Holy Hand Grenades – 5 scriptures that aren’t actually in the Bible at all

When my daughters were in high school and on the volleyball team, they called me from school seeking assistance. “We are making posters to hang around the gym, and want a Bible verse that might apply to volleyball” was their quest.  At first I considered a couple of scriptures that spoke to concepts related to athletic competition, even though the…

Can you really do anything you set your mind to?

“You can do anything that you set your mind to.”  Really?  Take cover, because this is a spiritual grenade.  There’s an intended target that might be hit, but there is also likely to be collateral damage. Intended target: encourage you to trust God for big things.  Collateral damage: you might believe for something that isn’t a part of…

Where is the Kingdom of God?

One of the staple pass-times as a boy in the 70’s was playing “King of the Mountain!” In case you’re not in my age zip code, allow me to explain.  All you needed was a mound of dirt and three or more boys to play.  The object of the game was to battle with the…

Getting more from Scripture: a super simple Bible study method

Would you like to get more out of reading your Bible?  Don’t answer. That’s a rhetorical question, kind of like when a salesman asks you, “You want to be treated fairly…. don’t you?”  Of course you do!  Whatever your task with the Bible: reading through it in a year, studying one small passage, listening to someone preach from…

Why are Christians water baptized? Is it necessary?

Baptism is quite simply a physical demonstration of a spiritual victory. It is a testimony of what has taken place in the person being baptized, as well as a testimony of what Jesus did that enabled this victory to take place.  After Jesus was crucified, buried and rose from the grave, and before He ascended…

For Pete’s sake, stop feeling condemned!

A few years ago in North Texas we had a very unusual event the day after Christmas–a tornado.  This one was particularly devastating as it ripped through neighborhoods leaving a path of destruction, city after city.  During the weeks that followed the tornado, you could drive the neighborhoods hit hardest and see the restoration process in action. …

Struggling with the “I’m Not Worthy’s”? This Famous Christian Did, Too

I remember many moons ago when I was a youth minister in small-town Texas, there was a man with a lovely family who somehow got himself on the church “visitation list.”  He was a nice man who understood the value in gathering together as a church for worship and hearing from the Lord.  But every time he was…

How to reduce your fear in an uncertain world

A friend of mine recently went in for a battery of medical tests – testing for life threatening diseases – and insurance issues held up the process for over a month.  Week after week at our prayer meetings, he reported that he was still waiting on the results. The not knowing added to the anxiety…

How to Live by Faith

I just completed a four week sermon series about the good news of salvation, going through (in detail) the beautiful story of God’s love for mankind and how He provides a way for us to be with Him forever.  The blessing of salvation and the riches of a life in relationship with God are available…

God’s Way to Overcome Regrets

If you had a “Do-over Machine” that could take you back in time to give you a second shot at moments when you blew it, how many stops would you make?  The amount of wear on the Do-over Machine’s brake pads indicates how much regret you are holding.  So where would you go and what would…