Insights on Scripture from a Member of New Hope MBC
Friendship is more than following someone on Facebook. In our hectic lives, often it can be difficult to find time or energy for forming friendships. That’s bad news, because God created us to thrive on friendship.
My pastor inspired me with his recent sermon “What’s that in Thy Hand?” You can listen to it here. Although the title comes from the Old Testament, the sermon text was Acts 18:1-4. He pointed out that Paul was a tentmaker and proceeded to give three examples of men in the New Testament. The point: …
This year has dealt a number of losses to my family. Whether it's a job or a family member, a loss is painful and it needs to be grieved. Reflecting on it, sent me back to a post I wrote about grief and marriage many years ago. I still think Job’s wife gets a bum …
Sometimes, we act like figuring out what God wants from us is a big mystery. We stumble around scratching our heads and looking lost. The truth is different. God gives us guidance for living a purposeful and rest-filled life that honors him. Finding his will doesn’t take a special formula or a five-step plan. God …
Would you agree 2020 hasn't been an especially restful year? Even aside from mandatory stay-at-home orders and an unprecedented ban on travel, this year has been stormier than most. That's why I know my pursuit of rest comes from the Lord. What follows are tips I gleaned from a YouVersion reading plan based on a …
Division in church is bad. Everyone will tell you that. I won't disagree, but I would like to point out that perspective is everything. And in Acts 15 division led to multiplication and growth. So should we condemn the process when it results in positive outcomes? Division in church is not what God wants. But …
Sometimes I read the Bible and get a bit intimidated by the giants of faith I see there. Okay, most of the time I get a LOT intimidated by them. That's one of the things I appreciated about a recent sermon about Mark. For those of you who haven't counted, Mark is mentioned by name …
Over on the Facebook page, we're coming to the end of Forty Days in the Psalms. Reading and meditating on these poetic interludes made for a perfect way to spend the summer. It might surprise you to learn that I wrote a study book about this Psalm. That was five years ago, and each time …
Anyone who knows me, knows I’m competitive, and I’m sad to say I compare myself to others too often. That’s why I can say with complete authority that neither competition nor comparison belongs in church. Needless to say, this has been a lifelong struggle for me. It started innocently enough with the mindset of “be …
Continue reading "Why Competition and Comparison Don’t Belong in Church"
In this day and age, letter writing is a lost art. And I have to say, I miss those carefully written pages my grandmother used to send when she was my first pen pal. A letter from the Lord Jesus would be even more valuable. That’s what He left for us in Revelation chapters two …
