Posts

Cabin Fever on Noah's Ark

Image
Imagine being confined inside with the same people for 150 days. Not just the same people, but family. There are some things you would never say or do in front of friends or co-workers, but with family you have no problem letting your guard down. Those annoying little habits, those little slips of the tongue, those momentary lapses in judgement may not get on their nerves during normal circumstances…but lock them inside the same ship with you for 30, 60, 90, 150 days and they might just be ready to jump overboard…or throw you overboard. That’s what Noah and his family had to endure inside the ark. On top of that, think of the stink. The smell of sweat, the animals, hay, manure, and urine. The suffocating air of stench that must have permeated every nook and cranny of the ark. The restlessness of the animals and Noah’s family. 150 days without fresh air. 150 days of doing the same thing day in and day out. 40 days of talking about the weather, “Well…looks like rain again to...
Post a Comment
Read more

By Faith

Image
I wanted to start today with a little demonstration. I have asked these brave volunteers to help me demonstrate to you the act of faith. See video of message to watch the demonstration 2 Corinthians 5:7 says that we walk by faith, not by sight. Walking by faith means that, even though we are unable to see what the future holds, we trust the One who knows the future, sees the path that we are to follow, and can safely guide us down that path. Today we begin a 3-month journey through Hebrews chapter 11. We will learn the stories of men and women that had faith in God. We will also learn about your stories. The word story comes from the Latin  historia , which means history. Today many people think of Bible stories as fictional or fairy tales. These stories that we will learn are part of a real history recorded by various men inspired by God to write them down in what we call the Bible. As we begin this study, it is important that we understand a few things abou...
Post a Comment
Read more

Under Pressure

Image
Anyone ever feel pressure? The weight of the world pushing down on you? IN 1982 David Bowie and Freddie Mercury wrote the song Under Pressure. In it they talk about the struggle of people on the streets. “Under pressure that brings a building down, splits a family in two, puts people on the streets.” Pressure. It is a powerful force that has a goal of compressing everything down into the smallest possible state. It is pressure that caused my back problems. Two vertebrae have been compressed due to pressure to the point that there is just bone rubbing against bone and creating all kinds of pain in my back and nerve pain in my legs. How do we handle the pressures of life? What do you do when a major problem arrives? When your world as you know it starts to spin out of control? Paul gives us some advice based on his own time under pressure. 18  Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Feel Secure

Image
What is security? For many it is knowing that they will have enough to retire someday. For others it is knowing that they are safe inside their home. Being secure involves one key element: preparedness. You must be prepared. Paul explains in detail how we may provide for our own security in this spiritual battle. We live in a world of increasing immorality. What was once considered rude and inappropriate behavior in public is now encouraged and celebrated. What would have caused a person to die from embarrassment is now the thing that causes them to gain great recognition and achievement.  Our world is a mess. Many Christians have tried to make a difference in the political realm, yet nothing they do seems to make much of an impact on society? Perhaps it is because they are approaching this from the wrong angle. Christian author and theologian C.S. Lewis had some great wisdom that he shared about just this topic: Hope is one of the theological virtues. This means t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Family: Part 2

Image
Last week we taught about the foundation of the family. 1  Children, obey your parents as you would the Lord, because this is right.  2  Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise,  3  so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. 4  Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1-4, HCSB) The first thing to notice is that we are to obey our parents as we would God. I think this is pretty straight forward. If your mom says to clean your room, you clean your room. If your mom tells you to be home by 10pm, you get home before 10pm. If your mom tells you not to drink alcohol, you don’t drink alcohol. Next we see that we are also to honor our mother and our father. Honor means to speak and act in a manner that brings them honor. Does this mean that we are to show honor even if ha...
Post a Comment
Read more

Family: Part 1

Image
What is a family? “Families can be difficult, they can be comforting, they can be frustrating, they can be wonderful. Love 'em or hate 'em, families are one of the biggest influences on our lives. So much of our personalities, our emotions, our dreams, our fears, all come from our families. “So, with something so important, naturally, social scientists need to define it. A family, by definition, is a group of people affiliated by a specific relationship. Basically, the family is the most fundamental unit of social organization that with which we most intimately identify. Your family influences your personal, emotional, intellectual, and social development, so if you really need to know who you are, look no further. It really is all in the family. (Christopher Muscato, professor at University of Northern Colorado) God gave us some important instructions for the family. Today we focus on the core of the family: husbands and wives. Many families in our ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sola Fide

Image
Everyone has felt the sting of rejection. Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because the editor felt he lacked imagination before going on to create the highly imaginative Disney company. Oprah Winfrey was fired as a news reporter because she was too emotional attached to her stories before she made it big as a talk show host. After a performance at the Grand Old Opry, Elvis Presley was told that he should return to Memphis and drive trucks for a living because he would never make it in music. Lucille Ball’s drama instructors tried to get her to go into another field because she just didn’t have what it takes to be an actress. 1   I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience is testifying to me with the Holy Spirit—  2  that I have intense sorrow and continual anguish in my heart.  3  For I could almost wish to be cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers, my own flesh and blood. (Romans 9:1...
Post a Comment
Read more