Posts from 2024 (Page 2)

Although there is some disagreement among experts as to precisely why, there is an abundance of evidence which indicates young people are experiencing a seemingly unprecedented level of stress. Psychologist Daniel Keating noted: “Depression, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed are not all the same thing, but they do share a common feature: experiencing a level of stress that is beyond an ability to cope, with a negative impact on health and on the ability to function well in many situations” (Keating,…

It’s very important to understand the rich, deep nature of the gospel. Here’s 10 basic components of the gospel according to Scripture 1. The Gospel is an Announcement. The God of Heaven wants to Have a Relationship with Every Human Being (Luke 2:9-14; 1Timothy 2:4). 2. The Gospel is a Person – Jesus Christ. He is the long-awaited Anointed One, King and Savior (Matthew 1:18-25). 3. The Gospel is a Divine Plan / Mission To Save (Ephesians 3:9-11; 2 Timothy…

Paul said the Christians in Thessalonica had a faith that was spoken of in every place. Everywhere he went, people were talking about the faith of the Christians in Thessalonica. Wouldn’t it be something if we had a faith that people talked about in such positive light? What was it that had everyone talking about their faith? There are three qualities that Paul brings out about them that had everyone talking and it gives us a beautiful picture of a…

I was about to make the biggest decision of my life. It was a Monday. It was sunny and I was in school. I was hard at work and it was 1:30. I knew my parents would be coming to pick me up at 1:30. They did come and we went to pick up the preacher who was coming to baptize my dad. It was about a 40 minute drive to Milwaukee. It was not that bad of a drive.…

Just a few days before our shepherd selection began here, I asked 8 men with a collective 320 years of preaching and teaching experience the following question: “What is the most overlooked thing in an elder selection process in a congregation?” It was amazing, that to a man, they said this was a question they had rarely or never been asked! It also was interesting how rapidly each responded as well as the depth of wisdom and insight in their…

A complete picture of God’s ideal congregation is given for us in Philippians 1:1. There Paul addresses his ‘sweetheart’ church in Philippi with these words, “To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.” It is a beautiful picture of the Lord’s church and organized exactly the way the rest of the New Testament clearly outlines. There are three beautiful components all who call on His name today must strive to emulate. SAINTS…

The book of Galatians was written in the heat of controversy. There were some who were trying to coerce Christians to be circumcised and to observe various aspects of the Jewish law. Paul saw this as a threat to the very nature of the gospel (Galatians 1:6-9) and said “to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you” (Galatians 2:5). The math of these Judaizing…

The beloved physician, Luke, records in Acts 9:1-2 that Saul of Tarsus went to the leaders of the Jews and received permission to go to Damascus and bring followers of Jesus bound to Jerusalem. Luke says that Saul was ‘breathing threats and murder’ (Acts 9:1). Saul himself would say later, “I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished” (Acts 22:5). In another setting…

In November 2019, Paul Raynard, an engineer from Great Britan went to Ireland for vacation. He had always been an enthusiast for metal detecting and a friend of his asked him to bring his detector and help him look for his lost wedding ring in a field. He never found the wedding ring, but his detector alerted him to something under the ground. They started digging and found 84 gold coins dating back to the 1500’s. In all, they were…

The “conscience” is our awareness or consciousness of what we believe is right and wrong. Recalibrating our conscience has to do with our better aligning it with the standard of God’s holy word so that it more accurately functions in a way that glorifies Him (1 Timothy 1:5). The conscience is a gift from our Creator and ought to be used in a way that pleases Him! Here’s the attitude I’m talking about. “My conscience is yours, Lord. Let me…

The lives that we are living are full of God’s blessings. Daily we see His benefits and as our Father, we see His tender care and compassion. We must live our lives with an understanding that His desire is for us to live forever in His home. Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive…