In my speed, busyness, and rush to do all I can in this life, I can be a bit too short, callous, and lacking attentiveness with people. Do you ever get that way? Do you say in your mind “not now, later” to someone needing help, a...
King Solomon wrote “a good name is better than fine perfume”. I agree. I love it when churches are filled with people living out their faith day by day. Over time, the news of their faith in God spreads and God receives the glory. Could...
Our world, the workplace, friendships and even within families there can be tension, anger, strife and bitter disagreement. The goal of the Christian life is to be like Jesus in word, thought and deed. How do we find harmony today? The answer is to...
There isn’t really a course called Vampire Slaying 101. But, we all need to know the basics to kill the monster called the fleshly nature. When a vampire has a stake in its heart, it becomes immovable and lays dormant, even though it is still...
Capture the flag was a game I loved to play in grade school. I was pretty fast and could often get to the “flag”, which was usually a chalkboard eraser on the grass field. Once in hand, I would have to return to my team’s side...
God works in mysterious ways. That’s for sure. But not completely. Have you ever had a young child ask you “why” only to discover you didn’t have an answer? Oh, I have. There are many unanswered questions in this life. Live...
Christmas is still a few months away. But, as it approaches- we will be thinking about the baby in the manger and more profoundly how God came near to mankind. The creator entered His own creation. We call this the incarnation, (Deity taking on...
In Jesus model prayer, He prays that ‘God’s kingdom come, His will be done’. Many grew up memorizing this prayer. But how does that happen? It happens when we discover that we (His followers) are the embodiment of God’s...
Which blade does the cutting? I am saved. Are you? Are you sure? I am sure! I am nothing like I once was. Nearly all my thinking, emotions, desires, ambitions, ability to love God and others, has changed. I am saved from my former life of sin and...
Ever meet someone for the first time and all they want to do is read you their resume, impress you, or compete in some way? Not very attractive. Isn’t it refreshing when people are others-centered instead of self-centered? I certainly need...
I laugh at the television commercial where a person gets a tattoo with the phrase “No Regrets” misspelled. The consequences of some mistakes last longer than others. Failure to receive God’s love and grace will separate people from...
I grew up with two brothers. We played a lot and fought a fair amount with each other too. When we played sports, we played to win! I am not so sure Christians are playing to win anymore. What is the point of playing anything if you don’t play...
I get mad about injustice. Sometimes I see situations where I want to scream at the TV. How about you? Recently, an outspoken Marine who earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, criticized his superiors (Yes, that is forbidden), because of their...
I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s...
God is about the business of transforming followers of Jesus (His only begotten Son) into His likeness. Jesus is our model in all things. He is both our source and goal. The Christian life is about becoming more and more like Jesus in word, thought...
No one is perfect. We all know that. But, personal integrity still matters. Who we are and who we say we are should be consistent. Our words, thoughts and deeds when all aligned add a strength to our life. And as we try to lead others in endeavors...
I can sometimes see trouble on the horizon. Sometimes I can’t. When I do, I start making excuses in my head for the problems I cause. I wonder if anyone else does the same. What I should do is present my problems and dilemmas to God and get...
I feel like my life has God-honoring purpose. Not because I am special or different from anyone else, but because I have said Yes to Jesus and tried to be obedient to becoming who He wants me to be and to do that which He calls me to do. That feels...
I have a great curiosity about God, the meaning of life, and spiritual things. I think most people would like to have an experience with God or see a miracle to help build up their faith. God is invisible to us, so seeing something beyond our world...
I have done the right thing the wrong way. I have also simply done the wrong thing. And everyone once in a while I do things God’s way! His ways are higher than ours. He has full knowledge. That’s why praying before acting is so...
I love when I get packages delivered to my house and a little text notification tells me to check the front porch. It seems like I get a lot these days! There is a delivery that exceeds all of those. I think God has used my simple life to be a...
I have a love for God because I have received His great mercy. I have a fear of Him as well because He is holy and righteous. Its a strange tension to manage. I think the fear is that I will one day see Him face to face and be a disappointment (at...
I like reading and studying history, especially Biblical history. Failure to understand history, they say, dooms us to repeat the mistakes of the past. I think that’s fairly accurate. Today, there is a crazy attempt to erase history or rewrite...
People often ask me, how you doin’? My reply, ‘I am doing good’. (I know, the proper word is ‘well’ – I am from Norco). If they were to ask me ‘what are you doin’? Same thing- ‘I am doing...
Christians screw up! Yes, even I do. Shocking to find out, I know! As a pastor, I will go to my grave with the secret confessions of many others. Hurting and wounded, imperfect, yet redeemed people make mistakes and even willfully sin. When they do...
My friend Mike Foster was taught a song when he was a child. It goes something like this: The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy, is to make someone happy and bring a little heaven down here. Cute! The...
Individual liberty is very important to me. Not just the concept, but the spiritual reality for Christians as well as how we live in our country, the United States of America. One danger for believers who discover we are no longer bound by the...
Before I because a Christian,… what I misunderstood about Christianity was that I thought it was a lifestyle centered around keeping a set of rules. Some of the Christians I met, didn’t help. They would tell me, “you know God hates...
I heard the wonderful pastor Greg Laurie say “Christians are not better than other people, we are however, better off”. I feel that way. I am not trying to compare myself to others in some sort of ‘goodness’ contest, because...
Many who know me personally recognize I have a passion for public life and strong opinions about politics. I tend to be conservative in a number of my viewpoints. When I first heard about Juneteenth as a Federal holiday, I was confused. But, then...
I don’t pay much attention to fashion. If I had it my way, I would still be wearing what I wore in the 1970’s- blue jeans, white tee shirt, leather belt (with Aerosmith on it), and wallabee shoes. I know others take pride in looking...
Oh that sneaky desire to be justified before God by keeping the law. It creeps into my mind, I begin to weigh my value by my goodness, and I compare myself to others, instead of Christ. This is a bewitching temptation Christians face, because deep...
I made a bold statement yesterday from the pulpit. It went something like this. You and I, as Christians, are saved by God’s grace and not by anything good we have done. And because we are saved by grace, THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO TO MAINTAIN...
Tomorrow I will be preaching a message called “Let Freedom Ring” from Galatians 5:1. Its a tribute to our country and at the same time a reminder of the citizenship we hold in heaven and the blessings of freedom found in Christ. At the...
God did something very special in the seven years my wife and I moved to northern California to be part of a new church plant. We met so many amazing people who are still friend (though remote) today. But, that ended and we moved back to southern...
I can live with certain degrees of ambiguity around my life. I don’t need the answers to everything that doesn’t concern me. But, sometimes a sit down with people, eye to eye, face to face (no masks, lol), and direct conversation brings...
My spiritual life is a collection of some powerful forces working within me. God’s wonderful grace (unmerited favor) has been bestowed on me by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. His mercy allows me access to God, the Father in spite of my...
My son had a problem with his car last Thursday. He had driven about a mile away from the house, called me, malfunctions all over- apparently the alternator was not recharging the battery and as a result of intermittent electrical power all the...
I have been mistaken, fooled and even deceived at times. For the most part, I think I have grown in discernment and the ability to ascertain what is true. I certainly value walking in the truth. I marvel at how we as people can be so quick to...
I love my wife, my kids, and especially my grandkids. And they love me! I also love tacos and pizza (but that’s another kind of love). From where do I get the ability to love? The Bible says that God’s nature is love and we received our...
I have to work at keeping my heart soft and open to the needs of others. My tendency is to get caught up in what I am doing, my goals, earthly aspirations and accumulations. In doing so, I might not allow my heart to be moved to the point of action...
I enjoy the superhero movies. I love the good vs. evil motif. You might be a Marvel fan or maybe DC is your clan! Do you have a favorite particular superhero? Jesus is far more than all superheroes combined. He actually came into the world to...
I see things differently than I did when I did not know God in such a personal way. Ironically, people see me differently too, as they should. Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in? Sometimes the self-serving, callous and cruel, mean and...
I don’t keep every promise I make. I am aware of two outstanding promises right now that remain unfulfilled. In life we make big and small promises. Some are of little importance, others of enormous importance. Jesus made the most amazing...
Love fades. It needs to be fanned to a flame occasionally. The love of God poured out upon the Jewish people had faded in their hearts and their devotion to Him faded with it. So the old command ‘love God with all your heart, soul, mind and...
Knowing God and exchanging love is what life is all about! I am tempted to write more, but would rather just think about that profound idea. I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. I am...
We don’t use the word sin much these days. For whatever reason, it seems more comfortable avoiding that word. And we’ve all become pretty good at justifying and excusing wrong behavior, attitudes and thoughts. The problem is that we are...
I love sharing good news. When my children were born, I couldn’t wait to tell everyone I knew, even strangers. I wanted to in some small way impart the joy I was experiencing with them. Right now, my newest grandson was recently born and my...
Final words are important. There was the man in the hospital who whispered to his friend in a dying gasp words so faint, they could barely be heard. When he finally mustered enough energy- his friend leaned close to hear the all important words...
I have patterns that have formed in my life. I guess you could call them habits. One is the particular morning routine I follow (floss, brush, shave, shower, etc.) another is the spiritual discipline of prayer, Bible reading, and journaling. Some of...