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What Are You Thinking About?

“The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” Jesus, Luke 6:45 “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the...

Why Do We Read the Bible?

We spend a great deal of time in our classes and services reading the Bible. Have you ever wondered why? Perhaps not, but since I am writing this article, let me tell you what I think anyway. 🙂 Scripture carries with it a profound strength and power in my life. It...

The Place of Blessing

Over the past couple of years I have heard a lot of talk, and been a part of many conversations about how difficult these past few years have been. While reflecting on our current sermon series and how God is present with us always, I was reminded this week about the...

The Part In The Middle

We have just come out of Advent, the Christmas season, thinking about the birth of Jesus and the great blessings that truth brings to the world. This past Tuesday, in a staff meeting, we took a look at the calendar and began to think about how, in just a few short...

What Are We Doing Here?

When Jesus prays, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” he was sincere and sober in his petition.  What we see in the world around us is a clash of kingdoms. The Kingdom of God is contested by the kingdoms of the world and the desires of...

Refracting the Light of Christmas

“Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” – Phillips Brooks Merry Christmas, one and all! We have journeyed through the season of Advent, a time of preparation, anticipation, and hope. On...

Embracing Joy

Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who specialized in palliative care, that special calling of caring for the dying. She spent her professional life with people during the final three to twelve weeks of their lives. Over the years, she asked her patients about any...

Of Fear and Faith

Fear. We are haunted by it. Macro-fears, such as world war, nuclear bombs, corrupt government officials, economic collapse, and another pandemic, haunt us by day. Personal fears, such as loss of loved ones, unemployment, death, and worries about our children, keep us...

In Remembrance of Joella

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his...

The Power of Seasons

First, let me acknowledge that as a Southern California native, I haven’t really experienced four seasons in an annual, sustained way. I have, however, traveled sufficiently and seen enough pictures of fall colors and first snowfall to be able to say that I’m a big...