Meet Me in the Word: Bible Study with Pastor Tim

Send Tim a note What if I told you that God actively looks throughout the earth for those whose hearts are fully committed to him? In 2 Chronicles 16:9 the LORD says as much.  What if I also told you that living your life wholeheartedly for Jesus didn’t mean you were missing out on anything at all, at least nothing that really matters.  One of the myths people still hold about living in the Jesus...

Send Tim a note When was the last time you tried to think about infinity? It’s sort of a crazy thing but I remember doing it quite a bit as a kid.  I remember getting into ridiculous debates with friends about who was the smartest or fastest or could eat the most of whatever.  We’d start with “normal” numbers then someone would be a goofball and say a million or billion and someone else would say...

Send Tim a note The best way to cure yourself of turning Bible characters into heroes is to read about them.  While you’re thinking about that, I’ll confess to you that while I was reading the passage this morning, I thought, “seriously?” more than once.  Scripture is like that.  It compels us to consider whether or not something is there as an example to us or if it is merely something that happe...

Send Tim a note Our faith is more than a creed, it’s a way of life. We are saved by grace through faith, and life is freely given to all who believe but there’s a cost to following Jesus. The full life comes to those who are willing to live wholeheartedly and as a result, inconveniently.  Sometimes living in the Jesus way means giving up the comfort of home, time, and certainly a life that keeps u...

Send Tim a note How do you like people to remember you?  I think most of us want people to think about our better moments rather than our low points. Think about the time I helped you come to a better understanding of your own faith NOT the time I got baited into a useless debate.  You know, that kind of thing. We’re in Psalm 25, it’s the one where, amongst other things, David asks God to remember...

Send Tim a note What do you do when you come across a passage of scripture that feels so dry you can hardly make your way through it?  You start skimming over details and names that are hard to sound out and kind of wonder what kind of encouragement you’re supposed to take from this.  What’s the spiritual insight here? I’ll do my best to answer those kinds of questions and I’ll give you five easy...

Send Tim a note The story we tell ourselves about ourselves matters quite a bit. I’ll let that thought sink in for just a moment.  It’s a statement about identity and I believe that it can shape our daily lives dramatically.  So, what do the Scriptures say about that? Who does Jesus say we really are? We’re in Romans 8:9-17, the part of the letter where Paul teaches us more about the life-changing...

Send Tim a note Following Jesus rarely looks like a detailed set of instructions from IKEA (there’s a joke in there somewhere).  There may be moments like that but most of the time, God asks us to do two things: trust Him and use discernment. We’re in Genesis 24, the part of the story when Abraham sends off his senior servant to find a wife for Isaac.  Support the show For a reading plan and to le...

Send Tim a note Sometimes spiritual lessons show up from the most unlikely of people.  We expect to learn from people who have studied for years and look the part but then someone who doesn’t fit those expectations comes along and undeniably demonstrates faith, even humility. No, I’m not actually talking about the poorly dressed, unbathed person that darkens the door of a pristine church. We’re in...

Send Tim a note Sometimes the difference between discouragement and awestruck wonder is a tilt of the head. Knowing yourself is important.  People that lack self-awareness tend to blunder badly.  Gaining a new perspective on life usually means a willingness to shift our gaze. Spend your life looking at yourself and you’ll see your own issues. Spend your life looking at God, and you’ll find a new h...

Send Tim a note "Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something". That, of course, is a quote from the Princess Bride when Westley responds to Princess Buttercup’s complaint, "You mock my pain.” And it’s true to an extent.  Life is hard and if we don’t acknowledge and process the hard stuff, we aren’t likely to live a healthy, full life. The other side is a...

Send Tim a note Have you ever wished there was a manual for how to do life?  If you just thought, “there is one!  It’s called the Bible!”  you’d have a pretty good point. But… if you’ve ever come to the Scripture and thought things like “this is overwhelming” or “this is too high of a standard to live by” or “I keep trying and I keep failing” you’ve come across a very important truth.  This isn’t...

Send Tim a note If you’ve ever lost someone close to you, you know that grief has a life of its own.  If you’ve ever been an executor of a will, you know that the logistics of someone’s life can add complication to that grief. That’s the situation we find Abraham in, here in Genesis 23 after his wife, Sarah, has passed away. We also get to look into the dynamics of Ancient Near East transactions a...

Send Tim a note Did you know that you don’t have to have it all together to get God’s attention?  Well, now you do.  It’s true, Jesus is worthy of our honor and respect and yet he constantly invites in people like you and me who are ill prepared, confused, but know that we need his restorative touch on our lives. We’re in Matthew 8:1-4, the part of the story when Jesus meets someone who probably m...

Send Tim a note The trouble with drinking out of a firehose is that most of the water makes mud. Of course, we use that phrase to compliment a teacher or book that is rich in content and sometimes we need that kind of learning experience.  If you’re anything like me, though, you do better with a teacher who understands your learning capacity and leads you accordingly.  We’ll reflect on that as wel...

Send Tim a note If I could sum up the book of Joshua in 3 phrases it might sound something like this: Don’t be afraid.  Do everything the LORD commands you to do. The LORD will fight for you.  Those themes echo throughout the book. We’re in Joshua 11, the part of the story where Israel faces the armies of the North and we see those 3 themes in action.  Also, what’s the deal with hamstringing horse...

Send Tim a note What if I told you that you don’t have to have it all together?  In fact, until we recognize our own angst and wrestle with living out our faith including our frustrations and shortcomings, we’re likely minimizing the power of the Spirit and of grace in our lives. We’re in Romans 7:7-25, the part of the letter where Paul shares his own struggles in the pursuit of Christlike spiritu...

Send Tim a note I’ve had the privilege of being present when people have committed their lives to Jesus, either for the first time or in renewal.  In some cases, they express something a lot like, “Jesus, everything I have and am is Yours.”  Honestly, it’s quite moving and in my experience, it’s been sincere.  A moment of surrender, though, gets tested through the course of life.  Sincerity meets...

Send Tim a note How are you using what you know? It is important for us to learn and take in knowledge but it’s more important that we act on the knowledge we already have. We’re in Matthew 7:13-29, the closing sections of the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus called his listeners to use discernment and put his teachings into practice.  How can you know if a teacher is pulling you the wrong direction...

Send Tim a note What do you hope people will say about you in future generations? I know, that’s a rather lofty idea to think any of us are THAT important but indulge me a moment. When enough time has passed that some of the details have slipped out of people’s consciousness and only the defining traits remain.  What are they?  We’re in Psalm 22, a psalm that gives us depth of emotion and several...

Send Tim a note Did you know that obedience gets easier with practice?  Well, now you do.  That first battle with temptation takes courage to win so we should celebrate it. There may be some mistakes along the way but if we don’t give up, if we keep coming back to Jesus with soft hearts and that desire to become more like Him, He will give us victory. Then we can trade in the rhythm of sin for the...

Send Tim a note Have you ever been in a situation where you knew it was time to move on but you were struggling with guilt because you have a strong dose of loyalty running through your veins? Don’t overhear that, I’m not advocating for the quick version of cutting people out of your life.  Some of you, though, are so loyal to old things that you need some firm permission to move on to God’s best...

Send Tim a note What does an answered prayer look like?  After the waiting is done and God said “yes” to your request, was it what you expected?  I believe the LORD keeps His promises and hears us when we pray.  I also believe that it rarely looks the same as how we imagined it when we asked. We’re in Genesis 21, the part of the story when God fulfills his promise to Abraham and Sarah and then ......

Send Tim a note Do you ever find yourself hesitating to ask God for what you truly need?  Of course, things that disagree with the Bible aren’t what we should request.  Our hearts should align with His. Beyond that, sometimes we can talk ourselves out of seeking God’s best for us for a variety of reasons.  We think we’re not worthy.  We believe God has bigger priorities than us. We anticipate that...

Send Tim a note Take a moment and think about your best day.  What role did God have in your life that day?  Some of you have had several best days, if that’s you, then thank God for that kind of fullness in your life. It can be easy for us to sort of forget about God when life is going well.  We look at our success and credit our work ethic, talent, or intelligence and minimize the role God playe...