More Than Bread

Send me a Text Message! Psalm 27  begins with fear, but ends with courage and hope. “Why are you not afraid?” the psalmist asks. And the answer...  I will not be afraid because in the darkness, God is my light. I will not be afraid because in the battle, God is my fortress. I will not be afraid because when trouble comes looking for me, God will hide me in his sacred space. I will not be afraid be...

Send me a Text Message! If I could give one and only one gift to the church today, it would be hard to choose, but certainly I would have to ponder long the gift of integrity. To come to those moments in life when you know you need God more than you know; to be able to stand in those times in the shadow of David and say, "Vindicate me O Lord for I have walked in my integrity." Oh how we...

Send me a Text Message! What do you think of when you think of "clean hands and a pure heart?" Psalm 24 suggests that without them, we cannot come into God's presence. The King of Glory has invited us to come...and here's the good news. He's made a way for us to come!

Send me a Text Message! In a consumer-driven world filled with Amazon delights, here is a statement that turns everything upside down. "When the Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need. When Jesus is my shepherd, I lack nothing." I don't lack rest. I don't lack strength. I don't lack courage. I don't lack victory. I don't lack a seat at His table. I have ev...

Send me a Text Message! Do you know what I hear when I read Psalm 23?  I hear, "The best is yet to come."  Isn't that what David is describing?  Even though I walk thru the valley of the shadow of death... God's goodness pursues me and I will live in his house forever.  The best is yet to come. And the best is yet to come, because God invites us into a life that is blessed beyo...

Send me a Text Message! In this 113th episode of "More Than Bread," we are diving into one of the most remarkable and prophetic psalms found in the Book of Psalms. While it begins with a cry of anguish and desperation, it transitions into a powerful expression of trust and ultimately points forward to the suffering and victory of Jesus Christ on the cross. It’s a lament that leads to glo...

Send me a Text Message! Creation and Word, both declare God's glory. The works of His hands are a wonder to behold...and guess what? You are the work of His hands! Take some time today and find ways to be reminded of the glorious, creative work of God!

Send me a Text Message! Psalm 16 contains one of my favorite verses in all of scripture. Psalm 16:11 contains the words, "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." There is a path of life that leads to an overflowing joy...even in the midst of the most difficult times. But it's His path... what path...

Send me a Text Message! Psalm 13 is an individual psalm written to be prayed, sung or spoken in a corporate setting. It's a psalm of lament that contains a 4 word prayer that has perhaps passed through the lips of every God-follower throughout the ages. "How long, O Lord?" How long will you be silent? How long will you be absent? How long will you abandon me? How long before you sho...

Send me a Text Message! Psalm 8 contain the words of a person filled with wonder because of the creative power of God. They are drop-jaw, knock-kneed, heart-filled from gazing on the wonders of God. But here's the catch...out of all the wonders of creation, you are His greatest masterpiece. You are not junk. You are the beloved masterpiece of God. He can't take His eyes off of you. Take...

Send me a Text Message! One thing I love about the writers of the psalms is that they bring their real self to the game. They don't try to hide the pain or the doubt. They don't sanitize the language. They bring their real self. Psalm 5 is a prayer of lament...and yet it is carries within it the seed of hope. Can you have both in the same soul at the same time? Listen and see.

Send me a Text Message! The word that I cannot escape in Psalm 1 is the word "blessing." Psalm 1 is a description of the blessed life, the way of blessing, like a tree planted by the streams, roots deep, full of fruit, thriving. We'll take some time in this episode and ponder the path of blessing as it's described throughout scripture!

Send me a Text Message! The psalms are the longest book of the Bible, 150 chapters, half or more written by David. And if there is one thing I appreciate about David, above all others, it is his heart to persevere, his heart of endurance. Through some of the most difficult days, we can imagine, he never gave up hope. That heart of hope is found scattered throughout the Psalms. This podcast will in...

Send me a Text Message! After a year+ long recording pause, we are back to another chapter in the More Than Bread series. This chapter will take a look at my top 40 Psalms. But first a reminder for why we are doing this podcast; it's all about the value of the WORD.

Send me a Text Message! How do I gain momentum in my spiritual life? If you have never experienced a sense of being stuck in your spiritual life, this question may not interest you. On the other hand, if you have never felt stuck, someday you will. It happens to all of us. In those times how do we gain momentum back in our spiritual life? This episode will review Mark's gospel, but near the e...

Send me a Text Message! How do I stop living an in-between life? Now that's a bit of a strange question. You'll understand it a bit more as you listen to this episode. But the disciples in-between the cross and resurrection were living in the in-between; in-between hopeless and hopeful. For a time, they were stuck. When we feel stuck, how do we move forward. In this last section of Mark&...

Send me a Text Message! Do people see Jesus in me? The cross of Christ was a moment in history that defined history. A moment when God showed us His love, His power, His grace, and His presence in a deeply impactful way. But Paul would later describe a way of living that only the cross made possible. There is a way of living so intimately connected to Christ that we are crucified with Christ. And...

Send me a Text Message! Why the cross? Many people today who love Jesus, are offended by the cross. I've heard that question so many times, "why the cross?" It is disturbing that God the Father would send his Son to be crucified. It is disturbing that God would a price, such a price, would need to be paid for our redemption. There are many ways to look at the cross; it's mean i...

Send me a Text Message! Does Jesus still love me when I fail? That's such an important question and one that at least some of us have wrestled with at times in our life. Can he still use me? Am I still on the team? Can Jesus still love me when I fail? We will find the answer in the heart that Jesus shows toward Peter after his greatest failure. With all my heart, I believe that Jesus looks at...

Send me a Text Message! Have I ever experienced a love-burst? AND What is the motivating passion of my life? These are the questions that we ponder as we read the first part of Mark 14.  And most of our time will be spent focusing on another story of extravagant generosity that touched the heart of Jesus. It was love-burst of a woman that in some ways points the way to the ultimate love-burst of G...

Send me a Text Message! Is this the end? I can't tell you how many times I've been asked that question, especially in the last couple of years. Specifically, the question I get asked is "Are we living in the end times?" Mark 13 is all about the end of time, the culmination of history which leads to a whole new chapter of God's story for God's people. But as we dive in...

Send me a Text Message! What is extravagant generosity? How can I touch the heart of God? How do I love God and love my neighbor? These are the questions that this episode will dive into. It's a lot, but the story that Jesus shares of a woman who gave one of the world's greatest gifts is up to the task. We begin with the call to love God and love our neighbors (the two greatest commandme...

Send me a Text Message! Why do people reject Jesus? That's an interesting question isn't it. I think there is more than one reason, but at the heart of it are issues of control, trust and surrender. But in the end, perhaps the more important question is, "Why doesn't God reject us?" I'll give the answer before you even listen, it's that important. God doesn'...

Send me a Text Message! Where is your sacred space? Mark 11 contains two unique outbursts of Jesus all centered around the question of sacred space. Where is your sacred space? We are all hungry for God's presence and when we encounter His presence, that place becomes sacred space. Mark 11 has good news and bad news for those who seek sacred space. The bad news is that God cannot be put in a...

Send me a Text Message! What one thing do I lack? Imagine Jesus sitting across the table. You're having a cup of coffee and he says to you, "You only lack one thing in your life? If you had that one thing, your life would be off the charts thriving." Wouldn't you want to know what that one-thing was? When he told you what one-thing you lack...at that point the question turns to...