Scripture: James 1:16-17 How would you approach your life if you viewed EVERYTHING good you possess as a gift? Tell me if you have had this experience: In your childhood, you are playing with a toy (perhaps not according to its intended use), and your mom or dad says, "Be careful! Grandma bought you that!" Or … Continue reading “Be Careful! Jesus Bought You That!”

Scripture: Romans 8:26-28 How certain are you that you know what you need? As the assignment and first call process draw closer for me, I have been asked several times the kind of congregation I would want to serve and lead. In one sense, I have felt able to answer, but the more I reflect … Continue reading You Don’t Know What You Think You Know

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:1-8 Have you ever heard the phrase: "God won't give you more than you can handle"? Maybe you have repeated this phrase. Maybe you believe truly believe this phrase. It's attractive because it says something about our capacity to withstand difficult circumstances.  It sounds like encouragement to those experiencing trial to say to them … Continue reading More Than You Can Handle

 Scripture: Psalm 139:7-12 Think about this for a second: there is nowhere you can go that God cannot find you. There is nothing you can do that God does not see. This sounds a bit terrifying, right? It is passages like this that bring to mind our many sins, the things we do when we … Continue reading Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide

Scripture: Genesis 21:14-19 Have you ever felt like you messed up something so badly that there is no hope of it being fixed? In Genesis, God promises Abraham and Sarah a son, but He was not coming through in the timeframe they wanted. Sarah possessed a slave girl whom she gave to Abraham to get pregnant, and … Continue reading Making Something of Your Mess