Christmas is fast approaching and, not surprisingly, my kids and grandchildren are looking forward to seeing what’s under the tree. The grandkids, at least, are still young enough that they are waiting with bated breath to learn what treasures they’ll be receiving. Ridge has already peeled back the corner to discover one of his presents.…
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 The past can be a funny thing. Some look back to a time when they were happier, healthier, less stressed… in other words, those glory days. The problem with those…
God wants to be first priority in our lives. He is either the Lord of All, or He is not. The best test for us is determining what we give back to God. Does He wind up with our leftovers? Is our time, energy, and resources given to other endeavors instead of to Him? In…
Once we’ve decided to do something, we often like to “go big.” We think to ourselves: if we’re going to do this thing, let’s really do it. Great things can result, of course. But the mentality can backfire, too—for example, when we set our ambitions too high, get overwhelmed, and can’t follow through. Jesus however, suggests an opposite approach. To start small…
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 What moves your heart? It may be your family or your spouse – or a close friend. However, when we begin to follow Jesus, he creates in us a new heart – a heart that is more like His. We begin to…
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. John 6:35 This past Sunday we looked at John 6 where Jesus begins a discourse with the crowd. In verse 27, He tells them not to work for the food that perishes…
I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You, Jesus. In the 1990’s Matt Redmans’ pastor, Mike Pilavachi, asked, “When you come through the doors on a Sunday, what are you bringing as your offering to God?” He then removed the sound system and the band from the service because their…
We began a study of the Gospel of John. At the outset, John, an eyewitness to all that was happening, wants us to know the identity of Jesus. John tells us that Jesus is the Word that became flesh. In the first few verses of Chapter 1, we see Jesus as God, Redeemer, and our…
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 Have you ever been held back because of your past? I…
I believe; help my unbelief—Mark 9:24 Have you really thought about what you believe about God? Some givens (I think): We know He is Omnipotent – all powerful. He created everything (Genesis 1; Colossians 1:16). We know He is Omniscient – he sees everything and knows everything and can do anything (Isaiah 55:9; Hebrews 4:13;…