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A Christ-Centered Life (Philippians 2)

Palm Sunday marks the day Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem—not on a war horse with military fanfare as a Roman governor might, but on a donkey, accompanied by ordinary followers waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna!” This humble entry reveals something profound about Christ’s character and kingship.

What Makes Life Worth Living?

In our journey through Philippians, we’ve been exploring deep questions: What makes life worth living? What is God really like? Is Jesus still relevant today? Why can’t people just get along?

The book of Philippians points us toward answers, and it’s all centered on Christ. In fact, there are over 100 references to Jesus in just four chapters! Paul opens with the incredible declaration, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” For Paul, everything revolves around Jesus.

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DAVID the KING

From Shepherd to King: Lessons from David’s Reign

The story of David fascinates me because scripture presents him as both aspirational and deeply flawed. He’s someone to look up to, yet the Bible doesn’t hold back on showing the messiness of his life. This gives me hope—if David could be called “a man after God’s own heart” despite his failings, perhaps there’s hope for all of us.

The Shepherd King

David’s journey to the throne wasn’t smooth. After being anointed as a boy, he had to wait decades before becoming king. When Saul died, a civil war erupted—David’s tribe of Judah backed him while Saul’s loyalists supported Ishbosheth, Saul’s son. As 2 Samuel 3:1 tells us: “During the long war between the house of Saul and the house of David, David was growing stronger and the house of Saul was becoming weaker.”

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SABOTAGING MY BEST INTENTIONS: a Biblical Look at ADHD

In my 37 years of church attendance, I’ve never heard a sermon about ADHD. When I was growing up in the 90s, ADHD was just “that one weird kid who couldn’t control himself.” The kid interrupting the teacher, making everyone lose focus. The “bad kid” on “that weird pill.” Thankfully, we are beginning to break those stereotypes!

But ADHD isn’t new, and it’s not rare. About 11% of children ages 3-17 have been diagnosed with it. It has a strong genetic component, being an inherited disorder. And like depression and anxiety, it’s caused by over- or under-activation of certain brain structures and a decrease in specific neurotransmitters. The science of it all is just a Google-search away.

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FLY AWAY AND FIND REST: Understanding Anxiety from a Faith-Based Perspective

In our fast-paced world, anxiety has become increasingly prevalent, affecting millions of Americans each year. As someone who has experienced anxiety firsthand, I understand the challenges of addressing mental health issues with both sensitivity and hope. Too often, well-meaning people can do more harm than good when discussing these topics, leaving those who struggle feeling worse about their condition or without hope for improvement.

The Reality of Anxiety Today

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting approximately 40 million adults—roughly 18% of the population. Perhaps more alarming is the significant increase in anxiety among children and college students since the 1950s. Today’s high school students often experience anxiety levels that would have been considered severe enough for hospitalization in previous decades, yet they’re expected to continue with their daily activities as if nothing were wrong.

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DEEP CALLS TO DEEP: A Faith-Based Perspective on Mental Health and Depression

Mental health issues affect more people than we often realize, yet they rarely get discussed in religious settings. Too often, those struggling with mental health challenges feel they need to put on a brave face at church, pretending everything is fine when it isn’t. If we can’t be honest with each other in church, where can we be honest?

The Reality of Mental Health Challenges

Mental illness is incredibly common. In fact, it’s the number one cause of disability in North America. According to current statistics, about 25% of American adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder within any given year. Look around your church, your workplace, or your family gathering – chances are, several people you know are currently struggling with mental health challenges.

Some have called mental illness “the disease without casseroles.” When someone has surgery or physical illness, communities often rally around them with meals and support. But when someone is struggling mentally, they often feel abandoned and forgotten. It’s a hidden illness, yet it’s more prevalent than we might think.

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HOPE AND ASSURANCE: Dinner at Cleopas’ House

In the aftermath of Jesus’ crucifixion, two discouraged disciples left Jerusalem for the village of Emmaus. Their hopes had been crushed. The man they believed would redeem Israel had been executed by Roman authorities, and now they were making the seven-mile journey home, processing their grief and confusion.

As they walked and discussed recent events, a stranger joined them – Jesus himself, though they were prevented from recognizing him. When he asked what they were discussing, they stopped in their tracks, astonished that anyone in Jerusalem could be unaware of what had transpired.

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SALVATION AND BELONGING: Dinner at Zacchaeus’ House

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus was known for sharing meals with people – so much so that his critics labeled him a “drunkard and a glutton” and “a friend of all the wrong people.” Luke’s Gospel, in particular, records numerous instances of Jesus eating with others, showing how breaking bread together was central to his ministry.

In Luke 19:1-10, we encounter one of the most memorable meal-sharing stories: Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus. As Jesus was passing through Jericho (yes, that Jericho from Joshua’s famous battle), he met a man who would forever be remembered for two things: being short and climbing a tree. Poor guy – immortalized in a children’s song as “a wee little man,” Zacchaeus’s physical stature has overshadowed his bigger story of transformation.

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FORGIVENESS AND FRESH STARTS: Dinner at Simon’s House

There’s something special about sharing a meal together. As we begin 2025, I’ve been reflecting on how much of Jesus’ ministry revolved around the dinner table. His outreach to people often centered around meals and showing hospitality. In fact, research shows that sharing food together releases oxytocin, the “bonding hormone” that promotes social connection and cooperation. Perhaps that’s why church potlucks and small group dinners have always been such powerful tools for building community.

Jesus certainly understood the power of a shared meal. In Luke’s Gospel, we find Him frequently dining with all sorts of people – from close friends to strangers, from the respected to the rejected. When criticized for this practice, Jesus pointed out the irony of His critics: “John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners'” (Luke 7:33-34).

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Characteristics of Christ | THANKFUL

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 40: Thankful (Luke 22:19)

What are you thankful for today?

In the Gospels we see Jesus giving thanks for bread, for food, for God’s providence. The night before he went to the cross, Jesus presided over the Passover meal with his disciples. He took the bread and the cup, offering thanks for them.

He knew full well what those items would come to represent. He even gave the bread and wine new meaning at the meal with his friends – this is my body broken for you; this is my blood of the new covenant poured out for you. He knew what was coming, and yet he offered thanks.

Today is Holy Saturday and the final day of Lent. It’s a day of reflection on the cross and the sacrifice of Christ. We remember his broken body and his blood which washes away our own uncleanness and unrighteousness. May we never take these things for granted as long as we live.

I simply want to leave you with some Scriptures to reflect on for a few minutes today.

God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20)

For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrificed for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10)

Amen.

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Characteristics of Christ | FOCUSED ON HIS PURPOSE

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 39: Focused on His Purpose (John 12:23 & 32)

I just finished listening to the audiobook Start with Why, by Simon Sinek. You can watch his TED Talks and other videos of his online to get the gist of his book. It’s excellent stuff. He writes mostly for businesses and entrepreneurs, but most of what he writes is applicable to all aspects of life, including our faith and ministries.

The distinguishing factor between two businesses might not be what they do or even how they do it. The real difference is in why they do what they do. When we get our WHY figured out, the how and the what naturally flow from it. Sinek says, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Having a clear WHY breeds loyalty, creates dynamic cultures, and builds trust.

People need to know your core, underlying beliefs and values that drive you to do what you do in the first place.

Jesus knew why he came. It all comes down to LOVE. Say it with me: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Dozens of other would-be Messiah figures came and went. Even during Jesus’ lifetime there were others who made claims and gathered followings. But each of them was focused on the wrong thing; they had the wrong WHY. Ultimately they would fail to unite the people of Israel and overthrow their Roman oppressors.

God, in Isaiah, warned about having the wrong WHY:

He says: “It is not enough for You to be My Servant,

to raise up the tribes of Jacob,

and to restore the protected ones of Israel.

I will also make You a light for the nations,

to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.”

Did you catch that? Restoring Israel was too small of a task. It was the wrong WHY. Jesus was crystal clear and laser focused on his task. He knew his purpose – to bring the kingdom of heaven fully on earth and to open it up to everyone – Jews and Gentiles, slave and free, male and female – and to make all people into one new humanity.

And he knew the only way to accomplish this task was through the cross. When he was lifted up, he would be the light to the nations and draw all people to himself, bringing salvation to the ends of the earth.