But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. -Isaiah 53:5 Good Friday Pierced by nails driven into his body, his body bleeding out and no one would tend to his wounds. He was crushed by the weight of the...
Read More"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." -James 2:10 The thing about breaking some things is that when they’re broken, they’re broken. Not just a part of them, but all of them. This is true whether it’s an egg, a window, a truce, a resolution, a promise...
Read More"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." -1 Peter 3:9 Revenge! Shakespeare once said “If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not...
Read More“And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” -Matthew 12:31 Hey, wait a minute, pastor. If Jesus died for all sins, why is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit not forgiven? (more…)
Read More“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” -Psalm 34:8 In this world, we rely heavily on our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Through these, we perceive and experience the world around us. How rich are the ways in which God reaches out and blesses us through our...
Read More“Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” -James 3:10 Ever heard of the expression “to talk out of both sides of your mouth”? It means to say one thing to one person and another thing to another person about the same subject. So, for example, you might say “I love...
Read More“Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” -Psalm 103:2-5 God can be difficult to comprehend. When...
Read MoreRomans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Wages are something that you earn. Gifts are something that you are given without earning. The book of Genesis in the Bible says that a long time ago everything was very good. That was right after God...
Read More"Blessed is the one who remains steadfast (or perseveres) under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." -James 1:12 The 2016 Summer Olympics are just a few months away. Athletes from hundreds of countries are busy preparing for their opportunity to compete in...
Read More“You shall not steal.” -Exodus 20:15 You can steal someone’s thunder or their heart. You can steal a base in baseball or even steal away with the one you love. Of course, these are not the types of stealing meant in Exodus 20:15. Back when the Ten Commandments were written, “You shall not steal” meant to take the material possessions...
Read More"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me." -Psalm 138:7 Life preservers, fire extinguishers, emergency window breaker/seat belt cutters, thermal blankets and other inventions have been created for the purpose of saving or preserving lives. They are designed...
Read More“The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures. -Proverbs 30:17 Wow! When you first read this, it honestly sounds really scary and gruesome, doesn’t it? But, what this piece of scripture really has to do with is that it is a...
Read More“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields...
Read More“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth...
Read More“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” -James 1:17 Happy Birthday! Merry Christmas! Happy Valentine’s Day! Who doesn’t like to give or receive gifts? Especially when that gift is something that we really wanted or needed. All too often though, what was desired today...
Read More