Consider this

 This question has changed much of my thinking (for the better) over the last 5 years. I think it will help you too.  

“The Lord God is a sun and a shield” (Psalm 84:11). The sun provides light, heat, and energy, and it promotes growth. A shield provides safety and protection. Describing God as a sun and a shield is appropriate because he provides and protects. However, someone reading this is thinking, “God is not much of a provider because I still do not have what I need!” Others are wondering, “If God is such a great protector, why am I going through all this trouble?” Is scripture wrong? No, but we need to understand how God provides and protects. First, God provides daily, not all at once. Think about the Israelites during the Exodus. God provided food in the form of manna, but that manna had to be collected every day (Exodus 16:4-5). It was not able to be stored. The blessing came one day at a time. Similarly, it is unlikely that God will unload the spiritual blessing dump truck on you. Like so many before us such as Noah, Abraham, Joseph and even the apostles, we must wait on God’s t...

Country music legend Kenny Rogers stated that he always sang better when he sang with someone else.  When pressed to explain, he said (paraphrasing), “Say you were to go out and run the 100-meter dash.  You would run as fast as you could.  However, if they put someone on the track with you, someone who was a little bit faster, you would probably run harder to try and beat them.  That is what always happened when I sang with someone else.  For example, I would go in and put down my vocal track and think it was good.  Then, Dolly Parton would go in and do her part, and it would be so much better than mine that I would go back and re-record my vocals.  She would listen to mine and decide that she wanted to re-do hers, and she would get better.  Of course, in a live performance, we would play off each other.  I can sing alone, but everyone sings better in a duet!”   It is tempting to live independently.  It is common to think, “I do not...

  Do you ever find yourself disappointed with God?  Do you ever wonder what he is doing and why? God keeps his promises.  The problem is that he does not keep them in the way we expect. These few verses will help us avoid disappointment and walk closer to the real God - not one that we made up.  https://youtu.be/8j4IDaJxjio  

In 1908, just five years after their first successful powered flight, the Wright brothers held a public demonstration of their new technology. While most were amazed and thrilled, a writer from England was not as impressed. In his article, he wrote, “Airplanes will never surpass airships (blimps)”. Then he pointed out the many ways this new technology was inferior to the old one.   First, airplanes needed runways while airships did not. Next, most airships could carry fifty to one hundred people while the Wright brother’s craft could transport only one. On top of that, airships could hover in one place making them useful for military observations and therefore, in the writer’s mind, making the airplane a non-factor in wartime. Lastly, blimps could fly higher and were easier to control. Thus, the writer concluded that, while heavier-than-air flying machines were interesting, they were impractical and nothing more than a passing novelty.   Change is hard! It is difficu...

 I believe that Christians are meant to be different.... in a good way! Here is one fundamental starting point.   https://youtu.be/rB_iOYWEF50  

  Who is the saddest person in the Bible? My vote goes to a woman we meet in Luke 7. We do not know her name, age, or what happened to her husband or, for that matter, her son. All we know is that she is a widow who lives in the little village of Nain and, when we meet her, her worst nightmare has just come true.  She is accompanying her only son’s body as they take him to the cemetery to be buried. Being a widow in New Testament times was difficult.  Being a widow who lost her only son was a disaster!  Women did not work outside the home.  They relied on their husband or their male children to provide for them.  In other words, not only was this woman sad and grieving, but she was also in big trouble!  Fortunately, her situation was about to change again.  She was about to meet Jesus. Scripture tells us that when Jesus saw her, “His heart went out to her” (Luke 7:13).  Other translations say, “He felt deep (or great) compa...

 Are you ever uncertain about how God sees you? Do you ever wonder if your relationship with God is what it ought to be?  The truth is that we do not have to wonder or worry. Here is why.....  https://youtu.be/uCWGXOhcxpI  

  Justin Bourne seemed to have it all.   The son of former NHL star Bob Bourne, Justin was playing in the minors, one step from the big leagues.   He had a wife and a couple of kids.   Unfortunately, he also had a huge drinking problem!   With his life spiralling out of control, he checked into rehab.   During one of the sessions, the class leader handed everyone a piece of paper and told them to list the most important things in their lives.   Justin did not even have to think about the answer and immediately wrote “Family” at the top of his list.   When the instructor looked at Justin’s list he said, “You are wrong!”    Justin was confused.   How could family be the wrong answer?   The instructor said, “What you should have put at the top of your list was ‘Stay Sober!’   That is the most important thing in your life because if that does not happen, you will lose all the other good things on your list!” It is easy...

 It is easy to not commit to anything. It is easy to just look after yourself. It is easy to say, "That is not my problem!" It is easy to disengage.  It is easy..... but it is not spiritually healthy.  We are built to be part of something bigger. We are built to live differently.  Here are two thoughts that will keep us on track. https://youtu.be/ehAWkSlB4W0  

Churches have all sorts of missions statements these days.  Leaders are tasked with coming up with a unique vision for the ministry.  What would happen if we just went back to the original idea?  https://youtu.be/cbH9XyoJmFY  

     Manasseh, King of Judah (700 BC), was terrible!  He came from a good family.  His father, Hezekiah, was a great king who respected God and his people.  His son did not.  After listing all the evil things Manasseh did, the Biblical writer sums up his influence by saying, “Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations [who did not know God] (2 Chronicles 33:9).      God tried to get Manasseh’s attention.  He sent messengers and prophets, and yet, nothing changed.  Eventually, God allowed Manasseh’s enemies to attack.  They captured the king, put a ring in his nose and shackles on his hands and feet and took him back to Babylon as a prisoner.  It is here that the story becomes really interesting.       2 Chronicles 33:12-13 says, “In his [Manasseh’s] distress, he sought the favour of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God o...

 When we think about ways to maintain our faith, we usually focus on things like prayer, Bible reading and going to church.  The three instructions that Romans 12 gives us may not be as obvious, but they are just as important (or even more so).  https://youtu.be/TrxmTiyLlcE  

  It is 1924 and you are an airmail pilot tasked with flying from New York to San Francisco without radar or radio to guide you on your way.  What do you do?  How do you navigate?  How do you avoid missing the next airport and running out of fuel? The answer: Look for the 70-foot-long yellow concrete arrow on the ground! As unbelievable as it sounds, the United States Postal Service built a series of huge arrows on the ground and spaced them approximately 10 miles apart so the pilots could find their way.  Later, lights were installed at these same sites to facilitate night flying.  Many of these arrows still exist all across the country. I like the idea of a big, bright arrow on the ground that points the way to the next big, bright arrow so that someone can find the path.  In fact, I think that is a good job description for each of us. No one can make anyone do anything.  I cannot make your decisions for you.  I cannot force y...

 When you find yourself in the wrong place in life, remember these two facts.... From 2 Chronicles 33  https://youtu.be/0Lz4QVDU7Ws  

                 We are never given a physical description of God, but we have many descriptions of his character.   He is called the God of peace, the God of love, and the God of all comfort just to name a few.   Each of those phrases is important, but there is one more that tops them all.                In a prayer for his readers, the apostle Paul says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).                  I love that God is called the God of Hope because hope is powerful and life-changing.   Struggling marriages can be put back together if there is hope!   Those going through emotional or physical distress can not only han...

 In most cases, it is not difficult to know what to do.  The right answer or course of action is obvious.  It is not that we need to be convinced of what we ought to do.  What we need is a really good reason to do it, regardless of the cost.   Here is that reason!  

  Jehoram was a terrible king.  He reigned in Judah around the year 850 B.C. and he did not care about God or his people.  His first act as king was to assassinate his six brothers so that no one could challenge his authority.  He was brutal and selfish.   Therefore, when the Bible sums up his life, it says, “Jehoram… passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David” (2 Chronicles 21:20).  Did you catch that?  “To no one’s regret!”  What a terrible phrase for your tombstone. On the other hand, consider a lady named Tabitha.  She lived in the city of Joppa in the first century A.D. and we are told, “… she was always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36).  She became sick and died.  This caused the community so much grief that they called Peter, who was in the nearby town of Lydda, to come and help them.  When Peter arrived, a crowd gathered, bringing all the robes and other clothing that ...

God is described in a lot of ways. He is the God of peace. The God of grace.  However, there is another description that I think is even more important. A description that we must know and model. A quality that must take up more room in our lives in the coming year.  (This lesson is 20 minutes long. Please share it if you like).    

 When people stand up at your funeral, what would you like them to say? What do you want to be remembered for? More importantly, what are you doing right now? What is the legacy that you are creating? By looking at two Biblical people who took completely different approaches to life, we will get the chance to evaluate our own walk and why it matters.  PS. The lesson is 28 minutes long. Sorry for the poor audio. I forgot my remote microphone (Ooops!) :)      

              On a beautiful afternoon in October of 2024, Kahiau Kawai and his high school kayaking team hit the waters off the coast of Oahu.   It was a great day; until it was not!   Around 4 pm, a storm began to roll in and everyone headed for shore.   It was then that they realized that Kahiau was missing.   At 6:30 pm, 911 call went out and soon search and rescue helicopters and boats were searching the ocean for the 17-year-old. Darkness fell and there was still no trace of the boy.   Others joined in, fearing the worst.   Surviving in the open sea is hard enough when one is well-equipped.   It is another thing in a storm without a life jacket.   Kahiau’s family gathered and began to talk about his funeral. Finally, at 4 am, after searching ...

 I love positive people. I am allergic to negativity (it makes my skin crawl). However, I realize, too, that positive thinking is sometimes nothing more than wishful thinking because it is based on nothing. Isaiah wanted God's people to be hopeful and positive, but with good reason which is what this verse gives us.  

 Your faith will not deepen by chance. It is not automatic. In fact, many have never progressed past the "just beginning" stage. It does not have to be that way, though. We can end 2025 stronger than we are right now. This lesson will detail the five things you will need and, at the end, tell you why this list is so important! The lesson itself is 31 minutes long.