Dear God, Forgive me - Today I took my eyes off of you and worried about myself. Forgive me - Today I focused on myself and lost sight just for a moment of your wisdom and love for me. Forgive me - Today I took things into my own hands not believing that all things are for my good and Your glory. Forgive me - I've been missing the opportunity to hear Your voice through...

Last week I was struggling to have the right perspective of my circumstances. So, I decided to ask my 5th grade class what they do when they are struggling in life. I explained to them that people usually do one of three things. Some people try to escape their problem, some try to ignore the problem, while others will attack the problem. I asked them to talk about which on...

I found out today that an acquaintance from work took his own life last night. He was in his early fifties and the few times I had worked with him he seemed "happy" and "normal". He is one of probably 5-6 firefighters this past year that have committed suicide. I did not know him well or any of the others, but from what I did know is that it was completely unexpected from ...

Romans 1:1616 For dI am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is ethe power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew ffirst and also to gthe Greek. School is back in session and along with that comes new teachers, friends and of course, homework. My son brought home a sheet explaining he had to create a Pennant with 5 things on that describe who he is in some...

Romans 7:17 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For our entire lives, society and our own minds, teach us and lead us to do what is right. We are taught and think that if we change and follow the law we will have the ability to do the right thing. Nearly all religi...

Romans 6:16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? Who is your master? You can only have one master, and it can't be yourself. If I try to be my own master, doing what I please, I become a slave to sin. Or, if I ...

Romans 5:14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. When we read in Romans 5:14 that Adam was a "type", we should see that we have a real problem. "Type" can be defined as a model, pattern or example. Because Adam was or is these things, he is falling far short o...

What is true Biblical faith? When it comes to faith, we hear all kinds of things that it may or may not be. We hear people say, "I have faith that everything will work out..." Or, "If you just believe..." Or, "If your faith is strong..." When we say things like this, what really is our faith in, what is the content of that faith or belief? If we read Romans 4 closely the c...

Romans 3:23 is one of the better known verses of the Bible. But do we really believe it? it says, "all have sinned..." Do we really believe that we are sinners just like everyone else? If I believe this verse, I believe I am a sinner just like everyone else and have no room to boast or claim I am a better person compared to anyone else (see verse 27). Remember Romans 2 whe...

Romans 1:16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Why is it that we don't share the Gospel like we should? Or, why is it that we don't live out the Gospel like we should? Or, why is it we just can't get past some of these problems in our lives or others lives? I am ...

Romans 2:3 Do you suppose, O man - you who judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself - that you will escape the judgement of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? What annoys you? What things do people do or what type of person just drives you cra...

Below you will see a short video that we watched and then discussed with our High school students last night. In the video Driscoll talks about Salvation, how eternity starts the moment we meet Jesus and that we are freed from the power of sin but not the presence of sin. This morning in my reading I was in Romans chapter 6, now I felt like posting the whole chapter but I...

Mark 3:35 "For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother." John 6:40 "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life" A question; do you consider yourself to be a mother/brother/sister of Jesus? The only way for this relationship to occur is for you to come to Christ in repentance...

Lets imagine, just for fun, someone wanting to get in shape by lifting weights...hold on...not the "fun" part yet. Now this person talks big about getting into shape and doesn't shut his yapper about it. So as you watch him work out (which is a little weird that you're watching but he has a big mouth), the second he puts any weight on the bar he lifts it up an inch and for...

Sin is not just the breaking of Sunday school do's and don'ts. It is not the violating of some impersonal cosmic code of morality. Sin is a personal offense against the creator. It unravels and corrupts each aspect of creation 1. Sin distorts the distinction between Creator and created. We put ourselves at the center of the universe and the center of the story. We attem...

"Christianity is NOT a settle in, live in peace with the world the way it is religion." Piper "War educates the senses, (it) calls into action the will" Ralph Waldo Emerson "There is something about war that sharpens the senses" Piper As I am spending time in Romans (always, always a powerful experience for me personally) and as I allude to in the title block it usua...

I was freshly reminded of the purity of a child's love and thirst for Jesus. I was able to spend several days with my nephew. One night on the way home from dinner he asked me, with the innocence of a child; if I would go back up north with him and baptize him in a lake near his home. With that a discussion ensued about salvation, Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection....

One Nation Under God The Lord has convicted me over that statement recently as I think about what has ultimately been given for this Country throughout its brief history. There has never been a country that was founded on the Word of God until this one or like this one, there has never been a country that has been writing its founding documents only to break for three day...

If you stop and think about it, we are always worried about the future. We plan, we save, we prepare, we insure, we forecast....... When we spend our (God's) money, we want a guarantee that whatever it is will hold up, meet the demand, stand the test. When it doesn't, we shrug our shoulders and say "well, nothing lasts forever", or "they sure don't make things like they u...

Romans 12:10-13, "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." Our family has had the honor to be a part of God's plan in the lives of some...

Eric House made a post on 11-16-11 that apparently caused an uproar that amassed over 16 views of his blog...16! He knows how to work a crowd into a frenzy. The blog was great in that (short version) it encouraged all believers to be Spirit led in how we interact with others for the purpose of sharing the gospel. Sometimes the spirit may, in freedom, lead you to have a bee...

I had the privelage, as you may have already heard, to see my brother graduate basic training for the Air Force. The discipline, the passion and the determination were intense and inspiring. What I really loved was when the graduating Airman recited their creed in unison (see video). Their creed states who they are and whose call they have answered, what their mission obj...

"But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Paul Romans 8:37-39 M...

In my opinion, one of the biggest challenges we face to experiencing the life Jesus intended is our lack of belief. Generally, most sincere Jesus followers have such a hard time believing God for who He is and what He has said. We are so prone to see life from our experience, our perspective, our biases, our fears, and our desires. The biggest obstacle to really experienci...

19"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord s...

Intense fellowship. I guess that is the politically correct way to describe an interaction with my wife that involved my impatience and anger. I know that my relationship with the Lord is intimately linked to my relationship with Val. I am unable to come to the Lord in prayer without being at peace with Val (1 Peter 3:7). The Lord used this verse in a powerful way to rebuk...