Each and every one of us is blind to something our lives. Just as Bartimaeus, we have a choice. Do we sit by the side of the road and beg or do we cry out to Jesus for mercy? More important, how do we react when Jesus calls us?
This week I have a question for you. What offends you? More important, take some time and ask why it offends you? Are you more worried about offending the world, or offending God?
Many people are put off by the blood and guts of Old Testament books like Leviticus and Deuteronomy. When I see the sacrifies and rituals, I don't just see the blood and guts. I see what it takes to allow people to live in the presence of God.
God asks us to do many things. But have you gotten the "hard ask" from God? Has God called you to do something truly difficult?
We all know the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. But is that story still relevant today? Do christians bow the knee to the world's golden idols?
Do you remember Paul Harvey and his tagline, the rest of the story? Many people read Epheseans 5 or Colossions 3 and think that God hates women. Today, we will take a look at the rest of the story.
As we celebrate Christmas, join me as we follow an Engel Family tradition. We'll read the story of Christ's birth in Luke chapter 2, and expand on the thought that the great shepherd was born dependent on His sheep.
This week we ask a simple question. What is more important, what you say or what you do? That's not the question. The question we answer today is do we act like that, or are we just saying so?
David was a man after God's own heart. That does not mean he never acted cotrary to God's will. When David called for a census without God asking for it, many of his people suffered and died. This led David to move from arrogance to humility.
This week, we celebrate Thanksgiving. We have quite a lot to give thanks for, but as I was reading in the Gospel of Mark, I was struck something that made me think there is more to be thankful for that we think of at first.
The miracles of creation are all around us, but how often do you take the time to see it? From the beauty of a flower to the natural laws that make everything work, the miracles of God's creation should be awe inspiring. Today, I want to tkae a look not only at a few of these laws, but how we can find them in unexpected places.
This week we will answer Cain's question "Am I my brother's keeper?" We'll look for that answer in Ezekiel chapter 3, and the question of the duty we have as watchmen.
This week, we look at a time that Israel lost the ark of the covenent, the symbol of God's presence. We also look at what symbolizes God's presence in out lives today, and what we can learn about how we treat it in our lives.
As a teacher and preacher, James warns me that I shall receive a stricter judgement (James 3:1). Think of the burden that service, any service, places on the server. Are you prepared to carry the mantle of servcie? How can you prepare to carry that burden better.
This week, we look at the story of a man of God, the message he delivered, and what happened when he failed to follow the word that God had given him.
There is plenty of advice in Scripture about seeking counsel. From Moses' Father in law to the Apostle Paul, we see not only advice about counsel, but examples of both good and bad counsel. Today, we look at not only seeking counsel, but testing it to see if it is good.
Interpreting God's Word is something mankind has done since Genesis 2. Today I want to look at a command God gave to Saul, then how Saul thought he had fulfilled it.
As Samuel's life was coming to a close, Israel wanted a king. Not simply to judge them as Samuel had, but to be like the other nations. Christians today often orgnize themselves and their churches to be like the other groups rather than to be ruled by God.
Before I became a follower of Christ, I encountered Scripture in society without even knowing it. Today, I want to take one of those examples, the song "Turn, Turn, Turn", which is an almost exact quote from Ecclesiaties, Chapter 3