The Joy of Forgiveness February 21, 2015 Year B Psalm 32:1-5 The joy of forgiveness means that there is joy for the one who receives forgiveness for their sins. A man receives real joy because God does not charge him with sin. The psalm shares the fact that someone who receives forgiveness for sin has joy (Psalm 32:1-2). If I don’t ask for forgiveness, my life becomes bitter. I groan, and my strength is gone. Forgiveness for my sin brings... Read more
Song of Solomon 8:4-7 Enjoying Love Today, I will preaching from Song of Solomon, (also known as the Song of Songs – or to put it in another form: The Highest Song). The Song was written by Solomon, the king of Israel. Jewish tradition states that Solomon wrote the Song when he was young, Proverbs in his middle age, and Ecclesiastes when he was old. Song of Solomon is found in an area of the Old Testament called the... Read more
Fasting from Facebook for Lent 2015 I made a decision to fast from Facebook for Lent. The reason is because I was spending too much time reading other’s people’s posts and not spending enough time reading God’s posts. I also felt that since the church I pastor was going to be in revival in August (Sam Moore will be the evangelist and the Mackey Willis Family will be the musical guests), I wanted to pray for that as well as... Read more
Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money by Dave Ramsey Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money by Dave Ramsey is the handbook of Financial Peace University (FPU). The book is the basis of the seminars in Financial Peace University. The book teaches you how money works. The chapters include information on the following topics: saving, budgeting, dumping debt, understanding credit cards, buying decisions, the role of insurance, buying bargains. This guide is really complete because it also covers the nuts... Read more
1 Timothy 3:1-7 Godly Leaders THE PROMISE (1 Timothy 3:1) “This saying is trustworthy: “If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.”” (1 Timothy 3:1, HCSB) The work of a pastor is not an easy work, but it is a noble work. Whether the pastor is full-time or bi-vocational, the work is still considered a noble work. Why is this so? Because the work affects the spiritual development of other people. THE POSITIVE REQUIREMENTS ( 1... Read more
A Christian Survival Guide by Ed Cyzewski A Christian Survival Guide by Ed Cyzewski is a book meant to challenge your faith. In it, Cyzewski challenges everything about the Christian faith. He dislikes the traditional interpretations of the Scriptures. He struggles with the nature of prayer. He cites the experiences of Billy Graham as well as Mother Teresa in showing that prayer works, yet that God does not speak as often as one might think in prayer. Uncertainty and fear... Read more
The Portent by Michael S. Heiser The Portent by Michael S. Heiser is the sequel to The Façade (which I reviewed). The story picks up six months later after the events of The Façade. The plot and characters develop throughout the story. It concludes without ending the story. In essence, this is the second book in a three-book saga. This is unfortunate, because the third book has not been written. However, I do look forward to reading the final... Read more
1 Timothy 2:9-15 Godly Submission Paul instructs Timothy to teach the church about submission. Prayer and submission go hand-in-hand. Prayer is personal devotion to God. I submit to God in prayer. Submission can also happen in public. The reason I need to submit myself is because of the witness that I bring to the public by the way I act in the church. In Ephesus, there were temple prostitutes who were becoming Christians. With the change in their spiritual identify,... Read more
Chameleon Preaching Chameleon Preaching is a simple thought Lectionary reflection from 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 on the need for preaching that people may engage in. February 8, 2015 Year B 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 A chameleon is an animal who changes its color depending upon its environment. It changes its color to blend in with its surroundings and to prevent predators from eating them. Paul describes here about the need for chameleon preaching. He says that he has learned the need to... Read more
1 Timothy 2:1-8 Godly Prayer For the next two weeks, I want to talk about two subjects. Many people take this chapter and divide it between the roles of men and women. That is possible. However, I would rather address the two major themes in this chapter. The two themes which Paul addresses are essential for a proper Christian life. There is the personal devotion made through prayer. There is also the public devotion made through submission. In 1 Timothy... Read more
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