Church Blog (Page 3)
Move On From the Past
Isaiah 43:18-19 – “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” God is talking to Israel here in Isaiah chapter 43. Isaiah chapter 42 explains the chastening God gave to Israel for worshipping a graven image. God even tells Israel in Isaiah 42:8, “I am…
Take Care of the Roots
Proverbs 4:23 – Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to visit China as part of a student exchange program. During my time there, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the rich culture. From learning tai chi to making authentic wontons, I was thankful to have this incredible experience. While I was there, we were able to visit the incredible…
The Power of Love
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. Thought: If I hate, only problems will come, but love sets me free. One of the most misused words in the world today is the word love. We think that love is based on mere feelings or physical touch. But love is much more than that. Love is a sacrificial action. We see love clearly represented in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. There is no better image…
Red Carpet Banquet – Dress Guidelines
Ladies All ladies must text Mrs. Bethany pictures of the front and back of their dress, while they are wearing it, by May 31st. Mrs. Bethany’s phone number is (520) 904-4251. A formal gown is appropriate for this occasion. Sleeveless dresses are allowed as long as there is at least a 2-inch-wide strap. Dresses, including any slits, must come to the middle of the knee when standing. No tight-fitting, see-through, or low-cut dresses in the front or back. We will…
There are No Quitting Places in Life
Pastor Louis Johnson was the founding pastor of Tucson Baptist Temple in July 1958. He served the church for fifty years as senior pastor. I had the privilege of serving with him for thirty years. One of his statements, that he shared often, that is seared into my memory was, “There are no quitting places in life.” He would then quote the following poem written by John Greenleaf Whittier: When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road…
Doth Deliver
Paul, in II Corinthians chapter one, makes it clear that we will have problems and difficult circumstances – “we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us” (v. 8) – Paul lets us know we are going to have perplexing issues and burdens come into our life. Our problems can seem overwhelming – “we were pressed out of measure, above strength” (v. 8) – Paul is telling the Corinthians and us that these problems were…
Harmony
Imagine a roadblock the size of the Empire State Building! That is the kind of proportions we are talking about when the Ever Given cargo ship blocked the Suez Canal on March 23rd. This blockage affected the entire world and held up billions of dollars in goods by almost a week. The Ever Given blocked shipments for the entire world, but have you ever had something create a barrier in your friendship? Maybe it wasn’t the size of the Empire…
It Is Time to Seek the Lord
There is a compelling verse in Hosea chapter 10 verse 12. The prophet Hosea writes God’s chastising response to him. Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Hosea was what we call a minor prophet. There was nothing minor about what he wrote at all. Hosea was a contemporary to other prophets such as Isaiah and…
Valuing Wisdom
Text: Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Thought: He who values wisdom seeks daily to glorify God. In the second book of Chronicles, the Bible tells us the story of Solomon and how God came to the king offering to give him whatever he asked for. (2 Chron. 1:7) In Solomon, we find a unique example of the value of wisdom. Being able to ask for money,…
He Knows My Name
It was a dark and foreboding day some 2,000 years ago. Mary was on her way to tend to the body of a dear friend who had experienced a horrific death. Her mind was raw with emotions from such vivid memories. Her life had been dramatically changed upon her encounter with Him. She had been freed from demonic possession and was living an unbelievable life. In fact, she had devoted her life to helping Him and serving Him in any…
Count It All Joy
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Notice that James assumes we will experience trials – He does not say “if” but “when.” This is because Christians must expect trials. Jesus said in John 16:33, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Some trials come simply because we are…
Prepping
In the last 12 months, the interest in becoming a prepper, which means being ready for any disaster, has skyrocketed! I know most of us wished we would have had a month’s supply of toilet paper when the stores sold out a few months back, but preppers were ready and had a stockpile. Preppers do not know when or even if something will change their status quo, but, they are ready in the event it happens. Esther was a young…