Pat Riley, former head coach of the Miami Heat, talked about ‘The disease of me’. When one gets a sense that they are the most important person in the group, the one everyone else should recognize, or the only one with answers, they have ‘the disease of me’. Riley says, “The disease of me ends in the defeat of us.” So true. We need to
Read MoreGravity is the strongest power on earth. It keeps everything together and nothing can defy it. Construction workers use a plumb line because they know that their buildings have to be aligned with gravity or they will fall. The same is true for our lives. The greatest power in the universe is God who set unalterable ways of living good moral lives that
Read MoreHow many times have you said, “I’ll pray for you” and forget to do so? How many times have you prayed for someone ‘at a distance’ – at home or in your car? How many times have you prayed with the person for the person? Which do you think made the biggest impact on their life? The absolute best prayers are shared together.
Read MoreThroughout my ministry I have had people ask me if they thought God could ever forgive them. They had done terribly wrong – infidelity, horrible acts of racism, even murder. Have you done something that you feel so terrible about that you wonder if God could ever forgive you? Do you have something guilty of an act burning within you,
Read MoreWe have all had times that we tried to keep a secret. When my son was a little boy, he was asked to keep secret that Mary Kay had gotten me a present for my birthday. He walked up to me about to explode with really exciting news.
Read MoreGod invited Moses into His presence to reveal His will to him on Mount Sinai. While Moses was drawing close to the heart of God, the Israelites at the base of the mountain turned far from God. They went as far as making an idol, calling the idol Yahweh, ascribing to it the miracles God performed in the desert, and bowing down to it. The rebellion couldn’t have been more complete than that. The second time that Moses goes up the mountain
Read MoreMany people have the mistaken notion that ‘the Old Testament God’ (as if there is a different God in the New Testament) is an angry God whereas God is loving and forgiving in the New Testament. However, God is the same God of both. Let’s look at two passages.
Read MoreSometimes we use words so often or have heard them all our lives but don’t quite get what they mean. This is often true in the church. Let’s look at one of those. God describes himself to Moses saying, I am, “Yahweh, Yahweh, a God compassionate and gracious…” (Exodus 34:6).
Read MoreGod called Moses to the top of Mt. Sinai to reveal His laws for the Israelite nation and how to build the tabernacle. The first time Moses went to the top of the mountain things did not go so well. While Moses entered the presence of God and listened to God’s commands and direction, the Israelites made a golden calf, called it Yahweh, and offered sacrifices to it.
Read MoreJesus was traveling through Samaria when he came upon a woman drawing water at a well. Jesus asked for her to draw some water for him. A discussion ensued that went from racism (Samaritans vs. Israelites), to where people should worship (Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem), to the heart of worship (Spirit and Truth), to who is the Messiah
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