Watch for “Blind-Spots”
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not […]
Safe?
“He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, He gave the name Peter; and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, He gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”);” (Mark 3:16-17, HCSB) This Sunday we’ll be looking at the life of James. What kind of personality do you have if you […]
Raw Courage
“Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”” (John 18:10-11, NIV) Peter was a courageous man. Here we see him […]
Hey, Kid!
“Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish…” (John 6:8-9, NIV) You know this story. Jesus did an amazing miracle with that boy’s lunch – Jesus fed 10,000 people. But here’s something to think about…what if the boy approached the […]
Rewarded
“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6:18-19, NIV) Paul’s […]
Fear of Judgment?
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.“ (1 John 4:18, NIV) When I was a kid, I was a bit leery of Jesus’ return. I know that sounds weird, because Jesus is anything […]
Go…into Denton
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19, NIV) Spend any amount of time in Sunday School or an Evangelical Church and you know this verse. It’s the fundamental command for Christians, and it begins with […]
The Nature of God
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17) I spent a long time today trying to think of one perfect verse to answer the question: “What is God like?” As you might imagine, this self-imposed task turned […]
Unlikely Heroes
“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.“ (Proverbs 27:1, NIV) Years ago, when my son was a toddler, I said goodbye at the front door and left for work. As I was getting in my car, I remembered my coffee. I turn to walk back to […]
Doing Things God’s Way
“But doom to you who fight your Maker— you’re a pot at odds with the potter! Does clay talk back to the potter: ‘What are you doing? What clumsy fingers!’” (Isaiah 45:9, The Message) Do you ever feel like God gets it wrong? That he should do this or that? That he should do it […]
Always Pray and Never Give Up
“…always pray and not give up.“ (Luke 18:1, NIV) In our sermon series, Action Heroes, we will meet the Shunnamite woman in 2 Kings 4 this week. Give it a quick read – it’s a great story and she’s a real firecracker. [Spoiler Alert!] Her son dies and she wants Elisha to resurrect him…so she […]
Bullets and Bears
“From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. “Go on up, you baldhead!” they said. “Go on up, you baldhead!” He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the […]
