Don’t Wish Your Life Away
It is always frustrating when things get in the way of your day. I am writing this as my car is being worked on and I am late for work. As difficult as that makes my day, I quickly realize it is small in comparison to so many other things in this world. Many times we fixate on the small problems of the day. There will come a time that we long for those small problems. I can remember…
God is on our Side
Have you watched quarterbacks at a football practice? They wear the red jersey so that everyone knows not to hit them. If you do hit them, the coaches become very upset. One of my weaknesses is wearing that red jersey in my spiritual life. I get so afraid of what the devil might throw my way, I put that jersey on. What I mean by this is, if we cruise through life and do not make waves, the devil is…
Nothing is Impossible with God
Think of all the inventions that have made our lives better in the last 100 years. We give glory and honor to the men and women who have accomplished these feats. They are intelligent and deserve recognition, but we forget that God put all this in motion. He gave us the knowledge and the resources to produce the ideas for these inventions. With God, nothing is impossible. We should never forget to give our best, but give God the…
Dealing with Difficulty
Olympic runner Ryan Hall is the US record-holder for the half marathon. He completed the event distance of 13.1 miles (21 kilometers) in a remarkable time of fifty-nine minutes and forty-three seconds, making him the first US athlete to run the race in under one hour. While Hall has celebrated record-setting victories, he’s also known the disappointment of not being able to finish a race. Having tasted both success and failure, Hall credits his faith in Jesus for sustaining…
“The Kite”
Who is John Newton? Well, a recent John Newton played Clark Kent on the show Superboy! However, I am speaking about the English sailor and clergyman who wrote the song “Amazing Grace”. Recently, I heard a sermon by Ray Reynolds about the poem written by John Newton in 1770 titled “The Kite”. In the poem, the Kite says “Were I but free, I’d take a flight, And pierce the clouds beyond their sight, But, ah! like a poor prisoner bound, My…
“What’s Your Story?”
DISCUSSION: Some chapters in the Bible stand on their own. The chapter number is synonymous with what is actually in the chapter. For instance, if I were to say Genesis 1, you might say “The Creation”, I Corinthians 13, “The love chapter” and finally the topic of our thought today, Hebrews 11 is “The Hall of Faith”. As you read through the chapter you find yourself taking a stroll down through history; Cain and Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham…
“A Better Place”
DISCUSSION: Do you realize that almost all the original apostles were killed? We think that being close to God will keep the evils of this world away. God is always with us. He will not give us more than we can handle. Please realize there is a better place for us and evil abounds in this world. God did not promise us peace on earth. He promised us a home in heaven.
“Seek”
DISCUSSION: I wonder who saw him first, Peter or John, as they went up to the temple to pray? He was being carried along by some do gooders, getting ready to sit him down at the gate. He was lame and had been since birth. They did this every day to give him an opportunity to beg for some gifts or donations as people left the temple. When he saw Peter and John, he asked them the same question…
“Regroup”
DISCUSSION: In Genesis 34, Jacob’s only daughter, Dinah, had been defiled by Shechem. Her brothers Simon and Levi take matters into their own hands and slaughter all the men of the city. Jacob, being afraid of what will become of his family when the other nations hear about what had happened, receives instructions from God in Genesis 35.1 “Arise and go to Bethel and dwell there…” Jacob knew Bethel was the place where he had a dream when he…
“Conceal”
DISCUSSION: Solomon once wrote “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” (Proverbs 28.13). But what exactly did he mean by “conceals”? Women use “concealer” on their faces as they apply their makeup. Auto detailers may use a little touch up paint to “conceal” any scratches on a car. Just like these analogies the Hebrew word for “conceal” is very similar in that it means to cover or hide…
“Comfort”
Tragedy plays no favorites does it? It preys upon all of us, and it can happen anywhere at any time. If it is not us, it is someone we know. How we handle a tragedy that might happen to us is one thing, but how we handle it when it happens to someone else is a whole different story. Many people don’t know how to deal with tragedy when it happens to someone they know. They are so afraid…
With Great Rise, Comes Great Reward
DISCUSSION: Following Jesus is not something that could be considered as easy. The rich young ruler expressed his disappointment when Jesus told him to sacrifice all he had and give to the poor. Others stopped following him when some of the statements of Jesus became too difficult for them to understand or obey following John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand. Regardless of our situations, following Jesus requires that we have to take risks. It requires that…