And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 Question: Do we really need the church? If so, what exactly is the church? I guess that was really two questions, but they have both been on my mind a…
As I prepare my sermon each week, I spend time in prayer and wrestling with what God is saying to me and what I believe He wants me to say to you. Often, this leads to a lot of material. Since I am immersed in the text, the points seem obvious to me. However, I…
Among the possessions we have, there are those we treasure more than others. It may be something that has little monetary value but it holds great sentimental value – that vase that came from your grandmother, that now sits on your mantel. It’s a treasured possession. You may have a special bond with a loved one.…
Steve and I just experienced a wonderful trip to Poland to worship with Mirek and his church. We have supported Mirek since our church began and have watched him grow from an itinerant preacher to a minister of over 800! It was amazing to see what God was doing in the life of his church…
One of the most repeated commands in the Bible is to “fear not.” Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount not to worry about tomorrow. And Paul assured the Philippian Christians, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And…
Tina Turner once sang, “What’s love got to do with it?” I would counter that love has everything to do with it. As we continue to study the Book of James, he mentions the royal law (James 2:8). This law, he goes on to explain, is to love our neighbors as ourselves. In fact, he…
And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. Mark 6:31 What do you do to stay in shape? For me, I try to hit the gym every day. I find it interesting that…
James begins his letter with the statement, “Count it all joy when we meet trials of various kinds.” Not if we meet them but rather when we meet them. He says that if we remain steadfast we will receive the crown of life. In our text from yesterday, James points out that God is not…
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 Growing up I loved reading. One of my favorite genres was spy novels. I read all of the James Bond novels.…
We all have a past. Some good and some bad. How we deal with our past impacts our future. In the Old Testament, Joseph certainly had a strange and difficult past. He was thrown into a pit by his jealous brothers and then sold into slavery. He was falsely accused of impropriety by the wife…