Scripture references: Psalm 22:1, 7, 8, 16, 18, 30-31. Matthew 27:33, 35, 39, 46. Matthew 26:39, John 19:30, Colossians 2:11-15 Introduction: I came across a video this week that caught my attention. In this video, a street preacher was having a discussion with a man passing by. The man challenged the preacher on Jesus, arguing that Jesus made mistakes. He…
Back in my youth ministry days, a great icebreaker—and a fun way to kill time during some downtime—was to toss out a riddle, a brain teaser, or occasionally spark a debate with a ridiculous question. Some of my favorites were “Is water wet?” and “Is a hotdog a sandwich?” These are silly, lighthearted questions that masquerade as riddles because they…
Scripture references: 2 Kings 25:27-30, Jeremiah 52:31-34, 2 Kings 21:2-15, Genesis 41:14, Genesis 41:41-42, Hebrews 4:14-15. Introduction: One indicator of a well written worship song is when the lyrics bring you to a specific passage of Scripture…allowing us to meditate on the Word of God. I had a moment like this when I was listening to one of our Communion…
I’m sure you’ve heard the adage, “Work smarter, not harder.” For some reason, I have been very slow to learn that lesson. More often than not, when I’m working on a project, I don’t take the time to think about ways to save energy or make the work easier—I just try to power through as quickly as possible. Inevitably, what…
Have you ever noticed how we tend to pray more—or perhaps pray at all (when prayer is not a part of our daily lives)—when we find ourselves in desperate situations? There have been times when I’ve offered to pray for a loved one of someone I know does not yet have a relationship with God. I’ve never been turned down…
Scripture references: Psalm 18, Exodus 2:10, Exodus 15, John 16:33 Introduction: “Your name is a strong and mighty towerYour name is a shelter like no otherYour name, let the nations sing it louder‘Cause nothing has the power to saveBut your name” – ‘Your Name’ by Paul Baloche I find myself drawn to songs and songwriters who use imagery in their…
In my many years as a Youth Pastor, I have encountered numerous ways to communicate the gospel message. One of my favorites comes from an organization called Dare2Share. I appreciate it because it is easy for me to remember and simple enough to communicate. They call it “Life in 6 Words,” with the six words being: God, Our, Sins, Paying,…
What do you believe? Perhaps there is not a more fitting week to address this question than leading up to a Baptism Sunday! As we see our brothers and sisters in Christ, one by one, step into that water…each one has their own unique story and unique journey to get where they are today. God has authored their life journey…
From time to time, I encounter a term that is widely used in Christian communities but sounds completely foreign to me. More often than not, my confusion stems from my own limited vocabulary 🙂. The first time I came across the term “Means of Grace” and had to take a short detour to understand it better. My summary of “Means…
Introduction: to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. -Ephesians 4:22-24 ESV Putting off the old self…putting on the new self. This will be a central theme in…