A Message of Gratitude
It's Sunday evening and I'm sitting on my sofa still winding down from our fantastic chili cook off. If you missed it, we had about 150 people scarf up 17 kinds of homemade chili. ...
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Weekend to Remember
The Pacific Southwest Conference is offering a discount for couples who register for "Weekend to Remember." Please use the discount code PSWC when registering and receive $100 off. The marriage retreat will be in Phoenix June 16-18....
A Life of Power
Of all the emotions that a human can feel, fear is possibly the most impactful. Fear can seamlessly compel a person to act in ways that are not beneficial to their well-being. Fear is of the enemy......
Faithless or Faithful
It‘s true we often suffer some great disappointments, some expectations or plans we might have not always materialized. We may even feel like God’s left us hanging and that an illness or injury has taken him away from us. But remember, He is faithful. And the real upside of this is if we remain faithful we will live eternally with Him someday. ...
Love Does
Love isn’t just for Valentines Day -- it’s what gets me up everyday. Love isn’t just for that one special someone -- it’s for everyone. The chance to care for and encourage those around me is an honor. Measure all things in your life by the “Rule of Love”. What would God have you do? What does love require? What breaks your heart, and what one thing can you do to help?...
Elite Athletes
Truth be told, I am not an elite athlete. When I was in kindergarten, I flunked “skip” (not sure how my self-esteem survived that report card, but that is another story). While early on, I was too uncoordinated to skip, I did play baseball, soccer, real football, and basketball when I was growing up. However, I was never endowed with the physical gifts to become what I call an elite athlete. What I do know though, is that God equipped me with the gifts to enjoy those sports and become the best athlete I could ever be....
May The Force...
There are many differences between God, as the Bible describes Him, and the Force of Star Wars but there’s a line from Han Solo in the new movie that sums it up. One of the new characters talks about how he’s going to do something that seems impossible and Han asks him how. The young man says, “I’ll use the Force,” and runs off. Han yells after him, “That’s not how the Force works, kid!” That’s not how a personal, caring God works either....
Scripture and Politics
The plans of man will always fail, but the plan of God has already won its battle. If Christians are to actually make an impact in the world then they must collectively turn to the truths found in scripture alone. They must become engulfed in the transformative power of God through His word provided in the bible......
Organic God
I hunger for simplicity. I want to approach God in childlike faith, wonder, and awe. I long for more than just spiritual life but spiritual health ...
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Change - A Word From Efrem Smith
Fall is a time of change. Soon we will change the time on our clocks and gain an extra hour. The weather will change and we will experience more rain, cooler breezes, and in some parts of our mission region â€" snow. Change definitely happens. Why do we often fight change?...
Keep ReadingWhat the Heck is "the Gospel"?
Peter's sermons and writings are drenched with the gospel. The problem is in our culture many people have lost the meaning of "the gospel" It has begun to mean anything and everything. However, for the early church and the writers of the New Testament it had a very specific meaning. Let's explore it together! ...
Keep ReadingParticipation or Observation - Part I
Recently I was having conversation with a friend who was going to be participating in his first triathlon. It was one day before the big race. When I asked what he had done to prepare, he told me about his last 16 weeks of regimented training. He was intentional about what how he worked out, how he rested, what he ate, and when he slept. Every precaution that could be take...
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The World is Going to the Dogs and Why Maybe That Would Be a Good Thing
The Fox News headline says that two 2nd grade girls were found murdered in Zion, Illinois today. These best friends went out to ride their bikes together and never came back. Some despicable, evil bastard stabbed them multiple times and left them for dead. ...
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The Heart of the Commander: "Love your neighbor" NOT "try to fix your neighbor"
In yesterday’s sermon, Pastor Duane asked a vital, if not the pinnacle question for all followers of Jesus: what does love require of me? Recently, several in our congregation shared with me their troubling circumstances. All of them came to me with of a sense of disappointment in the response of trusted friends and family. ...
Keep ReadingThe Joy of Hilarious Giving
There are two ways to give gifts. Chances are you’ve tried them both. Could it be that we Christians are missing a wonderful opportunity to express our love to God? God is call us to joyful, sacrificial, hilarious giving. Jesus is our inspiration. ...
Keep ReadingYou Lost Me: Addressing the Church's Dropout Problem
The church in America has a “dropout problem.†We all see it. Young people, particularly after high school, are ditching church. Droves of the Mosaic (or Millennial) generation are checking out and abandoning the faith....
Keep ReadingPractical Spirituality: The Tie That Binds
Gravity and nuclear forces hold the physical universe together. What holds the spiritual universe together, preventing us from fragmenting into separate specks of spiritual dust? It's Love. But love draws us so close together that bumps and bruises are inevitable. So God gave us lubricants to reduce the friction and heat that would otherwise destroy us as surely as a r...
Keep ReadingThe "Goat Man" and Christian Living
“He’s been spotted out in the dusty wilds of Utah, lurking among the four-hoofed creatures on his hands and knees. He wears a funny suit with horns and a phony beard. And he’s developing a public following. He is… Goatman. And he’s baaaaaaaad...†says John Glionna. Believe it or not, the Goat Man has a thing or two to teach us....
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