Some of us know the joy of being loved. Some of us have had a hard life and maybe have not experienced true love. But, here’s some news for you — you ARE loved! More than you know! YOU are loved! You ARE loved! You are LOVED! You are loved by the God of heaven–by the All-Mighty God, by the All-Knowing God,…

If you turn on the news anymore, every national story seems to include some element of how Washington politicians do not get along. It has caused me to wonder if we can sometimes translate those kinds of relationships into the  church. Our government leaders seem to never have anything nice to say about each other. Do we have nice things to say…

One of the greatest collective efforts of God’s people in Biblical history was the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem in only fifty-two days under the direction of Nehemiah. The third chapter of Nehemiah is an exciting scene to envision, as each family and group was assigned a certain section of the wall to repair. It is heartening to read that it…

It absolutely blows my mind how wrapped up in themselves so many people are today. When I was a kid, if we saw a car coming and we were on or near the road, we would get out of the way as quickly as possible. Today, if someone is in the street and sees a car coming, they have no compulsion at…

Jesus was eating in the house of a Pharisee named Simon, when a “woman of the city” came and expressed her deep love for Jesus. How did she do that? Notice Jesus’ words to Simon: “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and…

Each year for our lectureship, we move our midweek service from Wednesday night to Thursday night, which means we don’t have a service on Wednesday night. That day just never feels right, because we are so accustomed to meeting with the church on Wednesday night but we don’t meet that day. The whole day is just “thrown off’ for me. I wonder…

Have you ever looked at the blueprints for a house? The complexity and detail that are given to every facet of that house is intriguing! There is a page detailing the plumbing, a page detailing the electricity, a page detailing the walls, a page detailing the roof, etc., etc. The remarkable specificity in the blueprints is only matched by the remarkable precision…

Have you ever received a pass or coupon or some favor on your birthday? Students might sometimes receive a “homework pass” on their birthday, so that they don’t have to do an assignment. Employees might sometimes get to “go home early” (with pay) on their birthday. Customers will sometimes receive coupons on their birthdays from restaurants or retailers. Some Christians have brought…