Send me a Text Message!

The apostle Paul is writing his friends to help them when they encounter darkness and in a way the first thing he says is this: If darkness is near, heaven isn't far. Dark times are often isolating times. When we go through dark times we begin to believe we are not only alone, but we are far from God. But don't miss God's words, in Paul's words, "Be strong in the Lord." Even while we are in the Lord, while we are in Christ, the darkness comes, but when it comes, His strength is close.

Listen, if you find yourself in the midst of a dark time, right now, that doesn't mean that heaven is far from you. In fact it may mean that heaven is closer than you can imagine.

Send me a Text Message!

Here is the statement I want to start with so that it saturates you heart, mind and soul for the next 20 minutes or so. The grace God has given you is not just for you. It's His grace and He's asking us to steward His grace. The grace He gives you is not just for, it's for someone else. The question is who? Because there is nothing more amazing than being a conduit of His grace.

Are you a steward of grace?

Send me a Text Message!

Taking a Monday break by posting last weekend's message from Calvary is becoming a habit. But, this one matters to me. Not that other messages don't matter, but this one gave me a sense of hope and expectancy as I worked on it...and a sense of conviction as I spoke it. With all my heart I believe God is inviting us to a year of unforgettable walks. I'm asking you to join us! Ask God for more!

Send me a Text Message!

For 1000's of years Satan has been thumming his nose at God, rejecting and ridiculing the wisdom and the grace of God. But when the grace of God flows (to us and through us) the wisdom of God is made known. Grace has a Cosmic effect. The importance of the church is that it's not just a place where worship services take place, it's a people through whom the purposes of God are fufilled.

In the heavenly places, where heaven meets earth, we become the "see I told you" of God. His amazing grace is on display in us, in the heavenly places.

Send me a Text Message!

You have a seat at the table, in the heavenlies, with Christ. We've all heard that phrase before, "a seat at the table." We're looking for a seat at the table. When it's used in an organization, it's about having a place, having a voice. Usually when we say we want a seat at the table, it's because we feel we deserve a part; we deserve to be heard, to lead. We want a seat at the table. This is not that kind of seat. This is not the kind of seat we earn.

This is more like the seat that would have been empty at Lazarus' house but now is filled because of resurrection. It's a seat like the one Mary sat in while Martha worried and labored over having things in her home just right. Mary sat at Jesus feet to just listen to his words. It's a seat where Jesus says, "Come here, slow down, be still for a bit. Just sit... here with me... I've got a seat for you at my table."

Send me a Text Message!

Ephesians 2 is a tough passage of scripture. But it also contains one of the greatest transformation stories of all time. I was a nobody. I was dead, doomed and damned -- but God --.

Oh, how I love those two words, "but God." Later on you should circle those words, highlight them, underline them in your Bible. "I was dead, doomed and damned but God, is so rich in mercy. Those words are the turning point of my story and yours. They mark the point where God turned my story into His-story.

I love the "but" of God!

Send me a Text Message!

I love what Paul Miller writes in his book, "A Praying Life." He writes, "If you are not praying, then you are quietly confident that time, money, and talent are all you need in life. You'll always be a little too tired, a little too busy. But, if like Jesus you realize you can't do life on your own, then no matter how busy, no matter how tired
you are, you will find the time to pray." In other words, if I know I need help, I will pray. And perhaps the best words of prayer to start with are...

God, I need help...

Send me a Text Message!

How well do I know God? If there was one and only one question we should ask ourselves as we start a new year...it would be, "How well do I know him?" Jesus once was overheard praying, he said, "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (John 17:3) How well do I know God? Moses spoke with God like a man does with his friend, and yet he cried out to know more of God. Paul said, nothing matters to me more than knowing Christ. I want to know Christ. Maggie Ross described the start of spiritual life as beginning to understand that the feeling of emptiness is really an indication of our hunger for God.

In other words, every need you have experienced is a reminder that what I need more than anything... is to know God. How well do I know God?