“I don’t need to go to a building to meet with God.” “I can read my Bible and pray anywhere.” “I love Jesus, but I’m against organized religion.” I hear these types of statements often, usually as a justification to skip out on the weekly gathering of God’s people (church). It’s true that we can…
Thinning the Peaches
“I know it hurts, but you gotta do it.” I could relate to what the man on the Youtube video said. His video taught how to nurture a peach tree to get the biggest and sweetest fruit. This time of the year my peach tree is filled with hundreds of dime-sized peaches, but the secret…
The Last Funeral
As I walk into the funeral, There’s no sadness, grief or tears, But faces full of wonder, No more plagued by fears. No flowers for the family, Not a wailing soul in sight. The clothes weren’t black or mournful, But bright garments of white. No one weighed down by their sorrow, Or grief too strong…
The Goodness of God’s Wrath
Last year, a video went viral that rightly sparked outrage. A man brutally attacked a 65-year-old woman in Manhattan in broad daylight while the attacker shouted out racial insults. The video shows three men watching from the nearby lobby, one of them the building’s security guard. None of the three men did anything to help…
Growing in Grace- Links 3/21
A collection of links from around the web to encourage your Spiritual growth: A Prayer for the Bereaved “Father, it has been your will to take away one that I love. And even while I acknowledge that you make no mistakes and you commit no wrongs, still it hurts so much. Still my mind is…
Three Tips For Understanding the Book of Revelation
I’m currently in the “last days” of teaching a bible study on the book of Revelation. I started the study somewhat hesitantly knowing there are so many wild interpretations of difficult passages. However, throughout the study I’ve been constantly encouraged and blessed by the truths of God’s Word. Many believers avoid Revelation because they find…
What is Repentance?
Christians often talk about repentance, but what does it really mean? What are the signs that a person has truly repented? What are the fruits of repentance? We continue our study of of “Great Doctrines of the Bible (vol. 2)” by Martyn Lloyd-Jones (MLJ) by looking at chapter 13, “Repentance.” A Complete Change In Matthew…
Growing in Grace- Links 2/21
A collection of links from around the web to encourage your growth in grace: The Holy Spirit is at Work in our Ordinariness “But the language of intimacy implies that we should be able to regularly experience that closeness, and this isn’t always the case. It’s only in the next life that we will see…
All I Have Left
Fear does its best work in the night. I wake up at 3am struck by a terrible thought stirred by a bad dream. Some fearful situation enters my mind and I wonder how I would handle it. What if something were to happen to one of my kids? What if I lost someone I love?…
Ridiculous Rebellion and Boundless Grace
You are praying, but even as you do so there are doubts. You’ve proven sinful yet again and go to the Lord asking for mercy, but it seems there’s no way he’ll grant it this time. Surely, you’ve worn out your welcome…surely he’s tired of forgiving someone who can’t seem to get it right over…