Focal Passage: Luke 7:1-10 A humble faith: In my observation, one of the greatest life struggles is often faith. I think that the reasons for that reality are many, but often stem from human disappointment. In my forty plus years of ministry I have seen people with incredible faith, but I have seen more people that struggled everyday with their faith journey. We live in a very self-sufficient, science-based world
Focal Passage: Genesis 9:1-15 Rebranding is a common theme in the business world. Once a product has hit the market and an initial run has met with success, a company will pull the product off the market, tweak it, repackage it, do a new sales campaign, and then re-release the rebranded product to be sold again, often at a higher price. Rebranding takes a worn-out or broken product, reshapes it,
Focal Passage: Psalm 10:1-4,12-18 Where are you Lord? The psalmist begins this passage with the question of God’s distance from him. I have heard so many people, even Christians for that matter, often speak of God seeming distant from them. They often say, “I don’t see God in my circumstance.” This is not an emotion that was unfamiliar even for the biblical writer. In Psalm 22:11 the psalmist pleads, “Do
Focal Passage: Genesis 8:10-22 While stories in Scripture detail the actions of various characters, such as Noah during the time of the Flood, these stories always reflect the nature and character of God. Two traits of God are revealed during the time of the Flood and the faithfulness of Noah. First, the power of God to unleash the torrents of water to undo the vast Creation that He had made,
Focal Passage: Luke 5:1-11 Hearing God’s Word. In Luke 5:1-3 we find Jesus on the shore of Lake Gennesaret or the Sea of Galilee. I live on Fort Loudon Lake, but it is often called the Tennessee River, Ish Creek, or just Loudon. Sometimes theologians and historians get caught up with details, but the simple truth is that different bodies of water were given different names depending on what person
Focal Passage: Genesis 6:13-22; 7:20-24 While working in my office one morning, the FBI came to my door. That got my heart racing. He told me the FBI had received a “credible threat” made by the KKK against an event that I and others were planning at our courthouse for MLK Day. He came to warn us. We made plans because of that warning. The result was lots of police,
Focal Passage: Psalm 91:1-6, 9-16 My God in whom I trust: For a person to really trust someone they must understand who that person is. That is why the psalmist (most likely Moses) states that our protection is provided by the Most High. The word “Most High” denotes the One that is the very highest. He is above all other gods and is the One they must all go up
Focal Passage: Genesis 4:1-15 It was like any Sunday. As I made my way through the sanctuary, greeting people who had arrived early for worship, I reluctantly stopped to check in with the deacons milling around in the back. I knew what was coming. I asked who was taking the offering that day and who would be leading the offertory prayer. They shuffled their feet and looked down until one
Focal Passage: Jeremiah 23:5-6, Romans 3:10-13, 21-26 The Righteous Branch of David: The prophet Jeremiah begins this passage with, “Look, the days are coming.” Jeremiah opened with this same statement on 15 other occasions. Even though Jeremiah was known as the “weeping prophet,” he was given the task of bringing hope to God’s people. It is important to note that it is God who initiated the hope and also God
Focal Passage: Luke 2:1-15 My wife and I decided to collect Nativity sets early in our marriage. We would add to our collection from wherever we traveled, or if we found a unique set. Some would be to look at, others to use to tell the story of Jesus to others, while still others were for our children and now grandchildren to play with. One year, as my wife and
Focal Passage: Luke 7:1-10 A humble faith: In my observation, one of the greatest life struggles is often faith. I think that the reasons for
Focal Passage: Genesis 9:1-15 Rebranding is a common theme in the business world. Once a product has hit the market and an initial run has
Focal Passage: Psalm 10:1-4,12-18 Where are you Lord? The psalmist begins this passage with the question of God’s distance from him. I have heard so
Focal Passage: Genesis 8:10-22 While stories in Scripture detail the actions of various characters, such as Noah during the time of the Flood, these stories
Focal Passage: Luke 5:1-11 Hearing God’s Word. In Luke 5:1-3 we find Jesus on the shore of Lake Gennesaret or the Sea of Galilee. I
Focal Passage: Genesis 6:13-22; 7:20-24 While working in my office one morning, the FBI came to my door. That got my heart racing. He told
Focal Passage: Psalm 91:1-6, 9-16 My God in whom I trust: For a person to really trust someone they must understand who that person is.
Focal Passage: Genesis 4:1-15 It was like any Sunday. As I made my way through the sanctuary, greeting people who had arrived early for worship,
Focal Passage: Jeremiah 23:5-6, Romans 3:10-13, 21-26 The Righteous Branch of David: The prophet Jeremiah begins this passage with, “Look, the days are coming.” Jeremiah
Focal Passage: Luke 2:1-15 My wife and I decided to collect Nativity sets early in our marriage. We would add to our collection from wherever
