faith
This is The Way – Devo Day 47
In the Middle of a Cultural Pivot 13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding…
This is The Way – Devo Day 44
My Refuge, My Fortress, My God 1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a…
This is The Way – Devo Day 42
Num – Psalm 119:105-112 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 (ESV) It is clear that the psalmist wasn’t sure where to step as he walked the road of life. Unsure whether the ground he was about to step on was solid. He did not know where to step without the Word of God. This word picture is significant because he sees life as a dark and dangerous way that…
This is The Way – Devo Day 34
Yesterday (Psalm 119:81-88) the psalmist said that the hardships he was experiencing and the adversaries that opposed him ALMOST wiped out his faith. But, by the end of the stanza, he has reasserted his confidence and dependence on the Word of God. It was a sobering reminder that our faith is always under attack. Satan didn’t tempt Adam and Eve to commit a sin; he only tempted them to doubt His Word. So what is faith anyway? Faith is the…
Love Gave Me Hope
Even though there is no command in the New Testament to celebrate Christmas, we happily join with millions of Christians around the world in celebrating the birth of our Savior – “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!” The familiar carol also reminds us that, “the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”But what hope was bound up in Jesus’ birth that starry night? Our hope is founded in two facts 1) Jesus (God…
Galatians #breakingchains
The Apostle Paul makes a passionate defense of the essential nature of the Gospel and the grace of God in his letter to the Galatians. In his letter, Paul earnestly maintains that the true Gospel of Christ involves freedom from legalism and freedom from the power of sin. Come and experience true freedom by living by the law of Christ (love and grace) and living dependent on the Holy Spirit. #breakingchains
Urban Legends – debunking spiritual myths
SPOILER ALERT – Elvis has not been in the witness protection program since 1977, Mr. Rogers was not a Navy seal and Walt Disney is not cryogenically frozen waiting for medical technology to bring him back to life. Those are all urban legends. Unfortunately, so are some of the things that Christians believe. We’re going to carefully look at what the Scriptures say about some pretty commonly held beliefs. Don’t be offended by the topic list. Instead, come and evaluate…
REBAR – What’s holding your faith together?
When we were planning this series on the basic underpinnings of the Christian faith the image of a building’s foundation came to mind. I’ve been involved with construction projects most of my life and I quickly learned that it is critical to build on a solid foundation. Most get inpatient just working on the stuff that’s below ground. Stuff that no one sees but that everything depends on. The most common foundation material is concrete. But concrete by itself is not suitable for…
Killing Kryptonite
You Can Destroy What Steals Your Strength Just like Superman, who can leap over any hurdle and defeat every foe, followers of Christ have the supernatural ability to conquer the challenges we face. But the problem for both Superman and us is there’s a kryptonite that steals our strength. Of course, both Superman and kryptonite are fictional. But spiritual kryptonite is not. In Killing Kryptonite, John Bevere reveals what this kryptonite is, why it’s compromising our communities, and how to…
AM I DREAMING?
Growing up as a boy north of Chicago I was, of course, a Cub fan. I still have an autographed baseball from the 1963 Cubbies when they were only winning half their games on my bookshelf. I never played baseball competitively but to me, as a boy, baseball and summer were synonymous. There was a game almost everyday in the neighborhood and I can still almost hear the call of the games over the radio and Harry Cary signing “Take…
Chase the Lion (small group study)
Small Group starting Wednesday, 10/26, at 6:30pm When the image of a man-eating beast travels through the optic nerve and into the visual cortex, the brain sends the body a simple but urgent message: run away! That’s what normal people do, but not lion chasers. Rather than seeing a five hundred pound problem, they see an opportunity for God to show up and show His power. “Chase the Lion” is more than a catch phrase; it’s a radically different approach…
Believe – sermon series
What we believe and why matters. Most people don’t realize how their beliefs shape them and their life. What we believe changes the way we perceive the world around us What we believe impacts the way we think What we believe influences the choices we make What we believe is revealed in the way we act and live What we believe guides our relationships What we believe is the basis for our self image and value What we believe shapes…