I’ll never forget the first time I knew I’d heard Jesus’ voice. I’m sure He had spoken to me at other times in my 24 years, but this was the first time I was certain it was the Lord speaking into my thoughts and touching my heart. Jesus told His followers… The gatekeeper opens the…
We don’t know his age, but we know he was an adult who was born blind… As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. John 9:1 So, the disciples asked a question that’s been asked throughout history… “Why was this man born blind? Was it because of his…
Do you know someone who has faith in Jesus but believes that the changing culture defines sin? Jesus asked a group of Pharisees and religious leaders… “Why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?” Matthew 15:3 God defined sin, and Jesus said the following about its power in our lives… “I…
How well do you KNOW Jesus? The Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are full of things Jesus said about Himself … promising truth that offers faith, hope, and love to bless us now and forever. As we continue in John chapter 8, Jesus warns a group of unbelievers… “You are from below; I…
If we want to live unafraid of the dark, we need to SEEK the Light. Light is a word associated with truth, knowledge, and wisdom in Scripture and in life. John wrote… God is light; in Him, there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 In contrast, the word darkness is often connected to wickedness, evil, and…
Every church is full of sinners a few of which are finger-pointers who love to call out the sins of others while attempting to hide their own. It’s similar to what happened to the “woman caught in adultery.”… [Jesus was teaching at the Temple], the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman…
How do you decide what and who to believe? What helps you determine whether or not the information you’ve received is trustworthy? Those are questions we all need to answer. Look at our current culture. What people believe seems to be determined by who they believe. Who they choose as their sources of information greatly…
You’ve heard people say that God’s ways are perfect and that you can trust His love when you don’t understand His timing. But that’s not always easy when we’re going through difficult moments. In John 7, Jesus told His brothers… You go on. I’m not going to this festival, because my time has not yet come.” After…
There have always been individuals who claim they have read the signs and know God’s plans and timing, and others who would like to believe them. Jesus knew His Father’s plans and timing but the disciples did not. For the last several months they’d been traveling around Galilee. John wrote… After this, Jesus traveled around…
Martin Luther wrote the following explanation for why we need the Holy Spirit… “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the…
I wonder how many of the thousands of people Jesus fed with the five loaves of bread and two fish realized they had been part of a miracle. Do you think they knew where the food came from or were they simply satisfied that their bellies had been filled? Were they following Jesus or the…
Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, the ones we typically refer to as the Law. But he also wrote about Jesus, the promised Messiah in them. If you’re a faithful visitor, You know I used to approach the Bible as an important book of rules I needed to know and obey to…
How do you observe the Sabbath Day? God told Moses to write the following… “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. In six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the…
Would you like to get well? Are you feeling hopeless? Do you have a chronic health problem that has interfered with your life for as long as you can remember? Have you carried a mental burden that makes you want to crawl into a corner and stay there? Have you sought help from doctors and…
I’ll never forget the Sunday before Rev’s heart surgery in 2007. Pastor Greg invited everyone attending the service to come forward and lay their hands on Rev as he prepared to pray for Jesus to protect him through surgery and heal his heart. More than a hundred people approached the front, each placing their hands…
Do you love to tell your friends about a new business or product you’ve tried that enhanced and enriched your life? Maybe you’re a professional marketer or someone who can’t keep yourself from sharing wonderful news because you love helping people. But what about the person who avoids people? Imagine being someone who hates engaging…
Did you know the word worship is used 496 times in the NLT version of the Bible? What do you think, is worship important to God? I believe you and I were created to KNOW, LOVE, and yes, WORSHIP God. He spoke about it often because He wants us to understand its importance. The who,…
Have you ever avoided people because you don’t want to discuss the complete truth about your life? Are there details that shame you? Are you concerned that if people knew everything about you, they would ridicule and reject you? Welcome to the world of the Samaritan woman at the well who talked with Jesus! No,…
What do you think? Is it possible to be popular and humble? Ariana Grande was darling as Glinda in Wicked. I especially enjoyed her performance of the song Popular! The last line of the song always invites a smile… You’ll be popular –Just not as quite as popularAs me! Because it’s true, isn’t it? Those…
Can you relate to Nicodemus? He was a Pharisee who grew up in the faith and became a church leader who knew God’s Laws backward and forwards. Jesus often criticized Pharisees for being hypocrites who cared more about their authority and power than obeying and glorifying God from their hearts. But Nicodemus was different. He…
It’s hard for us to imagine Jesus being angry, isn’t it? We all prefer the message of Jesus the open and accepting friend who affirms everything about us. But that is not true about God’s Son and our Savior. Jesus loves us too much to let us follow our own foolishness by worshipping and glorifying…
