We need to see that we all build on something. In the parable, Jesus contrasts two builders, one who builds on the rock and one who builds on the sand. It may seem obvious, but those are the only two options given, because when it comes to our deeply held beliefs, everyone builds on something.
What then is the biblical view of sin? Sin is a distortion and dislocation of the heart from its true center in God (Romans 1:21-25). This is expressed in a basic motive for all human life—the heart desire of every person to be his or her own Savior and Lord.
This article was originally written for the Redeemer Report in 2003.
Most of these students have never seen a Bible and will live their lives never entering a Christian’s home or having any kind of relationship with one. When I chose to join RUF-I, these are the things that excited me. This really was “world mission” in my home city. I could not have been more excited at the opportunity to share Jesus with them.
Since the beginning of humanity in the Garden of Eden, there has been one unchanged aspect of the human heart—deep down in our soul we all desire to be the king of our lives. We are unwavering in our determination to unseat the rightful and only true king, Jesus Christ.
One Sunday, Pastor Isidore’s preaching sounded different. And it sounded different the next Sunday and the one after that. And it wasn’t just the preaching. “We started seeing the Christ-centeredness of his preaching,” Yves said. “It was really remarkable. … Pastor Isidore was now more concerned about how to build the lives of the people in the church on Christ, more than focusing on the church’s day-to-day problems.”
When faced with 16 file drawers worth of papers, sermon manuscripts, talks, sketches for talks, and other content that Tim left in our apartment, I was flummoxed/appalled/elated.
During the season of Advent (November 30 – December 24), Gospel in Life offers a daily devotional. We’d like to send you an email each day during this time to help you focus on the beauty and meaning of Christ’s birth.
This Month's Featured Book
In Tim Keller’s book Counterfeit Gods you’ll read how the Bible reveals the truth about idols and how they can take the place of God in our hearts. The book ultimately shows us that only the one true God of the Bible can satisfy our longings and fulfill our hopes.
