Under the Broom Tree
“He [Elijah] came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.” (1 Kings 19:4-5, NIV) Elijah was let down, run down, and […]
Faith and Reason
“Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”“ (1 Kings 18:38-39, NIV) These verses come from […]
Only Wounded Soldiers can Serve
“In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.” […]
Calling All Heroes
“Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking […]
I Believe…
“…I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24, NIV) Do you sometimes feel like this is your life verse? Me, too! The last few weeks at New Life we’ve been talking about reasons to believe in Christmas. First and foremost is the fact that God loves you. The idea that “God so loved […]
I Believe in the Goodness of God
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.“ (Luke 2:10, NIV) Sunday I shared that I believe in Christmas because I believe in the love of God. Another reason I believe: I believe in the goodness of God. […]
Believe
“The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.“ (Mark 1:1, NIV) That’s how Mark begins his Gospel. No genealogy, no manger, no shepherds or wise men. Where Matthew and Luke build up to that conclusion – that Jesus is the Son of God – Mark puts it out there in the […]
Live at Peace
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18) Sadly, it’s not always possible. When the Las Vegas shooting happened, the shooter’s world was turned upside down…every nook and cranny…every closet (literal and metaphorical) was examined. They found no radical associations, no openly expressed hatred. […]
Fall Festival
PRESS RELEASE for immediate release Denton/Sanger, Texas On a beautiful Fall Sunday night, October 29, New Life Church hosted their annual Fall Festival. The church grounds were filled with 550 happy children and parents – up 100 people from the year before. Guests walked in through a hay bale castle gate (via the imagination of […]
Happy Reformation Day!
One of the great days of the year will be here on October 31. No, I’m not talking about Halloween. I’m talking about Reformation Day. You should celebrate it…well, you should at least acknowledge it. This was the day in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenburg […]
Get Back Out There!
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” (Isaiah 35:3-4, NIV) Had all you can take? Can’t lift one more burden? Worn out? At […]
God Loves You
“Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.’ (Luke 8:48, NIV).” I love the story of the woman with the issue of blood in Luke 8. It is a story of having overcoming faith and being brave enough to push through obstacles. It should be a picture of every […]
