Well, folks, it’s finally here. Today, we begin a 3-part worship series called ‘Bod 4 God’. And it’s all about honoring God with our bodies. Scripture says that we should honor God in all that we are and all that we do, so our bodies have to be included, don’t they? As we begin this series, I want you to know that this series is deeply personal to me. Some think that just because you’re a pastor, you somehow know everything there is to know about God, scripture, and life...
We began our day today a a new site to me (actually operational as a archeological site for 5 years or so). We went to ancient New Testament Magdala. What an incredible dig this was! It’s the home of Jesus’ friend, Mary Magdala. And Magdala was a very important town in Jesus’ day–a very large city of at least 15,000 or so. We also discovered it was a very wealthy community–known for its fish production. The Romans actually called it ‘the house of fisheries’. Also yesterday, we could not have...
Folks, we’ve had a tremendous day as we begin the journey of the people of God from OT to NT. Days 1 & 2 of the tour were basically getting here to Israel and to the Dead Sea area in particular. Because we were up for so long coming over (again, not much sleep on the plane), today was a short day so the group could take advantage of some afternoon time for extra naps, a dip in the Dead Sea (or a float in the Dead Sea, I should...
Anticipation is half the fun, you know… By now, most of our group is busy looking over their packing check-list (Newsletter #2) and packing all their necessities for our Holy Land 2015 tour. Please be praying for us as we pack; we are heading to a land of no Wal-Marts, so it won’t be easy to just stop by and pick up a few items while in Israel. We’ll need to remember all of our necessities and pack carefully. Pray for us that we remember what we need to, would...
As we approach the New Year together, I want you to be thinking ahead to the year 2015. I know that, during this New Year, there are a lot of things you can do … and many things you will do, but I also know … there’s one thing you must do—you’ve got to do! And it’s ‘that one thing’ that I want to talk to you about today. Now, ‘that one thing’ is going to be different for all of us. It’ll be based on what’s going on in...
There is no time of the year … like this time of the year. During this Christmas season, it seems that ordinary space and time are taken over by a sense of wonder and reverence and glee. And even though Christmastime is often filled with extra busyness and sometimes stress, at the heart of the season … is JOY. And that is as it should be… Christmas is meant to be a celebration of the One who came to give us life and to set us free! And that’s a...
Trust is one of those things we often deal with in this life. God trusted Mary and Joseph with a baby who would change the world. Jesus trusted his disciples—a mixed bunch of people—to go out into the world and preach the gospel. And even now, God trusts us to be his faithful people … while God also remains faithful to us. Trust goes both ways… And the whole idea of trust starts early on. I look at our new grandson, Henry, and see the way he’s developing these days,...
As I think about this time of year, I can’t help but think of children and Christmas morning. There’s nothing like witnessing the look of pure joy on a kid’s face as they un-wrap gifts on Christmas morning. You know how it goes: We parents stand by and watch, cameras rolling, as the screams and giggles and signs of awe begin; and before you can hardly blink twice, there’s a mountain of beautiful wrapping paper in the middle of the floor, shredded paper and debris littering the carpet…. BUT let’s...
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but...
Welcome to the conclusion of this GRACE ALONE worship series! Now, this doesn’t meant that we now know everything there is to know about God’s amazing GRACE, but I hope and pray that it’s wet your appetite to continue learning about God’s GRACE through scripture in the days to come… So, as we wrap this study up, let me begin with this story—to explain yet another truth about God’s GRACE… A man by the name of Victor Hugo once wrote a work called Les Misérables. In Les Misérables, the legendary...
