strength

You Are Chosen

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.” – John 15:16,17 Today I want to share a very hopeful message: “Be assured that God has chosen you.” Your calling is not only for salvation, but for a great purpose in this special time on earth. For us humans, there’s an inherent need and deep desire in us to be chosen. One of my most significant beliefs is that if we live in the blessing of being chosen and trust in God’s will, life will be so much better. At times we may rightfully feel left out. Remember those games on the playground where the team captains had to choose people for their team? Their assignment

October 30, 2022 1 Comment

True Christian Joy

“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.” – John 17:13 Have you ever thought of Jesus as having a sense of humor and being joyful? Yesterday, we shared the parable describing the invitations that were extended to a great feast, but many were too busy to attend. In the Book of Luke Chapter 14, Jesus humorously shares their excuses: “…The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five yokes of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Still, another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ “ In their culture, these types of excuses were unheard of so you can imagine

October 19, 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

Character Produces Hope

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” – Romans 5:3-5 Did you know that perseverance builds character, and character produces hope? The word “hope” in the Bible is translated from the Greek word “elpis.” It is defined as “joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.” For some individuals, their suffering, pressures, and tough situations have actually transformed them into positive and hopeful people. Despite everything, they’ve learned to walk through life with an inner strength and joy that’s evidenced to everyone. Some of the believers I know who have gone through the worst situations are amongst the most positive people I know. Because of their experiences, they

July 12, 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

Metamorphosis

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” – 2 Corinthians 3:18 What do you think of when you hear the word metamorphosis? If you’re like me, you may picture a lowly caterpillar emerging from a cocoon as a beautiful butterfly, or maybe you see a tiny tadpole transforming into a four-legged frog. Whatever the case, when something undergoes metamorphosis, it changes completely. It moves from an immature and undeveloped form to one that is grown up and complete. Interestingly, the root word for the Greek word translated transformed in Scripture is metamorphoo, which is where we get the English word metamorphosis. In other words, when we come to Jesus, although we are completely loved as we are, there’s a transformation that He desires to bring about in us.

June 18, 2022 No Comments

Healthy Respect

“Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.“ – Psalm 33:8 I believe that there are healthy fears we all have, and it’s just part of being human. For example, if you work in a factory you would fear a forklift. If you are camping with your family, you might fear a forest fire spreading. Think of it this way — you’re not necessarily afraid of it, but you have a healthy respect for the power of a forklift or the power of a forest fire. I want you to consider these examples of healthy respect as we get to this idea of the fear of the Lord. The idea of fearing the Lord for new Christians or non-Christians may not sound acceptable. In our minds, it can make God seem intimidating or imposing. You may ask how do I wrap my

May 9, 2022 No Comments

You are Rewarded in His Likeness

“The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs.” – Proverbs 14:14 What do you want in life? What would you say if we were sitting by a lake together, staring at the water and being contemplative, and I asked you that question? Do you think it’s money? Maybe. Do you think it’s glory? Maybe. Given enough time to think and contemplate, I believe you would say something along the lines of wanting to live a life that matters, wanting to belong, or wanting your friends and family to be healthy and happy. These things are your life and reward in the Kingdom of God, which is the wonderful news I want to share with you right now! These gifts — purpose, health, peace, and passion — come as a result of the power that comes from exercising specific aspects of our walk with

January 31, 2022 No Comments

Giving in Secret and Sinning in Public

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:2-4 Today let’s talk about the gift and power of secrecy. Now, before you get all worked up about how “cultish” that sounds, be assured that it’s an old idea with origins in Jewish culture. It’s something Jesus talked about in Matthew 6, when he told his followers to give without telling anybody else. I want to make it clear right away that this is not a

January 24, 2022 1 Comment

Carried by His Currents

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” – John 3:8 We talked about how the winters in our lives provide us with force and strength the other day. Today, I want to remind you that a winter storm is always blown away by the wind, ushering in a new season. You can feel the Holy Spirit blowing through you as you grow in your connection with Jesus, just like the grass moves with the power of fresh breeze. As you become closer to Him, you’ll be able to hear His voice more clearly and understand where He’s taking you, but with the knowledge that He’ll be the one driving you. If you find yourself lying awake at night wondering what you should have done or

January 9, 2022 1 Comment

You Are Chosen

True Christian Joy

Serenity is Power

Character Produces Hope

Wish You Were Better

Metamorphosis

Healthy Respect

You are Rewarded in His Likeness

Giving in Secret and Sinning in Public

Carried by His Currents

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