Books of the Bible were each originally inspired by the Holy Spirit who gave or guided the very words to the Bible writer (2 Peter 1:20,21). This does not include the names or titles of the books, however. Like chapters and verse numbers, the names of Bible books were added later by church scholars to help with recognition and referencing. …
1/29/20– Self Love Is a Good Thing
“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31) Jesus teaches us with an intriguing comparison. For most of my ministry I’ve taught this verse like: We know how important we are to ourselves, don’t we? We lavish ourselves with special treatment. We’re enamored with our own opinion. We want to be first in line, ahead of everyone else even those less …
1/28/20– Tithing
“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:10,11). One …
1/27/20– Plans
Don’t you wish God was more specific? Should you give up your morning eggs because the allergist recommends it, or try to push through it? Your heart is telling you it’s time to say goodbye to your boyfriend for good, but your friends say that’s crazy. What does God say? Are you supposed to research gas prices every time you …
1/24/20– Kingdom of God (Part Three)
How many memberships or subscriptions do you have to organizations that provide benefits? An insurance plan. A hotel chain or airline club. Do you use your AARP card to get free coffee at McDonald’s? Your Marriott Rewards for discounts on Amazon? Your Costco membership for free extended warranty? You probably have benefits you’re not receiving from your memberships, including this …
1/23/20– Kingdom of God (Part Two)
The kingdom of God changes your life. That’s good news! When Greece was invaded by the kingdom of Persia, the Greeks won the battles of Marathon and Solnus. They sent heralds (messengers) who proclaimed the good news to the cities: “We have fought for you, we have won, and now you’re no longer slaves, you’re free!” The Greeks had a …
1/22/20– Kingdom of God (Part One)
It was one of those bright, glorious days for Jesus, like receiving the big promotion at work. At age 30, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and the Holy Spirit landed on him like a dove and the Father thundered from heaven, “You are my Son, whom I love, with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). Jesus smiled. …
1/21/20– First
Is it cruel and oppressive to tell a person that they can’t sit in the front of the bus or church because of the color of their skin? Absolutely. That’s why we celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this week, honoring equal rights and racial harmony. Is it cruel and oppressive to end the life of an unborn child? Absolutely. …
1/20/20– Sleep
Experts say that healthy adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, with few exceptions. Children and teens need more. A healthy sleep pattern provides a brain boost. Like an external hard drive backing up your laptop at night, during sleep your brain stores memories and all kinds of data. More sleep results in better storage and retrieval …
1/17/20– Satisfaction
We’re in a mini-series on stress relief this week, following God’s Word in Psalm 4. God has guided us about good stress, helpful silence, childlike gifts and today: true satisfaction. Consider these lyrics from Christian artist Pat Barrett in his song, “Better Than All These Things”: All the money that the world could hold Mountains made of solid gold Riches …