Even though it’s just a short phrase, there are some big challenges to understanding what Paul means. Like, first of all, the word “poor”.  Then, the word “became”. “He” is not too hard, because that’s Jesus. When we think poor, we think about money. We might imagine Paul is saying that although Christ was rich, he’s not talking about our financial prosperity here and now either. So two times already he’s not talking about money. Then when he says how he did it in the next phrase—“so that you by his poverty might become rich”—we know he’s not saying that by his becoming financially poor we might be made financially wealthy…

To grasp the Son’s sacrifice in taking on human nature, we must deeply consider what it means for Him to be the Son of God. Paul helps us understand this in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “Though He was rich, He became poor…”

When we hear "rich," we typically think of money. But God is spirit, and as the Creator, He already possesses all things. So, what does it mean for God to be rich?

In 2 Corinthians 8:9, Paul motivates us to give sacrificially by pointing to who Jesus is and what He has done for us: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”…

There is no greater privilege than thinking deeply about Jesus. When it comes to what we choose to focus our minds on, we want to be a little like the apostle Paul. “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Paul is explaining why he preached the way he did…

We're living in a dangerous world. Physically dangerous, for sure. We're constantly being reminded of that. Everywhere you go, there…

Is there anyone you envy? If there is, we usually don’t like to admit it. But most of us, if we’re honest, have looked at someone else and thought, “I wish I had what they have.” Often, the people we envy are financially successful. If we ask others, “Who are the most envied people?” we’d probably hear a lot of billionaire names…

How do we stir one another up to love and good works? Hebrews 10:25 starts with a clear answer: “Not neglecting to meet together.” The fact that he commands them not to neglect meeting together assumes that Christians were meeting together. This is basic, but needs to be said…

After reminding us of the privileges we have in Christ, the writer of Hebrews calls on us to respond. In Hebrews 10:24 and 25, he highlights one of our most critical spiritual responsibilities: the call to intentional thinking. “And let us consider…” We should notice who he is addressing. He’s talking to us. Not just pastors or church leaders, everyone of us who is a believer. If you have access to God through Christ…

Tertullian may or may not have been a lawyer. He certainly was good at arguing. God used that ability to help the church more clearly articulate the doctrine of the Trinity. Starting with the word Trinity. People may have used the word before he did. But it wasn’t because they found the specific term in the Bible. What they did find was the concept. They sometimes struggled to explain it however…

What do you want for your children? Why do you want it?

We are being told a lot things we should want for our children. We should want them to have a good education. We should want them to get a good job. We should want them to make a good income...

One step to being a good parent is knowing what you're doing. It’s hard to do anything well if you have no idea what it is that you are supposed to do. When we talk about being a father or mother we're talking about more than just having babies, we're talking about parenting those babies. What does a parent do…

In this article, I want to share one key attitude, two fundamental commitments, and three basic presuppositions that are necessary to benefit from the Old Testament. One Key Attitude If you're going to benefit from the Old Testament, you need to approach it with humility...

When we think about someone speaking to us, we normally think of them standing in front of us, opening their mouths and saying words. Obviously that’s not what is happening with us and God when we are having devotions. But before we minimize what actually is happening, we should step back and think. Because, we all know there are different ways we receive communication from others....

I want to be a deep thinker. How about you? When I talk about being a deep thinker, I am not talking about sitting in a corner and philosophizing. I am talking about obeying Paul’s commands in Colossians 3:1 and 2. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above…

If I sit down and talk with you about enjoying your relationship with God I am going to talk with you about reading the Bible. Sometimes when I say things like that, people push back. “You are telling me that a big part of how I am supposed to interact with God is through reading a bunch of words?…

How can dads work on having a good relationship with their kids? Let’s start by understanding what we are talking about. How would you describe the ideal relationship between a father and his children? When we talk about a good relationship…

It’s hard to be a good parent if you don’t understand children. You need to be able to answer the question “what” if you are going to be to answer the question “how.” You know the Bible verses on parenting, but do you know kids? Before we think about what we are going to do with our children we need to make sure we know…

How can you be sure that God’s looking out for your good? After telling us that every good gift comes from God, James gives believers one proof of God’s goodness in James 1:18. He writes, “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures…

God is frightening. There are many things about God that are frightening. He has unstoppable power. If He wants, He can save someone or destroy someone in a moment. He is absolutely holy. There is no one in the universe who hates evil more than He does. His justice is absolute…

If you are going to be spiritual, you are going to need to do a lot of reading and listening to words. For many people honestly, that doesn’t sound very exciting. Perhaps one reason for that is because we tend underestimate the power of words…