Consider this

                 “God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).                Over the years, when I have heard lessons about worshipping God in spirit and in truth, the focus has always been on the “in truth” part.   However, if we are ever going to connect with God, we must recognize the spirit part of that phrase.                We must understand that the most important facts about us have nothing to do with how we look, where we have been, what we do for a living, what we have in the bank or how we grew up.   The most important fact about each of us is that we are spiritual beings.   We have a spirit that will live on when our short time on this earth is over.                  We spend a lot of time thinking about and working for things that will not last.   We concentrate on the temporary rather than the eternal.   However, God encourages us to rearrange our priorities.   In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom and his

 It is easy to take our blessings for granted. It is easy to coast along in our faith and never really see what we have been given. However, that is not ideal. In fact, we will never grow that way. If we want our faith to be alive, we need to notice, remember, and value the important things. This is a lesson about what is important and what shapes us for God.  

 You may know that the Bible says that God is Spirit..... God is light.... and God is love.  However, do you know why those statements are important? Do you know what they indicate about us and our relationship to him? Do you know how these statements can offer guidance in our everyday life? That is what this lesson is going to try to explain.  PS. The last point should probably be the first as it is the context in which all the others take place. If you watch only one part, skip to point three (though the other two are important as well)  Also, feel free to share this video. Send it to someone directly. Share it through your social media accounts if you like. Have a great week!    

                 Most people know and can articulate Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth.   Luke 19:10 tells us that Jesus came to seek and save the lost.   His death, burial and resurrection gained us our salvation.   As 2 Corinthians 5:21 beautifully states, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”.   You likely know what Jesus did, but do you know what he is doing now?    Jesus currently has a one-word job description: He intercedes for us!   “Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).   Jesus is making our case on our behalf and provides access to his father’s throne so that we can find grace and mercy (Hebrews 4:14-16).   That is great news!   If there is anyone to have on your team,

 I hope you have never felt guilty about "not doing enough for Jesus". However, based on more than 34 years of church conversations, I suspect that you have. What if I told you that "doing something for Jesus" is not the Biblical pattern? What if there is a better and much more freeing approach? This changes everything!  

 It is great to have skill, desire and plans. However, this first step is the most powerful part of any process.   

               In 1950, before Alan Shephard became the first American in space, he was a fighter pilot aboard the USS Oriskany.   One night while cruising around the western Pacific, the radar operator spotted two unidentified aircraft and Shepherd was dispatched to go check them out.   After strapping into his Banshee jet fighter, he launched, found the aircraft, and identified them as allies.   That was the easy part.                Soon, bad weather rolled in, and Shephard found himself in heavy, driving rain.   Unable to see and flying by his instruments, he headed home.   Then his electrical equipment shut down.                Facing a dire situation, Shephard reverted to his training.   When lost over open seas, pilots are taught to fly a square.   Go so many minutes in one direction, turn ninety degrees and fly that same amoun

 The resurrection is not just a nice ending to Jesus' life story, it changes our life story in two areas (if we let it).  

 If it is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, then these two pictures from the night before Jesus' crucifixion say a lot. In fact, together they tell the good news in miniature form.  

                   “Is that a Sun Ice?”                “Excuse me,” I said.                My friend pointed to my new ski jacket and asked again, “Is that a Sun Ice?”                It was 1991 and Sun Ice was the big name in ski wear at the time.   “No” I replied, “I can’t afford one of those”.                “Oh” he said as he lost interest and then just walked away.                I had not seen this friend in more than a year and, sadly, his first question was not, “How are you doing?” or “How is your first year in Estevan going?” but rather, “Is that an expensive coat or just a cheap knock-off?”   It was an odd and disturbing interaction. One that I still remember 33 years later. It is easy to believe that our worth is determined by how much money we make, where we have been or what we own, but that is not an accur

 Everyone struggles. That is just a fact. Some struggle with huge life issues. Others struggle with issues that are huge to them. No one has it all together. Jesus wants to help us heal and grow, but that happens best when certain conditions are in place. How do we put ourselves in the best position to be blessed by God? Mark 8 gives us some good reminders.  

 It is easy to evaluate our life the way everyone else does. It is easy to define success in only one way. But what if that way is wrong? What if the story we are telling ourselves isn't the right one? What if something important is still missing? We need a better story to tell.  

 Jesus spent three years trying to teach his followers some basic life lessons. They did not understand! Interestingly, we struggle with the same lessons. However, life would go better if we could learn and live the things that Jesus taught. Here are three life lessons worth knowing.  

                 The disciples saw the problem and then Jesus made it worse.   A huge crowd has spent the entire day in a remote area listening to Jesus preach.   As nightfall came, the disciples urged Jesus to let the people go so that they could find something to eat.   “You give them something to eat” Jesus replied.   That seemed ridiculous!   More than five thousand people had gathered to hear Jesus.   The disciples replied that giving each person even a little bread would take more than eight months' wages.   You likely know the rest of the story.   Jesus took what they had, five loaves of bread and two fish, multiplied it and fed all the people with lots left over (Mark 6:30-44). The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle recorded in all four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).   It has been used to remin

 You do not have to go anywhere or do anything out of the ordinary to serve God. In fact, you are right where you need to be.

 How do you measure success in your life? Do you look at your bank account? The size of your house? The degree you earned? The places you visited? The relationships you have? While each of those things is good in its own way, Jesus' measurement of success is completely different. When we get to the end, his measurement is the only one that will matter.  

                 In Mark 4, Jesus says, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.   Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times” (verses 3-8).                In this story, ultimately, the sower is God himself.   The thing to note about him is that he is generous.   The seed is thrown everywhere.   God is not calculating with his blessings.   Rather, “He causes his sun to

 When it comes to salvation, there is one variable that determines what happens and that variable is you!  

                 You know you have an unbalanced tire on your car because you can feel it.   The car shakes, the steering wheel wobbles and you know that something is wrong.                The same is true in our lives.   We know when something is out of balance because we can feel it.   For example, if you constantly feel like you have too much to do and too little time to do it, there is an issue.   If you are easily offended, reactive, touchy and take everything the wrong way, it is likely that you are emotionally worn out.   If you are distracted and constantly watching TV or scrolling through Facebook instead of focusing on what is important and needful, something is not right.   If the only time you enjoy your life is when you are on vacation and away from your normal routine, that is not healthy.                Life is not

 Sometimes the message that the church preaches sounds like anything but Good News. While "Be different! Stop doing that! Start doing this! Repent!" are biblical messages, they are discouraging on their own. We need one other part to make it Good News again. Jesus brought that part with him!  

 Figuring out when we are in trouble and what to do about it!  

                 Second Peter begins with a beautiful description of God’s grace.   “His (God’s) divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who calls us by his own glory and goodness” (verse 3).   Reading that, some may think that there is nothing for us to do.   God has done everything!   However, that is not true.                The next paragraph says, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith” (verse 5).   In other words, because God has blessed us so richly, we must respond.   Specifically, we are to focus on and grow in certain qualities and attitudes.                  “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, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unprod

 Most people pray when they are in trouble or need something. What we need is something to enliven our prayer lives every day. This will help.  

 We are saved by God's grace, but that does not mean that there is nothing for us to do.  

 

                 As we begin another new year, I cannot help but think of Joshua.   Moses had been leading God’s people to the promised land.   However, just before they arrived, Moses died, and Joshua was put in charge.   Faced with the uncertainty of what was coming, God gave him the following advice.                “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:6-9).