The church drama group was practicing for a presentation of the nativity scene on Sunday, but the baby could not come for the rehearsal. Somehow, everything seemed a little off without him, so said the actors in the Christmas Play.Sadly, this is a parallel to what happens in our culture anyway. Christ becomes a symbol for the season, but festivities go on without Him. At least that is so for many....  Read More

This past Sunday, in my series, MEET JESUS, I spoke about Jesus calling Lazarus from the grave. Though I did not have time to talk about it in my sermon, still there is something else in the story that I think you would want to know. It is really The Rest of the Story. Following the raising of Lazarus, they gathered for a dinner celebration and expression of appreciation in Christ’s honor (John 12...  Read More

This past Sunday I preached on the subject of The Good Shepherd. You will recall the words of Jesus, “The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voic...  Read More

Today is Saturday, of course, two days after Thanksgiving Day. I hope that by now you have enjoyed time with family and/or friends during this Thanksgiving Holiday. Personally, I have always loved Thanksgiving. I think of it as the purest American religious holiday. Here is why: The stated proclamation of this national holiday, from the outset, has been to remind us of the blessings and providence...  Read More

“Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you” (Psalm 116:7).This verse reminds us that if the Lord has been good to us then it is time to express our love and gratitude to Him. This sentiment is reflected in this psalm from the beginning. The first four words of the psalm are “I love the Lord…” Then he tells why: He heard my voice…He heard my cry… (v.1). The psalmist is sayi...  Read More

Do you ever get discouraged? Most of us do! Sometimes things do not turn out the way we planned and it seems like God does not show up the way we prayed. This can set us back emotionally—and sometimes spiritually. Some people get away from God not because they wake up one morning and decide to rebel, but because their faith seems to have failed. That's discouragement—and it can be destructive! Thi...  Read More