The Road to Restoration

Are You Here to Save Your Face or Save Your A**? Let’s dive into a question that cuts deeper than a Thanksgiving turkey— Are you here to save your face or save your ass? It’s a blunt, almost comical way to frame a profound spiritual challenge, and it’s rooted in a story that’s been rattling cages for centuries. Picture this: Jesus, the master storyteller, drops a parable in Luke 18:9-14 about two guys heading to the Temple to pray. One’s a Pharisee, the polished poster child of religious perfection. The other? A tax collector, the societal equivalent of a pariah—despised, dirty, and desperate. The contrast is stark, and the lesson hits like a ton of bricks. The Pharisee struts in, head high, thanking God he’s not like “those sinners” (read: the tax collector). He’s all about image management—external appearances polished to a shine. Meanwhile, the tax collector can’t even look up to heaven. He beats his chest and cries, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” No pretense, no polish—just ra...

The Greatest Credential You Can Carry: “They Had Been With Jesus” “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” — Acts 4:13 (ESV) In a world constantly measuring success by degrees, job titles, and LinkedIn endorsements, it’s easy to feel like we’re not enough. But tucked away in the book of Acts is a stunning reminder of what truly matters in the eyes of God—and in the eyes of a watching world. Peter and John had just performed a miracle: healing a man who had been lame from birth. When summoned before the highest religious authorities of their day, they responded not with timid apologies but with bold proclamations of faith. The ruling elite were astonished. Not because these men were scholars or seasoned leaders—they were uneducated, common men. What set them apart? One thing: They had been with Jesus. Presence Over Prestige Author A.W. Tozer once wrote...