A Humble Christmas Prayer

God, our Creator, we offer this humble prayer on Christmas Day. We come to worship with a song of thanks in our hearts - a song of redemption, a song of hope and renewal. We pray for joy in our hearts, hope in our God, love to forgive, and peace upon the earth. We ask for the salvation of all our family members and friends, and we pray your blessings on all people. May there be bread for the hungry, love for the unlovable, healing for the sick, protection for our children,

Christmas Music

I have often thought (and said) that most of my brain is filled with song lyrics. While I may not remember someone's name I just met, I can remember most if not all of the lyrics from a 1980's song from my teenage years!

I believe music is one of the most powerful mediums there is. Music can make us happy. It can make us sad. It can bring back long forgotten memories of times spent with family and friends. Music is the ideal time traveler. It can truly transport us in time.

Attitude of Gratitude

One of my goals for this year is to memorize Scripture verses. One of my favorites since I was a child is Psalm 100:

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness, come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God, it is He who made us and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture."

It's easy to be a grumbler, to find little or big things to complain about. Our culture teaches us to always want more, to never be quite sati

Secure in The Lord

This is week 4 of an 8 week study of David. The Bible says David was a man after God's own heart. What does that mean? David is a complex man; David is a servant and a leader, a sinner and a redeemed child of God, an instrument of God's creative purposes. God looked at David, out in the foothills of Bethlehem tending sheep, and God says. 'There's my man".

When someone has done us wrong, when we've been mistreated, we instinctively want revenge! We want that person to get wh

A Matter of Conscience

This is week 3 of an 8 week study of David. The Bible says David was a man after God's own heart. What does that mean? David is a complex man; David is a servant and a leader, a sinner and a redeemed child of God, an instrument of God's creative purposes. God looked at David, out in the foothills of Bethlehem tending sheep, and God says, "There's my man".

How do you determine whether God is leading you to do something? In Samuel 24, all signs seem to be saying it's time for

The Battle Belongs To the Lord

This is week 2 of an 8 week study of David. The Bible says David was a man after God's own heart. What does that mean? David is a complex man; David is a servant and a leader, a sinner and a redeemed child of God, an instrument of God's creative purposes. God looked at David out in the foothills of Bethlehem tending sheep, and God says, "There's my man".

Today's reading is a familiar one - the story of David and Goliath. Many times in life we face scary situations; a job ch

David

This week we start an eight-week study of King David. The Bible says David was a man after God's own heart. What does that mean? David is a complex man; David is a servant and a leader, a sinner and a redeemed child of God, an instrument of God's creative purposes. God looked at David, out in the foothills of Bethlehem tending sheep, and God says, 'There's my man". For David it was a day just like any other morning. Little did he know his life would never be the same again

Thanking God

Recently I saw a commercial that showed someone celebrating fall, Halloween, Christmas, ONE day of Thanksgiving and then back to Christmas! While I love celebrating the birth of Jesus, we celebrate gifts more than the Giver! (A topic for another day). We don't spend the time we should thanking God for all we have. What if the Thanksgiving season lasted as long as Halloween season? I read an article by Lisa Elliott which suggests 7 things we can thank God for this season.

1.

How Can I Be Sure That I Am Doing My Part?

Mark Howell says, "The Gospel will affect every area of our lives, including our passion for living today and our hope for what is coming tomorrow."

Members of the Thessalonian church were refusing to take responsibility. Some had quit working because they thought Jesus would be back any moment and didn't see any reason to exert themselves. Others relaxed because there were plenty of wealthier members in the church who were always willing to share. Regardless of the reason,

How Can I Be Sure of God's Power?

Mark Howell says, "The Gospel will affect every area of our lives, including our passion for living today an dour hope for what is coming tomorrow?"

What do you worry about? Talk to God about your fears. How will the world end? Paul advises us that Satan has yet to attack us with the worst he has, and when he does, it will be a fearful time to be alive. However, Paul also promises that God will always be in control.

God gives us a glimpse into the future so that we can live

How Can I Be Sure That I Will Go to Heaven

Mark Howell says, "The Gospel will affect every area of our lives, including our passion for living today and our hope for what is coming tomorrow."

Can I know for sure that I will go to heaven? This is a question that plagued the Thessalonians to such an extent that even after the comfort of his first letter, Paul has to write again and give further encouragement. Many people today wonder, "Does heaven exist? Can I be sure I am going there?"

The questions are taken from the

How is YOUR faith in Jesus?

This year is flying by fast! Often people wait and make New Year's Resolutions, but why wait? We are at the beginning of a new school year. What about ALL of us, kids and adults alike, taking some time for a check in? How is YOUR faith in Jesus Christ?

I found some information about taking a faith evaluation on the Torrance Church of Christ website. "Taking the time to deliberate on your faith is imperative for your spiritual well-being and growth. Consistently evaluating y

"How Can I Be Sure of God's People?"

Mark Howell says, "The Gospel will affect every area of our lives, including our passion for living today and our hope for what is coming tomorrow."

Ben Patterson has the following to say about Christians "People in the church are like porcupines in a snowstorm. We need each other to keep warm, but we prick each other if we get too close." A healthy church is identified by how its people relate to one another and to God. How can we be an authentic church?

The questions are t

"How Can I Be Sure That Christ Is Coming Back?

Mark Howell Says, "The Gospel will affect every area of our lives, including our passion for living today and our hope for what is coming tomorrow."

In this passage, Paul seeks to calm our fears and encourage us to look forward to the day we meet our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God's promises about tomorrow give us hope for how we face today. God's message about future events must influence how we live in our present circumstances.

The questions are taken from the Bible st

How Can I Be Sure of God's Approval?

Mark Howell says, "The Gospel will affect every area of our lives, including our passion for living today and our hope for what is coming tomorrow."

God will always love us, but He may not always approve of our way of living. Our walk with Jesus Christ must be a priority in our lives, commit to know what God says and commit to do what God commands. God's approval is the only one we need to worry about!

This week, take time to confess to God the areas of your life He finds di