An Anchor for the Soul
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats…. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then […]
The Prayer of Faith
“He was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say…” (Luke 11:1–2) We’re in a series of sermons discussing faith. Faith is the foundation for life of […]
Faith in Low Places
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (John 4:7) The story of the Samaritan woman at the well starts out like a travel blog. Jesus begins his journey in Judea, goes to Galilee, and then through Samaria. As the crow flies, Jesus saved many […]
Mustard Seed Faith
“…For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) Jesus loved to use word pictures and parables to teach. He’s using a metaphor here and the most […]
You Are Somebody
“But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”” (Luke 8:46) In this passage, Jesus is in the midst of a large crowd – Luke says it almost crushed him. As he slowly made his way through the throng, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years came up […]
Reality Check
“When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, pleading with him, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony.”” (Matthew 8:5–6) Where does faith begin? Paul tells us we’ve all been given a “measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3), but when does it begin to rise up within us? In this passage, […]
The Just Shall Live by Faith
“See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous will live by his faith—” (Habakkuk 2:4) We’ve joked some about how seemingly insignificant this short little book by a minor prophet with a strange name is. It’s even hard to find in the Bible. But did you know that arguably the […]
Wait, What?!
“O Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O Lord, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish.” (Habakkuk 1:12) When the prophet Habakkuk complained to God about the wickedness of Judah – and God’s seeming indifference – God’s response […]
The Heart of Reconciliation
“Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” (Ephesians 4:31–32) I can’t tell you how many people have come into my office over the years for prayer […]
Great Exploits
“… the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” (Daniel 11:32, NKJV) I have always loved this verse…and it has taken me many years…and now I finally get it. I memorized the verse as it is written above. However, I left off a small but very important word. BUT. […]
Walking with God
“It was about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied: “Look! The Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones” (Jude 14, CSB) In describing the troublemakers in the church, Jude elicits the help of Enoch. If your Old Testament is a bit rusty, you may not remember that Enoch […]
“By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” (Hebrews 11:23) The author of Hebrews tells us that Moses’ parents defied Pharaoh for two reasons: vision and courage. They had a vision of the […]
