Come Home to Acceptance (Psalm 103)
There are certain people who have a unique quality of making others feel welcome and accepted. They are rare, but they exist. In a hymn of praise, David describes God as one who has freely bestowed his benefits. This is a psalm that reminds the reader that when we come into a relationship with God, we come home to acceptance and we discover that God is active and we are merely the recipients of his grace and mercy.WatchNotesDownloadDateTitle
- Dec 11, 2022Come Home to Acceptance (Psalm 103)
Come Home to Acceptance (Psalm 103)There are certain people who have a unique quality of making others feel welcome and accepted. They are rare, but they exist. In a hymn of praise, David describes God as one who has freely bestowed his benefits. This is a psalm that reminds the reader that when we come into a relationship with God, we come home to acceptance and we discover that God is active and we are merely the recipients of his grace and mercy.
- Dec 4, 2022Come Home to Hope (Isaiah 40)
Come Home to Hope (Isaiah 40)
We look at hope as an expectation or even a wish. I hope I get that present I really want. I hope we all get along at Christmas dinner. I hope Aunt Susie will make it this year. But God offers us so much more. Hope in our God is a confidence. When we put our faith in the Christ of Christmas, we have a confidence and a trust that is a sure thing. All God's promises are certain and we see them in the birth of Christ. When our hope is in our God there is a comfort and a confidence that is undeniable and incomparable. - Nov 27, 2022Come Home to Rest (Matthew 11:28-30)
Come Home to Rest (Matthew 11:28-30)
Coming home. We come home from work and we just want to take a break and put our feet up. We come home from school and we just want to have a snack and unwind. Home is a place where we should be able to rest. Home is a place where we should get a break. Jesus offers us the ultimate rest for our soul as we enter our faith relationship with Him. Come Home to rest in Jesus today. - Nov 20, 2022Leftovers…Again (Malachi)
Leftovers…Again (Malachi)
The temple is complete. The walls are built. The people are secure. And God for some reason is not as important. That seems to be the human condition. We tend to want God when we are in trouble, but when things are good we tend to drift. In Malachi’s prophecy, God calls His people out for their complacency and then promises to visit them in a powerful way. - Nov 13, 2022Ancient Words…Future Focus (Zechariah 12-14)
Ancient Words…Future Focus (Zechariah 12-14)
One of the difficult realities that people who have a sense of what may be coming in the future is that they are not always believed. As humans, we tend to focus on what we think we know, and what we think is a sure thing. From a survey of biblical history, we can tell that Zechariah’s final oracles were not heeded by the people of Israel. Maybe we can do better. - Nov 6, 2022The Leader You Have Always Longed For (Zechariah 9-11)
The Leader You Have Always Longed For (Zechariah 9-11)
Dr. John Maxwell said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” There is much truth to that statement. Whether we are currently in a leadership position or are in a place where we are being led, we have a sense of what good leadership is about. In this section of Zechariah, we are introduced to one who will be the perfect leader. Our task will be to discover how we can emulate the leader we have longed for. - Oct 30, 2022Clean and Empowered (Zechariah 3-4)
Clean and Empowered (Zechariah 3-4)
God does His work through His people. The enemy of God, Satan does all he can to discourage and discredit God’s people. But God in his grace, cleans and empowers us to be all we can be for Him. We see God at work in the process in Zechariah 3-4 for Joshua and Zerubbabel. As we look at this passage through the cross we discover that through Jesus God cleans and empowers us. - Oct 23, 2022A Passionate God (Zech. 1-2)
A Passionate God (Zech. 1-2)
God is passionate. God is passionate about one thing. He is passionate about His relationship with His creation. God is passionate about you. He is passionate about you and your relationship to Him and your relationship to the faith community. When we individually and collectively are fully invested in our relationship with God we find Him to be our comfort, our protector, and our confidence. - Oct 16, 2022Recheck Your Priorities (The Prophecy of Haggai)
Recheck Your Priorities (The Prophecy of Haggai)
What would cause you to reprioritize your life, or your habits? What makes you rethink your circumstances? It seems that it often takes some sort of close call, or some kind of disaster to often make us evaluate what is really important. The challenges from Haggai, to God’s people who had returned to the land will help us take a good look at our own priorities and see where we may need to come back in line with God's standards. - Oct 9, 2022Responding to God’s Warning (The prophecy of Zephaniah)
Responding to God’s Warning (The prophecy of Zephaniah)
Tornado warnings. Hurricane warnings. Flood warnings. People respond differently. Some head for shelter, evacuate, or find the high ground. Others determine that they will “ride it out.” Natural disasters are no respecters of people, and the results of not heeding the warnings are tragic. God repeatedly warns his people that he will deal with their sins. Only those who respond in humble repentance are spared. - Oct 2, 2022When Nothing Seems To Make Sense (Habakkuk)
When Nothing Seems To Make Sense (Habakkuk)
If you have ever wondered if God knows what he is doing this prophet is for you. If you have ever questioned God, this prophet is for you. Habakkuk, has trouble with God's plan but in the end, he trusts God more than he trusts his circumstances. It is a lesson for us all.. - Sep 25, 2022“No Middle Ground” (Nahum)
“No Middle Ground” (Nahum)
God does not play games. God does not just give suggestions. When we last saw the Ninevites they had repented from their sin. God relented from his judgement of them. Unfortunately for the Ninevites, their revival did not last. Roughly, 100 years later they were as sinful and warmongering as ever. Nahum is God’s prophet to call them out. But before we gloat over the failure of Nineveh, we need to look in the mirror and ask, “Is my own commitment to God a growing daily reality?” - Sep 18, 2022There is Hope (Micah 6:9-7:20)
There is Hope (Micah 6:9-7:20)
Even though he is fully aware of our faults and failures, God still offers us hope. Our hope is in the God who knows the beginning from the end. We can't even know what this afternoon holds. Our hope is in a God who promises to forgive as we come to him in humility. - Sep 11, 2022The Power of Humility (Micah 5:1-6:8)
The Power of Humility (Micah 5:1-6:8)
The culture in which we live celebrates those who are confident. We celebrate those who dream and dream and then achieve it. But there is another quality that is to be celebrated but is often overlooked. There is a unique power to humility. When we are humble we rely on God for success. We depend on God and not our own wits. We treat others with dignity and respect. We are able to see how God has been working in us. God calls us to live humbly and trust him to recognize our work. - Sep 4, 2022It’s About Leadership (Micah 3:1-4:5)
It’s About Leadership (Micah 3:1-4:5)
As the leaders go, so goes the group, be it a nation, or a community, or a church, or a family. Micah calls the leaders from the political, spiritual, and judicial realm to account. They were supposed to point people to God and lead by following God. But instead they had determined that personal power was more satisfying than servant leadership. We are all leaders of someone and God expects us to lead properly.