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 […]
Where Are You?
“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” (Genesis 3:8–9) In my sermon […]
The Waiting Game
“Hope delayed makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12) When something we’ve hoped for has been delayed for many years or seems a long way off, we can despair and be tempted to give up hope. When that which we’ve longed for comes to fruition, it is like […]
When Dreams Become Nightmares
But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. (Genesis 37:18–19) Martin Luther King once said prophetically, “You can kill the dreamer, but you can’t kill the dream.” I’m not sure I buy that 100%. Life’s full of […]
The Cradle, Cross, and Crown
One of the reasons we love Christmas is because of tradition. There’s an old saying that tradition is a clock that tells you what time it was. And for many of us, that time was our childhood…or when the kids were little…or before a loved one passed away. So it stands to reason that many […]
Jesus Changes Everything (Philemon 1:10-16)
One of my favorite phrases in the Bible is “but God…” . Several times in the Bible and in my life, there seemed little reason for hope – but God…
Our Eternity Is Triple-Secure (Titus 1:1-3)
The promises people make are subject to circumstances beyond their control and fluctuations in their integrity. None of that applies to God. “God is not a man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might change his mind?” (Num. 23:19). The eternal life He has promised us will be delivered because of the power and character of the One making the pledge.
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 […]
Bringing in the Sheaves
“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.“ (Psalm 126:5-6, NIV) Psalm 126 is one of fifteen songs sung by Jewish Pilgrims as they traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate holy days. We call […]
Symbol of Hope
“But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” (Luke 11:20, NIV) You may not have thought about this lately (or ever), but symbols are very important to humans. I had this thought the other night while my wife and I watched a movie. […]
“The Plans I Have for You…”
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.“ (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV) In the real estate world, they say “location, location, location!” In Bible study world we say “context, context, context.” How many times have […]
My Hope is in You
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.“ (Romans 5:5, NIV) I saw a political bumper sticker the other day that actually made me laugh. Picture a typical political endorsement but instead of the politician’s name it read […]
