Peter’s transformation from a rash fisherman in the Gospels to a bold witness for Christ in the book of Acts boils down to one Person—the Holy Spirit.

At the zenith of His career, Jesus pulled away to the secluded area of Caesarea Philippi. On His mind was a crucial question for His disciples—and for us as well. Travel back with me to the scene as it unfolds.

As I thought about this I wondered, “Why does Jesus have to return at all?” Couldn't He just plan it so when people die they go to heaven or hell and then, when the divine Timekeeper says time has run out, it's game over?

While intercessory prayer is certainly biblical, I wonder whether some of our assumptions and motivations behind this kind of prayer are unbiblical.

We must tell the truth...in love. Confronting is not the same as criticizing. Be careful of using the truth like a battering ram to force the pastor to change. You don’t want the confrontation to turn into a power struggle.

You want to be great? You want to make a lasting impact? You want to make a significant contribution? I don’t think that’s a bad ambition—if we’re talking true greatness.

In my heart I knew my self-righteous standoff was petty and immature. But in order to end the madness I had to be the one to break. And that meant humbling myself.

Is there an offense you can’t forget? Write down that hurt, bring that paper to the cross, and etch FORGIVEN across it. Ask your Lord to fill the holes in your heart and help you press on.

Our teacher is the world’s leading expert on forgiveness. No one has more experience in forgiving than Him. His exams can be tough when we’re asked to put into practice what we’ve learned.

Living in a material world, and especially in capitalistic North America, the pressure to be caught up in materialism is enormous.