Mat 6:33 Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Mat 6:34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever [...]
Choices. We make them every day. The results of those choices affect the course of our lives and all the choices ahead. Once we make a choice we can no longer make the other choice. Our course is set. Now a multitude of other choices on the other path are no longer ours. Now we [...]
John 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. One of the passages of scripture that has troubled me my entire Christian life is this passage in John. These are [...]
Cross Amidst the Ruins On an early September morning; Hatred reared it’s ugly head. Terrorism struck Manhattan; It’s wake left thousands dead! It truly was a miracle … How many lives were saved. Over-shadowed by the horror; Of the war-like rubbled grave! Time seemed frozen, hope was lost; For loved ones left behind. Trying to [...]
2 Timothy 2:20-22 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every [...]
I have always felt like an outsider. “Outside what?” you might ask. Outside everything! I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who didn’t have this sense of being on the outside trying to get in. The sense of being an outsider is something we all deal with. I think it’s simply part of being fallen. [...]
A guest post from @proverbsnwisdom As a Christian for many years, Ashley Ormon is fully conscious of the life-changing impact an individual can have in putting God first and developing a close relationship with Jesus Christ. You are welcomed to visit her website and community, Proverbs & Wisdom, where she writes to encourage you, empower [...]
It’s often hard to see God, to see his hand, his work in our lives. It’s often hard to sense his presence, but for the believer he’s ever present. In fact, he says he will never leave us, but most of the time we don’t sense his presence, we aren’t aware of his care. For [...]
It’s 100 degree + again today. It’s summer in Texas. We usually have hot summers, but this one seems especially warm. Today a friend invited me to lunch with him, but he wanted to “ride” to lunch. That means motorcycles. I have an old BMW airhead with the cylinders right in front of each foot. [...]
You read about them daily in the news. They cause fear and devastation when they strike. Their tactics change lives forever, including their own. They are called suicide bombers. It’s a recent term to describe a growing trend…people willing to destroy themselves to hurt others. Their beliefs are so strong that they are willing to [...]
ev•er•last•ing [ev-er-las-ting, -lah-sting] adjective 1. lasting forever; eternal: everlasting future life. 2. lasting or continuing for an indefinitely long time: theeverlasting hills. 3. incessant; constantly recurring: He is plagued by everlastingattacks of influenza. Everlasting is such a comforting word. Sometimes we just let the word simply slip by us because, as Christians, we know HIS [...]
The permission to speak freely by Anne Jackson is an awesome book that talks about how we let our fears stop us from speaking freely about anything. Freely speaking on our thoughts and fears about church, relationships, addictions, depression, family etc. Her single statement “Fear Won” caught my heart. Fear wins out so often [...]
I’m often amazed at the thought that even though the Lord knows me, that HE still chooses to love me. Me….. a little ole nobody with fearful tendencies and so far from child like faith, it’s scary.
He knows when I’m discouraged, when I feel alone, defeated and depressed.
I just watched a video by David Christian called “Big History” on T.E.D. It was fascinating. He began with a video to show how impossible, improbable it is to go from chaos to order and then proceeds for 15 minutes to whimsically declare that’s exactly how the universe came to be. With no reason or [...]
In my reading I’ve come to Mark 1 and one of my favorite stories in the bible. It’s a very short story…not much said about it, but it’s heavy with impact to me. I always slow down as I read this story because I love the message it communicates. Join me in the crowd as [...]
I just finished teaching through the first three chapters of Ephesians and as we finished chapter three we came to Paul’s closing prayer for the first three chapters. After some wonderful theology Paul’s prayer focuses on one thing- that they would understand how much God loves them. Honestly, it doesn’t seem to fit, but what [...]
The words of a commentary come to mind this morning as I start my day, “The best word to describe someone who has not trusted Christ as savior is ‘without.’” It’s part of a commentary on the book of Ephesians. As those words came to me early this morning I thought, what would be on [...]
It’s a question I hear often, “So….what’s God doing in your life?” The thought, I’m sure, is honest and genuine, but a proper response is often hard to come up with. You see, I’m a pastor and God is supposed to be doing something amazing in my life all the time. Aren’t I really close [...]
He was almost 40 years old and had been invisible as long as he could remember. His name was Joseph and like his namesake he was in bondage, but this Joseph’s bondage would never end. Joseph was lame, unable to walk, and had been that way since birth. Early in life he realized that people [...]
There are days when the challenges and pitfalls of life sneak up on us. It’s easy to fall if you’re not watching the road ahead. The Christian life is described as a walk because there are element of walking that are part of it. There is the decision to go somewhere other than where you [...]
Being a Christian has advantages. The big one for me is the community that happens as Christians gather. “One another” life happens. We begin to care for one another, love one another, pray for one another, help one another and on the list goes. Community happens. Love is demonstrated. Life together happens. Caring for others [...]
One of the great statements of the bible is summed up in just two words, “But God…” In those two small words tragedy turns to triumph, problems are explained, sadness has hope, and we are not left without answers. God is involved in our world, in our lives. God is the great problem solver, course [...]
According to the dictionary here are some definitions for suddenly: happening, coming, made, or done quickly, without warning, unexpectedly, occurring without transition from the previous form or state, done abruptly, quickly made or provided. So often we get caught up in the day-to-day processes of life that we can lose hope and feel like things [...]
Galatians 2:21 – I do not frustrate the grace of God….. (KJV) I realize there is a lot more to this verse than I’ve just written, but I want to focus on this portion of it. “I do not frustrate the grace of God…” – ……..but I do. If I’m honest with myself, I probably [...]
Mark 4:35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that [...]
This morning I read an article by an atheist writer. I like to read his thoughts because he makes me think. Of course I have to sort through the anger, harsh words and bitterness that comes from his past, but he has a lot to say. This morning his topic was public prayer. His arguments [...]
It’s clear, as you read the bible, that Godly leadership evokes a following. If a man, one man, will pursue God then others will gather and follow a man hungry after God. As I read further into the life of Hezekiah it’s obvious that after many years of poor leadership his walk with God was [...]
“Even when I walk through the shadow lands, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” -David, Psalm 23 I had coffee with a good friend this morning who is struggling with depression. It grieved me to see him in the midst of the shadow lands. It’s [...]
Yesterday we had our first snow of the winter in Texas. The flakes were huge, wet and sticky. Of course, here in Texas that means car wrecks, schools closed and other problems, but the snow itself was beautiful. Science has looked at snow one flake at a time and found that each flake is different, [...]
I woke early this morning thinking about a passage of scripture that I thought I understood. As I thought about my own life and the verse I will share with you in a moment it suddenly struck me that the way I had viewed the verse was all wrong. I had missed the main point! [...]
It’s often hard for me to see God’s work in my life. I’m living moment by moment and I can’t see what he is doing in my moments. The light that shows me what God is doing sometimes comes much later. Most of the time I only get a glimpse, a stream of light through [...]
Christmas is less than two weeks away! It’s come so quickly this year that it has caught us unprepared. We don’t have a tree up yet. Few decorations are on the walls. It feels a little like a humbug Christmas because it’s not all about the trees, the lights and the decor…it’s about Christ. I [...]
As a pastor this contrast of worshiper or consumer is often a topic of discussion and thought. We are in such a consumer driven culture that even church has become a consumer product. We change churches because we like the music better over there or the preacher is “really good” at this church, but we [...]
He is able…. . What a great introduction to so much more. He is able. When we know that the God who made the universe is able to AND willing to work in our lives it changes how we view everything. The big question for our faith is this, “Is God big enough to take [...]
May I take the Thanksgiving theme a little further? One day is simply not enough for me to say thanks for God’s love, goodness and faithfulness to us. I can’t help myself, but must talk about it a little more. Will you indulge me for a moment longer? I’m thankful to God for who [...]
Wednesday, November 24, 2010 “It takes a lifetime to just begin to understand the truth. It’s a long journey, and one that is filled with adventure. To not go is to become mostly bored, and resigned to finding entertainment as stimulus to ease the soul ache.” — D.J. Chuang Tuesday, November 23, 2010 They [...]
This morning I got to attend a men’s study I have dearly missed. They are studying the book of James. Today they are in chapter two and as we read we came to these words, 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For [...]
Vapor Man! Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. James 4:14 Vapor Man describes us all. Here for a moment in time and then gone. Today I turn 60! Like all of us I [...]
Made to worship We were made to worship. It’s part of us. It’s part of who we are. We look for someone to worship, some thing to worship. If we don’t worship a god of some kind we will worship things, ourselves, others. We were made to worship. Worship is what we give worth to…what’s [...]
I was leading a Tworship Service (Twitter Worship Service) along with my friend Richard Mayhan and one of the tweets I sent out from the song sparked a conversation. The song was I will Rise from Chris Tomlin and the tweet is below: After the thank you’s were done, I went back through my feed [...]
You’re gonna have to serve somebody. These lyrics from Bob Dylan’s song resonate with the words of Paul in Romans 6. Paul’s focus in the second half of this chapter is this- we are all designed by God to have a master. We are built that way. That sounds strange, doesn’t it, but when I [...]
There is a story in Chile that has been unfolding for months. It’s the story of more than 30 miners who have been trapped underground. It’s a story I have been thinking about as I watch the efforts to rescue them. This story has amazing similarities to the dilemma the human race is in regarding [...]
You’ve met them, haven’t you? Stupid people. They are everywhere! As I think about these people I realize that they get this title because they don’t agree with me! It’s our way to deal with the dissonance in our lives when we run into someone who is different, believes different things, lives a different [...]
This post is from @spreadingJOY – lover of the little things that make life big! Marie knows that every once in a while, you need to be strengthened, encouraged and inspired. For extra encouragement, a few smiles and lots of {HUGS} follow her on twitter. Psalm 46 One Sunday morning not long ago, I was [...]
I’ve been thinking about the love of God lately and how He chooses to use me, a shy backwards little girl that grew up wanting a Christian family of her very own. Our finite minds could never grasp just how much God truly loves us, but if you think with me for a moment, maybe [...]
Is it sunset or sunrise? Is the day beginning or ending? Is light coming or will it be darkness? What lies ahead? . This was a topic of discussion in C.S. Lewis’ book, The Great Divorce. Both in heaven and in hell it was twilight. In both places the residents anticipated the dawn, but it’s [...]
It happens quickly. It happens easily. At least it does with me. Discouragement…. Disappointment…. Dejection…. Despondency… Depression and then despair. It’s a quick slide from the first thoughts of discouragement to the pit of despair. It happens so quickly that it’s often a surprise to find we have come to utter despair and hopelessness. David [...]
For today help us to know you are there, holding and comforting us, walking beside us each step of the way, even though our hearts are fearful, worried and unsure.
… One of the grim realities of life is that we are alone. In the middle of a busy city with others all around we are alone. … This “aloneness” is one of the results of the fall, but is mostly ignored by writers. We simply don’t talk about it. Man, designed to be in [...]
“In whatever kind of a “race” life may be, I have very abruptly become a finalist.” -Christopher Hitchens, atheist (in an article talking about his battle with cancer from Vanity Fair) . “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” -Paul the apostle (2 Timothy 4:7) . [...]
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