The Key To Everything

Christ is the key that unlocks the mystery of history. Poetic, isn’t it? The quote above, in part, is from a German theologian.  After writing more than 17,000 pages on the Bible and Christ these are his concluding thoughts. The key to everything is Jesus Christ.  If you leave him out the box remains locked, …

Insulting Muhammad

I’m a Christian. I believe that Jesus is God in flesh, the only savior, the only provision of God for man’s sin. Islam would tell me I have committed shirk.  It’s the unpardonable sin of associating anyone with God. I get that.  But I truly believe the bible teaches that Jesus is God, the second …

Peace, Peace….Oh For Peace

The world we live in is filled with anger, rage, violence and pain. We look for peace, long for peace, but fail to find it.   We call for tolerance, but it eludes us.  How can we find that one thing we all want, desire and need….peace? As I’ve watched the events in my own …

Baggage

“Life is largely a matter of luggage.” -Frank Boreham, The Luggage of life I’m always amazed at how much we are willing to carry with us that is completely unnecessary. We are masters at gathering baggage. The burden of the load slows our journey, distracts our minds and confuses our relationships. John Bunyan wrote about …

Cornerstone – Hillsong

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? – Matthew 21:42  

Alone

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 constant …

Hell’s Best Kept Secret

Hells Best Kept Secret by Ray Comfort This message was first preached in August 1982. Use this for inspiration and equipping you to be a Christian who is fulfilling the Great Commission! Matt 28:16-20 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but …

Let The Children Come

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  Matthew 19:14 As Jesus said above, let the children come. I believe He also meant for them to be born…and so does the Brown family. Watch this inspiring video about their …

Hope In Emptiness

I love that with the Resurrection there is hope in hopeless situations. I love that even though it looks like things will end, that the beginning is right there in Christ, A new beginning in Christ. I love that when I feel that all is lost, the SONrise will remind me that the day can …

Kissed By Jesus – Rick Pino

You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you. Song of Solomon 4:7

Relationships

As I work my way through life, through marriage, through parenting, and through God’s word I am keenly aware of one thing…. ALL of life is about relationship. Relationship with God. Relationship with my wife. Relationship with kids, and grandkids. Relationship with PEOPLE! People are everywhere and if I’m going to survive well I have …

The Solution To Everything

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;  and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”  -Ephesians 5:1-2 Christians are often criticized for being critical….and we are. Christians are called judgmental…and too often we are. Christians can come across “better than thou” at times….but …

We Are Not Orphans!

In my study of Matthew 6 in preparation for a message I came to a passage I have read hundreds of times before and always missed what Jesus was saying. Then it hit me….suddenly I began to weep as I saw it. Here’s the passage and then let’s talk, So do not worry, saying, ‘What …

Heart Direction

“May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.” 2 Thes. 3:5. I’m fascinated by this short, simple verse. It’s a prayer of Paul for those suffering in Thessalonica. I would have prayed “May the Lord direct your minds…” but Paul prays for heart direction. There is …

33 Greater Than 40

We understand how powerful our own words can be in lifting up or bringing down those around us. The Word of the Lord are the most powerful indeed. In this thought provoking video produced by Alpha & Omega Ministries called 40 Arabic Words, we are presented with the power of what just 40 words can …

The Eight Beatitudes

The eight blessings included in Matthew 5:3-12 from Jesus during His Sermon on the Mount… Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. …

Cardboard Testimonies from East 91st St Christian Church

Although you may have seen cardboard testimonies like these before, please take a few moments once again to appreciate just what a blessing it is to have a relationship with Jesus. Hope you enjoy and are inspired by these testimonies from the people at East 91st Street Christian Church. If you don’t have a relationship …

Identity

The movie “Toy Story” has some wonderful imagery in it that fascinates both children and adults. One of the key elements of the movie is the idea of identity, belonging. It’s a big deal to the toys that they belong to Andy and are part of his life. This idea of identity and belonging is …

Sowing Seed, Seeing Fruit

There is an interesting parable that Jesus told about a farmer and his field. It was really a story about the word of God and our lives. Here’s the story explained to the disciples, Mark 4:13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some …

On Being A Light

Matthew 5: “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out …

Blurred Vision

“We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!” These words are from …

Good People

I am out for coffee most mornings with different men in our church family. I love the encounters that happen in public eating places. The events of a coffee and the buzz around me is invigorating. This morning, as I sat at coffee waiting for one of our men I couldn’t help overhearing (yes I …

The Purpose Of Messiah

Luke 1 tells the story of the gospel from the beginning. Luke did a wonderful job describing details of the gospel we don’t see in the other books. As I read chapter one this morning I was captivated by the prophetic words of John’s father, Zacharias, as he spoke about the birth of his son …