"See Jesus" A young new pastor was invited to lead Sunday evening worship at senior adult retirement community.She gladly accepted the invitation and began pouring herself in to her sermon preparation.She didn't want to deliver just a good sermon, but a great sermon.So, she worked very hard getting it ready.The only trouble was that it was the kind of sermon only a sem...

"The Secret ofSuccess" Toward theend of Jesus' life, he had a conversation with his disciples.James and John had seen all of it coming together and figured, "It's now or never."They needed to nail down their cabinet positions.So they said, "Lord, with your kingdom about to come in a few days, you are going to need a vice president and secretary of state, so we have ...

"The Calm Before The Storm" James Bonham, a fiery young lawyer from South Carolina, had been in Texas for only three months, but his yearning for freedom left him no choice but to march alongside these Texans in their battle for liberty.He volunteered for service at the Alamo, a small mission near the Guadalupe River.As the Mexican army filled the horizon and the tiny bas...

"Riding Into Our Lives" This Sunday, April 5, is Palm Sunday and thebeginning of Holy Week.Jerusalem was a holy, sanctified city where the leaders were again preparing for the Passover according to the ancient script handed down by their ancestors.Suddenly, they looked up and here came their worst nightmare, a man who had shown himself capable of almost anything: raisi...

"Endless Hope" As we come into this new month, I am reminded of the phrase,"April showers bring May flowers."The cold winds and grey skies of March are behind us, and we are eager for Spring to begin.Unfortunately, April is going to have its heavy "showers" this year, as the coronavirus continues to wreck havoc over our lives.The statistics...

"Storm Warning" Today is April 1st, which means it is April Fool's Day.Of course, you and I both know that what is going on in our lives and around us is no laughing matter.Today's scripture reading is aparable that Jesus tells fromMatthew 24:24-27."Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the...

"The Breath of the Lion" When the month of March comes to an end, we tend to look at the weather and then determine if March is going out like a lamb or a lion.Weather aside, it seems like March is going out like a lion, as the coronavirus roars over our nation and communities, terrifying us, and sending us scampering to the safety of our homes.Indeed, a lion is big, ...

"...we have the mind of Christ"I Corinthians 2:16 For the second year in a row, I was planning to give up specific things for Lent.Basically, I was going to give up "sweets."Like last year, I was going to refrain from partaking of what I called the "5 C's."That would be candy, cookies, cake, chocolate, and coffee.So, you may be wondering how well I am doing with this?Th...

From the Pastor With just about all of sports being cancelled these days, or at least delayed for a little while, the event I am missing the most is the NCAA tournament, also known as "March Madness."And while I never participated in a college basketball tournament, I do have a basketball story to share with you. Several years ago, I was playing basketball at Princet...

Hupomone! Romans 5:3 ". . . we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance." Doesn't it seem as if the Apostle Paul went a little crazy with this verse?How can he say,"Suffering produces perseverance?"I think what helps us is to better understand the Greek word for perseverance.It is the word,"hupomone,"which means, "standing in there."It...