BEYOND BOTOX: A New Year Makeover - Philippians 3:12-14

Faith enables you to see it, believe it, and work toward it.

LOVE: A Multi-Faceted Expression - Revelation 1:4-8

Though the book points to the end of the present age, the introduction of John’s revelations begins with a vivid description of God’s love enacted.

JOY: A Dream Come True - Psalm 126

Strangely, the joy of the Lord seems to always be in association with grief and pain.

THE WAR ON CHRISTMAS - Luke 2:8-12

The war on Christmas is nothing new. The real issue is the battlefield upon which it is fought.

HOPE ON THE CLOCK Jeremiah 33:14-16

“Days are coming” scripture says. And so…we wait…with hope.

GOD’S PROPOSAL/RELIGION’S REJECTION - Matthew 22:1-14

A wedding feast portrays wondrously all that God is proposing; only to find rejection at its offering.

RELIGION’S TRAGIC UNDERSTANDING Matthew 21:33-46

The Parable of the Landowner is either a redeeming window through which we see the Kingdom of God or an indicting mirror that reflects our coming judgment.

THE FALLACY OF RELIGION - Matthew 21:28-32

Sometimes it’s the thought that count; not in matters of faith, however.

RELIGIOUS STEWING OVER STEWARDSHIP Luke 16:1-15

From even an unethical businessman, and the Pharisees, we find life lessons regarding the stewardship of all things.

THE HYPOCRISY OF RELIGION - Matthew 23:13-33

While Jesus began his teaching ministry with the nine blessings of the beatitudes, he ends it with seven woes of hypocrisy.

THE SIGNS OF RELIGION - Matthew 16:1-4

Just as signs navigate much of our day, there are signs of religion gone bad.

CREATIVE RELIGION Luke 15:25-32

Sometimes the prodigal pops up in the most unexpected places—even home and church

DEADLY RELIGION - Matthew 12:22-37

Being a man-made construct is one thing, but when religion  misleads others it has deadly consequences.

BLINDED BY RELIGION - Mark 2:13-3:6

The tragedy of religion is that it blinds us to the things God would have us see.

THE UNGRACIOUSNESS OF RELIGION Luke 18:9-14

Grace is the most recognizably absent virtue within religion. 

RELIGIOUS BIBLICISM v. BIBLICAL FAITH Matthew 22:34-40

Religion is concerned with letter of the law while faith looks to the transformation of the heart.

DANGEROUS THINKING Matthew 5:17-20

Because of his revolutionary teachings, we might have expected Jesus to abolish the law.

THE TOXIC BITE OF RELIGION Matthew 3:4-12

The proponents of religion were the ones responsible for killing Jesus.

The Revealing Light of God 1 John 1:5

WHEN THINGS HAPPEN - Philippians 1:12-20

Things are going to happen to us, in us, and through us.

Just Passing Through Luke 19:1-10

When it's Jesus passing through there really is no such thing as just passing through.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE ANNOYING KIND - Luke 10:38-42

A REPURPOSING CONVERSATION - Luke 5:1-11

THE INSIDE SCOOP - Mark 13:1-37

LIVING GOSPEL-WORTH LIVES - 1 Thessalonians

A REVEALING CONVERSATION - Matthew 15:21-28

It’s telling that a faith described as great emerges not from a religious tradition but a pagan background.

BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE - Matthew 21:18-22

We are barking up the wrong tree when we think God blesses fruitless religion.

CONVERSING WITH A SEEKER - Matthew 19:16-30

A seeker asks the right question out of a wrong understanding.

CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEVIL - Matthew 4:1-11

Because any one of us at any time can find ourselves in wilderness moments dialoguing with the devil, we do well to follow the lead of Jesus and keep the conversation both scriptural and minimal.

ORDAINING FAILURE - John 21:15-23

It’s only as we ordain failure that Kingdom victories can be experienced.

THE TWIN SIDES OF FAITH: Lessons From A Skeptic - John 20:24-31

Who would have imagined that the unbelief of Thomas could actually be of greater benefit for us than the belief of the other disciples?

Unwrapping Lazarus - John 11

Unwrapping Lazarus resurrects a deeper understanding of the hard realities surrounding both life and death.

THE EMERGING STORY - John 9

Everyone who encounters Jesus has a unique and distinctive story that must be told.

A HARD CONVERSATION John 8:1-11

Sometimes hard conversations are necessary to bring forth a redemptive end.

LET’S TALK WELLNESS - John 5:1-16

Wellcare is a popular topic within the healthcare industry. It needs to be a priority in the realm of spiritual care

EASTER CONVERSATIONS - John 20; 21:15-17

A TELLING CONVERSATION - John 4:43-54

Jesus and a royal official have a telling conversation about the nature and character of faith.

AN ENGAGING CONVERSATION - John 4

It’s out of the most ordinary of conversations that the most extraordinary of things happen.

THE WINDS OF A NEW CONVERSATION John 3:1-21

The strongholds of cultural christianity and institutional religion are broken only by the Spirit.

GUESS WHO’S WATCHING - Mark 12:41-44

A widow’s mite tells the bigger story of not only who she was but the kind of people we could be.

Solomon, CFP “I Can Get You More” Proverbs 3:9-10

Solomon is the first Certified Financial Planner (CFp). His counsel is God inspired and preserved for all eternity.

AND THE CHURCH BECAME FLESH - John 17:13-19

While misconceptions abound regarding the purpose of the church, she is most surely an extension of incarnation.

COMPETITIVE FAITH: Finishing Strong - 2 Timothy 4:1-8

The life of faith is proved out by finishing well

Competitive Faith/Missional Living Part 2 Colossians 4:2-18

The faith we fight to live is not a life unto ourselves but it is a labor of missional intent.

Competitive Faith/ Missional Living Part 1 Colossians 4:2-18

The faith we fight to live is not a life unto ourselves but it is a labor of missional intent.

Competing With Power Colossians 1:24-2:5

The faith for which we compete is not accomplished on our own but, rather, it is achieved by the resurrection power that fills our inner man.

Competing for Truth John 18:33-38

Once the strongholds of political, personal, and religious kingdoms have been overcome, only then can the Truth be known.

COMPETING FOR WHAT MATTERS-Luke 13:24

Whether by effort or lack of effort, everyone is striving for something.

MODELS FOR FACING THE COMPETITION - 2 Timothy 2:1-7

Military warfare, athletic competition, and the labor of farming provide vivid images of the approach that is necessary to contend well for the faith.

FACING THE COMPETITION - 1 Corinthians 9:25

A new year brings a fresh start and new opportunities but the same enemy.