Partial Obedience, Partial Victory
“In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” (Judges 21:25, NLT) Looking for something light and fun to read by the pool this summer? Check out the Food and Drug Administration’s “Defect Levels Handbook.” It outlines allowances for problems (defects) in 100 different foods (Read […]
God’s Love and Boll Weevils
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28, NLT) We all face challenges in life. Arnold Toynbee, the famous historian, said that people will react to these in one of four ways: Some retreat […]
Empowering Others
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32, NIV) You might remember this moment: Simon promised Jesus that, though others might abandon him in his hour of need, Simon […]
I Believe in You
“Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.“ (Philemon 21, NIV) Paul wrote that line to a friend named Philemon. Philemon was a new Christian…but he was still working things out. There were some major issues in Philemon’s life that he hadn’t yet handed over […]
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. […]
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 […]
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.“ […]
Taming the Tongue
“Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his […]
