There are many discussions we can have.

But not everything is the gospel.

The gospel is not:

  • the exact wording of a baptism formula
  • spiritual gifts as a measurement of salvation
  • denominational preference
  • political alignment
  • secondary doctrinal debates
  • personal lifestyle convictions presented as universal law

Those things may be part of discipleship conversations. But if we make them the entry point, the focus point, or the “proof” of salvation, we’ve changed the message.

And Paul won’t allow it, because love won’t allow it.

Paul knows the danger:
When the gospel is altered, the cross becomes small. Grace becomes suspicious. Freedom becomes fragile. And people end up trying to earn what Jesus already purchased.

So Week 1 is our foundation:

  • Christ alone saves.
  • Grace alone calls.
  • Faith alone receives.

And if we can anchor ourselves here, we’ll be able to recognize the things that try to creep in and cover up the gospel.

Next week we’ll talk about the first one: OPINIONS, and how quickly “my perspective” can become “God’s requirement” if we aren’t careful.