Focal Passage: Exodus 5:1-4; 6:2-9  People crave freedom. Unfortunately, many desire an auto- cracy where they answer to no one but themselves. In the poem, “Invictus,” William Ernest Henley declared, “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” Ironically, I have most often heard this poem read over dead men’s caskets. Pharaoh proved to be such a man.  Pharaoh quickly admitted (Exodus 5:2) that

Focal Passage: Exodus 2:23-25; 3:7-15  “But you promised! Remember?” Have you ever been reminded of a promise made in a moment of desperation that you had quickly forgotten? Whether is was part of negotiating with your child for better behavior or better grades, it clearly meant more to them than it did to you!  Did you notice in Exodus 2 that it was God who remembered His promise? After 430

Focal Passage: Acts 26:19-29  There are many things in life that demand a response. We are faced with these things each and every day of our lives. Some of them are small things that alter our lives very little. Then there are the big things that completely change the direction and outcome of our very existence. And of course, there is everything in the middle, each having varying effects on

Focal Passage: Acts 22:7-21  I can remember growing up and how I loved getting together as a family for the holidays and other occasions. It was a special time and the evenings were my favorite.  That’s when everyone would share stories. Some were funny, some were sad, but all of them were interesting. You can learn so much from just listening. You can also discover things about your heritage and

Focal Passage: Acts 20:18-32  One of the hardest things a parent has to do is to release a child into the world to face life on their own. No longer are we be able to shield them from the harsh realities, heartaches and heartbreaks of the fallen world in which we live.  No longer can we stand guard at the door of their lives and fight off those who would

Focal Passage: Acts 19:11-20  Many people have this idea that the outcome of a situation is all that matters. In other words, the end justifies the means. But God doesn’t see it that way.  He looks at it from all views — the beginning, the end and everything in between. It is important to Him in how we begin. It is important to Him as to how we go about

Focal Passage: Acts 18:1-11, 18-21  Over the years serving in ministry, I wish I had a dime for every time I heard the excuse, “I don’t have to be in church on Sunday to worship God. I can worship God anywhere.” While this is true because we can worship God anywhere, there is something that we miss in practice.  There is something special in being with other believers and worshiping

Focal Passage: Acts 17:22-34  Idolatry is something we don’t think about often, but it is very real and it’s all around us. Most people are not even aware of its presence would tell you they do not idolize anything. But if we were honest and looked closer, we might discover that we do.  Some might discover we value having money and self-sufficiency. Others might value recreational enjoyment. Still others might

Focal Passage: Acts 16:11-15, 29-40  God has a way of getting us to where He wants us to go. Often, we think we have an idea of what God wants us to do only to find out that we are so off the mark that we are left clueless and completely confused and bewildered.  If only I could count the many times, I have heard people say, “Pastor, I really

Focal Passage: Acts 15:39-16:10  Sometimes things happen, which at the time, seems to be devastating. However, later we discover was the best thing that could have happened. Let me give you an example. There was a church that was strong and healthy in the community in which I lived. It was an evangelical church, and had a strong presence in our town.  An issue arose over the use of musical