Consider this

                  There are not many sure things in this world.   Invest your money and you could gain or lose.   Your favourite sports team may win or not.   Local weather says it is going to be sunny this weekend?   Better bring an umbrella just in case.   Most of life is defined by uncertainty.                 Therefore, it may come as a surprise that Paul says he knows a few facts that are unchanging:   “I am certain of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).                   Note the word “he” at the start of the verse.   Paul is certain that God is at work within that church and those Christians.   Occasionally, I hear someone say, “God will not do anything for us.   It is up to us to study, learn and be obedient”.   While I agree that God will not

                  I love the story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17).   It is so useful for teaching the value of courage, trust and faithfulness that it is found in virtually every Sunday School curriculum.   However, I do not believe that this was David’s greatest moment.   To find that, we must look a little deeper.                 For many years, Israel wanted a king.   After much debate, God finally allowed them to crown Saul (1 Samuel 11).   After a good start, it became apparent that Saul was not going to live up to his potential.   Therefore, God sent Samuel to anoint a new heir to the throne, a young man who had a heart for God: David (1 Samuel 16).                 As you may expect, this makes Saul extremely jealous and he decides that, to protect his position, he must kill David.   After eleven attempts on his life, David fle

                  This past weekend, family and friends gathered to celebrate my brother and sister-in-law’s 25 th wedding anniversary.    It was an informal gathering that had only one real goal: Hang around and tell stories about Kurt and Tracy.                   This was done not because we did not remember their wedding or anything else from the past 25 years.   We did it because stories are the language of relationship.   They remind us how much we care and that we are connected.                 It should not surprise us, then, that the Bible starts with, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).   That is the start of a story and that story tells about God’s relationship with his people down through the centuries.   There are good reasons why God chose to communicate this way.                 First, stories dr

               Last week, my brother and I went to the Indianapolis 500.   At the start of the race, one of the announcers said, “Today, one of these thirty-three drivers will do something that no one will ever forget.   They will win the Indy 500!”                   So, who won?   Do you know?                 Ok, maybe you are not a sports fan, so here are some different questions:   Who won the Noble Peace prize in 1979?    Who won the Oscar for best actress in 1940?   Who was the King of France in 1744?                 When I asked those questions on Sunday morning, no one came up with the correct responses.   (Just in case you are curious, the answers are: Simon Pagenaud, Jimmy Carter, Vivien Leigh and Louis the XV).                 Fame is fleeting.   What seems important right now will lose its luster