The followers of Jesus were alone with Him when they asked Him to explain the parable of the sower. They had moved beyond the crowd into intimacy. These were not just listeners—they were disciples. Jesus said to them in Mark 4:11: “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables.” There is a knowing that only comes when you step away from the noise and draw close. Knowing Jesus for yourself will never thrive in the place of hearsay— not what your father said, not what your mother told you, not even what your pastor preached. You only truly know Jesus in the place of intimacy. Revelation is birthed there—not in secondhand information. In Matthew 16, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They answered with hearsay: “John the Baptist… Elijah… Jeremiah… one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked the most important question: “But who do you say I am?” Peter responded, “You are the Messiah, ...
Last year, Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church pleaded guilty to allegations of child sexual abuse and was handed a 10-year sentence. However, he will reportedly serve only six months in the Osage County Jail in Oklahoma, where the abuse took place. Pastor Robert Morris I have turned this over and over in my mind, wondering what must have gone wrong. Let me make a personal confession: I admired Pastor Robert Morris. I enjoyed his teachings deeply. I had the Gateway app installed on my phone and listened to his messages almost daily—right up until the day I heard that he had been implicated in a child abuse scandal that reportedly occurred in the early years of his ministry. I was shocked. I genuinely believed Pastor Robert Morris was a man of God. Yet, I also believe there were unresolved issues that God wanted him to confront—issues that were perhaps hidden, minimized, or buried in an attempt to protect reputation. For years, everything appeared to be going well. He was nearin...