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Consider This: Before They Are Gone

    Quick, name the most famous painting in the world.   If you said “The Mona Lisa,” you agree with everyone who was at church this past Sunday, the art insurers who declared it the most famous and valuable painting of all time, as well as the Guinness Book of World Records.   But it was not always that way.   Painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 and 1506, the Mona Lisa has been on display at the Louvre in Paris since 1797. While the art world always appreciated the painting, one act gave it the iconic status and worldwide fame that it enjoys today. In 1911, it was stolen.   The theft generated unprecedented publicity as every newspaper in the world carried stories about the painting, possible suspects, offers of rewards, speculation regarding who took it and where it was hidden.  The painting was recovered in 1914 after it was discovered that a man named Vincenzo Peruggia had taken it believing that the Italian masterpiece belonged in Italy. ...
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Focus on Faithfulness (Acts 2 and Acts 7)

 We all want to see and celebrate results.... But in Spiritual things, results are really none of your business.  https://youtu.be/r8fThRVA9Ro  
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Consider This: The Biggest Threat to the Church

  Over the years, I have heard people say that the biggest threat to the church these days is a specific preacher, a government policy, the culture around us, watered-down Christian teaching, and a thousand other things. While some of those are legitimate concerns, I do not think any of them are the biggest threat. Here is my nomination for that title.   “For this very reason [because God has given us the gift of salvation], make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-8).   To be clear: We are not saved because we are good, smart, or right. We are saved by God’s grace alone. Ephesians 2:8-9 says that w...
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Appreciating the “I Am” Statements of Christ (Gospel of John)

 Jesus offers more than just salvation and a chance to go to heaven. Much more.  https://youtu.be/4HCM1jn1BO8  
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Make Every Effort

 We have been given both a gift and a privilege.   https://youtu.be/AVolpOcw2a4  
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Consider This: The Joy of Mercy

  Twenty-five years ago, the board of Clearview Christian Camp at Kenosee Lake decided to build new cabins. As part of the construction process, we rented a skid steer to clear some ground for the new concrete pads. One Saturday, a buddy of mine and I decided we ought to drive the skid steer down to the beach and use it to push the dock out. That was a bad decision!   We sank that piece of equipment so deep in the mud that even my truck could not pull it out. We had to call a farmer friend of ours and get him to come down with his tractor. To make matters worse, our friend was seeding at the time, so not only had we done something dumb, we had cost our friend valuable hours he could have been out in the field.   When I went to the camp the next weekend, the first person I saw was the farmer’s wife, Margaret. I braced myself for an unpleasant conversation. In fact, I decided to go first, so I said, “Hi Margaret! I am so sorry for what happened last weekend. We we...
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The Bride of Christ: A picture of who we are and who we are becoming

 God could have chosen any analogy for our relationship with him. He picked this one!  https://youtu.be/iya8xlUbXDI  
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