Integrity
“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37, NIV) Jesus is talking about integrity here. Sunday, we’ll study the story of Joseph – a man of great integrity. His integrity gained Pharaoh’s trust and Joseph became the second most influential man in Egypt. […]
Moses’ Mothers
In Exodus 1-2 we read the story of the birth of Moses. He happened to be born at a time when the Pharaoh was worried that the Hebrew slaves were growing too numerous. He ordered that Hebrew boys born during this time be murdered. Two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, defied the king’s orders. So […]
Now What?
“Now that same day [resurrection Sunday] two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:13, NIV) I remember the Steve Martin movie, The Father of the Bride, about a father’s reluctance to “let go” of his daughter. It came to mind after my own son’s wedding this […]
Broken
“While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.” (Mark 14:3, NIV) The week before Jesus’ death, he […]
Together
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NLT) Most commentaries on the Book of Hebrews I have […]
The Things that Stand in the Way
The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians….So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to […]
Growth Track: Discover
“For we are God’s workmanship [work of art, masterpiece], created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“ (Ephesians 2:10, NIV) In 1785, William Paley told a story of a man walking through the forest who stumbles upon a pocket watch (recent inventions in the 18th century). […]
Church Membership
“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:12, NIV) One of the Apostle Paul’s favorite metaphors for the church is the “body of Christ.” He continues in 1 Cor. 12 noting […]
Sowing Seed
“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.“ (James 5:7) If you’ve ever been to New Life Church’s beautiful 40 acre campus, you know that we have a hill with three […]
Time and Money
“Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.“ […]
Fights among You
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?“ (James 4:1, NIV) I heard the story recently of a castle in Ireland. Over the years, the castle was uninhabited and fell into disrepair. Neighboring peasants began to scavenge the castle for stones. After all, these were beautiful […]
Relationship Wisdom
“Who is wise and understanding among you?” James 3:13 James 3 discusses relationships and contrasts two ways of relating to others. These he describes as two types of “wisdom.” First, there is the wisdom from heaven. Second, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, there is earthly “wisdom.” The appropriation of heavenly wisdom will do wonders […]
