Jesus

Consider the Birds

By Bobby Schuller Much has changed since the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic a year ago. We’ve shifted and shuffled our habits and routines in an effort to slow the spread of the virus, but the unexpected benefit is that these changes have slowed us down too. I read that during the shutdown last spring, sales of bird feeders, birdhouses, and birdseed skyrocketed, and some products saw as much as a 50 percent jump in sales! While many would attribute this to boredom, I believe there’s more to it. Something about observing the carefree manner of birds soothes the human soul, and while the world outside is full of problems, our feathered friends go about their business unhindered by the chaos of society.  When troubles surround us, it comforts our hearts to consider the birds.  Jesus knew this, so He invited us to ponder the ways of the sparrows and

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Love Goes and Love Gives

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” – 1 John 4:7-9 Today is Valentine’s Day, and though it’s become synonymous with roses, hearts, and candy, the true purpose of this holiday is to honor love. Of course, popular culture has given us thousands of songs and images to convey its own version of this mysterious virtue, but the fact remains that there is only one way to define love, and that’s God. The Bible says that God is love, and if we invert that phrase, we learn that love is also God. Since the Lord is the

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February 2021 Powerline

Soaring in the Midst of Uncertainty By Bobby Schuller Here we are — one month into a new year. While things are “looking up” in some ways, I never imagined that the world’s current winter season would be so long. In fact, I can’t think of a more trying stretch in my lifetime, and before we move any further, I just want to speak grace over you. I know this has been a rough road, and I’m proud of how you’ve navigated it with strength, faith, and love.  Renewed strength is grounded in present reality.  As humans, we often adapt to constantly-changing circumstances by “lowering the bar,” going into survival mode, and simply coasting along. But this isn’t the best way. While it requires that we fight against the emotional status quo, the best thing we can do in tough times is to FLY HIGHER. Because our spirits are anchored

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January 2021 Powerline

New is a Process By Bobby Schuller If you’re anything like me, I feel different than I did at this time last year. Living through an unexpected global pandemic, watching the suffering and financial devastation that has ensued, and adapting to life in a post-COVID world has changed my perspective and reminded me of the many things of which I am not in control. Thankfully, I have a relationship with the One who holds the earth — and all that’s in it — firmly in His grip, and He is securely, steadfastly, and steadily making everything NEW.  NEW is a process, and it happens gradually.  Though it’s not as easy to leave the starting gate running this year, as Christians, we can embrace 2021 with the confident assurance that NEW THINGS always spring up from the most parched and barren places. In fact, everything we’ve gone through in the past

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Perfection Isn’t Required

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33 To be more effective for God in the coming year, it’s important to remember that we don’t have to be perfect to make a difference. When I was in high school, I decided I was going to start sharing my faith with anyone and everyone who would listen. That said, I went straight to the campus drug dealer and told Him about Jesus. Much to my surprise, He received the message with great enthusiasm and prayed with me to accept Christ. After that, he began sharing his newfound hope with others, and I was blown away as He embraced the things of God. However, a while later, I saw him standing in the school parking lot dealing crystal meth to another student. This troubled me, and I began

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The Honor of Being God’s House

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19,20 As we prepare our hearts and minds to embrace the year that’s ahead of us, I think it’s important to have a framework. In other words, to be able to visualize and understand the role we play in the Kingdom of God, and why it’s so vital and powerful. Though it’s almost too much to fathom, the truth is that we — and all who have received salvation through Jesus Christ — have become His temple. In the Old Testament, the temple building was the center of Jewish existence. It was the hub of activity, but it’s also where the presence of the Lord lived. In

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The Root of the Problem

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.’” – Matthew 5:27-29 As Christians, we should constantly seek to become more like Jesus. While this is an everyday aspiration, looking ahead to a new year gives us an opportunity to commit ourselves again to the call of discipleship. In light of our divided culture — one in which social media has given everyone a platform — many of us feel a burden to cultivate unity. More than ever, we’re zealous about bringing divine justice and mercy to earth, yet

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Healed Hearts Change the World

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” – Psalm 147:3 Today, we officially begin the countdown to a new year, and if you’re anything like me, I’m really looking forward to a fresh start. There’s something about the promise and possibility of the next season that fills my heart with hope, and I pray that it does for you, too. That said, as we look at the state of our world in these times, what we see can be disheartening. In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, social and political wounds run deep in our culture. Knowing this, I believe now is a better time than ever to embrace the truth that every positive change begins with Jesus in us. There’s an old song that says “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” While I used to think it was really cheesy, I’ve come

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A Glory Greater Than Gold

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’” – Matthew 2:1,2 The Christmas story is full of unexpected encouragement, and though it’s become almost too familiar, its many truths take on new meaning in seasons of testing like the one in which we’re living. I believe this is especially true as we examine the gifts the Magi brought to Jesus — each one of them has the potential to help us as we sort through the 2020 experience. To offer some background, unlike traditional depictions of the nativity, there were probably a lot more than three “wise men.” In fact, the party that traveled from the east was more like

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No Assignment Is Insignificant

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” – 1 Corinthians 15:18 Another interesting fact about Nazareth, the town where Jesus was raised, is that it was a four mile walk from a place called Sepphoris, which may have been the birthplace of His mother Mary. As our Savior was growing up, this city, which was perched atop a 400-foot hill, was being built up by Herod Antipas to showcase the spectrum of Roman beauty and engineering. Since we know that Jesus was a tekton, or someone who worked with His hands (not necessarily a carpenter in the traditional sense of the word), it’s very possible that he and Joseph spent their days hewing stone there before He launched His earthly ministry. Since

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