We feel like we deserve more and claim that deserved state whenever we have the opportunity. But, God gave us what we don’t deserve and calls us to give to those who don’t deserve.
We keep chasing what looks impressive—the success the world promises—forgetting it all carries an expiration date, like a freshly cut tree that soon dries out and becomes trash. Samuel falls into the same trap sizing up Jesse’s sons in 1 Samuel 16, until the Lord stops him cold.
To understand Christmas, we need to understand who Jesus is and what He gave for us. It gives us a direction for what He intends for our lives.
We’re always drawn to the new and the shiny. In Genesis 3, the serpent made the one tree God forbade look irresistable. Wouldn’t it be nice if everything we shouldn’t do just clearly didn’t look right?
Pastor Tim reflects on preparations for Advent as we find ourselves at Thanksgiving weekend.
We get confused and suddenly our actions are working against God’s Will and our own interests — and we don’t even realize it.
Amid turkey and pie and football, we can list what we’re thankful for and still miss the point. Psalm 95 won’t let us settle for vague gratitude; it calls us to sing to the Lord and come into His presence with thanksgiving to the rock of our salvation.
The seasons come and go but God’s faithfulness stays constant and we can hold onto Him throughout.
Are we going to be unified with the world or unified with the Lord? That’s the challenge that Paul hands down to us here.
Changing the world for God can sound easier than loving the people close enough to frustrate us. But that’s precisely what God calls us to by calling us to honor the first “neighbors” we’ll ever know: our parents.