Cannot Afford to Tithe

Recently, someone told me that they “cannot afford to tithe.” I remember those days—the days when I thought I could not part with the money or the bills wouldn’t get paid. But I also remember the moment I got my finances in order, when I started to take a serious look at where the money … Continue reading Cannot Afford to Tithe →

Colossians Study: Ministry to Maturity

[Colossians 1:21-29] 1) Must stay DEEPLY ROOTED and FIRM IN FAITH (v. 23a) 2) Must NOT GIVE UP HOPE received (v. 23b) Warn every manTeach every man all wisdomPresent every man mature in Christ 3) Must PREACH COMPLETE MESSAGE (v. 25) plērōsai (play-ro'-o) Fulfill, complete, to make full, full to individual capacity In its fullness … Continue reading Colossians Study: Ministry to Maturity →

Colossians Study: Lord Of All

[Colossians 1:15-20] LORD is most used NT term to identify Jesus (over 600 times) Savior only used about 25 times in NT Jesus is Lord (Kurios Iesous) – Creedal Affirmation / Confession of faithJesus is a Lord – many of the Colossians accepted Jesus as a Lord—but it’s different from Him being the They gave … Continue reading Colossians Study: Lord Of All →

Colossians Study: The Will of God

[Colossians 1:9-14] Prayed for: “Wise minds and spirits attuned to His will” [MSG] “All the wisdom & understanding that His Spirit gives” [CEV] “God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding” [NLT] Prayed for: Practical Obedience (1:10) – Knowledge & obedience go together True spiritual wisdom … Continue reading Colossians Study: The Will of God →

Colossians Study: The Gospel Truth

[Colossians 1:1-8] The Gospel is… Good News of God (v. 5)The Word of Truth (v. 6)The Message of God’s Grace (v. 6)Centered in a person – Jesus (v. 4)Universal – It is for the whole world (v. 6)Humanly transmitted (v. 7)Productive – Multiplies (v. 6) People believed. People were discipled. People were faithful in Christ. … Continue reading Colossians Study: The Gospel Truth →

Reserved Hope

Reservations are great. It is awesome when you can make a reservation to be sure you have a spot. I remember reserving particular classes. I enjoy reserving a hotel room so I know when I’m traveling that I have the comfort of a nice room waiting for me. My son loves to reserve new video … Continue reading Reserved Hope →

Drawn to Him

When you look at Luke 15, there are three parables Jesus told. The Parable of the Lost Sheep speaks of seeking out this one lost sheep. There were 99 sheep left in open country to hunt down this one lost sheep. In the Parable of the Lost Coin, there was one coin lost. The woman … Continue reading Drawn to Him →

Fit and Qualified

I can ramble off a list of things I can do, thing I am qualified to do because of some training or experience. I’m sure you have some certificates stashed away that say you are qualified to do particular tasks. But when it comes to serving God’s Kingdom, none of us is qualified to serve—God … Continue reading Fit and Qualified →

Absolute Trust

It is difficult to trust people. I see young children with so much trust of their parents. Like this past weekend, I saw photos of children holding sparklers with their father or mother guiding their hands. The kids trust their parents. They have confidence that their parents want their best and that they are looking … Continue reading Absolute Trust →

More Than a Story: Fruitfulness

[The Unproductive Fig Tree: Luke 13:6-9, Withered Fig Tree: Matthew 21:18-22] Colossians 1:9-10 – “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that … Continue reading More Than a Story: Fruitfulness →