Last weekend we participated in a baby shower for our son and his wife as they look forward to the arrival of their first child in the near future.
Whatever you can do well, be a good steward of that ability.
Recently I stepped out of my comfort zone to begin a podcast.
“I don’t read the Bible because it is too difficult to understand.” Have you ever heard that excuse? In today’s article I want to give you some reasons for this difficulty.
Singing is most often associated with joy. We sing when we are happy. We sing as a form of celebration. Singing also comes about as a form of entertaining others.
The Book of Proverbs places much focus on acquiring wisdom. In chapter 3:13 we read, “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.” (KJV)
We recently had a spring work day at our church property where some of our members came together to mow grass, trim bushes and generally get the grounds looking nicer.
The problems we face as a nation, as a diverse group of people, are not going to be solved by laws passed.
Thomas gets a bad rap. Think about it. Whenever you hear about the disciple Thomas, what do you call him? “Doubting Thomas,” as if his doubts or his questions are what defined him as a person.
Silent Saturday. Friday was the Crucifixion and Sunday was the Resurrection, but Saturday was silent. The disciples and other believers were huddled together fearful for their life and their family.
My granddaughter received a couple of pet rabbits for her birthday earlier this year. In order to avoid any multiplication of these creatures, the family was assured that they were in possession of two males of the species. Therefore it was quite a surprise when newborn bunnies were recently discovered in the hutch – just in time for Easter.
Pne of the key philosophies of Marxists is to redefine history in a way that is designed to create a narrative that is conducive to their goals.
We remain in an interesting, uncertain time as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus this Easter Sunday.
As we enter into the suffering of Jesus, all our pretensions at greatness are stripped away. As we face the cross of Jesus, all our justifications, all of our boasting, all of our feelings of greatness, fall away. We are left naked and vulnerable, and we see ourselves for the weak people that we are.
Like the grace of God lifts our spirit, finding the wildflower featured today brighten your spirit.
When I recently received by first dose of the COVID vaccine, I was also given a card testifying to that fact. I was told that I might want to keep it with me or even take a picture of it to have with me on my phone at all times because it’s possible I might be required to show it for entrance into certain places or to participate in particular activities.
When Jesus walked this earth His call to people was not “believe in me” but “follow me.” There is a difference.
Praise be to God! He causes the earth to bring forth food in so many forms. Some of those, like today’s wildflower are a pest when we try to have a “perfect” lawn but are beneficial far beyond our imagination.
Sometimes we find it difficult to trust the Lord to take care of matters in our lives.
Godliness simply means we reflect the characteristics of God in our daily lives.
As we have been progressing in our Bible Study using the words of Martin Luther King, I keep returning to the words of Angela Davis: “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”
We are truly God’s little and loved ones. God created a world that he loved so much and gave his only Son, so that all that believe in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
At our feet is a carpet of wildflowers that proclaims the marvelous gifts of God’s creation.
Recently one of our young grandsons came over to our house to show us that he was learning to ride his bicycle without training wheels.
In my last series I hope that I explained clearly why I believe that the New Covenant instituted by Jesus is just that — new. It is not an extension of the Old Covenant.
The Creator has filled the earth with many, many wondrous flowers to remind us of His love for all mankind. Their beauty is spread about for all to see. The colors, shapes, and habitats seem endless. Some wildflowers are extravagantly abundant, while others, like today’s wildflower are confi…
Last week was, in my mind, going to be my last in a series on the change that took place at the cross; namely, Jesus fulfilled and thus nullified the Old Testament Law for church age believers.
We have had a study group that has been reflecting on the words of Martin Luther King Jr. Over the last two weeks we have been listening to portions of his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” It was written to white clergy in Alabama who expressed concern to him that he was pushing for change too fast, that he shouldn’t be opposing laws banning demonstrations, that he needed to let time take its course for racial equality.
Isaiah 45:3 reads “And I will give thee… hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.” Today we examine a wildflower that does not grow in this immediate area but is present in “secret places” in the mountains of N…
We have been looking at the subject of the proper place of the Old Testament in the life of the modern believer. We have argued, from the Scriptures themselves, that Christianity is not a “new and improved version” of Judaism; it is not Judaism 201. As such, we have shown, hopefully, that modern Christianity is not the mix and match religion that we have made it by following the rules of the early Christian Pharisees instead of the direction of the early Christian leaders in Acts 15.
Recently my wife was using our microwave oven when she noticed a little piece of plastic sticking up around the keypad. It turns out that it was one of those clear coverings used to protect a new appliance. When we first purchased and set up our microwave, we had evidently overlooked that protective piece of plastic and had failed to remove it.
We are fascinated by the story of Noah and the ark. We tell the story to our toddlers through any number of picture books. We decorate our children’s nurseries with its pictures. We put Noah’s Ark Christmas ornaments on the tree.
When it comes to living for the Lord, we shouldn’t just be sticking our toes in the water to test it out or settle for cautiously wading in the shallow end – we ought to be diving in.
The Creator has put the seasons in order, even as He set the moon and stars in the heavens.
Last week I began a series of articles I hope will correct a long-standing misunderstanding among Christians today — namely that Christianity is a mixture of Old Testament Law and New Testament Grace. It is not.
I pulled out my high school yearbooks the other day, amazed that I was looking back on my life 40 years ago in California.
Isaiah 40: 8 is especially appropriate for today’s wildflower. “The grass withers, the flower fadeth, but the Word of our God stands forever.” The blossom of this wildflower lasts but one day. On the other hand, the long tough root provides the nurture that causes new vines to produce beauti…
As we observe Valentine’s Day this weekend, are you looking for love? Or are you celebrating a love that you’ve already found? In either case, I would like to point you to the perfect person for the occasion.
In or around 33 A.D., the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead from a marked and heavily guarded tomb, according to the Jewish historian Josephus (he puts the guard at 40 Romans and 1,000 Temple guards), a new movement began.
This coming week, we will celebrate Ash Wednesday, beginning again the season of Lent, the 40-day journey that will conclude with Holy Week and its remembrance of the suffering, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
Last Saturday I went over to our church building to transfer some music video files over to our church computer. These were a combination of contemporary praise songs and traditional hymns we would be using in our worship service the next day.
You’ve probably heard about the piece of legislation Congress has been dealing with recently. It consists of an economic stimulus package of $1.9 trillion.
Rabbinic Judaism began its development during the Babylonian Captivity. Away from Jerusalem with no temple to offer sacrifices, the Jewish people began to develop ways around the direct requirements of the Law of Moses so that they could practice their religion.
No matter who we are with, we seek to see things from their perspective. And that starts with listening, getting to know someone else.
The Christmas season is long passed, but the wildflower for today would definitely not be appropriate to feature at that time. Though the flowers are beautiful, the negative aspects make me feature it now since it may begin to blossom in February.
What do you do when everything seems hopeless? If you are a naturalistic humanist, nothing.
Last week I found myself with two very different emotions as I reflected on the lives of two different women, one whom you do not know and one about whom I hope you are learning more.
Good Friday, nearly two millenniums ago, was not a good one for the name Judas. The disciple named Judas had aligned himself with the officials who sought to destroy Jesus. He had agreed to lead them to the Lord for 30 pieces of silver. After the crucifixion he returned the money and “went out and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5).
As I listened to the tributes given to baseball legend Hank Aaron upon his recent death, I was reminded that I was privileged not just to know about him as a figure from the past but to have witnessed his exploits and to have been impacted by them.
There seems to be a lot of speculation regarding end times.
If you have been around the church long enough, you have heard the story of how Jesus called fishermen, like Peter, Andrew, James, and John, to follow him. Walking by, he invites them by simply saying, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” (Mark 1:17)