Truly God has listened Yesterday, we were summoned to come and bow. Today, we testify to each other—“Come and hear.” What is the Psalmist explaining? As we discussed Sunday, he’s experienced some sort of deliverance. More than likely the Psalmist is vulnerable enough to share where he’s failed—and reflecting on the Lord’s provision in the […]
Read More »Come, let us worship and bow down Worship summons us into the presence of our Shepherd God. We’re his sheep, and we’re called to come, bow down, and honor him. He’s the Good Shepherd who created us and everything else in the world. That’s often not how we approach worship. A little boy (not mine) […]
Read More »Cease to do evil, learn to do good. Before Isaiah says, “Here am I, send me!” (Isaiah 6:10), God summons him. God shows Isaiah how Israel’s leaders have failed. Their beliefs aren’t connected to action. As the old saying goes about fake cowboys, “They’re all hat and no cattle.” God says the solution for the […]
Read More »If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! Psalm 66:18-20 Psalm 66 is a testimony to believers about the marvelous power of God’s […]
Read More »He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus.” Jesus’ parable in Luke 16 features two characters before and after they die. While on earth the rich man feasts sumptuously; but after he dies, he’s tormented in Hades. Lazarus, though poor on earth, lives with Abraham after he dies. Surprisingly, the “rich […]
Read More »‘Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ Of all the things that surprised Nicodemus, the one statement that he could not figure out was the new birth that comes from Jesus. Nicodemus assumed that all of this was believing in Jesus was on him—if he could just […]
Read More »Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we are in Christ, we undergo an identity crisis. Our old loyalties to family, nation, religion, work, and values change. We realize that Jesus has paid a very high price for us—his life—and now we are bound to him. Under ordinary circumstances, a person would […]
Read More »“This is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us.” At Connections weekend, Scot McKnight shared with us that Christian love is prepositional—to, for, with, and until the end. It’s a “fierce love” that doesn’t sit passively by on the sidelines waiting for someone else to initiate or provide a warm fuzzy […]
Read More »Now to him who is able to keep you from falling. Jude 24 Every child today is instructed to wear a bicycle helmet even on a tricycle. They start the habit now of protecting their head for the inevitable crash that comes to anyone who’s tried to ride. The helmet protects the rider from the […]
Read More »Today, we begin week two of “Think, Act, Be.” We’ll focus on what the Bible says about my identity in Christ today in worship. We will celebrate the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper today in worship and celebrate. Our beliefs this week: I believe I am significant because of my position as a […]
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