When my wife and I saw the movie  Unsung Hero , I didn't know what to expect. I knew very little about the film. A family member highly recommended it, so we went, and it was worth the price of admission. Why? It was a great reminder of how Christian faith and sacrifice go together. They are inseparable. In the movie, a husband and his pregnant wife must make the tough choice of moving away from family and friends to help start a new beginning. They left the place they knew (Australia) and went to a strange land - we call the United States. I'm not going to divulge too much of the movie content (I don't want to be that guy), but I will share that the journey was difficult, with moments of struggling to hang on to their faith and sanity. Can you  relate ? There were tough choices, and the family had to learn to live without. Most importantly, everyone had to understand that it's not about what they want. The story's catalyst was the mom; she lived out her faith by sa...

 When our Lord Jesus went into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He initiated a conversation with His disciples that would forever change their perception of their teacher and themselves as His followers (Matthew 16:13-20). Jesus begins by asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (v.13). His followers offer various answers, referring to past prophets of God. Jesus challenges His disciples further and asks, “But who do You say I am?” (v.15). Boldy, Simon Peter replies, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v.16). In His response to Peter’s accurate proclamation, Jesus would explain this was divine truth brought by His Father in heaven (v.17) and the new identity of His faithful – His church. Jesus asserts to Peter and all the disciples: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.   And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of ...

How many of you would classify your life as “busy”? Okay, so everyone got it. When others ask how you are doing or how it is going, this is often the answer - busy. Many of us wouldn’t necessarily say that it is neither good nor bad; it is just part of our daily lives. The busy home, work, and social life is a list that can continue to grow. Everyone is busy because we always need to accomplish a task or something we want to do – and wouldn’t it be nice if they were the same? Every generation would like to think they invented a  busy lifestyle,  and prior generations don’t understand the pressures of their busy modern culture. Although lifestyles throughout history have changed, being active (busy) and fulfilling obligations have existed since creation.  In Genesis, we read in the creation account that God gave Adam duties to accomplish (Genesis 2:8-15). Further, our Creator would create a helper, Eve, to join in her husband’s (Adam) busy and active life in the garden (Ge...

I had the privilege of facilitating a  Parent and Child Dedication  class to help prepare parents for our  Parent and Child Dedication  event on Mother’s Day. The idea is to help parents understand two fundamental truths about parenting—they are to be the spiritual leaders in their homes, and partnering with their local church community is an essential resource in their family’s spiritual journey. As a practical way to show we (the church) care for their family’s spiritual foundation, they can choose a Bible. The hope is that parents will begin to see the value of having God’s Word accessible in their homes and build a spiritual foundation upon these truths. Our church places a high value on providing access to Scripture. Whether you walk through the front doors of Sunday morning or attend our Children’s or Student Ministries, if you, your child, or student need a Bible, all you need to do is ask. The psalmist declares God’s Word is a “lamp for my feet and light on m...

 As Spring progresses, there is a gradual buildup of anticipation of Summer. Many of us look forward to what is ahead. However, there are struggles and difficulties in patience and waiting for what is to come. We all live in this tension – the anticipation of good things yet the need to be patient and wait. As you know, this tension can be exciting yet scary. We are excited about what we hope and think might happen, yet we also have apprehension because we do not  know  what will happen. So, how do we manage the in-between , the looking forward and practicing patience? In his gospel account, Luke introduces two people who show us how to manage the in-between yet still look forward in great anticipation of great things ahead. Simeon was looking forward to Israel’s consolation (Luke 2:25). Anna was looking forward (like many of the Jews) to the redemption of Jerusalem (v.38). Both prophets were looking forward to the arrival of the promised Messiah (v.26). Notice how Script...

Do you have a  trigger  word or statement that initiates an emotion or response? It is a popular topic; a Google search provides 655,000,000 results. Most of the results are to help initiate a positive outcome and aid in choosing the correct trigger words. I often tell the children in our K-5 ministry that your words and actions matter. What you say to others matters, and how you treat others matters. How about our response to the words we hear – does that matter? The obvious answer is yes, but not only for treating others in a god-honoring way with our words – Christians should also consider how we respond to His teachings regarding our actions. The apostle Luke accounts for the early church's work, the response of new believers who heard about the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus (Acts 2:42-47). First, notice the reaction of the people who listened to the message of the Apostle Peter - "those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day a...

My sons told me something that was both complimentary and scary. On one occasion, one of my boys acknowledged how patient I am—whether with people or a situation. He told me I am the most patient person he knows. Wow. At a separate time, while having lunch with another son, he told me that I have a genuine compassion for people. Again, wow. Let me share that these two statements were very humbling and touching, and I must confess, they gave me a daunting reminder of the keen observation of both my actions and words by others—especially my family. This statement is not a revelation to me or you. Those of you who are parents know that our children will mimic what we say and do. We (parents) are cautious when our kids are younger and not as diligent when they are older. My young adult sons reminded me that this observation never stops while we are here on Earth. Our words and actions matter – whether you are a parent or not because people are watching and learning from you. As Christ-foll...