ConCafe con Eradio Valverde

True Greatness, according to Jesus, comes not by what role you play or want to play in life, but who you truly are, your character, integrity and spirit.  Jesus had to call the so-called religious leaders to task about who they were and what they were about, namely gaining power, prestige and position.  Sadly, these folks still exist.  I pray we seek to be great, but in God's eyes....

How quickly it is for some generations to forget some of the trouble God set them free from; take for instance, the Jews who declared they had never been slaves since they were descendants of Abraham.  Jesus could have asked, "Then why do we still celebrate the Passover? Why was that action needed, if not to set our people free from slavery in Egypt?  Yet, Jesus wanted to demonstrate the...

The psalmist does a great job in outlining his faith and love in and for God.  This episode of ConCafe is about Psalm 90.  Listen and be blessed to the words that still speak loudly and strongly to us about who we are in the realm of God.

We come to the end of the journey with Moses, senior pastor of First Church, Exodus.  Part youth director, senior pastor and prophet, the 120 year old found his rest high upon the mountain where God allowed him to see, but not enter, the promised land.  Listen and hear the sad end of this great man of God.  

October is Pastor Appreciation Month; this passage gives us a glimpse of what our pastors suffer when they say Yes to Jesus.  Read and respond to the needs of your pastor, not just during October, but every day!

The Gospel reading for this coming Sunday deals with yet another attempt to trap Jesus.  It starts simple enough, "What is the greatest commandment?"  And most every good Jew of that day knew the answer, but Jesus adds to it, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  Then Jesus traps the Pharisees by asking them about the Messiah.  They only knew to say the Messiah would be the son of...

What words did you have to un-learn from your parents or grandparents?  What behaviors did you have to shed as you moved out of the home and into society?   What witness are you giving that shows that some good did rub off on you?  Listen and learn how the great king David lived a life that helped his son Solomon become the great, wise king he became.  Listen, learn, and b...

Learning how to be generous and giving is a key to overcoming any situation.  Hear the story of the little boy who learned at his kitchen table how to give to God in gratitude for all that God gave him.  That boy grew up to be a billionaire, who still knows how to give.

The request made by Moses to God was a silly one in the sense that Moses knew to ask to see God's face was to ask to die; for the biblical understanding has always been that no one sees God without dying.  Moses was one of the first key leaders from which we can learn so much, and there is much to learn from this.  Listen and be blessed!

Who have you imitated at different points of your life?  Has it been a superhero?  A character from a novel you've read?  A television star?  A movie star?  A minister or youth pastor?  Has it ever been Jesus?  Hmm.  Listen as Paul shares how the people of Thessalonica became believers because of what they saw in him and his two amigos, Silvanus and Timothy....

The psalmist shares in this the 106th psalm the basis for that famous exchange we all know and love; God is good! And we answer back all the time. Listen and be blessed!

Want to hear what a frenzied mind sounds like?  Read Philippians 4:1-9, as the Apostle Paul shares his many thoughts to individuals, groups, a church, and to you and me; and these thoughts are as fresh and real in what's happening today as when the ancient one put his pen to the perils and maladies of his day.  Listen and be blessed, especially if you need a blessing to lift you up and a...

Did you get yours yet?  You know, the invitation to feast with the King!  How many have ignored, or simply rejected that invitation!  And what has that gotten them?  Well, if we're to believe Jesus, they will get quite a lot of what they don't want, if they reject God for all eternity.  Listen and follow what you should do to enjoy the fullness of God's love for you!

Jesus, Son of God, man of love and humility, was always in danger, especially by the so-called religious leaders of His faith.  They thought they finally had Him when they asked him if it was right for anyone to pay the imperial tax to Caesar; which had He answered with a NO, they would have taken Him immediately to the Roman government and placed Him under arrest, and He would have surely be...

Ever attended a class by Professor Night?  Sat in auditing a class with Madame Day?  In Eugene Peterson's The Message Bible, we get treated to an uptempo, relevant interpretation of God's word in ways that bless and strengthen us.  We are looking at Psalm 18 and the wonderful way this passage frames the scriptures for this week.  Listen and join us!

Here they are!  The Big Ten!  The foundational structure on which God planned to build a people.  This happened in the moveable classroom that was the 40-year journey through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land.  Join us as we join God!

Ever felt you could do everything on your own?  How did you feel when a little one told you to stop doing things for them?  How do you think God feels when we tell Him that we can do it alone?  Listen and be blessed to what Paul shares in this episode from his letter to the Philippians!

Hear Jesus' take on what was going on in His church, what was coming His way, and those who were about to do all that was evil in their plans.  Listen and learn about God's love and mercy!

If you still have your grandparents, call them up right now and talk to them!  How often do you see them?  Once a year?  And you figure they will be here forever?  Don't you wish?  They're not!  Neither are you, but chances are you will out live them and the wisdom and counsel they could share with you right now, will serve you well!  Don't take them or their lov...

The kids are in the back.  The AC is not fully working.  The trip is taking longer than expected.  The lines at all stops were so long, no food was bought, no snacks.  The kids had been fine sipping Capri Suns and almond milk, but then real thirst hit, and Dad drank the last bottle of water!  Panic sets in.  Where is the next stop?  You get the idea of the pressu...

Paul's letters to the churches of his time speak even today to you and me.  Listen to today's devotional and see how what he said applies to your daily walk with Jesus.  His pleas for believers to walk closer with Christ will never grow old!

What kind of authority do you have in your life?  How easily do you share authority with others?  That was the question asked of Jesus by the chief priests and elders about Jesus' work; Jesus asked them an honest question they could not answer.  How we answer the question about surrendering our authority with Jesus has eternal consequences!  Listen and be blessed!

In this devotional we look at the psalm where David says to witness through singing and "belting our hymns" to the Lord.  Listen to learn how to share and witness your faith with others!

What was Moses up to?  And who was right?  Moses?  Or the people?  Listen to this dramatic encounter (again) between the people of Israel and their God.  Be blessed!