THE BLOG
Category
Topic
- Anxiety 2
- Beauty 1
- Bible 4
- Blessings 1
- Body of Christ 1
- Burden 1
- CEO 1
- Christian Living 91
- Christlikeness 6
- Christmas 9
- Commandments 1
- Community 1
- Conflict 1
- Cults 1
- Culture 1
- DDM 1
- Death 1
- Discipleship 3
- Emotions 4
- Eternity 2
- Evangelism 6
- Faith 2
- Forgive 2
- Freedom 1
- Fusion 1
- Gather 1
- God 1
- Gospel 2
- Gratitude 1
- Hebrews 11 1
- Holiness 1
- Holy Spirit 1
- Homosexuality 1
- Humility 1
- Israel 2
- Jesus 5
- Joy 2
- King of Glory 1
- Lying 1
- Missions 1
- Outreach 1
- Pastor Jeff 1
- Perspective 2
- Prayer 7
- Psalm 119 3
- Reading 1
- Salvation 13
- Sanctification 1
- Satan 1
- Scripture 2
Words that Matter
Did you know there are approximately 470,000 words in the English language according to Merriam-Webster? And if you include all the various derivatives and inflections, it is estimated there are roughly one million words.So? Solomon sums it up well: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21).
What's Your GQ?
Any guesses? No, it’s not about your general quest in life or some gotcha question or your goofiest quirk or greatest quality.
It’s all about your gratitude quotient.
A quotient is a measure, a proportion, an amount of something, and one of the quotients God wants a whole lot of is gratitude.
Joy No Matter What
Who or what is trying to steal your joy? Joy-robbers abound! Kids? Vehicle trials? Spouse? Work stress? Boss? COVID-19 restrictions? Politics? Physical health? Financial woes? Next door neighbor?
Your answer to this question will depend upon what kind of joy you have. Be honest. Which version of joy has the strongest foothold in your life?
Circumstantial joy that is humanly dependent and at the mercy of favorable conditions or positive circumstances in your life?
Having an Eternal View…
Seeing ourselves and circumstances with an eternal view is important. More than that, necessary and very biblical. If I take my eyes off of God’s great plan to bring me home to heaven, I can falter and lose heart in these days. And I need to be reminded of God’s presence and view of my life every day. At times, my vision with contact lenses in is just not clear enough. Though I’m not used to saying this out loud yet, I need my reading glasses to be sure I’ve read small print correctly. There could be consequences if I don’t see things clearly. If I am driving into the sunshine and do not have my sunglasses on, my view of what’s happening around me could have dire consequences. In 2 Corinthians chapter 4, Paul the apostle writes to us about having the right view of our circumstance, so we do not lose heart. He says in verses 17-18:
Essential versus Non-essential
One of the ways our governing authorities have sought to address life during this time of COVID-19 is by determining which services are essential and which are not. Not surprisingly, we (believers) didn’t expect to see eye to eye on everything our unbelieving government considered essential and non-essential.We understand that healthcare providers, emergency services, food and agriculture, to name a few, are essential, but not abortion services, pot shops or destructive protests.My point is NOT to stir up your convictions or emotions about what you like or dislike about our governing authorities or our current state of affairs. My point is to make sure you and I as the Lord's church remember what IS essential in times like these.
Carry On!
It seems that more and more people are feeling the collective and draining weight of COVID-19, partisan politics, cancel culture, civil unrest, and fill in the blank for yourself. Our society is rapidly changing and for us as believers, it’s not leaning our way. It’s hard to watch things fall apart, people fight, and once good societal values turn inside out right before our very eyes.
All this wearies us, drains us, and can frustrate us. We can begin to feel like we're losing, and wonder if anyone really cares, and where all this is headed.usp
A Matter of Fact
A great friend of our ministry and one of our supported missionaries (Craig Loftus of The Father’s Ranch) sent this to me today from his devotional reading of Charles Spurgeon. It is so timely and so rich. Read it slowly and carefully, and be blessed or challenged.
An Important Note from Our Elders
NOTE FROM OUR ELDERS REGARDING OFF-SITE “RELIGIOUS” GATHERINGS (UPDATED AUGUST 6, 2020)
As we continue to process and respond to the regular updates from our governor regarding COVID-19, we have sought to honor the Lord and our governing authorities, maintain a good testimony, and serve the well-being of our people. We recently contacted the state to seek clarification on the meaning and application of “religious services” and hosting outdoor, off-site gatherings where regular smaller group gatherings have been held as part of the church’s ministry (at private residences).
What to Do When You Don’t FEEL Like It
As you and I know very well, feelings come and go, and they love to take charge in virtually every realm of life. As you and I also know, allowing feelings to dictate your life generates self-inflicted pain and is the wrong way to live. Life is fun when feelings are positive, but miserable when they are not pleasing to God.So how do we respond?
