Archive for the ‘ Religion ’ Category

VerseD: 1 Corinthians 3:7

So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

1 Corinthians 3:7, HCSB

When we put our faith in Christ and His work on the cross, we are saved from God’s wrath on our sin and given hope of eternal life with Him. Our faith did not earn it. Sharing the gospel does not earn it. God saves, amd we believe it.

VerseD: Romans 10:13

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Romans 10:13, HCSB

When we put our faith in Christ and His work on the cross, professing that faith to the world in the power of the Holy Spirit, we know we are saved from God’s wrath and join Him in eternal life.

VerseD: Romans 3:23-24

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:23-24, HCSB

We have all sinned against God and each other, but we have been saved by the grace of God from the moment of faith in Christ.

VerseD: John 3:16

“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.

Sermon: True Obedience – Galatians 3:10-29

I preached again!

Here is the video and PowerPoint for the Palm Sunday message at Paulden Christian Fellowship.

True Obedience – Palm Sunday 2026 – Galatians 3:10-29

Sermon: Galatians 2:11-21 – Built Up or Tearing Down

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.

VerseD: Luke 1:46-47

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.

VerseD: Hebrews 4:10

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.

Double-Baker’s-Dozen Re-Birthday

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!

VerseD: Romans 10:9

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.