When you feel like God has let you down
Afflicted. Alone. Despairing. Disappointed. That’s what Heman felt. He was the author of Psalm 88, sometimes called the darkest of the psalms. Other psalms end on a upswing, but not this one. Not only does...
Be still and know that I am God
It’s easy to lose perspective when facing uncertainty, fear or dread. Our brains can zero-in exclusively on our problems. That’s why regaining perspective is so important. Perspective is about seeing the bigger picture and right-sizing...
in faith, fear, God's power, hope, Jesus Christ, mercy, The Psalms
The Lord is my Shepherd. What does Psalm 23 mean for us today?
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want…” These words begin the world’s most famous psalm. It is said at funerals. It is memorized, tattooed on arms, and underlined in Bibles. Drawing from his...
The Two Ways
Every day we are faced with choices. Lots of choices. I’ve heard that the total number of variations in just the first 10 moves of a chess game are 169,518,829,100,544,000,000,000,000,000. Wow! Life can seem like...
Failure doesn’t disqualify you
You’ve made mistakes. Some small, some big. If so, you’re like the apostle Peter. But Jesus didn’t write him off. He certainly had reason to. Peter denied knowing him three times at his time of...
Live like royalty
Jesus says his kingdom is not of this world. First, we should note that he is the king. Second, that we are his royal subjects. Third, that this kingdom is other-worldly. This sermon on John...
Integrity Under Pressure
A well-known definition of integrity is “doing the right thing when no one is looking.” When decisions are easy and when there is no pressure, it’s easy to have integrity. It’s harder when you are...
Praying for what Jesus prays for
Did you realize that right before his betrayal and torture Jesus prayed for you? He did. He prayed for his disciples, and also “for those who will believe in me through their word…” That’s us!...
When the world hates you because of your faith
Jesus said that the world would hate them. It would also persecute them. That’s serious stuff. But who is “the world”? What is the difference between hatred and persecution? When it comes to this topic,...
Exclusive Inclusion – Is Jesus the only way?
For centuries, these words of Jesus have given comfort and clarity. They have also been the source of controversy: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father...