Archive for the ‘ Religion ’ Category
“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16, HCSB
God came to us, and from the moment of faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ He gives us eternal life in Him.
I preached again!
Here is the video and PowerPoint for the Palm Sunday message at Paulden Christian Fellowship.
I preached again!
Once again I was in Paulden Christian Fellowship. Pastor Paul started the Letter to the Galatians, so as I cover the preaching and teaching while he recovers from surgery I picked up with the second half of chapter 2.
Unlike usual, I do not have a copy of notes below, but I have provided the PowerPoint.
And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior”
Luke 1:46-47, HCSB
We are called in Christ to help each other be more like Christ, and that begins with worshiping God rightly and together, declaring His greatness to and over each other.
For the person who has entered His rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from His.
Hebrews 4:10, HCSB
We join God in the work of salvation, and we join in His rest by not trying to earn our own salvation.
On this day 26 years ago, at 6:46 PM CST, I bent my knee to Jesus as Lord and Savior. (If you do a search on this site for “birthday”, you will see the various explanations.)
I like to call it my Re-Birthday, as we call faith in Christ being born again. This comes from John 3 and 1 Peter 1. I encourage everyone to remember their own re-birthday (and if you aren’t sure/can’t remember, just claim your baptism day or your birthday.)
I also like to bake some sort of cake and then serve it to others as a way to teach self-sacrifice and becoming a servant to all as our shared salvation is celebrated.
Sometimes it’s messy, or we’re still a little crisp on the sides, but we have a sweet salvation.
This year, I am still helping teach Christian Worldview and Intro to Philosophy courses with 270 students (+46 for a CWV class I am covering for 2 weeks for a friend who had surgery) who were all born after this momentous day in my life. (I am also taking classes with fellow seminarians who also were mostly [not 2 of about 100] born after this date!) It is also in April that I am set to finally graduate with my M.Div.
There is a good probability I will be serving at a new congregation this year, but (as of today) it is still purely in God’s hands.
It is a little weird to think that I have been a Christian so long, especially having come to Christ as a teenager and now working with teens and 20-somethings as a youth pastor and college instructor.
God is so good.
Also, it is my mother-in-law’s birthday, so join me in wishing her a happy and blessed day! If not for her, I would not have my wife!
Also also, it is my friend Fletcher’s birthday. We met in seminary. He’s a TheoBro of the highest order.
God bless you, and remember that Jesus Christ is the reason we live and move and breathe and have meaning and being!
Be excellent and party on!
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9, CSB
When we believe and confess the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, we are saved. We must believe in His divinity and humanity as well as His atoning sacrifice for our sins.
“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”
Luke 1:45, CSB
God told the prophets Jesus was coming, and He came. He said He is coming again. Let us join with Mary in believing the Word of the Lord that God is with us.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
John 10:11, CSB
There is hope and peace in knowing the God and Creator of the universe is also the one keeping His eye on us and has given His life to save us.
But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Matthew 6:33, CSB
We find hope and peace in knowing that when we seek God’s righteousness in our lives and that He helps us in all ways.
a simple man of God 