Are you making enough space for worship? Do you begin each new day with a spirit of worship, a heart full of thanksgiving, and an attitude of praise? I’m feeling a bit convicted now. In my heart, I know that God is worthy of all my worship and thanksgiving and praise. But, am I living out that truth in my daily and weekly rhythms? If you’re like me, the answer is “sometimes”.

You see, sometimes I let other things get between me and God. Sometimes, my calendar gets so full that I miss out on the opportunity to worship God in the way that I know I should. Sometimes, I make an idol out of busyness.

What do you hold dear? Maybe it’s your family, your home, your career, or your goals and dreams of what the future holds. Now, think about all of those good things, and hear the words of Jesus: “If you truly want to follow me, you should at once completely disown your own life.” That command has challenged me at times. You mean to tell me that I’ve spent all this time meticulously mapping out the details of my life, and I’m just supposed to give it all up? 

The reality is, our short-sighted vision for the future doesn’t hold a candle to what our omniscient God has carefully planned for us.

For some of us, reading the Bible can seem intimidating. Should I read it cover to cover? What does this really mean? What does this have to do with me? Sometimes, we need to shift our perspective and look at things through a different lens. God’s Word is not some outdated collection of ancient texts. It is the heritage of the children of Israel, the treasured story of His chosen people - that’s us!  When we start to view the Bible as one big meta-narrative, we see this cycle repeating itself throughout history: God makes a covenant, His people disappoint him, yet He keeps His promises and He is always faithful.  From way back in Genesis...

What are you spreading? When the world looks at you, what do they see?

If you’re a Christian, you are a living, breathing, walking ambassador for the Prince of Peace, Jesus. As you walk through life and encounter family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and even strangers… are you spreading more hatred and division, or love and peace?

As Christians, we are called to spread peace wherever we go. This might be as simple as offering a heartfelt compliment, smiling more often, or taking the time to listen to someone who’s upset.

We as a church need to appeal to the younger generation’s desire to make a difference in the world around them. Be intentional about using social media and other new technology. Don’t view all change as a bad thing.

Realize that while they have access to endless amounts of information, they have no idea where to find real wisdom and guidance. They are flooded with such an overload of opinions and information that they are often left feeling perplexed and confused.

For those born post 9/11, a world marked by terror and economic...

"The Good Lord always takes care of us." That is a phrase I heard my late Grandfather say countless times throughout my life. When something wonderful happened, "The Good Lord always takes care of us." When something terrible happened, "The Good Lord always takes care of us." No matter the situation, that was his go-to response for any type of news, good or bad. My Grandfather wasn't an overly emotional man. He would just matter-of-factly state, "The Good Lord always takes care of us."

That phrase has been engrained in my memory throughout my whole life, and I find myself using it more and more...