Joy ⁽⁸⁰⁾

Psalm 107:1–3, 17–22; Daniel 12:5–13; Ephesians 1:7–14 We love countdowns. Before church service starts, we have a countdown. Every sporting event has a countdown. Part of its attraction is the pressure. It moves us. Another attraction of a countdown is finitude. We know there is…

Isaiah 58:1–12; Psalm 51:1–17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b–6:10; Matthew 6:1–6, Matthew 6:16–21 Today is Ash Wednesday. This ancient church tradition goes beyond Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox. It a time of self-reflection. Many call it a time of self-mortification. This is why it is often a…

Numbers 22:1–35 Moab feared Israel. Israel “just” had a military victory against major forces around Moab. Israel had marched around Moab and yet hadn’t done anything directly against Moab. Moab was deeply concerned that they were next. According to Moses (in Deuteronomy 2:9), God had…

Psalm 46; Genesis 12:1–9; 1 Corinthians 7:17–24 A number of years ago, Randy Craker (our District Superintendent), shared a message with the college-aged students of our ministry. He talked about how their time, whether being in college or not, was their time before going out…

Luke 18:15–17 Faith is a serious business. It’s true. From an orthodox Christian perspective, it has an eternal impact. So, it is serious. Serious, though, doesn’t mean solemn. A few years ago, I experienced a life-changing question: what is your first experience of God? I…