In the Beatitudes (opening Christ’s Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5), the King of Kings proclaimed the blessed benefits of denying worldly citizenship serving in His heavenly Kingdom.[1] They anticipated antithesis, assuring Christians of enjoying blessings for being Christ’s…
A life of true happiness is that rare gem which every human heart seeks. An entire industry – marketing – exists with the intent to make you, a needy human heart, feel a lack of happiness and to assure you…
The beginning of a new calendar year often brings with it conversations of New Year’s resolutions, including getting in shape. Whether or not you plan to begin a new physical exercise regime in 2026, the Bible gives us a walking…
After the preacher has wrestled well with all the interpretive difficulties that come with reading and understanding the parables of Jesus, the task now lies before him to communicate and preach the parable faithfully, clearly, and persuasively. This jump from…
I would imagine that most if not all of those reading this article have read or at least heard of the book The Pilgrim’s Progress, the allegorical story about a man named Christian and his journey from the City of…
“Context is king.” This is the paramount hermeneutic for all Bible texts, each having one exegetical point.[1] The Bible’s entire text, including the parables, has one ultimate homiletical point: Bow before Jesus the King of Kings! Steven McCarthy points out…
Among the many genres of Scripture, the parables of Jesus hold a unique power. They are simple and profound, familiar and unsettling, inviting and confrontational. They draw hearers into a story before they realize the story has drawn them before…
A parable is “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” There you go—end of article. That is a familiar and accurate understanding of the parable genre, but it is inadequate for the expositor who desires to preach from this packed…
From the moment the first humans fell, Scripture begins to sing a song of promise. In the protoevangelium of Genesis 3:15, God declares enmity between the serpent and the woman, between their offspring, and pledges that the woman’s seed will…
Ask anyone if they need help and the answer is usually Yes, at least if they’re honest. People need help finding a job. They need help navigating a difficult relationship. Couples need help communicating in marriage. Parents need help raising…
