Growth in Faith
REFLECTING GOD
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living
Clean Hearts, Soft Hands
Hebrews 3:7-15 What has the power to harden our hearts? The writer of Hebrews discusses the effects of rebellion as he references the rebellion of the Hebrews in Egypt. Hearts may be hardened when motivated by selfishness. It is difficult to let go of our past hurts and live in…
Reap The Blessings
2 Corinthians 9:6-15 My grandmother used the King James Version to repeat the truth from Galatians 6:7: “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” She was teaching me the simple reality that we can plant joy, worry, kindness, grace, or anger; whatever we plant, those seeds will grow…
One Step Toward Jesus
John 7:33-44 Jesus spoke in the temple courts and provoked strong reactions from His listeners. At the Festival of Tabernacles, Jesus’ brothers urged Him to go to the event publically in order to show His works and His identity. Jesus went to the festival in secret and taught about the…
Everlasting Covenant
Jeremiah 32:36-44 “What?” It’s a question I hear all the livelong day as a father of teenage boys. After I hear this question drawn out to the longest possible syllable, my question is: “Are you listening to me?” We live life within a constant state of distraction via our to-do…
Seek Right Now!
Isaiah 55:6-13 Every time I would go with my mom to the store as a child, I would want gum or a cheap toy with the two dollars of allowance burning in my pocket. My mom would urge me to save up for something more important, but I never waited…
An Invitation From God
Isaiah 55:1-5 Come on over! There’s nothing like being invited to a party or someone’s home. We knock on the door and hope to be welcomed in to the hearth of hospitality. Some friends create a gorgeous environment to be comfortable in their homes. We know our friend has put…
Forget Not
Psalm 103:1-6 We make many choices in life based on the extras that come with whatever it is we are purchasing. We consider processor speed and storage when we buy electronics. We consider deductibles when we choose insurance policies. We buy vehicles based on all the “bells and whistles” that…
Newfound Freedom
Romans 6:1-10 If you’ve ever purchased a new vehicle, chances are you worked hard in order to have the privileged ownership. Research was done, trade-ins and down payments were considered, budget lines revised. The early Roman Christians needed to be reminded that while new life in Christ is a freely…
Counting Birds
Romans 5:1-8 I imagine going to a grocery store would look a little different if it weren’t for the cross. In addition to bread, milk, and eggs, we’d have to figure out how many goats, lambs, and doves we’d need to absolve the previous week’s sins for ourselves and our…
It Is Finished
John 19:28-37 Anyone who has taken a creative writing course knows that a good composition has a beginning, a middle, and an end. There’s usually a planned storyline, complete with characters, a conflict to be resolved or a goal to be reached. At the end of the story is a…
Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living
Clean Hearts, Soft Hands
Hebrews 3:7-15 What has the power to harden our hearts? The writer of Hebrews discusses the effects of rebellion as he references the rebellion of the Hebrews in Egypt. Hearts may be hardened when motivated by selfishness. It is difficult to let go of our past hurts and live in…
Reap The Blessings
2 Corinthians 9:6-15 My grandmother used the King James Version to repeat the truth from Galatians 6:7: “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” She was teaching me the simple reality that we can plant joy, worry, kindness, grace, or anger; whatever we plant, those seeds will grow…
One Step Toward Jesus
John 7:33-44 Jesus spoke in the temple courts and provoked strong reactions from His listeners. At the Festival of Tabernacles, Jesus’ brothers urged Him to go to the event publically in order to show His works and His identity. Jesus went to the festival in secret and taught about the…
Everlasting Covenant
Jeremiah 32:36-44 “What?” It’s a question I hear all the livelong day as a father of teenage boys. After I hear this question drawn out to the longest possible syllable, my question is: “Are you listening to me?” We live life within a constant state of distraction via our to-do…
Seek Right Now!
Isaiah 55:6-13 Every time I would go with my mom to the store as a child, I would want gum or a cheap toy with the two dollars of allowance burning in my pocket. My mom would urge me to save up for something more important, but I never waited…
An Invitation From God
Isaiah 55:1-5 Come on over! There’s nothing like being invited to a party or someone’s home. We knock on the door and hope to be welcomed in to the hearth of hospitality. Some friends create a gorgeous environment to be comfortable in their homes. We know our friend has put…
Forget Not
Psalm 103:1-6 We make many choices in life based on the extras that come with whatever it is we are purchasing. We consider processor speed and storage when we buy electronics. We consider deductibles when we choose insurance policies. We buy vehicles based on all the “bells and whistles” that…
Newfound Freedom
Romans 6:1-10 If you’ve ever purchased a new vehicle, chances are you worked hard in order to have the privileged ownership. Research was done, trade-ins and down payments were considered, budget lines revised. The early Roman Christians needed to be reminded that while new life in Christ is a freely…
Counting Birds
Romans 5:1-8 I imagine going to a grocery store would look a little different if it weren’t for the cross. In addition to bread, milk, and eggs, we’d have to figure out how many goats, lambs, and doves we’d need to absolve the previous week’s sins for ourselves and our…
It Is Finished
John 19:28-37 Anyone who has taken a creative writing course knows that a good composition has a beginning, a middle, and an end. There’s usually a planned storyline, complete with characters, a conflict to be resolved or a goal to be reached. At the end of the story is a…