abundant life

Authority Over Darkness

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” – Matthew 10:16 Yesterday we talked about how Satan does exist but how we, as Christians, have power and authority over the darkness he tries to bring into our lives. Overall, we affirmed that Jesus has won the war! Today, I want to talk a little bit more about our adversary and where his pseudo-power comes from. I believe that lack and evil in this world are carried out through the agency of people; however, their root cause is found in the angelic world, namely through Satan and the fallen angels who followed him rather than serving the Lord. Now, whenever we talk about the devil and Satanic influences in modern society, it’s easy for educated people to put their guard up — that’s because the enemy doesn’t want us

February 19, 2022 1 Comment

Love or Greed

“Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ Jesus replied, ‘Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’” – Luke 12:13-15 Well, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, which has been called “The Day of Love.” For a holiday that’s all about celebrating such an amazing, intangible virtue, it’s interesting that it has become, to many, a day of stuff. A consumerist world has taught us that expressing love is about spending lots of money on gifts, flowers, and expensive meals more than it is simply being present with those we care about. Unfortunately, greed has gained a foothold in our culture, and if we are not careful, our expectation of material things can ruin

February 13, 2022 No Comments

Expand your World

“I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.” – Psalm 50:9,10 Yesterday we talked about how we as human beings are minds above all else and we discussed how the way we think about God has the power to totally transform us and the world around us. Today, I want to talk about another aspect of our thinking that can either empower or stifle us — how we think about ourselves. I believe that self-obsession is the major problem in the world today. Now, I want to be careful here because I’m not talking about a kind of overly-pious religiosity that says that I shouldn’t have a self at all — I fully believe in self care. However, I am convinced that death to self, although it

February 7, 2022 No Comments

New Year, New Lessons

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.“ – 2 Peter 1:3 Happy New Year! This particular time, with all the optimism, possibilities, and potential we are faced with at the start of another year, excites me every year. As we progress forward in the wonderful things God has called us to, I like to think of it as an opportunity to reset, shake off the old, and establish new goals for ourselves. Each year will undoubtedly bring new problems and tribulations, but I encourage you to approach each day with optimism and anticipation, and to commit to be a person of action rather than fear. Now, because today is a vacation and many of you are likely to be doing something relaxing, such as watching sports or watching a movie,

January 1, 2022 1 Comment

The Anti-Fragility of Jesus

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” – Galatians 3:26,27 After discussing how love is anti-fragile, I want to continue our conversation focusing on God’s anti-fragility, more specifically Jesus and the early church. Jesus Christ exemplifies what it means to be resilient. More people followed Him when others cursed Him and lied about Him. More people talked about Him when they said He was sent by demons. They grew jealous as He grew in popularity, and eventually crucified Him; but little did they realize, that was the worst thing they could have done! Why? Because new life spilled into the universe as a result of His death and resurrection! Everything shifted at that point, and time was snapped in half like a twig. Because the veil was broken in half, history

December 6, 2021 No Comments

Suffering is a Force for Change

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.” – 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 The Apostle Paul was writing to the church when he wrote the passages above. Do you know what he’s talking about when he says “all-surpassing power”? In the first century church, they were healing the

December 3, 2021 No Comments

Sent Into the Storm

“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.” – Psalm 107:28-31 Did you know that sometimes God intentionally sends us into a storm? He is our Heavenly Father, and now and then, He will do what any good father would do and lead us through a difficult situation to teach us how to face our fears. I remember having a fear of water as a child that lasted for many years. This is not ideal for a toddler living in Southern California, as we are close to the ocean and my family would frequently visit.

November 26, 2021 1 Comment

Jesus Did the Work

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21 Years ago, I was eating lunch at my favorite deli, and I got into a rather deep discussion with a man who was studying philosophy at a local university. Interestingly, he was not a Christian — or even an agnostic — he was a full-blown atheist. He was a really nice guy, and he used to eat there almost as often as I did, so I frequently had conversations with him. As we were engaging in a dialogue one day, he declared that the only reason I was a believer was because I didn’t want to go to hell when I died — I wanted to go to Heaven. When I rebutted his presumption, he took it a step further and told me

August 14, 2021 3 Comments

The Two Great Temptations

“‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” – Genesis 3:4,5 We can learn a lot about how the devil works in our lives by examining the story of Creation. In fact, when the serpent approached Eve in the Garden of Eden, he used two specific tactics that he still employs today, and I think it behooves us to look at them in greater detail. First of all, he attacked the woman by planting doubts in her mind about the Word of the Lord. He slithered up to her and said, “Did God really say…?,” and unfortunately, he’s been doing this ever since. He knows that human flesh is weak, and he’s aware that it doesn’t take a lot to get us to

July 4, 2021 No Comments

Unexpected Turns

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5,6 The day Hannah and I got married was truly unforgettable. Not only did our wedding take place at the beautiful Crystal Cathedral, but both sides of our family were there to celebrate with us. Although at the time we both had different career aspirations, something profoundly spiritual happened to us that day, and it was then that we felt there may be a call to ministry in our future. However, after we tied the knot, we moved to Tulsa, and I finished business school. In those days, I was considering a career in real estate or finance, but becoming a pastor was something that had never been on my radar. Though it was a natural conclusion considering that

June 27, 2021 No Comments

Authority Over Darkness

Love or Greed

Expand your World

New Year, New Lessons

The Anti-Fragility of Jesus

Suffering is a Force for Change

Sent Into the Storm

Jesus Did the Work

The Two Great Temptations

Unexpected Turns

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