What is grace? Its depth exceeds the ocean which means the average believer (talking about myself here) doesn’t fully understand it. Some days, I’m not sure I have even scratched the surface of the awesomeness that is God’s amazing grace. Learn more about it in this post based on sermons from Pastor Jeff Harlan.
Five Reasons to Read those Genealogies
There are many reasons to appreciate my pastor. A recent sermon titled “The Genealogy of Jesus” highlighted one of them: he respects the Word of God. Yes, even those seemingly endless and boring chapters that list names. Most of these chapters are in the Old Testament. For many people, that’s double the reason to skim …
Feeling Forgotten
Over the past year, many people have suffered isolation thanks to the “stay home, stay safe” initiatives around the county (and world). When no one calls or stops by, it’s easy to feel forgotten.
But are you forgotten by God? Not likely. How could the omniscient Creator of every cell in your body forget about you?
Being an Ambassador during the Crisis
Last week, this blog space addressed the issue of walking away from divisiveness. The top reason for that assertion is that believers are ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven with a priority mission.
Choosing to Walk Away from Divisiveness
scripture’s position on the issue. Especially since – not coincidentally- my daily reading included Acts chapter fifteen.
Three Ways We Know You’re Saved
If you’re saved, you should know it (thinking of the campfire song here), but so should everyone else. In a recent sermon at New Hope, it became clear John the Baptist gave direction on the method. One thing I love about scripture is that every passage might strike a different chord in the hearts and …
On Being a Writer
As I considered Luke writing two incredible letters to his friend Theophilus, I began reflecting on my own writing. The word “inspiration” gets tossed around by writers all the time. But when we’re thinking about God’s Word being inspired, it’s obvious that sort of inspiration doesn’t exist today. God’s word is inspired, as it tells …
The Treatise of Luke
At New Hope, our pastor does an excellent job teaching the Word as he preaches. For more than a year, he preached through Luke’s treatise that the King James crew called “The ACTS of the Apostles.” What is a treatise? The Greek is logos which should sound familiar to everyone. The concordance calls it “word” …
New Year. New Hope
We’re not quite two weeks into a new year, but the heaviness of 2020 still weighs on hearts and minds. We want to claim that a new year fills us with new hope, but that’s not always the case.
Do You Have a Plan for Reading the Bible?
Let’s face it, we know we should read the Bible every day. Maybe you even set aside time to do it (I recommend the morning). But what should you read? Everyone needs a plan for their scripture reading time.
Closing the Book on 2020
A certain satisfaction comes from typing 2020 for the last time. Okay, it probably isn’t the last time, but after the craziness encapsulated in this calendar year, my human compulsion is to say “good riddance.”
But there’s no guarantee that divisions will cease or viruses will be cured in the new year. The insanity of our world spinning totally out of control might not be any different once the calendar says January 2021.