November 1, 2025

Thankfulness Changes Everything

“Gratitude exclaims… ‘How good of God to give me this.’ Adoration says, ‘What must be the quality of that Being whose far-off and momentary coruscations are like this!’ One’s mind runs back up the sunbeam to the sun.”

― C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer

This just might be the solution to all that ails our sick world; hearts that are thankful for what they have rather than depressed and angry over what they think they should have. The Psalms show us how to do this…what to say.

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
    I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
² I will be glad and rejoice in you;
    I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. (Psa.9:1-2 NIV)

But we need to remember that the Psalms are Israel’s prayer/song book for public worship. Often the Psalms were recited as God’s people proceeded up to the temple to worship. There is an element of true thanksgiving that needs to be public as well as private. Expressing our thankfulness to God in front of other people is powerful, both as a testimony and as a reminder to ourselves.

This Thanksgiving why not join us as we publicly praise God for what he has done, is doing, and will do in our lives. To worship God with his people on Sunday is the most natural expression of worship of the God who gives us so much.

June 19, 2024

Your Best Life Now…Is in Jesus

You’re not the President. You’re not the Pope. You’re not even famous or probably rich either. That is perfectly okay! God isn’t holding you responsible for big decisions, great leadership or incredible generosity. God is equipping and empowering you…to be you!

This doesn’t mean you don’t have a responsibility and won’t be held accountable. What it does mean is your focus needs to be immediately around you. How are you being Christ-like to your spouse, your family or your neighbors? The decisions you make, the leadership you give and the generosity you display to others is every bit as important to God as those on the big stage. Don’t worry about them, they will answer to God for their own actions. You be the best you that you can be. And, the best you is the one that looks like Jesus! There’s nothing in this world to compare ourselves to. Everything falls short so don’t waste precious time. Follow Jesus, learn from him and do as he did. Now, that’s the best life!

¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col.3:16-18 ESV)

March 19, 2024

The Glory of the Cross

What possibly could be good and wonderful about a traumatic and painful execution on a Roman instrument of torture? Looking forward to this in less than a week Jesus in his humanness and divinity truthfully says, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”

Jesus faced the cross with all the terrible implications it would bring – alienation, sin, separation, scorn, pain and suffering. He didn’t look forward to this. All of this would be poured out in him both physically and emotionally. What possibly could carry him through this? Only one thing drove him forward to the cross…glorifying God.

It’s at the cross Jesus shows us what it looks like to live out the Lord’s Prayer –

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. (Mat.6:9-10 NIV)

We, followers of Jesus are called to imitate him. We are called to bring glory to God with our words and actions…our whole lives, dying to ourselves everyday. But how can we do such a thing? There’s only one way, his way. We must die to ourselves and bring glory to God through the power of Christ. What he did on the cross, and through our faith, has made it possible to walk in the same power Jesus used to say, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

This Easter season don’t simply attend an Easter Service somewhere and call it good…it’s not. Look at the cross this Easter and determine to imitate Jesus and bring glory to God. Follow Jesus, listen to him, do as he did…go to the cross.

And worship him Easter Sunday as well!

February 23, 2024

Who does the calling?

It may not seem like a big deal, but it really is. What many of us were told is “call out to Jesus and he will answer.” This presents a picture of us doing the initiating and being in charge of what the relationship looks like. We turn to him when we need him and turn away when we don’t. It’s a pretty one-sided relationship, with us in control.

What Jesus actually said in John’s gospel was, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27 ESV) This implies Jesus is the one who calls out to us, and his sheep recognize him and come to him. If this is true, we are responders not initiators. Our first responsibility is to be listening to him and our second is to come to him.

So, are you listening to Jesus? How can we hear his voice through all the noise around us? What do you do to “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psa. 46:10a ESV) Then, if you take a posture of listening, do you follow his call? Just knowing something doesn’t transform us. We need to act on it. John Mark Comer in his book Practicing the Way shares a simple and time tested strategy, or life rhythm to follow if you want to be Jesus’ disciple: Be with Jesus, become like him, and do as he did. Simple, yet world changing.