No one wakes up in the morning, looks in the mirror, and says, “I cannot wait to experience pain today! It’s going to be so awesome!” Instead, we strive for comfort. That is why we go on our favorite vacations, enjoy our favorite meals, watch our favorite movies, cheer for our favorite teams, play our favorite games, and hang out with our favorite people. Notice the word “favorite” inserted into e...  Read More

Main Point and Overview:   Motivation is the “straw that stirs their cup.” What motivates a person will expose the true intensions of that person’s heart. If he is driven by people’s applause, that will eventually come out in his actions. If he is easily offended by pushback, that will eventually come out in his actions. The point being that a selfless disciple of Jesus doesn’t get “caught in the ...  Read More

2 Corinthians 8:1-5“And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privil...  Read More

Go back to the moment in time when you got saved. I recall that moment as if it was only yesterday. It was a truly a moment of I wasn’t saved to being a child of God: a follower of Christ. You don’t just ease into your salvation. It is a lucid moment of deliberate decision. When Christ reveals himself, clearing the fog of sin, and forcing you to make a choice. Accept or deny.   Paul had been in As...  Read More

When I was a kid, I remember going with my parents to the RV dealership. I knew well in advance this was going to be one of the most boring days of my life. Walking in and out of campers until they found the perfect one (not knowing if they would or not), then having to sit in a chair as they filled out all the paperwork. I was already wanting the day to pass, but things took a change for good whe...  Read More

This is a full confessional, so allow me the space to be real and transparent. Since mid-December my family has been put through “the ringer”. Walking pneumonia took all of us out for several weeks, I am sure you can recall a time when a sickness worked its way from one family member to the next, that was a nasty few weeks. In that time, there was family fall out, which has continued to cause prob...  Read More