Today, we continue the second week of the Advent season with our focus on peace. Jesus spoke the following words in John 14:27 just hours before He was arrested and sent to the cross: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do…
The Advent season continues, that ancient tradition of preparing our hearts to celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas. We now move into the second week, whose theme is peace, and that will be our focus all week here at “Change Begins in You.” When God promised a Prince of Peace in Isaiah 9:6, Israel…
Today, we continue the first week of the Advent season with our focus on hope. In Revelation 21, we read about the day that our hope becomes sight. Apostle John writes, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth… And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem… And I heard a loud voice…
Today, we continue the first week of the Advent season with our focus on hope. We read in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” Notice Apostle Paul’s prayer. He prays not…
With the coming of the last Sunday of November, we are officially into the Advent season, that ancient tradition of preparing our hearts to celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas. The first week of Advent focuses on hope, and that will be our focus all week here at “Change Begins in You.” We read…
Do you ever feel scattered in your life? Boy, I do. As a husband of a very outgoing and active wife, a father of five children who are involved in all sorts of good things, and a pastor of a church with several hundred people, my life often feels scattered. Sometimes I feel like I’m…
As I child, I remember one of my greatest fears was losing my family and being left all alone. That’s a pretty scary thought for a child, isn’t it? But let’s be honest, it’s a pretty scary thought for an adult also. In fact, Jesus’ grown-up disciples struggled with this fear, concerning His departure. Jesus…
In a world of constant change, where relationships shift and circumstances fluctuate, we anchor our souls in this truth: God’s love for His people never wavers. The psalmist declared in Psalm 100, “For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” The prophet in Lamentations 3 beautifully said,…
A couple of weeks ago, my family made quick trip up to Terre Haute, Indiana to see my oldest son. It’s an 11 hour drive, and we usually break it up by stopping over about halfway in Bowling Green, Kentucky. And that’s what we did on the way up, but on the way back, we…
Do you ever wonder why things happen the way that do? We may never fully understand why, but for those who believe the Bible, we can trust that God’s hidden hand is there weaving it all together for His good purposes. Theologically, we call this divine providence. And Genesis 42-47 unfolds one of Scripture’s most…