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The Gift of Provision

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.“ – Luke 2:6,7 Today, as we draw closer to Christmas, I have a thought I want to share — God always provides sanctuary for us. Even our beautiful church building here at Shepherd’s Grove is a place of rest and divine provision when we come to worship. Like shelter on a rainy day, a sanctuary reminds us that we have a safe home in the Lord. Interestingly, as we ponder the arrival of Jesus, we see that part of the miracle was God providing protection and a safe place for His Son to be born. Though His birthplace was less than glamorous, the manger in which our Lord

December 23, 2022 1 Comment

Serenity is Power

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” – 1 Corinthians 4:20 I want to look at the source of Jesus’ serenity — power. The Lord was able to be calm because He was connected to His Father, who created everything and everyone, and therefore knew how things were going to turn out! He was fully God but also fully human, so as much as He possessed the ability to change any situation, He practiced the disciplines that kept Him “plugged in” to the source of His strength. He spent a lot of time in prayer, He went to lonely places, and ultimately, He lived in the Father’s love, even while enduring the hatred of his neighbors. Although He was among people who should have known who He was and welcomed His good and miraculous deeds, the religious and Pharisetical spirits disliked Him. Even

October 2, 2022 1 Comment

What it Means to Meditate

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” – Joshua 1:8 We’ve been talking extensively about pursuing Jesus in solitude and being yoked to Him in rest. Today, I want to share with you something I believe is key in enabling you to connect with the Lord more deeply — meditation. Interestingly, the Bible mentions studying the Word four times, but it talks about meditating on it 18 times! We are supposed to meditate on the Scriptures. Although it may sound “new agey” or Eastern, an important part of meditation is breath; it’s something that’s as old as Christianity itself. Ruach Elohim is the Spirit of God and the word ruach means breath, wind, or spirit. It’s what God gave Adam and Eve

May 16, 2022 No Comments

The Hard Road to Jesus’ Easy Yoke

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24 We’ve been talking about walking in the easy yoke of Jesus. We’ve discussed how doing life attached to Him sets us free from the need to pretend that we’re perfect as we keep trying harder to win the approval of others. I’m sure by now, you’re fully convinced that’s the best way to live your life. However, you may wonder why certain Scriptures seem to contradict this idea. There is no denying that Jesus, in addition to teaching rest, also instructs us to do things like take up our cross and follow Him or be crucified with Him. How, then, do we explain what seems to be a contradiction? Is Jesus’ yoke easy or is it hard? Does

May 15, 2022 No Comments

Pursuing Jesus in Solitude

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” – Mark 1:35 Yesterday we talked about how being yoked to Jesus can relieve us of the burdens we carry. We’ve also been discussing loneliness and how it’s a common problem in our world that can breed isolation, a hardened heart, and brokenness in relationships. So today, I want you to know this: While it’s beneficial to stay active, the solution to these problems is not to flood yourself with more people, more work, more events, or more commitments — it’s actually less. Just as Jesus set the example for us in finding solitude and silence, we should follow His lead and pursue these peaceful times for ourselves. Our society is constantly on the move. We have more information, more resources, more devices, and

May 12, 2022 1 Comment

Let Jesus Into Your Loneliness

“Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.” – Psalm 27:10 We’ve been talking about feelings of loneliness and how we tend to feel disconnected from others because we are afraid they will reject the parts of us that are flawed. Consequently, we put on a false front and pretend that we are stronger and more “okay” than we really are. However, I want to tell you resolutely today that pretending is the world’s way, it is not God’s way! Your Heavenly Father gives you permission to come to Him broken, beat up, doubting, hurting, and frustrated and in return, He gives you rest for your soul. He yokes you to His abundant life, and then naturally, with little effort on your part, He fills you with freedom, joy and other eternal treasures your soul needs to thrive. The sad reality is that when you don’t

May 4, 2022 1 Comment

Guarding Against Bad Yeast

“‘Be careful,’ Jesus warned them. ‘Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.’” – Mark 8:15 There’s a Biblical principle that Jesus speaks about using the analogy of yeast, which is an agent that causes bread to rise. Interestingly, it only takes a small amount of this substance to spread through an entire batch of dough. In life, this speaks to the power of one person or spirit to affect an entire group, whether for better or worse. I think about the Old Testament figure of Jezebel, who was married to King Ahab, known to be Israel’s most evil ruler. Queen Jezebel was from Sidon, and when she moved to her new home, she brought with her the worship of two prominent idols – Baal and Asherah. Even worse, she began to train the Isrealites to worship these pagan gods, which represented child sacrifice, greed, and

February 26, 2022 1 Comment

The Good Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” – Psalm 23:1-3 Earlier this month, we touched briefly on Psalm 23, reminding us we lack nothing. For the next couple of days, we’re going to take a closer look at this beloved verse as we continue talking about living a life without lack and having everything we need in the sufficiency of God’s Kingdom. As we work through specific verses of the Psalm, I encourage you to commit them to memory so you can meditate on them and really allow their truth to sink into your spirit! The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing. We talked yesterday about how we have a good Shepherd and how in His love, we have everything

February 15, 2022 2 Comments

Winter from Two Perspectives

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, will never cease.” – Genesis 8:22 After the holidays, many of us are disappointed. We pack up the Christmas decorations, our hearts heavy with the knowledge that the festivities and celebrations are done. January, on the other hand, is brimming with potential and the promise of new beginnings. This is why I think winter is only a matter of perspective. I relocated to Oklahoma from California when I was a teenager, as I’ve already mentioned. It was a difficult adjustment for me, especially since it was my first time dealing with the brutal and piercing cold of winter. Then there was a snow day, and I got to skip school. I had never experienced a snow day before, and I recall thinking to myself at the time, “well, maybe this isn’t so

January 15, 2022 5 Comments

Living for God

“And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’” – Matthew 3:17 Today, I would like to share with you one last essential thing you can do to ensure that this year is the finest ever. So far, we’ve discussed consciously relaxing, ruthlessly eliminating hurry, allowing gaps in our life, setting boundaries, and living to please God rather than people. If there’s one thing I want you to remember this year as you strive to live a life of abundance, it’s that pleasing people leads to shame. You will never be able to meet the expectations of others, no matter how hard you try. Consider the hundreds of people you know or have encountered throughout the course of your life, each with their own unique viewpoints, oddities, expectations, and ideals. Is it even remotely plausible that you would be able

January 14, 2022 No Comments

The Gift of Provision

Serenity is Power

What it Means to Meditate

The Hard Road to Jesus’ Easy Yoke

Pursuing Jesus in Solitude

Let Jesus Into Your Loneliness

Guarding Against Bad Yeast

The Good Shepherd

Winter from Two Perspectives

Living for God

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