Making This the Best Advent and Christmas Season!
I was out shopping, something I hate to do, and people seemed more grim than ever. Anyone else feel that way? Instead of holiday cheer, it felt like despair and grumpiness was the new normal way to interact with each other. Unfortunately, it’s not just non-Christians, but many Christians are exhibiting unchristlike characteristics—bitterness, envy, jealousy, resentment, and mean-spiritedness. And for those facing very tough times—illness, heartbreak, financial loss—it’s difficult to feel the love and charity of Christmas. So here's an inspiring story
Nothing Can Separate Us
This coming Sunday, we’ll be looking at two famous passages of Scripture: Psalm 139 and Romans 8. Both say essentially the same thing in different ways, and since Paul was so familiar with the Psalter, I can’t help but think that he had this particular Psalm in mind when he penned the last part of his chapter. David declares that that there is no place in the universe where God is absent so he is safe and secure because he is
God’s Love: The Best Christmas Gift
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! God is love. We hear this all the time whenever his name is mentioned. We are told in Scripture that his character is the very essence of love. Yet we make the mistake of defining his love in terms of what we habitually think it is, rather than first coming to an understanding what his love actually
Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow
Dear Friends, This Sunday, we’ll be joining together to celebrate Harvest Festival and Thanksgiving. Both events, British and American, have one aim—to thank God for his provision and grace. The tradition of Harvest Festival in today's format began in 1843, when the Reverend Robert Hawker invited parishioners to a special thanksgiving service for the harvest at his Morwenstow, Cornwall, church. On September 13, 1843, he put up a notice in the church for his new service: "Let us gather together in the
Why Is God Doing This to Me?
Two weeks ago, we took a look at Job’s suffering and questioning and the counsel of his ignorant “comforters.” Finally, tired of their useless ramblings, God breaks in and assures them that only he knows everything that can be known. In fact, only he holds in his hands the explanation for all that happens. We don’t, and can’t! Last week, we focused on the bedrock truth that we all fall back upon when we have no other understanding of our own
Good Lord, Morning?
How do you begin your day? Do you wake up, jump out of bed, and enthusiastically look forward to all that life is going to offer you? It’s a happy, “Good Morning, Lord” type of day! Or, is it a “Good Lord, morning!” kind of experience for you? If it’s “Good Lord, morning!”—ask yourself this question, What is it that makes God happy? We talk a lot about what makes us happy, how God can bring us joy, all the benefits of being
Feelings of Inadequacy
What do you believe about your self worth? Do you sometimes feel you have nothing to contribute? The only way to combat this false thinking is with the truth: We are designed by a brilliant creator God, who put us here by strong purpose for a strong purpose. When we finally leave the earth, whether early or late, we do so by divine appointment. There’s more. We are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 27), that is, we bear the
Living as the Body of Christ
I was talking to a strong believer who had stopped going to church and I asked him what it was that had changed for him. He thought about it for a while and came up with the things we usually hear: the infighting, the pettiness, the church games, etc., besides, he could worship God anywhere and he didn’t really see the purpose for the church. I love the body of Christ and consider it a privilege and joy to be a
Jesus Brings Freedom
Freedom is at the heart of Jesus' ministry. This means that his mission is to bring liberty, liberation from all forms of bondage. In Luke, Chapter Four, he lists the job description the Holy Spirit anoints him to fulfill: To Preach good news to the poor To set free the prisoners The recovery of sight to the blind Release of the oppressed To declare the year of the Lord’s favor. -Luke 4:18-19 The heart of the human problem is bondage—bondage to things beyond our control: First of
“The Abiding Life” — Summer Bible Study Continues
The word "religion" occurs only four times in the Bible. What the Bible does exhort is a life in Christ—a close, personal relationship with God our Father, not a bondage system to some indeterminate, controlling deity. "Religion put Jesus on the cross… Religion is striving after God, but Jesus brought God to man, and man to God." Join us at 16:00 hrs as we continue our study on "The Abiding Life" and learn more truths about what Christians believe. Photo credit:
