Hope

Keep Doing What is Good

“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.’ ” – 1 Peter 3:13,14 As we continue exploring Jesus’ teachings on treasure, He taught us there is both a heavenly and an earthly perspective. We can also apply this understanding to how we deal with people who are offensive. How should we respond when people are mean or cruel? The worldly way is to lash out, to tell it like it is at all costs. The heavenly way is with respect and gentleness. This response is often difficult for us to carry out. In 1 Peter Chapter 3, it was a period of hardship for many Christians in the Roman world. Rome was under the rulership of Nero, who many blamed for the great

January 4, 2023 No Comments

Good Deeds

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.“ – Matthew 5:16 During the Christmas season, we are led to reflect more on the heart of Jesus. Jesus’ good deeds included healing the sick, and having mercy and compassion for others. He also had fellowship with people who society deemed as undesirable to associate with. One young man of good deeds born in 270 AD was Nicholas of Barre, an Ionian Greek. He was a Christian at the time Rome was crucifying Christians, burning them alive and feeding them to lions. He devoted his life to God and simply wanted to bring joy and happiness to people, even though life was so dark and challenging for Christians. He tried many ways to do this, and then something happened — his parents tragically died and left him

December 20, 2022 No Comments

God Surpassed My Hopes

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19 Today I want to share a true miracle I experienced when I was about nine years old. As a child, I hoped in God until God surpassed my hopes! Back then, my Dad and I would go fishing often. In Southern California, if you’ve ever been out deep-sea fishing, you know there’s this space between Catalina Island and the coast where you can’t see land anywhere. As a youngster, your imagination elevates this experience even more. One afternoon when my Dad and I were fishing, we hadn’t eaten anything all day and we forgot to bring food. All we had was water, and I remember my Dad commenting, “I hope we catch some fish.” He also said, “Let’s pray for food,” as we both felt a need for God’s

December 2, 2022 No Comments

Hope is Not Enough

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” – Hebrews 11:1 Today is a day of hope, and we need it like never before! Hope is something that sustains us when we’re going through hard times, and it’s the thing that keeps us positive. If we lose hope, we begin to lose our dreams and our confidence. But can I tell you something? Hope is not enough if you’ve been a Christian for a long time; God wants more from you than that. He wants faith. He wants you to have hope, but He wants it realized in knowledge and action, which is precisely what faith is. I have a message entitled, “Hope is for Noobs.” Do you know what a noob is? It’s a noobie, novice, or rookie. Hope is for people who are new to faith or have an

December 1, 2022 No Comments

Let Faith Shape Your Future

“He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ ” – Mark 4:40 Today I want to encourage you to let faith, not fear, shape your future. There is something about living a life of real faith. Whether you’re a new or seasoned believer, we’ve all experienced moments when things around us seem to be falling apart — but then something inside us changes and gives way to feeling a real sense of hope. It’s hard to explain why, but you just feel something good is about to happen. In your heart, you believe a door is about to open, or the situation you’re struggling with is about to change. We need faith to embrace this sense that something good is about to happen. How can you love your neighbor or your enemy without faith? How can you truly love your neighbor, especially

September 19, 2022 1 Comment

Wish You Were Better

“And yet I will show you the most excellent way.” – 1 Corinthians 12:31b We’ve all heard of the expression, “When it rains, it pours,” and I’m also certain we’ve all lived it. Maybe you went from being a little bored to having a ton of responsibility. Or everything was running smoothly, and then challenges were popping up from left to right, leaving you to wonder if you could handle it all. I remember when this happened to me. Hannah and I were planting a church Tree of Life and invested all of our tithes and offerings into the community without taking a salary; I was in graduate school, and I had some odd and end jobs. We purchased our home, and then our daughter Haven was born. It was a lot to handle, and I had a bizarre emotional collapse. As I worked through the tears, I sought the

July 7, 2022 No Comments

Finish Life Well

“On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” – Revelation 22:2b Today, begin with the end in mind and know that it’s never too late to finish well. I believe anyone who wants to finish life well, will live life well. That’s a Christian way to view the world. This viewpoint is found in the Bible, and keep in mind that the Bible is not a book, it’s a library. And each book gives us a different part of the whole story. The Bible begins and ends, with a garden theme. Envision it as a warm, beautiful and perfect place. This garden is devoted to safety, deep connectedness, the symbol of nakedness, and living without shame. Look at the way toddlers love to run

June 25, 2022 1 Comment

Receive the Spirit of God

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17 Today, I want to talk about the real freedom that comes from experiencing the Spirit of God. This is not an abstract idea because there is a real bondage that we can feel without His Spirit. This bondage can take many forms: You grapple with your reputation, prestige, or the opinions of people. Perhaps your pride is in your looks, your money, or maybe it’s your position in an academic arena. What if you carry arrogance even in your position within a ministry? When those things become who you are rather than being a child of God, you become a “slave” to it. Significant research has recently revealed some negative effects social media can have on people. Yes, it does have some redeeming qualities and can be viewed as

June 11, 2022 1 Comment

Happy or Blessed?

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.” – Psalm 1:1-2 Being happy is a state of mind that God wants each of us to experience. As you think of happiness, words like joy, gladness, and pleased come to mind. I remember memorizing Psalm 1 when I was younger. This Psalm seems like it’s coming from a king, and it is powerful. It reads “Blessed is the one who does not walk in the way of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”

June 7, 2022 No Comments

Springs and Rivers

“I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.” – Isaiah 41:18 God is going to bring springs and rivers to the deserts of your life. Let’s believe this today. I want you to personally hear this passage of scripture spoken by our loving Father in Isaiah 43:18-19: “Forget the former things. Don’t dwell on the past.” We are not to dwell on the things lost or the past in a way that cripples our life. God continues, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” God is stirring our hope. Even in the desert of your life, there’s a spring of water coming up. At times the picture of our lives appears good on the outside, but on the inside, you feel

May 23, 2022 No Comments

Keep Doing What is Good

Good Deeds

God Surpassed My Hopes

Hope is Not Enough

Let Faith Shape Your Future

Wish You Were Better

Finish Life Well

Receive the Spirit of God

Happy or Blessed?

Springs and Rivers

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