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Blessed are those who HAVE BEEN persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs IS the kingdom of heaven. WOW! PRESENT & FUTURE BLESSINGS!

Jesus is describing the pathway to heaven & this sermon is a message from God to urge you to get on that pathway & stay on that pathway so that you can be called sons/daughters of God at the last judgment.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8, NASB)

This is a call to all those who are meek: FOR THEY WILL INHERIT THE EARTH.

Blessed are the people who feel their inadequacies & their guilt & their failures & their helplessness & their unworthiness & their emptiness—who don’t try to hide these things under self-sufficiency, but who are honest about them & grieved & driven to the grace of God.

Today we begin a new teaching series on the Beatitudes! We will devote a week on each one, but today our focus will on be on the group as a whole within the greater context of Jesus’ public ministry.

Psalm 150 answers 4 basic questions about praising God: , when & how!who, what, where, why

Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

So: What Do The Psalms Have To Do With Advent & Christmas? Almost everything! The Psalms promise that God is the Creator God who is the Redeeming King.

So: What Do The Psalms Have To Do With Advent & Christmas? Almost everything! The Psalms promise that God is the Creator God who is the Redeeming King.

In Psalm 116:7 we find someone who calls upon his soul to rest: "Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you." So—how did the Psalmist break through to finding a place of rest—a time of PEACE for his soul?

WHEN LIFE SEEMS HOPELESS—begin to rejoice in His presence, bless His Name & thank God for His blessings. You may not feel like rejoicing when you start, but you will before you finish! After all—He is the God of HOPE!

In Psalm 73, Asaph (the writer of this psalm) discovered this: If we don’t gaze at God, we default to our human perspective & end up becoming jealous & bitter. It’s only when God is at the center that we see things as they really are.

But Psalm 60 gives us a remarkable window into the fears & uncertainties of that moment, as well as into the spiritual dynamic that eventually led to victory after victory—but not without painful setbacks & fears & distresses along the way.

In Psalm 51, David had been convicted & so he confessed. And now that he’s been cleansed, he consecrates himself to live on mission. He knows that he has been saved in order to serve.

God’s goodness & mercy led Jesus to the Cross, where the shepherd gave his life for his sheep. He’s pursuing you right now in order to give you more that you need & certainly more than you deserve.

We are called to witness where we are, but not stay where we are!

In Psalm 8 David reflects on who God is & the miracle of God’s special relationship with humans. Psalm 8 opens & closes in verses 1 & 9, with these familiar words, O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

In Psalm 1, the writer describes the person God blesses—but he also describes the person God condemns.

Sheep among wolves! It’s not a mistake, it’s not a misprint. That’s the plan! (Matthew 10:16-25)

THE BOTTOM LINE: Do you believe nothing ever happens by chance? We must say what the Bible says—that “all things” work together as part of God’s unfolding plan of redemption. If this is so, then there is no such thing as luck or fate or chance.

So—why would Jesus carry a sword? The answer is simple. He carries a sword so he can divide humanity. He wants to make clear who is on his side & who isn’t. He wants the world to know who is on “Team Jesus” & who isn’t.

When we preach the gospel, we connect people with God! We are preaching the one & only message that leads from earth to heaven.

For those who refuse to repent & believe the Gospel, it means utter destruction. But for those who fear His name, this will be a day of rejoicing. John the Baptist called the people of his day to repentance & faith in the coming Savior. How great a message for us to hear as well!

Our God Is A Merciful God, A Refining Fire, Slow To Anger & Abounding In Love.

If we want to lead people upward, we must make sure God’s Word penetrates our own lives. We must concentrate on our walk with Him more than anything else.

The reason careless worship is so reprehensible is because it fails to recognize the greatness of God. Like the song goes: How Great Is Our God!

Those who know God as Father should honor their majestic Father.

While there are some challenging truths to ponder—at its core, Malachi is really a love letter from God, full of hope & encouragement.

Jesus wants churches to be motivated by love, founded on the truth, strong under pressure & unashamed of His name.

The moderate Christian has a moderate Jesus who makes moderate demands. He keeps Jesus at arm’s length lest this “religion thing” get out of hand. But—that’s exactly what happened at a place called Laodicea.

In some respects, Sardis is the most difficult church to dissect because we don’t really know what was wrong there. When Jesus speaks to the other churches, he spells out the problem so there can be no confusion. But here we are told simply that things looked good on the outside but were dying on the inside.

Let the world do as it will. Left to itself, the world always chooses self-indulgence. But it is the church’s job to shine the pure light of God’s truth in the midst of the darkness. After all—if the church lives like the world, why would the world ever want to be part of the church? Any doctrine that makes it easy to sin or that redefines sin & any doctrine that makes sin less sinful comes straight from hell.

But—writing to the church at Pergamum, He confronts a congregation that had become too open-minded. We need to hear what He says because many churches today find themselves in the same position.

NOTE: I inadvertently said Max Lucado passed away in the message ...NOT TRUE ... he is alive and well! To live in Smyrna meant you were in a hotbed of Caesar-worship & pagan sacrifice. And—as we will see—that put the Christians & this church at a distinct disadvantage.

When Jesus looks at a church, He peers beneath the surface to see the underlying reality. Sadly, the church at Ephesus had lost its first love!

Now we see clearly how God weaves the ultimate “happily ever after.” So—be encouraged friends. No matter how difficult your journey has been: If You Know Jesus, The Best Is Yet To Come!

As we near the end of Ruth’s story, our eyes focus on the God behind the scenes. The story stretches on over the horizon, reminding us that only God sees the big picture while we see life through a keyhole. So, my encouragement to you today is simply this: Have faith.

Today's story from Ruth 3, teaches us that God has his ways & sometimes those ways seem very strange indeed. Lots of risky business involved!

Because God is good, he cares for us. Because God is gracious, he gives us what we don’t deserve. Because God is our guide, he leads us even when we don’t realize it.

Now—if it’s true that joy comes in the morning, Naomi feels like she is trapped at midnight. Where is the sunlight of God’s kindness? The first 3 verses of Ruth 2 begin to unfold the answer.

The question is not, “Have we sinned?” because the answer is always yes. The question is, “What will we do about it?”

We must learn to understand God’s heart. He is rich in grace & his pockets are deep & full of mercy. A lesson Naomi would soon learn!

Why is Easter Sunday the most important day in history? Because the events of that day—the events in Mark 16:1-8—confirm three very important things about life.

Our call on Palm Sunday—and beyond—is to follow Jesus. To be his hands & feet. We need to go where he went. Do what he did. And feel what he felt.

When problems arise, don’t ask “Why is this happening to me?” Ask, “Lord, what is this problem teaching me?”

What happens when we play the comparison game? The answer is simple. We begin to grumble against the Lord -- a particularly dangerous sin for Christ-followers.

Most messages on this parable (Luke 8:4-15) discuss it from the standpoint of the 4 soils. I want to look at it in terms of what it teaches us about doing ministry here at resTore ... teaching that challenge us & encourage us.

Persistent prayer honors God because it expresses our complete dependence on him.

Jesus told a sad story about a man who cleaned up his life but left his heart empty & ended up much worse off. Don’t be like him!

What is Ash Wednesday all about? A brief review

See the Vision ... Live the Mission ... Feel the Passion

Imagine starting here: The Lord is my shepherd; I don't need anything more than this.

There are 3 principles in 1 Timothy 5 that great disciples assume for themselves & commit themselves to live by.

The Christian life is on the job training—and the training never ends. Paul told Timothy, "Train yourself to be godly."

Leadership is something you grow into, something for which you need to prove yourself worthy, and this takes time.

In week 1, we looked at what a disciples' job is all about—a life of love, mercy, transformation & perseverance. This week we're looking at a disciple's disposition—how we are to relate to others—in prayer & in conduct.

Today we're starting a new series—a study of Paul’s 1st letter to young Timothy—and we'll cover its 6 chapters in 6 weeks. While I’m not going to go into detail, it does seem necessary to talk a little about who, what, where, when & why!

Christmas is a time of hope, peace, joy & love, but once again, this is only because of Jesus.

God, our kind & loving Savior God, has stepped in & saved us. God’s gift has resTored our relationship with God & given us back our lives—and there’s more life to come—an eternity of life--and our call to love others!

Christmas is all about joy—because joy comes from Jesus & Christmas is all about him.

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled & do not be afraid.”

Today is the 1st Sunday of Advent & we are starting a new series called God With Us. God With Us brings hope, peace, joy & love … ending with the Christ Candle.

It is God's desire that we not just be a reservoir of His grace but a river of grace to share God’s love.

Who do you belong to? You belong to God. You don’t get any bigger than that. He created you. He died for you. He saved you. You belong to Him. Imagine your worth.

The everyday life of an everyday disciple is praying for laborers, going & telling, speaking the Good News & rejoicing that their name is written in heaven…

My prayer is: Let's journey together. May we all come together to be strong & sturdy, solid & secure & faithful to the end. Together, may we be as strong as we can be—like a Rock—and walk out these doors to share with others!

1 Thessalonians 4:1 "Finally, brothers, we instructed you how-to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you—and urge (ENCOURAGE) you in the Lord Jesus to do this more & more.

The truth about trouble is that you can overcome most of life's challenges simply by choosing to outlast them. What you need is a steadfast spirit. In 1 Thessalonians 3, Paul shows us how.

In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul talked about the spirit of community that existed in the church. It's the same kind of community that each of us should seek to be a part of.

From 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 ... If you want to be a faithful witness, the first message people need to hear & see is that the love of Jesus in us before they will hear the word of God from us.

A Christian is someone, who having been called & chosen by God, responds to the gospel—and is saved.

1 Thessalonians is a short letter that gives us practical guidance on how to live straight in a crooked world.

“It’s always too soon to quit.” That’s a good motto for us as we wrap up our study of Habakkuk.

You can side with Babylon & win in the short run, or you can take sides with God & win eternally. Whose side are you on? Team Jesus or Team Babylon?

It all comes down to 6 simple words: The just shall live by faith. That’s the message we preach—and the text that changed the world. And it all started with Habakkuk.

Habakkuk 1:2 “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save?”

“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:39-40).

Faith is wavering between belief & unbelief, doubt & assurance, hope & despair & finally, hesitantly, with your heart in your hands, acting on the belief part.

Chapel Message for 60th reunion of Concordia High School, Seward NE

2 Corinthians 4:7, “Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God & not from us.”

There is no pit so deep that the love of God is not deeper still. There is no sin so terrible that Jesus cannot forgive it. There is no stain on your soul that Jesus cannot wash away. But what if you don’t know very much? Take heart. Rahab knew very little & yet she was saved.

Keep your eyes on Jesus! Follow him wherever He leads! Why? Because when Jesus leads the way, the walls must come tumbling down.

Let’s honest friends—Egypt still exists—with all of its temptations—trying to draw us away from the Promised land. So, the question is: Will you say “no” to Egypt & “yes” to Jesus who loved you & gave himself for you?

God’s plans are bigger than ours. Our part is to live for God & to pass our faith along. Live so that those things for which we are praying & those things we dream about may happen some day after we are gone.

It is God’s kindness that keeps bringing us back to Mt Moriah, back to the place of sacrifice where we offer to God our dearest & our best & say, “Lord, it all belongs to you.”

Reconciliation came with a price & Jesus was willing to stand in the gap between sinners & a holy God in order to pay for our reconciliation. To a much lesser extent, we sometimes must stand in the gap between those who are in conflict.

Jude is telling us—don't let anything get between you & Jesus. Make sure He is the center of your life. Walk with Him & talk with Him every single day. Don't let anything or anyone get in your way. Keep Jesus first in your life.

Matthew 10:16, “I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves.”

A brief summation of just one verse!

Who should you choose to help shape the person you want to become? To answer that—let's take a closer look at 3rd John.

Love is the fundamental belief of the Christian faith. Jesus himself made this clear when He was asked, "what is the greatest commandment?" Jesus answered, in Matthew 22, with a quote from the OT book, Deuteronomy.

The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive. We are not alone—so expect the unexpected!

We don’t want to go to a cross. We prefer getting to Easter without going through Good Friday. We want triumph and victory, rather than surrender.

4 Prayers from Palm Sunday that we need to pray!

The amazing thing about this story is that Jesus starts with a good guy & a bad guy & by the time we get to the end of the story, the good guy has become the bad guy & the bad has become the good guy!

"I want to show you the best way, THE HIGH-WAY, to take care of virtually every situation & that’s the way of love."

Today—I want to look at the parable of the sower and the seeds in terms of what it teaches us about doing mission & ministry as the people of resTore!

Why are some people able to withstand or resist temptations while others are not?

A good question for resTore: are we going to transform our culture or is our culture going to transform us? Will we keep our eyes on the Messiah & the Mission & the Message?

When the cross is laid across our lives—we begin to see things differently. And when we see differently—it causes us to Wise Up!

Were you surprised by Jesus in today’s reading (Matthew 10:32-39) when He said: “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (v 34)? It’s hard to imagine Jesus with a sword.

For most of us, a cup of cold water is no big deal. If we’re thirsty, we go to the faucet & fill a glass with water. If we want it cold, we get some ice from the fridge. It’s not much to us. We don’t even think about it. It’s no big deal.

If God ever truly begins to do things we’re not used to, this missional gathering, this community, indeed this world as we know it, will be turned upside down.

Friends—life is a war zone—and every day we're on the battlefield. The only way you can win this battle is through God’s strength. But to receive God's strength you must:

Are you still drinking from the bottle & trying to learn your spiritual ABCs? Or have you moved on to solid food? If the answer to the last question is yes, then you ought to be a teacher!

As we study the story in Luke 3, keep in mind that Luke presents Jesus as the perfect man & the model we should follow. In order to fully understand what happened in the wilderness, we need to start before the temptation & continue after the temptation.

Compassion is not something you talk about. Compassion is something you do.

While God sometimes sent his children to Egypt to protect them, he always delivered them from Egypt later. So, Moses & the children of Israel came “out of Egypt” in the great passage through the Red Sea. We need Egypt for protection, but we are never meant to stay there forever.

How would you like 2022 to be a truly great year—a blessed year—day after day after day?? Psalm 1 tells us how we can be continually blessed every day. In just 6 short verses we learn the secret of the life God blesses—and it has nothing to do with New Year’s resolutions.

There are several parts of the Bible that many people tend to overlook. Why? A couple of reasons I guess: 1) We don’t know what to do with it. 2) It’s not often read in public. 3) Hardly anyone ever memorizes these passages & 4) to my knowledge they have never been set to music. Matthew 1 is a great example.

So—tonight—as we prepare our hearts for Christmas, let’s remind ourselves once again who Jesus really is. Revelation 1:5 offers a threefold picture of our Lord.

The Communion of Saints teaches that the church transcends time. So, what exactly does the phrase “communion of saints” mean?

Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. (Psalm 119:165)

Hebrews 13:20-21, May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will & may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever & ever. Amen.

Whenever you share the Word—whether as a preacher, as a teacher, parent or whatever: give them something to believe.

There is the “clean way” to do ministry & the “messy way.” The “clean way” is to give money or clothing to organizations that serve the poor. The “messy way” is dirtying your own hands in personal service to the poor/broken.

It's about people; helping them change, healing their hurts & teaching them truth—and resToring their lives. We don't do this for our glory, but for their good. We do it to extend His name & His kingdom.

John 9:39-41 Jesus then said, "I came into the world to bring everything into the clear light of day, making all the distinctions clear, so that those who have never seen will see.

I want my life, your life & whatever missional I attend—to be more than anything else—about Jesus, about helping a lost world connect with Him. Our objective is to help people connect with Jesus, because Jesus is the only answer for the world.

We can’t save the world, but we can make a difference. We can’t do everything, but we can do something. And what we can do, we ought to do. That’s what being salt & light is all about.

In fearful moments, it’s easy to think, “God has forgotten me.” But it is much more the other way around. We are the ones who have forgotten God.

Hebrews 12:1 exhorts us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author & perfecter of our faith. He faced the same battle & because of it, he went to the cross.

God gave us a promise guaranteed with an oath that gives us an anchor for the soul that rests on Jesus who is already in heaven on our behalf.

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess” (Hebrews 4:14).

The writer to the Hebrews says in chapter 3: "Don't miss it! Don't disqualify yourself from the life of abundance that Jesus has in store for you ... so hang on!

If you turn from the cross & go back into to the world or think you can do it on your own, if you turn from Jesus, you will discover there is no place else to go. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

Sometimes we talk about “Monday-morning faith” as opposed to “Sunday-morning religion.” What happens on Sunday is important. What happens on Monday is even more important.

When God’s Spirit is poured out, the result will be a church filled with passion, zeal & enormous spiritual power. God will ignite kingdom passion in every heart. I want to be part of that.

In the day of battle, you have 2 options. You can fight or you can flee.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong & courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-7

Sooner or later we all end up facing a wall of impossibility. The bad news is that it really is impossible. The good news is that God loves to start with an impossibility.

These are great days to be alive, great days to serve the Lord & great days to part of God’s family.

Sometimes our prayers are not answered because God can do more through us by not answering our prayers than He can by answering them. Sometimes God’s no is better than his yes.

Proverbs 16:32 “Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.”

Proverbs 17:22, says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Do you want to move from being in the congregation into the church? Do you need to move from the church into the core of committed disciples?

“Cast me not away from your presence & take not your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalms 51:11).

May God help us to make a difference for Jesus by the way we live—today—tomorrow—forever.

Worship is getting drenched with God—not just on Sunday, but everyday. It is a lifestyle that we can cultivate. When we get a right view of God, we get a right a view of ourselves.

Galatians 6:1 (The Message) “If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out.”

To speak of an unholy Christian is ultimately an oxymoron. Holiness is the mark of God’s children. We are to be holy because we have been made partakers of His divine nature.

Joel 2:28, “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”

Jesus’ Ascension Is His Heavenly Enthronement As King. At His ascension He is installed as the true king of the world. According to the Apostles’ Creed, he “ascended into heaven & sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.”

Paul said "Oh foolish Galatians" because they tried to do something that we try to do—and it is something that can never be done: They tried to earn that which God gives only by faith.

The "good" guy becomes bad ... the :bad" guy becomes good!

“Do you want to be right or well?” What a great question. As long as you demand that you be right all the time, you will never get well. Once you learn to say, “I was wrong,” then you begin to get well.

There are some lost people today who will saved tomorrow. We do not know who they are or where they are. We just know they are out there. That is why we wait & pray & keep "gospeling"!

If a person is in need & you can help, they are your neighbor. Will you be a neighbor?

Because he rose from the dead, Jesus is with us always, everywhere, at all times, in every situation.

In the midst of the joy of Palm Sunday, Jesus saw the future clearly.

What does it take to amaze Jesus? Just This: It is Faith … Audacious faith … Unexpected faith … Unashamed faith. That is what impresses Jesus.

Pray that God will give you Missionary Eyes. Those are eyes that see the real needs of the people you meet. Pray that God will bring at least one person across your path who needs the help only you can give. That is a prayer God will answer, for there are folks all around you who are just barely making it.

Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

Luke 6:38, Give & it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together & running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? If you are, you can be filled. This is the promise of God to hungry hearts & thirsty souls.

If people want to temporarily give up certain things for Lent as a sign of love for their Savior, that’s fine. But what Christ is really concerned about is what’s in your heart.

In Luke 7:36-50 we learn that your love for the Lord is related to your estimate of how greatly you have sinned & how much he has forgiven you. It is not how much you sin, but how deeply you feel it that matters.

Forgiveness In Many Cases Is Not Possible Because We Will Not Stop Talking. As long as we talk over & over again about how others have hurt us, we will never find the strength to forgive. At some point, we have to stop talking & start forgiving.

God is greatly glorified when we do not give up in prayer. Not all our prayers have been answered—yet!!! Do not give up & don’t stop praying. Keep believing & keep on praying. You never know what God will do.

Learning to enjoy the moment in the midst of a problem, or a crisis, or pandemic, or even a no-win, no-way out situation is the only way to change your circumstances.

If God is who He says He is, then you have got every reason to be grateful & every reason to be full of hope & every reason to keep believing in the midst of your trials.

Unless you have buried your head in the sand—you know that there is a great cosmic invisible struggle between good & evil, light & darkness, between God & Satan.

Looking back on 2020 ... and forward to 2021 ...

Because of Jesus, your life can be full of light. You can know God personally & walk with Him every day. You do not have to stumble through the darkness of sin & uncertainty, because He brings the light of truth into your life.

You are in good hands when you are in His hands, for those hands rule the universe.

Let us be honest—the whole 2020 Advent & Christmas season is just another interruption filled with disruptions ... and yet ...

No matter where our tough times come from, Peter’s message (1 Peter 1:1-9 offers insights to all who are facing hardship. I mean, what do you do when you are faced with cancer or COVID:19, or anything else?

2nd Sunday of Advent: What Does the Bible Say about Peace & Why Does This Matter?

Jesus is the Prophet like Moses promised in Deuteronomy 18. He is the ultimate fulfillment of a promise made 1500 years before his birth.

"Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me." Psalm 103

Either we believe in the redeeming grace of God or we do not.

We are all teachers, preachers and "gospelers" of the truth about Jesus!

Following Jesus means signing away the rights to your own life. You sign on the bottom line & let him fill in the details. It means Jesus first. No conditions. No delays. No buts. No excuses.

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders & the sin that so easily entangles & let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”.

This is a short excerpt from the first Reformation Day message I preached 35 years ago at Immanuel Lutheran, Belvidere, IL

Hard times are here & more hard times are coming & we’d better get ready. That brings me to Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:16, “I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves.”

The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. Until our hearts are made willing, we can read the Bible in the morning & listen to it all afternoon & still be unchanged in the evening. If we would be better people, we need better hearts.

For the believer, the moment of death brings him into the personal presence of Christ. For the unbeliever, death begins an experience of unending conscious punishment.

To love God’s Word means to commit yourself to making it the foundation of your life. This sort of love cannot happen by accident. It is a combination of desire plus diligence.

God’s crazy love (shown in the first 3 chapters of Hosea) has not changed. No matter what you or I have done, no matter how bad our sins, no matter how many your sins, God’s love is faithful! Jesus came to seek & to save the lost. That means that Jesus came to seek & to save YOU!

Temptation is a fact of life; expect it. Temptation is insidious, so make sure you understand it. Most of all, remember that temptation is not all powerful, so attack it.

When the angel finished his pronouncement, Zechariah asked a question that got him into trouble: “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man & my wife is well along in years” (Luke 1:18).

In a year where so much has changed, this one defies all the odds. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME, YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER.”

What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? What difference does it make? How does it happen? But above all others is this question: Am I filled with the Spirit?

It is not enough to come to church & just talk about being a servant. If you are really going to serve, it must be seen where you work, live and play!

Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Paul write in Ephesians 6: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers & requests” (v. 18). This is Prayer 101. This is the “how to” not the “why” of prayer.

As we have joined in the whining & complaining on Twitter & FaceBook & other social media, we have neglected to be what God has called us to be—salt & light—and as a result—the world has decided to ignore us.

Back in 1984, Beatle John Lennon recorded a song titled, Nobody Told Me. This song contained this refrain: "Nobody told me there would be days like these … Strange days indeed … strange days indeed." So, how should we live in times like these?

Ephesians 4:29-32, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” What the NIV translates as “unwholesome talk,”

God is GOOD ... ALL the time ... and we are WITNESSES!

Rightly understood, the whole gospel is in those 6 words: You Were…But God…Through Faith. God made it simple so that anyone could understand it & so all of us could share it.

Do you feel your need for God? Do you admit that you are sinner? Do you agree with God’s estimate of your desperate condition? If so, you are an excellent candidate for salvation.

Do you keep God at the center of your life ... or at the edges? Do you have a desire to know Him better each day?

Guilt, Fear, Anxiety? God is always there to comfort!

We attack each other because we have abandoned God. We hate each other because we do not respect the Ten Commandments. We speak evil against each other because we think we know better than God.

It is Pentecost that enables the gift of faith by which you & I can know that the birth, death & resurrection of Jesus are for us!

We know that Jesus died for our sins & rose from the dead for our salvation & we know that we could not be saved without Good Friday or Easter Sunday. Where does the Ascension fit in?

When we take matters into our own hands through too much worry, we indicate an absence of humility: we’re more concerned with ourselves than with our heavenly Father.

DOCVMP

I just can't wait till "this" is over ... I just can't wait to "do this again" ... What can we learn about waiting from the Lord?

5 reasons why all Christ-followers must share the good news of Jesus!

On the road to Emmaus, 2 men learn a lesson.

Today we celebrate Easter—and this is not the way any of us thought we would be celebrating Easter, that’s for sure—sitting at home watching a preacher preach on YouTube or Zoom. That’s not how we planned it, but even when things don’t go as planned, we can take courage & comfort in knowing that God’s grace—and the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ—is more than enough to get us through whatever we may face.

The question is not, why did Jesus die. The question is, why did Jesus have to die? We discover 3 answers in Romans 3:24-26.

God loves us because He promised to love us & nothing can cause Him to break His promise. Which leads me to make the following point: As bad as things are, if it weren’t for God, things would be much worse.

Don’t you think that all these great heroes of the faith had their doubts? Of course! They didn’t know in advance how everything was going to come out. But they took a deep breath, decided to trust God & they acted on their faith & not on their doubts. Do the same thing & your faith will continually grow stronger.

It's hard to live in the moment when you're overcome with problems. It's hard to live in the moment when you're afraid of tomorrow. But the good news is that you don't have to be fearful of what might come, because God has promised to be with you.

Mark 4:35-41 ... Jesus calms storms ... and still does today ... so take heart friends!

One day, we will either be in the group of the committed or the condemned...

If you have read the stories of Jesus, you will soon take notice of the criticism Jesus endured from religious leaders...for example in our text today from Mark 3:1-6

Jesus calls Matthew/Levi ... and asks us to reach people we often think are unreachable.

Jesus cures a demonized man ... and pigs die!

A study of the Book of James ... Faith With Boots on! There is a difference between happiness and joy!

And, since we are still in the afterglow time of the Super Bowl, allow me to use a football cliché: football is a game of 4 quarters. It’s not enough to start well or to lead at the half, You’ve got to lead at the end of the game if you want to win. In many ways the Christian life is like that.

Just who is Jesus? Where did he come from? Why did he come—and what difference does his coming make in my life?

How can we live like Paul? By committing ourselves to the truth that God has a hidden purpose in what he allows. Philippians 1:12-18 gives us some great advice!

A 5-week study of Philippians ... Paul's Letter of Joy

Many of us would like a personal ministry, but we don’t know where to begin. This passage suggests that our personal ministry begins as we share with others what God has shared with us. That means there are people in your life who need the help only you can give.

The ultimate question is not how someone else responds but how you respond to Jesus. Matthew 2:2-6

Some end of the year thoughts for a new year!

We know Luke’s version and Matthew’s version. But, in Hebrews 10:5-7 we get the Christmas story from the lips of Jesus.

Luke 1:21 contains a lot of truth that we normally don’t associate with Christmas.

Only Jesus and Jesus Only!

Encouragement is not something that perishes in the using. The way to get more is to use what you’ve got. It increases by giving it away. The more you give, the more you receive.

We are to extend grace to others as God has extended grace to us. We who have been showered with God’s grace in Christ are to give to other undeserving sinners the same outpouring of grace. Grace to us, grace to others. This is God’s plan.

Friends—take hope. Your past does not determine your future. You may have failed again & again, but there is still mercy for those who trust in the Lord. Who knows—tomorrow you may yet see God win a great victory in your life because: HIS STEADFAST LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

We aren’t called to save the world. Only God can do that. But we are called to make a difference. We can’t do everything, but we can do something. What we can do, we ought to do. Let’s go knock some holes in the darkness this week.

Weigh what others say against what you know to be true; weigh what you hear against the Word of God. Don't forget how the story ends. God is in control.

“Do you know who you are?” Until you do, you’ll never really know where you fit in.

Life is a journey ... enjoy it!

To a world that rejects authority, the church must declare the authority of God. The world says, “We want freedom.” God says, “If you want freedom, obey my Word.” We must proclaim the truth of God even to those who reject it because it is the truth that sets men free.

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love & good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

To whom do I hold myself accountable? To whom have I given permission to say to me that which needs to be said?

Whose example do I seek to follow? Seek to follow the best. Seek to follow those whose life reflects that which we see in Christ.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls & has no one to pick him up. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." (Psalm 122:1)

My final word to you is this. Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. It is God’s armor, not ours. He does not say, “Put on your own armor” because that’s a good way to get clobbered in the head. Everything Christians need we already have in Jesus Christ.

The helmet of salvation is just another way of saying, “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

The shield of faith describes what we might call dependent living. It means calling on the Lord for help in the time of trouble. Dependent living is the opposite of doing it your own way.

2000 years ago as Christianity spread, unbelievers said of those early disciples, “Behold, how they love one another.” They will still say that today when we wear the gospel shoes of peace with God & with each other.

A deeper look at the first 2 pieces of spiritual armor

When we face these temptations, we may be sure that the evil one has us in his cross-hairs. That’s exactly the moment when we need the message of Ephesians 6:14-17.

We're called to serve one another. This is one of the basics of the Christian life. And this is something anyone can do.

The conclusion to our short walk with the Shepherd!

A short devotional on Psalm 23

A short devotional thought from Psalm 23

A daily devotional thought from Psalm 23

A deep-dive into Psalm 23

Continuing a deep-dive into Psalm 23

A deep dive into Psalm 23

Let us resolve, no matter our age or station in life, that we will: Never release God’s promise, Never retire from serving God & Never retreat from the enemy. Let’s keep going for Jesus with all the strength God gives us.

When you make it your habit to seek God's presence every day, you begin to see evidence of his faithfulness all around you.

The word “yet” appears in the Bible approximately 395x. Allow me to share just a few of the ways that God uses this word “yet.”

The problem is not the sinful excess of the world that we see all around us. The problem is that we’re running the other way so we don’t have to love the world that God loves. The problem is not the gross evil that we so quickly condemn. The problem is that we’re not praying for the people who live in the wickedness we say we hate. Their sin has made them odious to us so we don’t even bother to pray for them. God’s greatest problem is not the sinner out there. –His greatest problem is the saint in here. We’re a lot more like Jonah than we would like to admit. That’s why we laugh and then we squirm. There’s a lot of Jonah inside most of us.

We can’t look to the past & focus on what others have done for Christ. Nor can we live in the future, thinking about what the children of today might do thirty years from now. The only generation we can reach is our own.

Nineveh was a place where no reasonable God would go. But being reasonable has nothing to do with it. Our God has a heart bigger than all our “reasonable” calculations. He loves the city & his heart goes out to those who want nothing to do with him.

You're just vomited out of a large fish...now what? What do you do if you are Jonah? At this point, you wait for God to tell you what to do next. In Jonah’s case, he didn’t have to wait very long.

There is no salvation, no deliverance & no getting better until we realize that if God doesn’t save us, we will never be saved. That’s the advantage of being in the belly of a great fish. It clears the mind so you can think about what matters most.

Inside the large fish, Jonah is desperate ... desperate enough to pray a desperate prayer.

But those who know their God—know that He knows even when they don’t know—and instead of giving in or giving up—they give thanks.

How far will God let us go in sin? I don’t think anyone knows the full answer, but it appears that sometimes the answer is that God will let us go pretty far. He doesn’t always stop us quickly.

As I pondered this story, a thought hit me in a very powerful way: God is more gracious than I am. You know how I know that? Because he saves people I wouldn’t save if I were God. He blesses people I wouldn’t bless if I were God. He uses people in his service I wouldn’t use if I were God. Which is why I’m glad he’s God & I’m not.

These 2 verses have been rightly called the 3 Tenses of the Christian Life. They describe the past, the present, the future of those who have been converted.

Today I want to talk to you about 3 things—3 simple sentences that take 15 seconds to pray, sentences that yield a lot of power. So, let's look at Exodus 33 & the 3 things Moses asked of God—3 things we can ask as well.

For a person to be converted 2 things must happen first—something from God’s side & something from the human side. And God’s side must always come first.

A brief introduction to 1 Thessalonians.

You’ll never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. And when Jesus is you have, then & only then will you discover that Jesus is all you need. That’s the real message of the little book of Habakkuk.

Like a trapeze artist who let’s go of one trapeze but hasn’t quite grabbed a hold of the next, the transition from ministry to retirement can be both exhilarating & frightening. And I daresay the analogy holds true for a congregation & school saying goodbye to their friend & leader & are wondering about the future without him as well.

Sometimes people say, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” That may be good advice when it comes to investing your money, but it’s terrible advice for investing your soul. It’s okay to put all your eggs in one basket if the basket is labeled “Jesus.”

What do you do when God doesn’t live up to your expectations? How do you respond when the Lord’s answer isn’t what you wanted? Habakkuk was troubled by something that troubles all of us. He couldn’t reconcile his view of God with the injustice he saw all around him.

When Paul wrote these words, he had no idea if he’d ever get out of jail in Rome. He therefore must assume that he might never visit Philippi again. That’s why this passage deserves our close attention. It’s the “just one thing” Paul wanted to make clear in case he never saw them in person again.

Can a person who calls himself a Christian ever doubt the resurrection of Jesus Christ? This morning I am going to argue that the answer to that question is Yes!

Tucked between your Good Fridays and an Easter Sunday, is a silent Saturday ... what to do as you wait?

Death is not the end of the story for those who know the Lord. The Bible tells us what lies ahead for those who know Jesus. As we come to 2 Corinthians 5, we discover wonderful truths that give us hope as we face death with all its dark fears.

In Nehemiah 8 we have 1 mark of true revival. Revival is upon us when God’s people once again hunger for God’s Word. When they say, “Bring us The Book,” we know that God’s Spirit has come in great power.

Impacting the world begins as Christ-followers stand together “in one spirit.” It’s like a coach saying to his players, “We win together & we lose together.” In other words, we are not to divide—and yet we do, sometimes over trivial issues. There are already too many barriers in the body of Christ—race, skin color, geography, worship style, mode of baptism & denominational affiliation.

God intends that when we stand before him, he will say, “Does anyone in the whole universe know any reason why this person should not enter heaven?” At that point there will be a loud silence as no one—not the angels or the demons, not the saints or the sinners—no one in all the universe will be able to bring any charge against God’s elect.

Prayer is not a burden, not a duty, but a blessed privilege. We should not pray because we must—but because we want to. Pray with confidence, expecting God to answer our prayers. Nothing is too great to ask & nothing too hard for the Lord.

Consider the phrase “to live is Christ.” What does it mean? Think of the prepositions that express relationship. We live in Christ … for Christ … by Christ … through Christ … & from Christ. He is the beginning, middle & the end of life. He is truly the Alpha & Omega, the A & Z & every letter in between.

The first sin came from tasting forbidden fruit. The evil of that day would not be overcome until Christ tasted death for all of us on the cross. It took the bloody death of the Son of God to reverse the impact of what happened in Eden.

Since adversity comes to all of us sooner or later, the only choice we have is regarding our attitude. Will we look at the doughnut or will we look at the hole? If we look at what we don’t have or what we have lost, we will almost certainly lose our faith. If we look at what we still have, we can find the courage to keep on going.

Who are the stars from God’s point of view? Jesus himself said, “You are the light of the world . . . Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works & give glory to your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:14, 16). Paul said the same thing in Philippians 2:15, “You shine like stars in the world.”

We have a great future because we have a great God. Stop staring in the soup. Pull those shoulders back. Put a smile on your face. Take your troubles, wrap them up & give them all to the Lord. We’ll have our share of hard times but overriding it all is the promise of God who said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

A river of connected history flows from Genesis to Revelation, spanning thousands of years & hundreds of generations. Those who believe the Bible have long argued that although it contains 66 books written by many different people over 1,500 years, it has but 1 message: God’s Plan to Bring Salvation to The World Through Jesus the Christ.

I often wonder—do we grasp how the world views a divided church? When we say, “God loves you,” unbelievers hear it through the static of our intramural mudslinging. The message that comes through is, “God loves you, but we hate each other.” No wonder they don’t want what we have to offer.

It starts with abounding love, that manifests itself in knowledge & discernment, resulting in the ability to make wise choices under pressure & the visible fruit of a righteous life that comes from a living relationship with Jesus, so that God alone gets the glory.

If you do not have joy right now, don’t blame your circumstances. They were never meant to bring you joy in the first place. If you build your life on circumstances, you’re going to be miserable at least as often as you are happy. You need a source of joy that does not change―an eternal perspective that comes only from knowing Jesus Christ.

Even though your life may have been marred by sin & even though—like every other person on the planet—you've done things that are wrong that you surely regret, despite this, you are a person of great value to God.

So—when Simeon took Jesus in his arms, he said, “Lord, I’m ready to go home now. I can die in peace.” But no one is ready to die until they have seen Jesus with the eyes of faith. Once you have seen him, death is no longer an enemy. It’s true you may live your life & come to the end not having been as successful as you like. You may live in some frustration because you haven’t accomplished all your goals. But—and this is a very big but—if you can come to the end of your life & say, “I have seen the Lord’s Christ,” then you’ve had a good life. At the end all that matters is to know Jesus.

Your life doesn't have to be what you sometimes fear it will become. Why? Because of Christmas. Jesus came into a world full of darkness, to fill it with his marvelous light. Christmas rewrote history so that God's mercy could rewrite your life.

All of that is on Zechariah’s heart & is comprehended in this one single truth: At long last God has visited his people!! At long last God has kept his promise. At long last God has arrived on the scene. The Visitor from heaven has come to us.

If you are willing to be guided by God, you will discover that he will lead you step by step by step. In the end you will be what he wants you to be, you will go where he wants you to go & you will do what he wants you to do. This is God’s promise to guidable Christians who are willing to do his will.

Whether you know it or not, there is the power of life & there is the power of death within you. Everything you have said this week has either been life-giving or death-dealing & there is nothing in between. The tongue has the power to kill, to destroy, to hurt, to maim & to assassinate.

Proverbs 3:5-6 suggests the basis on which guidance will come. It is a short course in knowing God’s will for your life. If you learn what this passage is teaching & begin to apply it to your daily life, it will make a profound difference when you need to make a tough decision.

If you have a PhD, but don’t have the fear of the Lord, you are an intellectual genius & a spiritual moron. If you have all the book learning & all the degrees but don’t have the fear of the Lord, you would be better to be an illiterate reader of the Bible who at least believes in God. Without the fear of the Lord you may be an intellectual giant, but you are a moral & spiritual pygmy.

A thankful heart puts us in right alignment with God & one another.

Four words: our good, our holiness, our peace & our righteousness. This is the design of our Father that comes painfully & mysteriously through the hostility of sinful adversaries & the natural hazards of a fallen world.

The Bible never says: "do good so that God will love you," or "do good so that you can earn your salvation," or "do good so that you will become a good person." That kind of goodness doesn't exist. The only way to become good, or righteous, is to receive the gift of righteousness through God's Son, Jesus.

This short addition is what was cut off on the live version of today's sermon!

All authority, all nations, all things, always. The words of Jesus have a permanent & enduring & universal validity for you & for me. That’s why they were given & that’s why they were recorded. We ought to pay special attention to what Jesus is saying here.

Now, I want to make something clear. There is much more to our message than merely "Let's be kind." The gospel message is more than that, but it is never less. If you are flowing in the fullness of the Spirit, you will take seriously the call to kindness.

Learn to be patient...with other and yourself! After all, God isn't done with you yet!

It doesn't take an advanced degree in sociology to recognize that the ideological climate in our country has become increasingly intolerant of anyone whose opinions veer from what one group or the other deems acceptable. The battle lines have been drawn & for some, there is no middle ground. With very little effort at all, you can spend your entire day in conflict with others. Or you can choose to take the path of peace.

Living out the fruit of the Spirit is not something you can accomplish by your own effort; neither can you accomplish it with no effort at all. We need to do our part in cultivating the Spirit's fruit. For this reason, as we look at each aspect of the fruit of the Spirit, we'll consider how we can cultivate each quality—to take it from potential to practice to perfection.

To experience the fullness of God's joy, we must be willing to take our eyes off ourselves & all our problems & turn our eyes upon Jesus—so that the Holy Spirit can enable us to recognize the beauty of Christ in the Word & world & we can share God's goodness with others.

When you read the Bible, God speaks to you about you. The Holy Spirit will draw to your attention certain attitudes you need to change, certain actions you need to avoid, certain behaviors you to need to put into practice. So, each morning you can turn to the biblical narrative & say: God, tell me what I need to hear to become more like Jesus.

There will be times in your life when the master, is on a journey. And it may feel like no one is watching—not even God. And it may feel like he's never coming back & all you've got to work with is this little amount—not nearly as much as everyone else—and—after all—who's going to notice if you invest it or spend it or bury it.

If we are going to ditch discount religion in favor of genuine Christianity, we must rediscover the 3 things James mentions in James 2:8-13.

To those who love God’s law, nothing will cause them to stumble, nothing will defeat them, everything fits, they will not stumble around in the dark, they are completely secure & therefore they are not upended. It is a promise of a personal security in a topsy-turvy, dangerous, uncertain & sometimes very hostile world.

Hosea 10:12 offers us a wonderful promise: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come & shower righteousness upon you” (NLT) Plowing is hard work because it means digging up rocks & pulling the weeds that keep the good fruit from growing. But if we by God’s grace do the hard thing, the Lord promises to send the rain that produces a new life with new joy & fresh fruit from heaven.

The beautiful thing about the sabbath is that God instituted it as a weekly reminder of 2 things. One is that all true blessing comes from his grace, not our labor. The other is that we hallow him & honor him & keep the day holy if we seek the fullness of his blessing by giving our special attention to him on that day.

Total forgiveness may be beyond us, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible. It just means we have fallen short of God’s goal for us.

Here is the stunning fact: There are absolutely no directions given in the NT about how Christians are to observe Sunday. Therein lies the difference between the Sabbath & Sunday.

One writer remarked that Daniel’s bedroom was the real lion’s den. That’s where the battle was fought & won. By committing himself to continuing in prayer, he won the only battle that mattered. When he won there, real lions were no problem. We think the miracle was that Daniel survived a night with the lions. That’s a miracle—but the greater miracle was that he continued to pray when his life was on the line.

Athens knew everything that was knowable except she did not know God or what to do about her sins or where to find peace or the hope of heaven.

How will we survive the continual onslaught of the world in our day? The same way they did. By putting our hearts in the right place. For us that means that even though our bodies are on earth, our hearts must continually be in heaven. And if our hearts are in heaven, then it doesn’t matter where we happen to be on earth because the world can’t touch us.

We may not share Paul's experience of being caught up into the 3rd heaven, but we do share his experience with thorns; weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions & difficulties, as he describes at the end of the chapter; and we can learn the same lessons he learned from life’s thorns.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

When you decide to play God, you can say anything you want, you can treat people like dirt, you can attack their motives, you can make absurd accusations, you can write anything you like on Facebook, you can stir up a tweet-storm & you can post anonymous criticism. Why not? When you are God, no one can tell you what to do. That’s the whole point of this passage.

Sometimes God’s goodness is seen quickly, other times slowly as we ponder the mysterious ways of God’s divine providence. Eventually we come to realize that nothing leaves God’s hand that does not touch his goodness in one way or the other.

As Luther came to Romans 1:17, he pondered the meaning of the quotation from Habakkuk 2:4. Reflecting on what this text meant, Luther offered this testimony: When by the Spirit of God, I understood these words—"The just shall live by faith"—then I felt born again like a new man. I entered through the open doors into the very paradise of God.

The people said, “Come, let’s build.” And Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary & burdened & I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

It’s not impossible to be holy—even in this unholy world. Jesus did the hard part when he died on the Cross. The Holy Spirit lives within us. God calls you “holy” in Christ Jesus. Do you want to be holy? Then live up to what you already are! Holiness is natural for the child of God.

Friends—the message of salvation is the message that the early church proclaimed—and it is the message that we must proclaim today: Jesus Christ is Lord & has the power to change lives. It is this dynamic message that makes believers out of non-believers.

Success is knowing God's will & doing it. In other words, it’s discovering God's plan for your life & living it.

God is calling us to live a life without borders: no borders in love, no borders in faith, no borders in obedience. In other words: There's no limit to how far we will go in terms of love, faith & obedience in order to reach others for Jesus the Messiah.

When God saw that we were lost & alone & dying without him, he sent his Son into the world so that we would have the power to live through him. In the same way, we need to love others in such a way that we empower them—we need to be their source of strength, their source of encouragement, their source of hope.

How amazing is the love of God. When all other sounds have been stilled, we’ll join the saints & angels throughout eternity in singing of the love of God for sinners like you & like me.

We were made to know God & nothing is more important than filling the “God-shaped vacuum” inside every heart. Nothing this world offers can take the place of knowing the God who made you.

Once you've become accustomed to living in his light, it's no longer a question of "how much sin can I get away with?" It becomes a question of "How much sin can I get rid of?" That's because nothing in the world compares with the brilliance of walking in the light of God's love.

It is sometimes said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. By the same token, the road to heaven is paved with the blood of Jesus. Which road are you traveling?

Today is Palm Sunday, the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey. This day has been described by Christians for generations as the “triumphal entry into Jerusalem.” But, have you ever asked yourself, “If this was a triumphal entry, then why did they crucify Jesus at the end of the week?”

There is one great lesson we should take away from this story of the final words of the Lord Jesus. Death holds no fear for the Christian, for when we die, we pass from this life into the hands of our Heavenly Father & he will take care of us.

There is great hope at the end of the day for all those who struggle against sin. On Easter morning the word came down from heaven to the devil & all his demons: Turn out the lights, the party’s over.

As Jesus hung on the cross he made 7 different statements. But only one of those statements deals with his personal, physical suffering. It is one word in Greek, two in English: “I thirst.”

Mary showed her uninhibited devotion to Jesus, which shocked the men who saw it. In this case, radical love is better than phony compassion. There are several lessons here, including the obvious one that we shouldn’t criticize those who express their love differently than we do.

This is the word from the cross for you. No one has ever been as alone as Jesus was. You will never be forsaken as he was. No cry of your pain can exceed the cry of his pain when God turned his back & looked the other way.

I’ll say it again, as Jesus hung on the cross, as he is on the way to saving the world, he had enough time to take care of his mother. And so must we, in life & in death, take enough time to care for those who have cared for us.

These simple commands reveal the true life-changing power of Jesus Christ. When he enters a life, he changes it from the inside out so we have both the power & desire to rejoice, to pray & give thanks even in the worst moments of life.

One crucified man saw another crucified man & believed in him—and that made the difference between heaven & hell.

I think it is enormously significant that the 1st word from the cross is a word of forgiveness. We are being told by that that Jesus came to establish a religion of forgiveness. He is at heart a man of forgiveness. He came into this world to establish a church that would be an oasis of forgiveness—and to bring to the world a race of forgiving men & women.

Today, from where you sit, maybe you can see the storm in the distance, or maybe the driving wind is already beginning to toss you around. It's time to prepare for the rough patch. It's time to prepare for the tough decision. And—the story of the transfiguration of Jesus shows us how.

Today, as we face the giant problems of sin, suffering or sickness in our personal lives or the apathy, indifference & cowardice in the lives of our brothers & sister, we need the positive traits of faith, confidence & courage, coupled with action & an appreciation of God's blessings to lead us on to victory.

Nineveh was a place where no reasonable God would go. But being reasonable has nothing to do with it. Our God has a heart bigger than all our “reasonable” calculations.

Today we’re going to take a close look at Psalm 139. Bible teachers will tell you that of all the 150 Psalms, this is the one that best describes God’s personal relationship with us: the idea that God is not far off, but is near to each of us.

Sin always stems from wrong thinking about God, about ourselves & about life in general. 1 Corinthians 7 contains some amazingly helpful insights about discontentment even though the word itself is never used.

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 teaches us how to love others & how to live intentionally so our lives win the respect of outsiders. We need this message because the church has lost its witness to the world. Somewhere along the way, we have lost sight of what we might call being an “everyday Christ-follower.”

Because of Jesus, life has new meaning. Because of Jesus, hope is certain to give way to joy—because he came to give his people life, life to the fullest. So, when you're enduring the seasons of expectation—when you feel like you are in exile in a dry & desert land—you can cling to this promise: For God's people, there's always a greater joy to greet you around the next bend.

If we’re going to live a life of significance, God’s got to make constant course corrections, and one of the things he uses to do that is the circumstances that come into our lives. When we start to listen to God through circumstances, impressions, teachers, or the Bible, sometimes he’s going to lead us in ways that we don’t understand. Hang in there! Following God is not always easy, but it will reap more blessing in our life than We can imagine.

Jesus may be in the Bible & in your church, He may be in the carols we sing, He may even be in your Christmas cards & in a nativity scene on your mantle, but it means nothing unless He is also in your heart.

If you want to live a meaningful, purpose-filled life, you need to understand that words will never be enough & opinions will never take the place of actions. God has called us not only to herald the truth, but to demonstrate in the things we do.

Sin Judgment Grace ... when will it ever end?

To live lives of compassion, we must first be on the receiving end of God's mercy. We must come to the place in our lives where we realize that we’re goats & we’re in need of his transforming grace. We need Jesus to come in to our lives, forgive us of our sins & make sheep out of us—so that we can live like sheep.

Know that you are surrounded by mercy, that God's goodness can be seen at every turn, and the best of his blessings are yet to come.

Today we are going to take a close look at a wonderful little story called the Parable of the Talents. It is simple, clear & easy to understand—and its lessons are impossible to miss.

Friends—today the door of salvation is wide open. Someday it will be shut forever. Make sure you are on the right side when that day comes. And before then—point others to that door as well! Amen.

To whatever extent a follower of Jesus experiences persecution, he or she can take joy in the fact that their persecution puts them in an elite group who have done far more to change the world for the better than the persecutors. Jesus says if you want to be more than happy, stay faithful to him even when you're being mistreated.

The Protestant Reformation is all about the great truth that God does indeed justify the ungodly. And he does Sola Fide—by faith alone.

You don’t have to know Greek or Hebrew to understand the Bible. You don’t have to go to seminary. You don’t have to be a pastor or a missionary to be changed by the Word of God. It doesn’t require special knowledge reserved only for a few. But it does require a willing heart.

Jesus said that a relationship with God is like a banquet or some other kind of huge celebration. Jesus is saying that the kingdom of God is a party.

Lift up your head. Be of good cheer. The Lord is with you. Fear not & Press on!

If we believe that in Jesus dwells all the fullness of God (and we do) & if we believe Christ dwells in our hearts by faith (and we do), then we may believe that in our lives this week the fullness of Christ, the beauty of Christ, the grace of Christ, the mercy of Christ, the holiness of Christ & the kindness of Christ may fill us & drive out the evil—the lust, greed, impatience, unbelief, critical spirit & the angry intolerance that holds us back.

In James 1:16-18, he advances the argument by reminding us that God is good all the time, even during our hardest trials. We can say it this way: God is not on trial during our trials; we are. He uses hard times to put our faith to the test. This passage shows us 3 things we need to remember if we are going to pass the test with flying colors.

Temptation is the common experience of the people of God. We will never escape it as long as we live in a fallen world. But God has given us everything we need to win the battle every time.

God takes forgiveness very seriously. If you want to live the Christian life & experience the benefits of the Christian life & walk in the sweetness of God's fellowship & enjoy his unlimited mercy & compassion & forgiveness—he expects you to show the same mercy & compassion & forgiveness to others.

Following Jesus always leads to a cross. If you want the blessing, set out on the “Jesus road,” knowing there is a cross somewhere up ahead. Those who follow him will never be put to shame. They are the ones who endure their trials with grace, find God’s approval & in the end finally receive the crown of life.

The rich man & the poor man stand on the same ground before the Lord. Your net worth (or lack thereof) has no impact on your standing in heaven. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

We always need God’s help. We don’t need God’s wisdom some of the time. We desperately need God’s wisdom all the time.

Staying in the boat may be comfortable & safe, but that’s not what the life of faith is all about. Jesus calls us to find out what he is doing in the world & then to fling ourselves wholeheartedly into his cause. In the end, who looks better? Peter who tried & sank or the other 11 who didn’t even try?

Joy grows best in the deep soil of the sovereignty of God. If you know that God is in control, you can be satisfied at a very deep level even while you weep over what is happening around you & to you.

We all know that the Lord has placed us IN COMMUNITY with friends and families and in marriages … all for a purpose. While we can certainly share many reasons for these purposes, today I want to focus on just 1 thing: building & leaving a living, loving, lasting legacy!

In the end prayer is not a burden; it’s a blessed privilege. We should not pray because we must, but because we want to. And why bother praying if you don’t believe God will answer you? Pray with confidence, expecting that God will answer. Nothing is too great to ask & nothing is too hard for the Lord.

The only way to go is forward. When you are tempted to despair, remember that you can’t go back, you can’t stay where you are, but by God’s grace you can move forward one step at a time.

Remember this. When you fail—not if—but when you fail & when you struggle & when you fall, remember, you’ve got good company. His name is Paul & he didn’t do so badly. So, look up my friends. And when you feel trapped in the muck & mire of sin—run to Jesus & embrace the cross. Turn to him with your whole heart & you’ll discover that you can become more than a conqueror through him who loves you.

Isaiah 55:11 reminds us that nothing is ever wasted with God. His Word always accomplishes its divinely-ordained purpose. Our job is to sow the seed, his job is to bring in the harvest. If we do our part, God cannot fail to do his.

I am to be filled with the Spirit—but I am not to be filled alone. When the Holy Spirit fills us one by one, our corporate life will be transformed. Perhaps this one factor accounts for the difference between a church that is “alive” & a church that is “dead.”

Rules & formulas & experience have their place. But taken alone, they lead to a sub-standard Christian life because they tend to lead you away from the most important thing. God has given us something better than rules, better than a formula, better than experience. God has given us the Holy Spirit. If you want to know where the Christian life is found, how to live in victory, then you must learn how to live in, by & through the Holy Spirit of God.

Pentecost is not just about the birthday of the Christian church. It’s way more than that. It is not just about the descent of the Holy Spirit from heaven. It’s way more than that. The day of Pentecost was just the beginning of God’s great worldwide harvest.

Does the fact that you struggle make you a failure? No. Does it make you a bad person? No. Does it make you a loser? No. Does it make you a sub-standard Christian? No. Do you know what it makes you? It makes you an excellent candidate for the grace of God!

Build a foundation of knowledge about what you believe. Does this mean that you should wait until you know it all before you talk to someone else? No. But it does mean that the more you know about what you believe, the more effective you will be in witnessing.

The whole gospel boils down to this truth. Because our sins have separated us from God, we need a “mediator” to bring us back to God. Because the “sin gap” is eternally wide, we need someone from heaven who is himself eternal to bridge the gap for us. Jesus is the only one who could bridge that gap. By his death, he paid for our sins & bridged the gap that separates us from God. By his resurrection, he proved he is the Son of God. So we say & believe that no other mediator is necessary & no other mediator is possible.

Sunday by Sunday I do my best to be faithful to the biblical narrative. I do my best to proclaim the gospel of Jesus the Christ as the leaders of the early church proclaimed it. But I can't do it all by myself. We're a team. We work together. We preach every day of the week, 24 hours a day. What is our message?

We all live somewhere between Good Friday & Easter Sunday. We are on the long Emmaus Road journey together. There are times when we feel alone & overwhelmed & doubts creep in & our heart gives way & we feel like we can’t go on. Then Jesus comes to us & says, “You are not alone. You never were alone. Even when you thought were alone, I was with you every step of the way.”

Habakkuk is unlike the other prophetic books in that it records a dialogue between one man & God. Whereas Isaiah contains a message from God, Habakkuk records a conversation with God. If you’ve ever felt like you had a few questions for God, this is the book for you.

the Christian knows with Paul that physical death itself is his friend. In Philippians 1:23 Paul says, “I am torn between the 2 (that is living in this world or in the next world): I desire to depart & be with Christ, which is better by far.”

It's unpleasant to think about which face might have been yours or mine in the Matthew 27 story, but we must recognize the truth about ourselves; we must recognize that our face would have been there. More importantly, we must recognize that God's grace has the power to pull us out of that scene, to cleanse us from our guilt & purify us through & through. Yes, we are guilty. But once we recognize our guilt & acknowledge our culpability, we are able to receive God's grace.

If you ever decide to seek God’s will, your life may be many things, but it won’t be boring—you will truly come alive—and the world needs people who have come alive. I would simply add that the world needs people who have come alive through the knowledge of God’s will. And that’s a perfect description of the people who pray this prayer!

What's so great about being a Christian? Following Christ makes despair obsolete. When you follow him, you have a reason to be optimistic...you have a handle on the truth...you have the ability to produce results. More than anything this world has to offer, following Christ eliminates despair & fills your life with meaning. And those 3 things, my friends, are POWERFUL PERKS!

It used to be that when you expressed your opinion about a matter, only a handful of people would hear. Today, thanks to social media, you can express an opinion & hundreds of people will see it in a matter of minutes. And the more negative it is, the more attention it gets. But what if you decided that, instead of pointing all that's wrong in the world, what if you decided that from now on, on all social media, I will talk only about how good God is.

I want to draw to your attention 5 essential elements of worship. These 5 things will help you "get more" out of worship, because they'll help you stay focused on what worship really is &, most importantly, they'll help you discover what "getting more" really means.

I've been a believer most of my life—so I know all too well that when it comes time to worship—either in a public service or privately—I know there will often be obstacles to confront. These obstacles all exist either between my ears or right behind my shirt pocket. In other words, they're either heart issues or they're based on stinking thinking. Before we can enter unencumbered worship, we first must deal with some of these issues that often stand in our way.

We must get past the idea that worship is, above everything else, "something that I do for me, to make me feel good." Worship isn't about you. And it isn't about me. It's not even about us. Who is about, then? I think the answer is obvious. Worship is our time to give to God that which He is due.

When you take the time to listen to God, you have a chance to filter out all the excuses & all the escape routes & you have a chance to listen to that still, small voice—that gentle voice of encouragement from God—that says, "Get up. Don't be afraid. You can do this. I'll be with you.”

Worship is the act of putting God in his place & putting yourself in your place. His place: He is the Lord of all, worthy to be praised. Your place: you're just one of the sheep, without him you are nothing & you need him every hour.

The light which Christ brings makes us useful citizens of this world; it makes us men & women who never fail in duty, human or divine; it makes us strong to do that which we know is true.

There's a sense in which we do need to be driven by the idea of more: I have God in my life, but I need more of his presence. I am working in the kingdom, but I need to accomplish more for his glory. I love my family but I need to love them and serve more every day.

What matters most to him? He wants you to love him & love others; he wants you to serve him by serving others; & he wants you walk with him on the path to holiness, eager to do all his will. In doing this, you're saying: God, doing that which matters most to you matters most to me. On this I will build my life.

The battles we face are not ours. They are the Lord’s. Jesus won the greatest battle when he died & rose again. God intends that you stand in victory at the end of the day. But that won’t happen without a fight. The Christian life is a battleground, not a playground. Christianity is not for those who want to run & hide. It’s a religion for strong men & brave women.

Have you ever felt like your hands were tied & you can't be as good as you would like to be & you can't do all that you would like to do? Here's the good news: God's hands are not tied, they've never been tied, they'll never be tied & when you seek him, he has promised to open his hand & shower righteousness in your life: his power, his protection & his provision.

God is always with you & his eyes are turned forever toward you. And now he's asking you to turn your eyes toward him, to acknowledge his presence, to pay attention as he speaks, to keep him front & center throughout the day.

Your feelings—no matter how noble—don't benefit anyone other than you. The point of loving others is not that you get to feel all warm & fuzzy inside. The point of loving others is that you're willing to do good—even if it costs you—for the benefit of others.

Can you describe Christmas in one word? What would it be?

If you choose to look at your problems through the Biblical eyes of hope, then you can dare to rejoice even in the midst of all, because you know that this moment of suffering is ultimately nothing more than a servant that can only help you become stronger.

What the biblical text would have us believe is that God wanted things this way & chose to surrender the advantage of His own power in order that we might have the advantage of His supreme weakness. The Gospel is about this, of course, and “for us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”

It's not that you need to increase faith; it's that you need to learn how to use your faith. You don't need to grow your faith or get more faith. You need to grow in your faith, as in: learn to how to take the faith you've already been given & put it into practice.

Even those times when God seems to be acting against us, if we could only look behind the veil, we would understand that God is for us.

Thanksgiving should be more than just one day!

Don’t judge your circumstances by your feelings. Judge your circumstances by the Holy Spirit & by the Word of God. When you do that, a powerful conclusion emerges: These great trials give me great hope that God means a great benefit to me.

The question before us today is simple & profound: What is faith & how does it work? This is a crucial topic because I think we often don’t appreciate how precious & precarious is the life of faith.

For the most part, you are where you are right now because that’s where you want to be. If you were hungry for something better from God, you could have it.

There is no other religion in the whole world like Christianity. We are the only people in the world who preach free grace. Ours is the only free religion in the world. Every other religion says, “Do this & live.” Our God says, “It has been done for you.” That’s the whole gospel in just 3 words: Do vs. Done.

Why would anyone love a “worthless” person? The answer is: God loves us in spite of our sin & not because of some supposed worth he found in us. To put it in crass terms, he found nothing worth saving in us but he saved us anyway because that’s the kind of God he is. That thought is both humbling & thrilling.

There is only one God & he demands our exclusive worship. After reminding the Jews that he had delivered them from Egypt, God said: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3 ESV). That’s clear, isn’t it? No other gods, period. God is Number One. And there is no Number Two.

Listen to what John said in v 11: This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Doctrine is necessary. Knowledge of the truth is necessary. aith, obedience, holiness—these are necessary. But one level higher on the ladder of the Christian life is love.

Matthew 5:43-45 says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor & hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies & pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Nothing seems more natural than to hate those who have mistreated us. In fact, as someone recently said: "Everything the world says about human relationships is wrong!"

When you start with God, no one will have to tell you to be bold. You’ll be bold & the world will wonder where your courage comes from.

If troubles are keeping you awake & peace of mind eludes you, then today's message is for you. Today we’ll see in Psalm 4 how you can have a heart full of peace, even when you have a head full of troubles.

If lost people matter to God (and they do) ... then they darn well better matter to us!

In this day of enlightened skepticism when unbelief seems to be on the march, we have to face this difficult question: Will we believe the Bible, all of it, every word of it, from first to last & everything in between?

As long as we limit God to what we think he can do, we will never see anything great because our faith remains so small. But once we are willing to suspend our disbelief & renounce our skepticism, then & only then do we become candidates for a miracle.

We all make a big deal out of something every day. Each day has its own headlines, its own "top stories." The question is: What is it going to be in your life? What are you going to make a big deal out of?

Faith comes by hearing & hearing by the word of God ... so can you imagine what will happen if you hear yourself speaking God's word & God's truth throughout the day? Your faith will increase.

To experience spiritual growth, you need to nurture those things that you want to grow & you need to weed out those things that hinder growth.

You weren't made for the middle of the desert. You were made for the still waters. You were made for the quiet stream. You were created to live life with a satisfied soul. So, how do you get there?

Friends—it doesn't matter how many times you have failed. It doesn't matter how far you have drifted. It doesn't matter how long you've been away. God is willing—and able—to restore you. He is willing—and able—to bring you back to where you want to be in him.

Something eternal was cooking in this home in Bethany—but it was not in the kitchen. That meal would soon be consumed & forgotten. But the meal Jesus was serving in the living room would last forever. Don’t miss the one while you are preparing the other.

He promised it would be so: And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:20) Wherever you go, whatever you do, you can be sure one thing is true: He is here. The question you may ask & answer all throughout the day is: How, then, will I respond to his presence in this moment?

The everyday life of an everyday disciple is praying for laborers, going & telling, speaking the Good News & rejoicing that your name is written in heaven…

Learn from Jesus and His relationship with Mary about honor, love and respect.

Jesus responds to the disciples request that He teach them to pray.

Rely on yourself & your own righteousness & you'll receive nothing. Or put your faith in Jesus Christ & receive everything he has to give. It's foolish to live any life other than the life of faith. Faith is the key. Faith opens the window to God's blessings.

The complete wedding service for Brandon & Jana.

God the Father wants so much for you to be at peace with him & at peace with yourself & at peace with your past & at peace with others, that He sent His Son into the world to do the do unimaginable: to make restitution for all the wrong you have done. As John wrote, He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins & not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

If you want an edge in life, I would say to you the same thing a coach would say to a new recruit: Learn the playbook. Make it your lifelong pursuit to know the Word (Jesus) and His Word, so that you can become a Doer of the Word.

The day of Pentecost represents God's mission on earth, that he will use his people to be a witness to the world for Jesus the Christ. These followers of Jesus, his church, are to go into the world, preaching the gospel, making disciples & changing lives. Acts 2 is a microcosm of the church's mission. In this chapter we see 3 key objectives of the mission-possible church.

My message at the last chapel service for Concordia University NE students, faculty and golden anniversary class of 1966.

"What do the miracles mean? Were they just done for show, to prove that he really is the Son of God? Or were there other reasons? And what about today—did Jesus perform miracles only while he was on earth—or does he perform miracles now, even in this day & age?"

Your best teacher ever? How about Jesus?

If anyone had the right to say, "It's all about me," Jesus had the right. If anyone had the right to demand his way & say, "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" Jesus had the right. If anyone had the right to demand preferential treatment, Jesus had the right. He had the right, but he never used it. Instead of seeking a life of comfort & fame, he chose a life of sacrificial service to others.

We have seen Jesus through the filter of ourselves for so long that at times we run the risk of missing a very important point. It's not for us to spin Jesus into our likeness. It's for you & me to conform ourselves into his likeness. In order to do this, we need to know him as he is revealed to us in Scripture.

Do You see a slain lamb or a roaring lion? It's all a matter of perspective!

Friend—your King is coming! He is riding toward you now. He is ready to look straight into your eyes. Are you ready for His glance? That glance demands a verdict. He wants to know whether or not He truly is your King, your Sovereign. Will you shift your glance away, or will there be that nod of affirmation which comes from one who is loyal in allegiance to the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords—your King & your Lord?

It’s as though Jesus is saying, if you push me out of the structure, the structure will fall. If we don’t want Jesus at the center, what will hold up the religion you are practicing? Nothing! And the end result will be that we’ll be crushed in the collapse of whatever it is we’ve built up.

Right now, the Father is watching & waiting for your return. It doesn't matter how long you've been gone or how far you've run. It doesn't matter what you have done. You can come home again. Your father is waiting to receive you with open arms.

It often takes a Gethsemane experience to fulfill the call of God on your life. But if you will pray as Jesus prayed—no matter how crushed your soul may be—"God, not my will, but yours be done," you will find the courage & the strength to follow him obedience.

When it comes to temptation, God's attitude is not "Prove to me how strong you are." His attitude is "Let me show you how strong I can help you be."

The same hands that prayed, that were tied up, that were pierced—now, those same hands are holding your hand as you walk through life.

May we always remember & tell God’s story & by the power of the Holy Spirit—live out its truth in our lives

You need a God whose ways are vast beyond understanding. You need a God whose purposes span the generations. You need a God who cannot be stopped by the evil deeds of evil men—or the Evil One! We have a God like that!

Nothing wrong with me ... or everything wrong with me ... which attitude?

The Christian faith is not a sprint and it’s not really a marathon. It’s a relay race, and I am but one member of a team that stretches across the generations.

Farewell message at St Mark, Mineral Wells, TX

Before you try to make a splash, before you try to go global with your great ideas, before you try to set the rest of the world straight, you need to first make sure that the life you are living measures up to the standard of holiness that God has established for his people.

Our Lord is able to take the humdrum, the commonplace; the ordinary, normal events of any life & with his touch make them full of flavor, fragrance, strength & beauty; to turn them into wine. And the good news is that He will do this with any of us as we faithfully walk with him, follow & believe in him. That is why John highlights for us, "there the disciples believed in him."

When you remember that you belong to God, that he’s with you every step of the way & that no set of circumstances could ever prevent you from fulfilling your potential in him; when you remember these promises, your perspective changes & attitude moves to where it needs to be.

What a strange world we live in. How different things seem now, how uncertain we all feel. But some things do not change & will never change. Wise men still seek him. And those who seek him find him. That will never change. On that happy thought, I wish you all a very Happy Epiphany.

At this moment, all of creation is singing praise to God. The heavens, the angels, the highest mountains & deepest seas, they're all singing praises. And they're doing it perfectly. You & me, we're not skilled players & we never will be, but we can join the band. You can be part of this mighty chorus. How? By doing what they do. By doing what David talks about in this psalm: Praise the Lord!

The wise men saw the light & they followed it to Jesus. That’s why they call them wise men. How wise are you? Friends—it is one thing to know Jesus is the light of the world. It’s another thing to let Him light up your life. You’ve got to choose to live in the light.

See the Christmas season for what it is: a season in which we learn to live in expectation, knowing the fulfillment of God's promise is on its way.

John’s message was: He's here, He's among us, prepare to receive Him. Jesus wants to enter your existence—and—baptize you with the Holy Spirit & with fire. If your life is cold & empty—He wants to fill it with joy & passion. If you feel like your life is going nowhere—He wants to guide your path so that you're going somewhere.

I encourage you to make a path—a path of reconciliation, of mercy, of peace & forgiveness. Make room for God to enter that relationship, make room for God to bring blessing & joy into that person's life.

Keep looking up. Guard your heart. Pray for strength. In everything you do, Keep Jesus Front & Center.

Take time to read Psalm 100 again. And if you’ll heed those commands, your heart will overflow with thanksgiving to the Lord.

Your heart. Your mouth. Your eyes. Your feet. Master these four elements of direction & your life will become all that God has promised it can be.

Everyone one has a game plan & everyone is following a playbook. The real question is: Which game plan? Which playbook? Followers of Jesus have the ultimate playbook. It guarantees a successful game plan—every time. When you build your life on the principles of God's Word—not just once in a while, but over the long haul—your life is blessed beyond measure.

Don't try to justify your regrets. Don't try to bury them in more bad behavior. And don't wallow in them either by telling yourself that what's done is done & you have to carry the weight of the guilt & the shame for the rest of your life. Instead, Resolve Them. One-On-One With God, One-On-One With Others When Necessary & Then Let Go, So You Can Live The Life God Created You To Live.

In addition to God's forgiveness, we need to forgive each other. We need to remember this: You can't be right with God & stay wrong with others.

When you forgive someone, you're not forgiving someone beneath you or less than you or worse than you. You're forgiving someone who shares the same human condition as you: You're Both Sinners.

DOCVMP

God's grace & mercy & forgiveness is not something you could ever hope to earn or deserve or because you're good, but because he's good. Not because you're worthy of his praise, but because he is worthy of our praise.

There will be times when we can’t read the Bible. Sometimes we won’t be able to focus our thoughts on God. Often we will not even be able to formulate a prayer. But in those moments when we can’t do anything else, we can still trust in the loving purposes of our heavenly Father.

God will speak to you through his Word each & every day—if you will seek his guidance through his Word each & every day. God will show you each sand traps & he'll show you the steps you need to take to turn it into solid rock. It comes down to how much you're willing to hear the words of Jesus & how much you're willing to put his words into practice.

We must realize that when He promises victory that means that there will be some battles. When He says we'll be more than conquerors that means that there will be obstacles to conquer, that there will be face-downs with the enemy. You need to remember that the storm may be powerful, but it's not all-powerful, not like our God is all-powerful. God can get you through this. Whether you lose a little or whether you lose a lot, He can get you through this.

You're not just listening TO his Word—you're listening FOR his Word. He has something to say & you're listening for it. To make it more clear: You're not just listening TO HIS Word; you're listening TO DO his Word. James 1:22 says: Be doers of the word & not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Surround yourself with believers who are as committed to you as you are to them. Make it your mission to bring out the best in others & let others bring out the best in you.

If you want these days to be your glory days, you must be willing to live by faith—which means that you must be willing to stay faithful, even while you wait for the promise to be fulfilled.

When I'm hitting on all 8 cylinders spiritually, it invariably comes down to one thing: I'm spending time in God's presence. I'm worshipping him, feeding on his Word, casting all my cares upon, yielding my heart to him—not just early in the morning, but throughout the day. When I make sure my first love remains my first love, my life works better.

When you consistently draw near to God, sincere in your motives, serious about holiness, stubbornly committed to holding fast—your tank will be consistently full. You won't be running on empty & you won't be running on sludge. You will be overflowing with the power of God's presence.

God continues to open doors of ministry for the gospel to be preached. I just want you to understand one thing: Jesus taught His disciples—and that includes us if we count ourselves as Christ-followers—that everything he’d shown them as signs could take place within their lifetime, but He did not just want them to sit & wait for His coming. Jesus wanted them to preach the gospel until He comes.

Herod enjoyed listening to the truth that John preached, yet he was never willing to accept it & obey it. Because of that, I see two dead people as that party ends. John, the forerunner of our Lord Jesus, has been executed & Herod has committed spiritual suicide.

Often we go about dealing with thorns the wrong way. When they come into our lives, we kick & scream & complain & we get frustrated at our own weakness. We resist what God is trying to accomplish through the situation & we will do most anything but rely on His grace.

We have a tendency to say, "I'm too young, I'm too old, I'm too poor, I'm too country, I'm too bad, I'm too this or I'm too that to ever play an important role in the kingdom of God." But God would say to you, "I don't see who you aren't. I see who can be. As far as I'm concerned, you're never too nothing to be part of my kingdom. If you will surrender your life to me, day-in & day-out, I can do great things through you, so you’ll leave a dent in the universe—and not only will your life be great, but you will touch the lives of those around you. Through me, you can make your mark."

God's power makes all the difference in the way we live our lives. When we try to live in our own power, we're like an engine running low on oil, knocking around everywhere we go. But when we are filled with God's power from on high, our lives run like a well-oiled machine—not problem-free or pain-free, but filled with power nonetheless.

Either we believe in the redeeming grace of God or we don’t. If we do, then we won’t be surprised that God includes a fair number of flawed heroes in the Hall of Fame. And we’ll be glad they did because that means God can use people like us too. What I have learned in my ministry years is this: God honors faith & he seeks it so much that he will honor people who otherwise do some very stupid things.

When you put in a God in a box, pretty soon you find you're left with nothing but an empty box, because our God is too great to be contained & far too great for us to comprehend. We need to get used to the idea that sometimes God moves outside the box. We need to realize that sometimes God does things beyond our limited ability to understand.

When you make your life, message & mission all about Jesus—when you know him personally & he becomes the very center of who you are & what you do—and when you discover that he is the one who really makes life worth living, then it's only natural that you want to share this joyful truth with others. So, today we'll talk about how to do that; we'll talk about sharing your faith with the people around you.

Our message to the world needs to be: Jesus & no other can make your life what it was truly meant to be. The gospel is not politics & religion & all the do's & don'ts. The gospel is that Jesus lived & died & rose again—and through him you can experience new life.

Running in such a way that victory is ours!

A master builder never outgrows his need for the basics & neither does anyone who intends to master the Christian life. That's because in the Christian life, the way up is the same as the way in. We're saved by grace & we grow by grace.

We've got a story to tell the world. It's a message that truly can make a difference in people's lives, a difference that will last forever.

We may disagree with the Christian church down the street on one or two points of doctrine, but we can both agree on what is most important: Jesus is Lord, he is alive & through him broken lives can be put back together.

In Luke 24 we see how the followers of Jesus came to "own" their Christian faith. In these verses we see how their faith went from head knowledge to heart knowledge. How did it happen? There are three types of faith demonstrated by Jesus' followers in Luke 24. If you put this kind of faith to work in your life, you'll find yourself growing deeper & stronger in the Christian faith.

We can't duplicate the divine nature of Christ, but yet we are called to be imitators of Christ. How are we supposed to do that? We find the answer in Peter's words to Cornelius: "He went around doing good." If that's the best way to summarize the life of Jesus, then it should also summarize the lives of his followers—that we, too, go around doing good.

I believe that Jesus is who he claimed to be. He is the Son of God ... the Messiah ... the Christ ... the Lord of all. But—I don't believe these things because I'm a preacher; I'm a preacher because I believe these things. I know Jesus is the Son of God. When you look at the evidence, you can reach no other verdict.

Good Friday earned your forgiveness; the resurrection on Easter gives you assurance that the Father has accepted His Son’s sacrifice for your sin.

When we speak to one another, let us speak as God would have us speak. When we serve, let us do it wherever there is a need & according to whatever abilities God has given us.

Your salvation is secure in Jesus Christ. He paid all there is to pay. And now he is calling you to follow him, in holiness & obedience, so that you can live a life connected to him, living in his presence & walking in his power. You're his child; this is what he wants for you—VICTORY AS YOU RUN THE RACE!

There will be times ahead when the road gets rough. There will be times when you feel alone. But remember. You are never alone. He is your God. He has made an everlasting covenant with you, a covenant that will last forever.

All too often we have more faith in our own ability to fail than we have in God' ability to see us through.

Jesus tells a story about 2 opposite people—one who said “there’s nothing wrong with me” & one who said “there’s everything wrong with me.” One of them represents what Lent isn’t & the other what Lent is.

Get alone with God, listen to God & wait on God—wait out the storm; there will be a new day; there will be a resurrection.

Observers can leave when they feel like it. If they get bored following, they can go do something else. But followers do what Jesus does. Jesus went fishing for new family members. If we aren’t fishing, we aren’t following. We’re just observing.

It is in answering that call that we fully discover who Jesus is. We can know him only casually from a distance. We can know him only slightly through books. We really get to know him by following him.

Religion is about trying to find God, trying to work your way into a right relationship with him. (spelled D-O) Christianity is about a relationship, a personal relationship with God through Jesus. (spelled D-O-N-E) If you try to make it into anything else, your spiritual life will suffer. When the church tries to make Christianity into something else, the church loses its ability to make a difference in our culture. In other words—it's all about Jesus.

The baptismal covenant contains promises that you & I made at our baptism or confirmation. These are some of the identifying marks of a baptism lived-out. These are what separate the way God’s people live from those who live the unexamined life.

What do you think God’s will is for you in this New Year? Do you think He wants your mind so saturated with worries & anxieties that you can’t think spiritual thoughts? Do you think He wants your calendar so crowded that you don’t have time for important things?

The man & woman of God who really understands what Jesus came to do will realize Jesus came as a light to the Gentiles. Jesus came for the losers of that day…for the outcasts…for those who were regarded as worthless & without hope.

Joy is determined by what is going on inside of me. And God has taken control of that by sending Jesus who is the doorway to deliverance, the pathway to peace & the gateway to glory.

We don’t have an arrival time, but Christ is on his way. He won’t let us down. Don’t be afraid. Be alert, though, because he could show up at any time! And when he comes he will take us home!

When you're tempted to throw the rock of judgment on someone who has fallen, hit the pause button & take a moment to remember who you are & how much you need God's grace to be at work in your life—and drop the rock. Instead of casting the first stone, take the first step toward mercy & reconciliation into a broken person's life.

Jesus said, "Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground & dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." (John 12:24) When you are willing to die to yourself & live for God, God can produce many great things through you. This is how you live your best possible life: you wake up every morning & proclaim, "Not my will, but yours be done."

Then—as you leave today—leave it behind—on your seat. Whatever the problem—don’t nurse it or curse it or rehearse it; give it to Jesus—and He will help your reverse it! Reveal that hurt; Release the offender; Replace your hurt with God’s peace!

Spiritual warfare is a real & temptation is inevitable, but we don't have to live in dread of what the devil might do. Why? It’s because we have a high priest who understands our weaknesses & tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. And through his victory over sin, we can experience victory over sin. Through him we experience life to the full.

Jesus wants you to serve Him, no question about it, but He wants you to serve Him after you fellowship with Him, after you spend time in His presence. The rule for living a life in God is now & will always be: Love first; serve second.

Whatever it is that stands in your way it no doubt falls into the not-now / maybe-later / but-first category. You'll never have the life of your dreams as you long as you give yourself permission to say, "But first let me do this."

Go out into the deep & cast your net & cast your net & cast your net ...

Jesus is calling us to a great life, a life of celebration in his kingdom. Will you be there?

In Jesus' day, he was confronted with a number of hypocritical attitudes in religious people—and he spoke out against them. He spoke out against their game-playing & their facades & challenged them to embrace true holiness. Today he still makes the same challenge. We struggle with the same temptations to play religious games—and this kind of hypocrisy is a major roadblock in our journey into holiness.

What is the root cause of our grumbling? It is envy—we root for the wrong side because we think we are like that early group that started early & worked all day. In our own eyes, we work so hard & receive so little in return while others do so little & receive so much.

Friends—there is no joy in defeat. There is no joy in failure. There is no joy in broken dreams & failed expectations. There is no joy in giving all you've got & getting nothing in return. These things do nothing to drain the life out of you. BUT there is joy in Jesus. When you make the deliberate choice to say "YET I will rejoice in him," the life that seemed to be drying up will suddenly be filled to overflowing. Life turns on this one phrase: YET I will rejoice in the Lord.

In Chapter 12 of Romans, Paul the Apostle gave us a “quick start” guide for how the individual is to live with God, with himself, and with those around us. Now in Chapter 13 he talks about how the Christian, with a renewed mind, is supposed to live in society. Not only does he say that we should obey the laws of the land—but obey even when those laws don’t make sense. In the process he reveals principals for getting along in the world.

When you step out of your comfort zone & take the risk of moving boldly into a new area, when you're willing to try something that no one else has the courage to try, you run the risk of failure. Risk it anyway. Be the lizard!

Following King Jesus, we should at least be able to advance together like the locusts that have no king. If we unite under Him there is no power under heaven or hell that can stop the army of the living God. United we stand—divided we fall when the devil can separate us—he can win.

Warden Cain and others salute Dr. Kolb on 25 years of ministry!

Warden Cain and others salute Dr. Kolb on 25 years of ministry!

When trouble appears, we need to run to the rocks—or rather run to THE ROCK—the one the NLT calls, "the towering rock of safety." [Psalm 61:2] Or my favorite from Psalm 95:1: “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!”

Solomon said: Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise. (Proverbs 30:24)

The final part of Ted sharing at FLC, Texarkana, TX

The final part of Ted sharing at FLC, Texarkana, TX

More poems and thoughts shared by Ted at FLC, Texarkana, TX

More poems and thoughts shared by Ted at FLC, Texarkana, TX

Part 2 of Ted's poems and stories at FLC, Texarkana, TX

Part 2 of Ted's poems and stories at FLC, Texarkana, TX

Ted, one of my First Lutheran, Texarkana TX members shared some of his poems at an adult Bible class ... one of the best classes we ever had while I was pastor!

Ted, one of my First Lutheran, Texarkana TX members shared some of his poems at an adult Bible class ... one of the best classes we ever had while I was pastor!

We all have an agenda—we all have something we live for & it shows. It shows in the way we use our time & in how we spend our money. It shows in the way we treat families, friends, neighbors, classmates & co-workers. Contagious believers turn from serving self & instead are living lives today in service of Jesus. Jesus is our agenda!

Don't give into fear. Don't believe everything you hear. Weigh what others say against what you know to be true; weigh what you hear against the Word of God. Don't forget how the story ends. God is in control.

In 2 Thessalonians 1:7, Paul says God will pay back trouble to those who trouble you...and give relief to you who are troubled. That's where your focus needs to be. By the way, that word "relief" in the Greek is "anacin." How appropriate is that? When you trust God to settle a score that needs to be settled in his way according to his wisdom, it's a huge relief, like the world's worst headache has suddenly gone away.

I can say with certainty that no one in this world needs your disapproval. You're not helping anyone with your condemnation & condescension & constant criticism. I can also say with certainty that everyone whom God has placed in your life needs your encouragement. And if they're not where they need to be—spiritually or professionally or personally—then your challenge is to get involved & help them take the next steps in the right direction.

Our enemy may come against this church. He may come against you. What can/should we do? Pray without ceasing! There may be troubles that come. Remember that God is in control—and when the time is right God will wipe out our enemies just like he did for Peter! His power will appear! So—do you want the power the early church possessed?

God's forgiveness trumps everyone else's. God's forgiveness matters more than anything else in the world.

Father's (all those who influence children) shape character! Follow your Father's lead!

Father's (all those who influence children) shape character! Follow your Father's lead!

By spending time in the Word every day, you train yourself to become a workman who need not be ashamed, empowering you to present yourself to God as one who has been approved for service.

God has approved you for adoption—you are irrevocably His. He has also put every spiritual blessing from Jesus into your account & they are yours to receive.

Psalm 77 gives us a pattern to follow when it seems as if God does not listen or when it seems He does not care.

Psalm 77 gives us a pattern to follow when it seems as if God does not listen or when it seems He does not care.

When you declare God's praises you are not giving Him any new information, you're not boosting His self-esteem & you're not buttering Him up or trying to fool Him in any way. This is what you are doing: when you declare praise to God you strengthen the connection in your relationship to Him.

If you've ever been taken advantage of, or if you're secretly harboring thoughts of getting even with someone, today's message will change the way you feel about the subject.

The Word of God—milk & meat is the daily diet of the healthy Christian. Eat it & grow. Eat it & strengthen the church. However, as good as the Lord “tastes,” there is always some leftover “junk food” sitting around to stunt our growth & cause our one-anothering love to decay & deteriorate. This is junk food to avoid!

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Doubt can be conquered by acknowledging, seeking Jesus, and using what He gives.

There was more than one lost son in this famous story.

There was more than one lost son in this famous story.

If Jesus actually rose from the dead ... it changes everything!

The last words of Jesus. Service of darkness.

On Maundy Thursday Jesus gives to reminders and a real soul refreshment!

On the way into Jerusalem, Jesus stopped the parade and cried. Why? He saw the mixture of faces & the masses of humanity crowding there & He realized the emptiness of their lives. They had not heard the message of peace. They did not understand the purpose of His coming.

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Now, if Jesus knew Lazarus was going to die, why weep? And if He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, even before He arrives at the grave, why shed tears? Well, He wept because He saw Mary & the others weeping. Their grief tore at His heart. And He shed tears for their sorrow. So, what does all this teach us?

Everyone of us has blind spots. Every one of us is susceptible to not seeing things that God is doing, to not seeing how our behavior affects people adversely. None of us is immune to this kind of blindness. The hope of the gospel is that we will acknowledge our blindness, that we will be aware of our blind spots & that we will proceed with caution toward others.

When you let God use you, He multiplies your efforts. Opportunities never stop coming your way. Your efforts are blessed, they're multiplied & they're blessed again. The people you help start helping others. You reap where you haven't sown. You play a role in changing the lives of people you'll never know personally ... but because of what God can do through you, their lives will never be the same. And let's remember that this happens one life at a time, one day at a time, one simple conversation at a time. May God use you to change the world!

God's amazing grace has you covered coming and going!

Jesus was human, Jesus was tempted, and he had power over temptation. It gives us hope, because we are human, we are tempted, and we can have power over temptation just as he had.

In the transfiguration of Christ we get a glimpse of Jesus Christ in His power & His glory. This same power is available to you, no matter what kind of adversity you face.

You can fulfill your purpose in life. You can demonstrate your maturity, by loving your enemies. And—we are never more like God than when we love those who don't love us.

Psalm 119 suggests 7 things to pray for!

Do you know what needs to drive your time in the Word? It’s the opportunity to encounter God; you not only learn about Him, you learn from Him. He daily gives you direction & correction. If you want to live a life of integrity, decide today that you will build your life on knowing God & His Word.

Integrity means to have a one-piece heart. David tells us that means fearing God and delighting in His commands.

We can't allow ourselves to lose sight of the ministry to which we have been called—as a church & as individuals. It's about people—helping them change, healing their hurts & teaching them truth. We don't do this for our glory, but for their good. We do it to extend His name & His kingdom. It's the essential part of our mission. And we do it in the name & in power of Father, Son & Holy Spirit!

I don't know by what name you have been calling yourself, but God has given you a new name. You may have labeled yourself "sinner", or "failure", or "loser"...but just like Peter, God has given you a new name.

Jesus came into this world to be the Messiah—your Messiah & your Savior. He wants to fill your life with power by filling you with the Holy Spirit. He wants to make you pure by burning away all the chaff, all the impurities, all the things that hold you back. And He wants to give you a path to follow—a path that leads to eternal life.

The star led the wise men to Jesus. It was there for anyone to see, but only these men had the spiritual acuity to follow. If you are willing to let God lead you through the day-to-day events of your life, He will do it. The road may not always be easy, but He will lead you if you're willing to follow.

At some time or another, we'll all be called out of our comfort zone. When we're forced outside the comfort zone we expand our boundaries & we learn to see the world through God's perspective. When we leave our comfort zone, we also experience God's protection & we learn to depend on him. Time spent outside our comfort zone gives God the opportunity to shape our character & make us what He wants us to be.

What sinners need, Jesus came to provide. When God gave his only Son to hang on a tree like a common criminal, he gave the very best he had. God has more grace in his heart than you have sin in your life.

There are 3 gospel truths in Simeon's prophecy about Jesus. These truths remind us of why Christmas is such a meaningful time of the year—because God sent His servant, His Chosen One, His only begotten Son, to enter into human history, to die on the cross for our sins, so that whosoever believes in Him should never perish, but have everlasting life. That's the gospel according to Christmas in a single sentence.

G.K. Chesterton once said, "The Christian ideal has not been tried & found wanting; it has been found difficult & left untried." This is true for many people. They have heard the story again & again, but they've never gone to the inn to meet the Savior personally.

By faith we tap into the power of God. By faithfulness we tap into the power of faith. God called Mary to a life of faith; she demonstrated her faith in her faithfulness.

Run the race no matter what the result in life; their is always our heavenward goal ahead!

Speak ... Act ... and Forgive!

Ted Thamert funeral at First Lutheran Church, Texarkana, TX

Don't just survive, thrive!

Wh I am a Lutheran / Christian and always will be!

Power In Prayer Is Found In Persistence, Keeps You In The Presence Of God & Helps You Define & Refine Your Requests According To His Will & Proves Your Faith.

A person of gratitude will stand out!

The point of repentance & forgiveness is that it leads to reconciliation. It leads to a restored relationship. When God forgives you—and He most certainly will forgive you—He wants you to walk in fellowship with Him. He wants you to talk to Him & worship Him & live your entire day in His presence.

Who are you praying for today? Remember that prayer is not a ritual but a matter of the heart. To pray for someone else is an act of hidden kindness that only God sees. And because God alone sees your heart, he will hear your prayer and reward you in secret. We can touch people through prayer that we couldn’t touch any other way.

Often we simply don’t know what to say when we pray. I’m thinking especially of those moments when faced with a prayer list of friends, loved ones, neighbors, co-workers, missionaries, and others whom you hardly know at all?

Christian growth does not happen first by behaving better, but believing better—believing in bigger, deeper, brighter ways what Jesus has already secured for sinners. Charles Spurgeon says it quite simply: “If our debt was paid, it was paid & there is an end of it; a second payment cannot be demanded.” Is Jesus enough for you?

When it comes to salvation, there are only 2 places you can be: you’re either outside of Christ or you’re in Christ. If you are outside, you are condemned already (John 3:18). If you are in Christ, you are not condemned

One of the oldest prayers of the church contains only three words: “Come, Holy Spirit.” Here is the ultimate irony: Because the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see spiritual truth, we need the Holy Spirit to understand the Holy Spirit! So we pray “Come, Holy Spirit & help us to know you better. Amen.”

How do you make sure you're harvest ready? It pretty simple really. You begin by sowing what you want to reap, moving in the direction you want to go. Every day you move in the direction of the harvest—every day you draw near to God.

In view of God's great glory above us & in light of the world's great need around us, retreat is unquestionably wrong. For the good of our souls & for the glory of our Savior, risk is most assuredly right.

The leader's life is overflowing with the presence of God. It is the Lord who makes it possible to fly on occasion & run when necessary & walk day after day after day. This is the life a leader needs to live, a life empowered by God's Spirit & fueled by time spent with Him in solitude, time spent with Godly people in fellowship, time spent seeking first His kingdom above all else.

You never reach the place where you can coast out of your leadership obligations. The tenacious leader doesn't sell out, even when success makes it possible. The tenacious leader runs at full speed until the finish line is crossed.

Ask the right questions, ask the right people, pray about everything!

Godly leaders take it on themselves to answer to the same rules as everyone else. Where leaders often lose their credibility—when they act as if the rulebook was written for everyone else & not for themselves. And when I talk about the 'rulebook', what am I really talking about? 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us: All Scripture is God-breathed & is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting & training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Good leadership is building people: inspiring & empowering them to be the very best they can be. As Christ-followers, this is a wonderful ministry, building up people in Jesus.

No Fear! Don't Look Back! Keep Pressing On!

No Fear! Don't Look Back! Keep Pressing On!

Godly leaders need to get into the habit of asking themselves all throughout the day, with every encounter, "What does this person need from me? What does this situation require of me? What am I doing in pursuit of my greatest priorities?"

: Obedience & Trust or Doubt & Excuses. What will it be? Is there anyone who will follow? Is there anyone who is willing to look into the eyes of Jesus & say to Him: whatever you say Lord, I will follow.

If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord & Savior, you are transformed & need to be witnessing to that. You need to be telling others about Him & what He has done for you. You need to be that light in the darkness.

This great chapter of the Bible, this microcosm of the mission of the church, begins with the words: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. We're in this together, too. Let's put our trust only in God, relying completely on Him to do things greater than we could ever hope to ask or imagine, let us be faithful to pray, faithful to give, faithful to follow, faithful to obey, faithful to go where He leads us. Let's welcome His presence, so that we can all experience the winds of change.

(NO AUDIO ... PDF ONLY: Two lost sons and one gracious father!