Are You Captivated with Purpose?

“The disciples were indignant when they saw this. ‘What a waste!’ they said. ‘It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.’” (Matthew 26:8-9 NLT) There is a sense in which everything we do as a Jesus follower is, or should be, done as an act of worship,Continue reading “Are You Captivated with Purpose?”

Why Give?

“When the Roman officer who stood facing Him saw how He died, he exclaimed, ‘This man truly was the Son of God!’” (Mark 15:39 NLT) Giving, in whatever form it may occur, if it’s done in an effort to do good, blesses the heart of God. The story that Jesus tells in Matthew 25 regardingContinue reading “Why Give?”

Death Is Not the Greatest Tragedy

“But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:22-23 NLT) TheContinue reading “Death Is Not the Greatest Tragedy”

Avoiding the “Bonk” (Part 2)

“Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corruptingContinue reading “Avoiding the “Bonk” (Part 2)”

Avoiding the “Bonk”

“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” (Galatians 5:1 NLT) While I can’t personally imagine the horrors of slavery, having been a pastor for many years and spending a fair amount of time visiting and speaking withContinue reading “Avoiding the “Bonk””

Accomplishing the Impossible(Part 2)

“The disciples were astounded. ‘Then who in the world can be saved?’ they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, ‘Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” (Mark 10:26-27 NLT) Perhaps a major reason we wrestle with that which, in our minds, is impossible, is because weContinue reading “Accomplishing the Impossible(Part 2)”

Accomplishing the Impossible

“It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27 NLT) Have you ever marveled at the accomplishments of someone who is really good at something? At Christmas time I haveContinue reading “Accomplishing the Impossible”

Grace and Karma

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17 KJV) If you’ve been around church very long you’ve probably heard grace defined as “God’s undeserved gift of love or kindness,” which is right, it’s just incomplete. To seek to define grace fully is like trying to defineContinue reading “Grace and Karma”

Forgiveness and Transformation

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2 NLT) God’s design and desire for us is to become a brand-newContinue reading “Forgiveness and Transformation”

Repentance and Salvation

“For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT) Without any desire to judge the intent of a person’s heart when they comeContinue reading “Repentance and Salvation”