Growing up in a household with siblings, EVERYTHING was a rivalry! Who could finish their food the fastest, who could carry in the most bags of groceries on one arm, who could run the fastest or jump their dirt bike the farthest, we turned everything into a competition! One of the “games” we played, was what we called the “I got last” game. It wasn’t much of a game I suppose but more of a senseles...  Read More

What motivates a person seems to be the million-dollar question these days. Is it more money at work? Is it having your kids earn a college scholarship? Is it getting all your responsibilities covered so that you can take a much-needed vacation? Is it the potential embarrassment of looking foolish as you get up to offer your speech in school? What is it? Everyone in some way is motivated by someth...  Read More

Main Point and Overview:   The most underrated strength of any church is not its preaching, worship, programming, or facilities, but its unity. In fact, there have been plenty of churches that had all of the already mentioned advantages, only to “fade away” over time because their people were not moving together in the same direction. The Apostle Paul took the time to remind the Philippian church ...  Read More

The definition of embrace-to hold someone or something closely in one's arms, especially as a sign of affection OR to accept or support a belief, theory, or change willingly and enthusiastically.What are some things that you embrace? The first thing that comes to my mind are my loved ones; especially the grandchildren. I’ll hold and squeeze them until they wriggle away in laughter. I embrace famil...  Read More

I love a good war movie. There are three or four that I watch every year. I enjoy them for their action, history, and the reminder of the sacrifice given by those so that my family and I live in freedom. Perhaps one of the most iconic lines that comes from just about any war movie, is “Hold the line.” In the movie “Gettysburg,” Joshua Lawrence Chamberlin was told to hold the line at Little Round T...  Read More

We often tend to make standing firm and compassion oxymorons. I will be the first to admit when I hear someone tell me to stand firm, my first thought is a soldier in a battle. Someone who is going to stand his ground and not move for anything, but what if standing firm doesn't have to be an aggressive word..... What if standing firm meant showing the love of Christ to those around us? Paul writes...  Read More