In Everything (or “17 Things for which You Should Be Thankful”)
“…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NKJV) Thanksgiving week – we’ll all eat too much and watch too much football. And hopefully, we’ll spend some time thanking the Lord for our families, friends, and country. I preached about gratefulness on Sunday and […]
Phonies, Posers, and Thanksgiving
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a […]
Prediction: Who Loses the 2016 Election
Tomorrow we will have a new President-elect. By now, you’ve heard all the predictions. Who will win? Not us. Whether she wins, or he wins, the American people lose. Even if MY candidate wins…I lose. The reason? For the first time in American history, we have two candidates who both hold worldviews different from our […]
The Elephant in the Sanctuary
“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season…“ (2 Timothy 4:2, NIV) There’s an elephant in the room at church. We don’t talk about it and we pretend it isn’t there, even though his peanut-breath is hard to miss. When I’m hanging out with other pastors, we talk about it, we just […]
Buying Back Time
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.“ (Ephesians 5:15-16, NIV) What is more precious than gold, but cannot be bought, earned, or saved? The answer to that famous, old riddle is “time.” Time is indeed a precious commodity – […]
Leaving the Barnyard
“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God […]
I Will Worship!
“For this reason God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow— of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth— and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory […]
Sunday Worship
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test […]
Joy in the Holy Spirit
I’m sure you’ve heard of the KISS principle, right? Keep it simple, stupid. Things aren’t always as complex as they seem. Sometimes the answers really are easy. Sometimes you don’t need a five point game plan, you just need to pray. Sometimes you don’t need to go for more counseling, you just need to read […]
Thanksgiving in a Box
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts […]
Together
As we come to the last section of Paul’s letter to the Colossians (4:7-18), he includes some final greetings from his friends and co-workers to the church in Colossae. Each one of them has a story to tell, though none of them ever becomes famous like Paul. There are a few names we recognize, like […]
With Salt
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6, NIV) Many of us western Christians, perhaps for the first time, are learning what it is like to […]
