It seems to me that no matter what age we are, we have to endure some type of testing. In elementary school we had spelling tests; in high school it was history and science tests, and in college there were tests in English literature, Math and a variety of other subjects. Life is lled with tests, and of course those tests come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are ph...

What an amazing summer!!! The last few weeks in youth we've been reflecting on everything that God has done in our lives and us as a group this summer and preparing for their return to school. Students have been sharing about the things they've learned and how they've grown in their personal time with God and their relationship with Him. At the beginning of the summer the...

The past few weeks as part of my preparation for our study on 1st Samuel I have been reading through the rst eight chapters of this powerful and insightful book daily. Recently, during my reading and study time I was reminded how quickly and easily God's people turned away from following wholeheartedly after the Lord. Seemingly overnight they adopted foreign gods and were ...

Have you ever wished that there were 30 hours in a day? I often find myself wishing that there was more time in a day. I suppose that I have this idea that somehow having this extra time would relieve the pressure under which I often find myself. Most of us leave a trail of unfinished projects or tasks behind, unanswered e-mails or letters, unvisited friends and family, un...

I recently started reading and working through Kenneth Boa's book, "Conformed to His Image", with friends and co-laborers in Christ. This is the third time I have gone through this book and each time I have been greatly impacted and challenged to love God more completely. In the latest chapter I read, Boa writes: In the last few years I have adapted and used this prayer b...

March 20th, mark's the beginning of Holy Week. During this special season we will have many opportunities to gather together to focus on the final days and hours of Jesus' earthly life and ministry. As Christians it is our supreme privilege to celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, both individually and collectively! I hope you will...

When you hear the word puritan, what comes to mind? Is it a word that evokes positive or negative feelings? What would you think if someone called you a puritan? Would you consider it an insult? Would you like the implications of that title? Puritans have typically been seen in a negative light for many years and as a result have had a great deal of mud slung in their dire...

You know at various times in our lives most of us will experience fear, discouragement, loss or loneliness. Believe it or not, sometimes even Christians feel such things. In fact there may be times in our lives when we are so discouraged or hurt that we're tempted to wonder if God even knows or cares about our situation. In Psalm 77 the Psalmist, Asaph, was having one of ...

What a wonderful opportunity we have had this summer to grow deeper in the Lord! It has also been a time to renew and deepen existing relationships and build new ones. Together we have dined on salmon, gourmet desserts, and all kinds of other culinary delights. We have had fun and fellowship. This week as I was reflecting on all the joy, laughter, and growth that we have ...

When you read about the beginning of the Christian Church described in Acts 2, a number of characteristics jump out at you. For example, the early Christians were committed to growing in their knowledge of God and His Word and so they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching. It's obvious that they wanted to grow deep in God and learn as much as they possibly could. As ...