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....
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......
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 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?...
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....
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....
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......
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 ...
If you’re happy with your church, good. But, if you thrive on anxiety and turmoil, here is the quickest way I know to get your drama fix at church. If you’re new to church and want to avoid the “land mines†of church life, sidestep these....
Keep ReadingPeter'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 ReadingRecently 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...
Keep ReadingThe 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. ...
Keep ReadingIn 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 ReadingHere’s a principle we need to keep in mind: What you don’t understand, you fear. What you fear, you oppose. What you oppose, you attack. ...
Keep ReadingThe first step to building belief and faith is to separate fact from fiction. Believing in something doesn't make it so. Believing in the realities that God built into the universe, on the other hand, leads to strong, effective faith. Truth is our firm foundation. ...
Keep ReadingLife’s big moments rarely come from a single factor, but from a chain of small, contributing factors. God provides us with the “secretsâ€, the seeds that lead to blessings, not tragedies. Read more… ...
Keep ReadingGod is holy. We are told to be holy, too. But wait! How can we be holy like God? What does that word -- holy -- mean, anyway? Today, we peek beyond the traditional definitions to the root meaning that ties and relates them. Yes, we can be holy like God, but not the way we always assumed. ...
Keep ReadingJesus calls us to be disciples, not the poorly-defined term “Christiansâ€. But there’s a popular notion that has sprung up in mainstream churches that confuses many disciples. It’s “Christlikeâ€. Read more. ...
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