Archive - 2016

Matthew 28:20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  There are times in life when we all feel alone. We can be surrounded by family, friends, and co-workers and still feel isolated and lonely. Often this sense of aloneness comes from a feeling of inadequacy; feeling as though we are not qualified enough for the task at hand and becoming overwhelmed at the thought of all the things on our to-do list. If you’re having one of[…]

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. Matthew 21:22  Have you ever come across a verse in scripture that seemed so impossible? I mean so impossible that you questioned within yourself, “Lord, how could this possibly be true?” Well, that recently happened to me as I read a scripture I’ve read many times before in my life. But this time, something jumped out at me. It was the words from Jesus Himself found in Matthew 21:22. Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” After reading that verse I[…]

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21  Have you ever been really disappointed? I mean REALLY disappointed? Have you ever had something go so terribly wrong that you began to question the things you hold dear, and with that, even question God? You know like, “Why would you let this happen, Lord, if …?” I’ve certainly been in that place myself. The truth is that, this side of Heaven, we may never know why some things happen. But one thing we can know for sure is that God is our loving Heavenly Father who[…]

 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NLT) I’ll never forget the first time I saw this powerful illustration. The speaker took a clear glass filled with dark cola and asked the audience, “How can you change what’s in this glass without pouring it out?” Then he preceded to pour clear water in the already full glass and in just a few moments the soda was gone and the glass[…]

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 “Blind Bartimaeus,” as he was known to many, didn’t even have his own name. The word “bar” means “son of.” So the name Bartimaeus simply means the “son of Temaeus.” That doesn’t seem so bad at first glance except for the fact the name Temaeus means “unclean,” and that’s exactly what life was like for Bartimaeus as he sat beside the dusty road that led in and out of Jericho. Yet one encounter with Jesus on a Judean afternoon changed[…]

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 I’ld never consider myself a great fisherman. In fact bottom fishing and fishing with a cork are the only two types of fishing I’ve had much success with. I can’t tell you anything about the latest lure, or the best artificial bate, jig etc to catch the “big one,” and to be quite honest I’m okay with that. While I have some friends that are what I would consider “serious anglers,” I’m not and that’s okay. I just find that the peace and relaxation that comes[…]

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Hebrews 4:11 The words “labor” and “rest” aren’t typically associated with one another. Most would consider them two extremes, but the writer of Hebrews used these words together to make a life changing point. The word “labour” in Hebrew is the word spoudazō and it means to hasten, make haste and to be diligent. So what exactly is the writer hoping we understand? Simply that we are to be quick to “rest” in the finished work of Jesus. We are to[…]

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Revelation 3:20 As hard as I tried, I just couldn’t take my little five-year-old eyes off the bowl of peanut brittle. My mouth watered and all I could think about was how good it would taste, so I asked the nice lady if I could have some. She graciously obliged and I thoroughly enjoyed, but what followed was one of my first lessons in etiquette. When my cousin and I[…]

So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” Hebrews 13:6 Never before had the furnace been so hot, but King Nebuchadnezzar, in his anger and rage, ordered that it be fired up seven times hotter than it had ever been. In fact, it was so hot that the guards who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace perished from the heat. What caused the king to be so enraged? It was simply the fact that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down[…]

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. Psalm 23:6 I remember on one particular family vacation as a kid; we went to Lookout Mountain in Tennessee. There we could “look out” and see seven states. The placard in front of us said that from the peek we could view Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. There were no defined state lines like we see on a map, but it was an amazing thing to be able to look out[…]