I’ve been a member of two different churches during a time of disagreement that caused a split among the members. One split over worship style and the other over the pending location of the new worship center. Sadly, Christians have been disagreeing and separating since the early days of the church. Peter gave the following…
We used to live near a “Berean” church. And Rev and I think it’s was one of the best names ever for a Christian church. Here’s why: The people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if…
I’ll admit, it’s easier to simply focus on Jesus love and acceptance . . . to repeat His Gospel promises and ignore His the truth of His life-changing commands. It’s more comfortable to say there is no sin, no devil, no hell, and no need for repentance but that wouldn’t be the truth. Jesus challenged…
Can you relate to just wanting a break from satan’s relentless temptations and taunts? Do you ever feel like you could really use a break from his constant reminders of the pain you have suffered because of your past failures or someone else’s? Me too! It drives me crazy when I’m having a great day…
Jesus and His inner circle had just descended from the mountain of Transfiguration. And talk about a mountain top experience! Can you imagine witnessing Jesus in His GLORY standing and talking with Moses and Elijah? It’s hard to envision, isn’t it? The next verses are easier to for me to get my brain around as…
Okay, I’ll admit it, I wasn’t feeling very thankful. In my defense, I was pregnant and my raging hormones were definitely affecting my attitude. It seems silly in retrospect, but there I was standing in our closet grumbling to myself as I moved Rev’s suit jackets and dress pants from wire hangers back to the…
I began intentionally blessing counting more than a dozen years ago. Not because I was overwhelmed with gratitude and joy but because I was overwhelmed by sadness. I realized that if I didn’t start intentionally noticing the good things God was doing in my life I might drown in sorrow. Living each day miserable and…
I don’t know about you but I have days when my less than ideal attitude can cause me to fall into the comparison trap. I start focusing on what’s wrong in me and around me and before I know it I’m measuring my life against an impossible “ideal.” I know that’s not God’s plan for…
How is it possible for a group of people to attend the very same event or hear the very same message and share completely different accounts of what they saw or heard? How can something be the truth one day but the exact opposite be cited as truth the next? I have absolutely no patience…
The American Worldview Inventory 2020 (AWVI) is an annual survey that estimates how many adults have a biblical worldview. (AWVI 2020 was undertaken in January 2020 among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults.) In the latest findings from the American Worldview Inventory 2020 is that a majority of people who describe themselves as Christian…
I began my cycle of fear and worry as a very young child and I worked hard to perfect my skills for way too many years. Rather than bore you with the ugly details, I hope to bless you with a truth I wish I’d learned and applied years ago. You see, I had a terrible…
I spent several days recently studying the book of Job. I have to admit that I can’t get my brain around his story. Many can relate to having some kind of loss and heartbreak but losing everything … family, possessions and financial security, and health all in a few short days. Just thinking about it…
It’s hard to believe we’re about to start the last quarter of the year. And it’s been a crazy one for many of us. I never have been very good at setting goals and consistently planning my days to work toward those goals. I can have good intentions but I fall short when it comes…
Worry, anxiety, envy, anger, frustration, discouragement, self-pity, etc. It’s everywhere! And it’s hurting our mental health and our relationships. At the moment it seems worse than ever. The news is depressing and everywhere you look people are frustrated and discouraged. But the truth is, it’s always been this way. Negativity is just part of life….
When our daughter was a toddler she found the difference between today and tomorrow very confusing. We’ would say, “We are going to to do (something fun) tomorrow.” And she would always respond with delight and great enthusiasm. But the next morning when she got up she would ask, “Is it tomorrow?” Of course, we…
It’s been a weird season for friendships, hasn’t it? We’ve spent much less time with each other in person and our online relationships seem to be burdened by the overshadowing of divisive views and opinions being tossed in the air like confetti. It’s funny! Some friendships seem effortless and last a lifetime and others crash…
One of the hardest sentences in my life has been… “Lord, not my will but Yours be done.” I’ve had more than a few times when I’ve gone into and through things kicking and screaming that seemed to be God’s will, or at the least, they were things He allowed! Honestly, the idea of completely…
Self-righteousness is an attitude of moral superiority that is derived from the idea that a person’s beliefs, actions, or affiliations are of greater virtue than those held by anyone who doesn’t hold to the same beliefs and attitudes. Or to say it more succinctly – self-righteousness says I’m right and therefore superior to anyone who…
So, I have a question for you… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you describe your current level of peace if 1 is “I am completely stressed out and overwhelmed with worry and anxiety” and 10 is “I’m so completely peaceful ….
Do you ever feel like the world is drowning in frustration and anger? Just turn on the news or spend a little time on social media and you’d start to believe that frustrated and angry appears to be the mood of the day. Add to that moms and dads being confined at home with their…
The truth is . . . everyone talks to themselves. Some of us talk out loud—because well, it can feel like no one else is listening! Am I right? But even if you don’t actually say the words aloud, everyone has an inner voice that is rarely if ever silent. So, stop with me for…
