Mary Magdalen was a sinner extraordinaire. She was much like us; lost and trying to make her way through a cold and hard world. But she met Jesus and all of that changed. In Jesus she found hope, forgiveness and salvation. The old Mary was gone and a new woman stood in her place. Doesn’t that sound like our own story? Mary Magdalen’s transformation was so profound that it inspired one ...
Read MoreHave you ever had a song that you’ve listened to a hundred times, but never really paid attention to the lyrics? And then that 101st time you hear it, you really focus in on what the song is saying and it just rocks your world? That happened to me last week with Crowder’s song, “Forgiven.” I know it’s no coincidence…God knew I needed to pay attention to those lyrics. It was ...
Read MoreWhen you think about it, we're really good at hiding. The first humans in history, Adam and Eve, hid from God in the Garden. We learn about hiding as infants with "peek-a-boo" and then we graduate to hide and seek. Once when I was 5, I was staying with my mom's best friend Judy while my parents traveled to a family funeral. I was so homesick (and tired of her ...
Read MoreThis has been such a busy year so far. Some days, it seems like the day has no end! It's amazing to me the way God has always been there to walk me though the craziest of days. Isaiah 40:31 is a perfect scripture to get me through those times when dinner is burning, the smoke alarm is going off, I am running behind and the dog just ate the ...
Read MoreDuring this season of Lent many give up or do something in preparation for Easter. I remember giving up bubble gum for Lent when I was in middle school. I had just won a bubble blowing contest at our local mall, and I was given a case of Bubble Yum that I donated to a local charity so I could avoid temptation. I was happy when later, my Easter basket ...
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If I had a dollar for every time I have used the scripture Ephesians 3:20 in a sermon, I would be sitting on a beach right now! Retired, drinking a cold drink and reading a thought provoking and inspiring biography (can you hear the ocean waves crashing in my head right now?). It’s the scripture that says, “ God will do above and beyond what we ask, think or imagine”. ...
Read MoreWould you rather… be known as nice or loving? This question was asked in a daily devotional I was reading by Pastor Rodney Hunt. It made me take an assessment. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with being nice to people. That’s a good thing. But it’s pretty simple and tidy. And I have to admit part of my motivation to be nice is really based on my desire to be liked. Being ...
Read MoreDoes it ever seem like you go through day-to-day life, feeling pretty small. Pretty insignificant. Pretty non-important. I have been there too! But here is the truth. God didn’t create you to be small. The one who made the universe and all of the galaxies beyond our wildest imaginations also made…YOU! There are no ‘extra people’. Everyone has a purpose and is a part of God’s grand plan! Yes, sitting in traffic, packing ...
Read MoreSo, this week we celebrate Valentine’s Day. Maybe I’m just an old fuddy-duddy, but I’ve just always seen Valentine’s Day as a Hallmark holiday…celebrated to help card and candy makers make more money between Christmas and Easter. Fortunately, my wife Kathy feels the same way, so we’ve never been ones to make February 14th any more special than any other day. (yes guys, she’s an AWESOME wife!) I thought about this ...
Read MoreHave you ever had a broken heart? That question may bring back memories of a crush in elementary school or a special someone you loved in high school. Of course, you can get "broken" from more than someone you loved deeply no longer being in your life. It could be brokenness from a past mistake, someone who purposely hurt you in a life-changing way, or an unfulfilled dream. But there's hope; God ...
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