Main Point and Overview:   “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.And forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:9-13 gives us a practical example of how each one of us sh...  Read More

Reaching into the mailbox today I wondered if it would be the usual direct mail pieces offering coupons for pizza, carpet cleaning specials, or an envelope marked “urgent” only to find a marketing gimmick inside. But today was different. There wasn’t just one, but two envelopes with a personal touch. With a smile on my face and pep in my step, I was eager to get inside and unveil the contents. The...  Read More

We often will find ourselves in a quandary because of our perceived lack of time. Our schedules are so busy that we barely have time to eat. Even meals have been reduced to “instant breakfast” or “minute rice.” I’ve had the opportunity to live in Europe several times. One of the biggest cultural hurdles to jump was getting used to “European time.” This has nothing to do with time zones, but at the...  Read More

Matthew 6:5-15“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you p...  Read More

Contrary to popular belief, becoming a Christian does not make one’s life any easier—in fact I would say it becomes more difficult. Of course, trying to let go of certain people, places, and things are certainly challenging, I don’t want to make light of how difficult that may be. However, the part where rubber meets the road is spiritual growth. It is bigger than those people, places, or things y...  Read More

Luke 11:5-10 “Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, e...  Read More