And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” – Luke 2:10-11 (ESV) How do you celebrate Christmas? Decorations, lights, a tree, special foods and candies… I’m
Year: 2016
Questions about Rockin’ Christmas?
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those
Say “Bah humbug!” to spending that doesn’t satisfy!
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:1-2 ESV). “If we find ourselves with
4 Ways to Celebrate Your First Love
“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4 NKJV). “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30 ESV). Have you noticed that we tend to celebrate what we love
The 4 Commitments of Life Changing Small Groups
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42 ESV). We’re not a church with small groups. We’re a church of small groups. Our church started in my living room with seven people. So, we’ve considered small groups to be one of the keys to fulfilling our
The joy and sorrow of cross cultural ministry
“And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.” (Acts 14:27 ESV). I’m a little sad. We recently had to close the door on our Hispanic ministry. We launched our Spanish-speaking worship services on Easter Sunday 2012 and within two
What motivates your God questions?
“And Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years’” (Luke 1:18 ESV). “And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’” (Luke 1:34 ESV). As a pastor, I get a lot of “God questions.”
Loving the sojourner
“He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:18-19 ESV). What is a “sojourner?” The dictionary defines it as “one who resides temporarily in a place.” Other Bible versions translate it as “stranger,
Two tombs that point to resurrection life
“Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again. ‘ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you
Easter means… hope
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3 ESV). “My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest