Monday Moments

Have you ever tried to push a big car? Depending on your strength, it may seem doable at first, but after a short while, even the stoutest among us would get tired. What if you knew that car was in perfect working order, it only needed a full tank of gas? Would you still continue to push it, insisting that your strength was enough, or would you fill it up as quickly as possible so you can really m...

When you're on a trip or adventure, it's important to have some kind of guide. Maybe that guide is an actual person who has traveled that way before or maybe it's a map. Whatever the case, following the guide will get you to your destination. Not following your guide will get you lost or worse. Going your own way sounds nice initially, and it can certainly seem like the easier way....

Trends are nothing new. While our culture may be obsessing about trends currently, the fact is that trends have been rising and falling like waves in the ocean since the dawn of time. What is particularly valuable, though, is to observe trends over long periods of time and what they tell us about people's behavior. To be more specific, observing church trends reveals something that is, frankl...

Life would probably be a lot easier if we ignored Jesus' words. He did a lot of nice things and loved a lot of people. It's safe to say we can all agree that very few people had issues with what Jesus did. It's what He said that causes problems.  Whenever God's Word, aka Jesus, says something that goes against our paradigms, we stand at a crossroads. Are we going to continue to...

The Lord tells us in His Word over and over that He will be our provider. We sing songs about it. We read about it. We encourage one another about it. When the world around us is...unfavorable, are we going to continue to trust Him to provide even if, and especially if, the circumstances don't change the way we want them to. That's the essence of the story of Esther, which is what we&apo...

Forever is a long time. That may be the most obvious statement in history, but there is a lot to unpack when you really stop and think about it. What is forever? What implications does that reality hold for this present life? These questions and others like it ought to run through our mind at one time or another and evoke a compelling lifestyle change. This was David's view when he wrote &quo...

There is a theme throughout Scripture of the table of the Lord. At best, we have a fuzzy, intrinsic understanding of that concept. But when you think about it, the concept is a bit abstract. When King David wrote, "He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies," in Psalms 23:5, he communicates deeply profound truths about God's provision in our lives. What does that ac...

It's not a matter of "if" we go through hard times but "when" we go through hard times. We all face it. It's part of life. There are all kinds of questions that arise in the midst of hard times such as "why" or "why me" or "will this ever end." Psalm 23 offers us amazing insight into the reality of the hard times that we all go through in...

Sheep need a shepherd. It's plain and simple. We don't always like to admit that we need someone to "be the boss" other than ourselves, however. As we continue our series studying Psalm 23 and looking at Jesus as our Shepherd, we find that Jesus is truly the GOOD Shepherd, not just a hired hand. Looking at it further, though, reveals the connection between what we see in our wo...

Metaphors are used throughout Scripture. Whether it's in poetry or parables, the Bible uses metaphor to link two concepts together in order to paint a picture for us. In Psalm 23, David uses the metaphor of the sheep and the shepherd to describe our relationship with the Lord. It is a beautiful and profound way to depict this relationship that is full of nuance. So why use sheep as the metaph...

Throughout the years, we have toiled and worked ourselves to exhaustion, gaining what we thought would bring meaning and satisfaction. All the while we missed what, or rather Who, would give real rest to our souls. Whether it's emotional, mental, physical, or spiritual exhaustion, we all come to that place where we feel burnt out. And even though it began in the Old Testament, Sabbath is stil...

How do you define "prosperity?" Is it a well diversified portfolio of assets? Is it money in the bank? Is it the relationships you have and maintain? Or is it something else entirely? When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He gave them wealth beyond imagination literally overnight. In a span of a few hours they went from being slaves to some of the richest people of the day simply...

Let's be honest. The Bible is an ancient text written in multiple languages, in multiple styles, by multiple authors. It tells one big story, but it's not the easiest to understand. With the information age in which we live, it's so much easier to glean from others. The inherent danger, however, is to begin to replace our own exploration of the Bible and in turn our relationship wit...

The temple and priests are central elements of the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. These elements didn't just vanish when the new covenant in Jesus came about, however. They are both still very real and important elements of our identity in Christ. Instead of a physical building, the Bible says that our bodies are "living temples," or dwelling places, for God. He lives withi...

Almost every church you visit has some form of singing or music as part of its service. The music may look, sound, or even feel different, but it's almost always there. Where did that idea come from? Is that something new, or has it always been part of man's relationship towards God? We see worship throughout Scripture from different people in different circumstances. What may surprise o...

To some, baptism is part of the faith that has never been up for debate. For some, it's a completely new concept. For others, it's been brought to the table as to whether or not it's relevant or even essential. Throughout the Bible we see baptism being used as a way to illustrate God's great rescue plan - bringing order out of chaos, raising what once was dead back to life. It&...

As we continue our discovery of the process of becoming fruitful for God's Kingdom, we looked at the central role suffering plays. We looked at the life of Job, and this time we are talking about Joseph. Like so many others in the Bible, Joseph's life was riddled with trouble and suffering, but God caused all that happened to Joseph to work for his good. That's the way it is with ou...

We know that in this life, we will have trouble. The Bible is clear about that. What's not always clear is why we have trouble or what God is doing or where God even is in the middle of our trouble. We have lots of knowledge or Bible verses to recite to others who are going through trouble, but when we are in the throws of a struggle ourselves, the rubber really meets the road and it's e...

Defining the Gospel sounds like it would be a no-brainer. It's often trickier than we expect it to be, though. We tend to equate "The Gospel" with "Salvation." While salvation is certainly part of the Gospel, it's not the sole aspect. Christ's coming, death, and resurrection brought so much more to the story, that is yet to be finished by the way, than we realize...

It's no coincidence that Jesus spent time with people around a table. He also used the table as imagery in His parables. In addition to all that, the people with whom Jesus ate was a constant source of contention amongst the religious community. Needless to say, sharing a table is something of significant importance to God. It also becomes a point of concern amongst ourselves as well. It soun...

When something is built to a basic level of function, you might be tempted to think it's good enough. After all, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Unfortunately that mindset can carry over into our spiritual lives as well which, in turn, affects our day-to-day living. It's true that when furniture is built well and functioning as it should, it has a certain amount of value. The...

The Bible is very clear. God gave us gifts, and He gave them to us to be used. It all starts by finding out what your gifts are. After that, it's important to talk about the intended context in which your gifts were designed to be used. Outside of that context, our gifts are weak, at best, or useless at worst. What does that context look like? That's what we're talking about in this...

As we talk more about God's purpose for our lives, we can't ignore His divine process. It typically involves two things: molding and anointing. We usually love the anointing part. That part is exciting. The molding, however, is the less fun part.  Like a piece of wood that needs to bend, it needs to be heated up in a dark, cramped space before it can be shaped into its intended design. O...

Why is our purpose a topic we talk about? Why is it even in the Bible? Perhaps it's because we all wrestle with the question, "Why on Earth am I here," or because God wants to bring us back to His original design, or it's some combination of everything. Whatever the reason, the Bible has a lot to say about our divine purpose. That's all well and good, but the process of di...

To some, the Bible is just another good book, but they may not see it as THE good book. For others, the Bible is part of their lives. They read it. They study it. But they often stop there. For us, the Bible is not meant to be an endpoint but a means to an end, and that end is a relationship with Jesus. Without a proper view of that goal, it's easy to see why reading the Bible can become a te...