Spill the Beans!
As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. Read more…
Read more...
Go for the ONE
Read more...
Learning your Father’s Voice
#Familyroadtrip is upon us! Throughout the month of August we will be doing church a little differently. We will be emphasizing families and the everyday nature of our relationship with God. This past Sunday we discovered God’s desire to be heard and communicated with. I love the way the message phrases Proverbs 3:6 “Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.” God desires to speak to us today. He is our heavenly father and wants to have a relationship with you. Read more…
Read more...
Responding to Victory
Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
~Nehemiah 8:9-10
We’ve all met the people whose victory becomes their own defeat. They fail to respond to the victory they have achieved and in a short time find themselves failing. How we respond to our victories and successes in the present help to determine our future outcome. Think about all of the professional sports teams that we marvel at their ongoing success: The Golden State Warriors, The New England Patriots or individual achievements like Serena Williams or Rafael Nadal. We see their victories and are astounded by their consistency. They have developed the skills to go beyond a single victory and enter the realm of continuous victory. Nehemiah and the Israelites now find themselves in the midst of a glorious victory. They have done the impossible and built a wall in fifty-two days in the face of opposition, but that’s only half the book! There is more to be accomplished, and Nehemiah sees this. He calls on Ezra the priest to step forward and begin to take them to the next level. We must learn to respond as well in victory as we do in defeat. Read more…
Read more...
It starts with me!
Have you ever been bothered by the negativity of your work culture, circle of friends or family? As we continue our journey through the book of Nehemiah, we come to chapter five and discover that Nehemiah is not struggling against an external enemy, but his fellow citizens of Jerusalem. A scandal is brought to light that stopped him in his tracks and forced him to rebuke his fellow leaders. The citizens have lodged a complaint. The local rulers and nobles are taking advantage of the famine and work on the wall by charging exorbitant interest on loans, foreclosing on property and selling people who cannot repay into slavery. The very slavery that Nehemiah and others are working so hard to get them out of. Nehemiah’s redevelopment program in Jerusalem was to rebuild lives, restore families and reignite passion, yet it doesn’t seem to be taking root. Why? Read more…
Read more...
When Opposition Comes-PRAY!
After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” ~Nehemiah 4:14
God calls each of us to do the impossible. An Adidas ad from the early 2000’s ran the following quote, “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” Read more…
Read more...
Love: Experience the Pudding
I love pudding, especially banana pudding (although chocolate comes in as a close second). Who doesn’t love pudding? Maybe its the weird word or the way it makes your face look when saying it. Or that awkward moment when someone calls you pudding when your twelve and you think you’re grownup. How many of you have ever sang that Christmas song “We wish you a merry Christmas” and got to the line about bring us some figgy pudding and asked “what is that about”? I did some digging and realized that it is a a variation of a sixteenth century English tradition. While I won’t get into all the details of a weird figgy pudding. I got to thinking about the old saying “The proof is in the eating of the pudding”. This phrase means essentially that until you’ve tasted or experienced the pudding you don’t know how good it is, or what’s in it for that matter. To make a long story short. This got me to thinking about love. Read more…
Read more...
Borrowed Hope
Excuse me, I seem to have lost my hope. May I borrow yours? I’ve been asked for a lot things over the years, even the proverbial cup of sugar. I never recall being asked for a cup of hope. Or perhaps they were asking the question another way and I just didn’t realize it? The reality is hope seems in short supply these days. In recent months, our nation has been inundated and rocked with news of international and political division as well as racial and sexual misconduct. Dialogue has reverted to 140 character jabs at one another. Yet, we do not need to be hopeless. A great light is shining among us. Read more…
Read more...
A Question of Opportunity
Have you ever read a familiar passage and suddenly had new insight? The passage may be simple, but then God begins to show how incredible it is. That is what happened to me this week as I read this question. At first glance, David’s question seems so simple to understand. In fact, it is simple. However this question reveals many important ideas. It is just full of meaning. I want to point out two revelations that have stuck with me this week from David’s question of opportunity. David intentionally sought out opportunities to demonstrate his love for others in concrete, tangible ways. Let’s break this thought down. Read more…
Read more...
What Ifs?
What ifs seem to plague our society today. As I was driving back and forth from Stockbridge to Garden City during the transition to being pastor, I began to wonder: What if the people don’t accept me? What if I don’t measure up? What if the house in Garden City doesn’t sell? What if I get stuck behind a slow moving truck and don’t make it on time? What if…? Maybe you can relate. Thinking on these what ifs can really weigh you down and become a burden. Then I remembered that I don’t have to carry that alone. We have someone who will come alongside us and not only help us with our burden but will give us guidance when we are in need. His name is Holy Spirit. Read more…
Read more...
© 2018