Blog
A lot of what I hear spoken in the Church sounds like the title of a book written by Jerry Cook, “A Few Things I’ve Learned Since I Knew It All.” Jerry wrote this book deep into his life of faith when he had to unlearn some things and then learn new things about God...
Long before I was a pastor, I worked as a police officer assigned as an intelligence agent in an Organized Crime unit. Our most important discoveries were finding the connections between groups of criminals and the organizations they represented. Some of those...
Last spring, Jan and I said goodbye to our front lawn. We gave away our lawn mower and replaced the lawn with a small orchard of fruit trees, vegetables, and spices, along with other plants that complement the growth and health of the surrounding plants and trees....
We need to be careful of what we attach the word “believe” to because as the title of this message indicates, we can believe a lie embedded in our false belief thinking it to be true. The word “believe”, as it is used in Scripture, is attached primarily to the name...
If we understand the purpose of Godly sorrow, we will welcome it. Godly sorrow is different than the sorrow of the world. The sorrow of the world will destroy a relationship, not elevate a relationship into something new and powerful. Godly sorrow will lead us to...
The greatest danger to a nation is not a corrupt government. It's believers who have fallen asleep spiritually and remain silent. That state of slumber and silence ushers in compliance with government mandates without a deeper inquiry and will restrict the God-given...
Some leaders want to tell us how to live our faith spelling out in detail how we should live. These demands become like spiritual enclosures allowing no variation. They are dominated by people who want to control our faith not allowing any deviation. In Paul’s first...
I had an aunt and uncle who were twins. While fighting in the Pacific theater during World War II, my uncle would faithfully write his sister. One day on a visit to my aunt’s home, she opened a drawer and brought out a letter sent by my uncle while he was in a combat...
We all want to be on the right side of any issue. We want to remain aligned with our preferred affiliation and with those who believe the same way we do. We want this so much that we will do anything to prove that our rightness is God’s will. It is at that point that...
The continuation of surprises is not finished. More are coming. The surprises will be revealed within the leadership of the Church and with those who hold positions of leadership in our nation. The Lord will not continue to bless sinfulness or the unholy exercise of...
We need to reverse the process of how we prepare for the emergencies of life. All the prepping in the world cannot match this single decision. Here's what I'm thinking. https://www.facebook.com/1442665059/videos/1891319941278321
I love the God of pre-time. I love the God of both the Old and New Testament and the intertestamental period. I love the God who will reign after time disappears and we are ushered into eternity. To not love this God in all His manifestations is the road to...
When we become part of the Church, we bring with us unhealthy ways of thinking that the Lord wants to change. One thing we bring is an unhealthy form of hero worship. From time to time, this misdirected understanding of a leader's role needs to be excised from our...
In the opening chapter of I Corinthians, Paul had a lot to say to the church in Corinth. He wanted believers to know the difference between earthly wisdom and power and the wisdom and power of God. Paul used his opening comments to set the stage for gaining that...
False teachers have always been present within the Church. It is nothing new. Often, we allow false teachers to remain in the Church unchallenged. Not all false teachers stand behind pulpits. Some have been given places of influence among us, even becoming...