How long are you willing to do what God asks you to do? How long is our attention span? An hour? A day? A week? When God asks you to do something, how long will you keep at it before getting tired and weary, ready to give up? Looking at the life and ministry of the prophet Jeremiah is a study in perseverance. In Jeremiah 25 the prophet says this: 2 So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah and... Read more
How do you react when life doesn’t turn out the way you expect? In Acts 24, we see what appears to be an absolute travesty: Paul, unjustly imprisoned for years. Up to this point Paul had a prolific ministry: planting churches, training leaders, spreading the gospel. Much of Christianity in the Roman Empire could trace its linage to the work of Paul. Left free, Paul could have continued his work for years to come. But in Acts 21 Paul is... Read more
How have you worked justice this week? For years my idea about the judgment of Israel was incomplete. I grew up thinking God judged Israel and Judah and sent them into exile simply because they worshipped other gods. That’s surely a part of it, but it’s not the whole picture. What you’ll see throughout the Prophets is a call for the people not just to love God, but to love each other. Here’s what Jeremiah says: 3 This is what the Lord says:... Read more
Have you ever wondered that? Why does God make it so hard for us to encounter him in the first place? We spend so much time as Christians searching for a close encounter with God. Why is it so hard? I mean, if He really wants us to know him like He says (Jeremiah 29:13), why doesn’t He just physically manifest Himself and say, “Here I am!”? There are many reasons. First and foremost: God is God and He can do whatever... Read more
Have you ever struggled with depression? Are you struggling right now? If so, you’re not alone. For years any type of mental struggles have been something to hide out of shame. Only in the past few years have we begun as a society to have frank discussions about mental illnesses. One of the biggest dangers we as preachers can do is create this mythical ideal of biblical characters as people who only achieved and never struggled. When we dig into... Read more
Here’s the first sermon in our brand new series Close Encounters. Enjoy! Close Encounters #1: Where's Waldo? from Josh Daffern on Vimeo. Read more
How is God redeeming culture today? I’m not talking about that tv show you secretly watch because you know its bad but you love it anyways. Much of what culture is putting out today is morally wrong and personally corrupting. But that doesn’t mean we should reject everything and go live in a cave. As Christians, we can blindly embrace culture, we can reject culture, or we can redeem culture. One of the first to ever redeem culture was the... Read more
How are we making it difficult for the dechurched who are turning to God? In Acts 15 we have what could be classified as the first church business meeting, and oh is it a doozy. Jewish Christians have advocated for the weaving of Jewish customs and laws into the new Jewish faith. What’s at stake is nothing less than the future of the church. Do you have to become a Jew before you can become a Christian? Do you have to... Read more
How long will you be unclean? In Jeremiah 13, the prophet calls out the shameless sexual immorality of the people of Israel. Not only does he condemn it, he lets the people know that God will soon bring punishment upon them. 25 “Because you have forgotten me and trusted in false gods. 26 I will pull up your skirts over your face that your shame may be seen— 27 your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution! I have seen your detestable acts... Read more
“God, open my eyes to see you in me and all around me.” That short prayer could blow your week up in a good way. Do you have the courage to pray that? Would you pray it every day before you leave your house and see what God does? In 2 Kings 6, catastrophe loomed for the prophet Elisha and his servant. The king of Aram had sent a hit squad to take out Elisha, and they were trapped:... Read more
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