Posts with the tag “faith”

Don’t be surprised when your spiritual triumphs are followed by significant tests. Jacob has met with God face to face and will now reveal what he’s learned from the experience: He trusts — himself. Building altars in the place of disobedience will bear witness to our future embarrassment...  Read More

Laugh at me while I laugh at myself In ways, I’m just like my parents. I can be a bit impulsive – you know, it seems like the natural thing to do, so I do it. That’s not always a good reason or plan. But when we face a basic need going unmet, we, like Abraham’s son Isaac, can be driven to the wrong source for relief. When that happens, think again. God may have other plans...  Read More

Someone I know did not see value in a gift they received and carelessly neglected it. Later, no number of tears could get it back. What was presently rejected was later regretted. For some, they once professed to believe Christianity, yet because of the attitudes and actions of others, or seeing little practical value in it, they walk away never to recover (Gen 25:27-34). When you “just don’t care” remember, what you presently reject you may later regret. What we see little value in right now, may not be available later - no matter how sorry we are...   Read More

What is faith? Faith is confidence in what God says then acting upon it. It is not seeing what I can do or get God to do. Suffering, like it or not, is a key to Christian growth. Life’s humbling, humiliations, and our humanity burn away foolish notions about God and ourselves leaving us with a purer faith. We learn more about faith in suffering than study. Study produces doctrine, suffering produces depth: It’s a call to worship. Study teaches us truth about Jesus, suffering teaches us to trust Jesus. As faith matures, we gave God our Lot’s & Ismael’s (baggage/burdens/problems), now he wants our Isaacs (blessings/promises). Giving God the carnal things gives ways to giving Him everything...  Read More

Did you ever do something stupid, and keep doing it while expecting different results? You’re not alone! Sometimes we want to get off the path we’re on, but are stuck in a rut – Same thing, try harder, get more stuck. We can waste our life spinning our wheels. If that’s your story, this might help...   Read More

The Bible is full of life-changing and life-giving encounters with Jesus and the gospel. When God touches a soul, rescues it, redeems it, repurposes it - that’s a story that must be told! Whatever your past, present, or future the gospel believed and received rewrites it. The gospel rewrites your story in such a way you cannot be silent about...   Read More

In America, one in ten people have diabetes, turn to social media instead of their doctor for health information, don’t care at all about politics, and during the pandemic considered suicide. Yet there is another troubling stat Jesus gives that should also challenge us. Only one in ten helped by Jesus give God praise and thanks. Nine out of ten are ungrateful! For some, the power of the gospel is within grasp. Jesus makes it visible and accessible. Religion is enough for nine out of ten, yet they walk away outwardly changed but no closer to Christ...  Read More

Many with whom we live, work, serve, and socialize are molested and managed by forces set on their destruction and we may lack the power to effectively engage to make a difference. Let’s look at two people who need to engage against powerful forces bent on destruction but lack spiritual effectiveness. One is a parent, the other a professing follower of Jesus. (From Mk 9:14-29):  Read More

There is a point God ordains in our lives where the pain of past decisions and experiences meets our present predicament - where consequences and regrets force an encounter with Jesus. It has been said, show me your friends and I’ll show you your future. Be careful who you hang around. Whether your life is preferable or regrettable things can change in an instant. Two people are forced to hang around Jesus - crucified next to Him for their own poor choices with no escape. What they do next determines their future. You are one of these two people. (From Luke 23:33-43):  Read More

When you find yourself in a seemingly unchangeable situation, you know – “it’s been like this for years and nothing’s going to change it” – Jesus asks a question that can change it all. If you’re ready for God to make real change in your life, the seemingly impossible kind of change, Jesus is right there to make it happen. Jesus is called the Saviour because in Him there is a solution to every situation of life. But you have a role to play. Today, let’s face the impossible together and see what Jesus can do. Jesus encounters a man who has been in a frustrating situation that he’s resigned himself to for life. It seems like there’s nothing he can do about it until he has an honest conversation with Jesus (Context - John 5:1-8). Among the struggles – mental, emotional, relational, physical, financial, lame, halt, weak… Jesus asks a question:  Read More

In our Wed. night dinner and bible study at church we’re talking about encounters Jesus has with individuals. (Btw you’re welcome to join us, we’re going to have a really good time together). Recently, how Jesus met a very broken woman at a well and didn’t deal with her sin issue, He met her in her quests for fulfillment and the emptiness they produced. That was her issue. Maybe that’s you. Everywhere you’re striving for meaning, for purpose, for significance, for fulfillment never quenches the thirst. Frustrating right? Jesus meets you there to talk. Maybe you’ve been asked in a moment of heated discussion, What’s your issue? Maybe you’ve asked it yourself! The issue that plagues you might not be obvious. Friend, what’s troubling you? What is causing that inner turmoil and relentless pursuit for fulfillment, for wholeness, that no matter what you attempt, what you achieve, what you gain or lose just makes the issue worse? Well, you’re not alone. Jesus meets a woman in a crowd and deals with the issue that plagues her. He’ll do the same for you when you believe He (God) is the solution (From Mark 5:24-34):   Read More

Can you recall a time when you thought you knew where you were going but realized you were going in the wrong direction!? Sometimes life brings a circumstance that makes us want to walk away. So, we take a walk to clear our heads, think thru some things… But here’s a question you’ll need to answer: If you keep walking down the road you’re on, where will it lead in the end? When going the wrong way, God will walk with you awhile. And on that road as you walk and talk with Jesus, things can get turned in the right direction. With Jesus, it’s never too late to turn it around and He’ll meet you where you are right now (Context is From Luke 24:1-12 after Jesus' resurrection and meeting some disillusioned disciples) Every one of us can find ourselves disillusioned and going the wrong way. Right? Here's a few thoughts to about when you find yourself on the wrong road:  Read More

In my years pastoring I’ve seen many running from God. They might be angry about some hurt or hardship in their life. Or they’ve experienced injustice and blame God. Others get entangled in sin and are ashamed. For some, they know what God wants, refuse to do it, and so they run. The prophet Jonah feels God is asking too much and runs. In the process he gets himself and others in deep peril. He’d rather die than do what God wants. Ever been there? (From Jonah 1:12-3:3):  Read More