September marks the beginning a new “Ministry Season” at Auburn Grace Community Church. I like new beginnings. We all need them. Opportunities for a bit of a “do over” help me feel better about my questionable decision making paradigms. The Truth is, our God believes in second chances. “God’s mercies are new every morning” Lamentations 3:22 -23. As we begin […]
Joy can be elusive! Hope is at times a slender thread that is difficult to hold on to. We know that in His presence we find joy (Psalms 16:11), but like that thread, getting into His presence and remaining there is easier said than done. For me…it is a faith issue. Does your faith ever […]
Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation. James 1:2-4 admonishes us to meet every trial with joy…because ultimately the purpose of trials is to mature our faith in […]
Did you know that God “rejoices” over you? It’s true. The God of the Universe rejoices over you (Zephaniah 3:17). As children of the Most High God, we are to be marked by contagious, unceasing joy. Are you known for your joy my friends? On this topic, Pastor Jim Denison remarks, “Through the Holy Spirit we […]
A leading “Organizational Psychologist” (I did not know there was such a thing) was recently employed by companies such as Google, Wells Fargo and Warner Brothers to provide strategies for effectively “managing people”. In a published interview summarizing his findings the author made a statement that is both simple and significant: “What we spend the majority […]
I just returned from our annual All-Church Family Camp at Snowflower. We had a great time together. On Sunday morning I shared from Matthew 16:24, “Whoever wants to be My Disciple, let them deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me.” God created each of us on purpose for a purpose. Romans 8:29 affirms this truth, “From the very beginning […]
Over the last two weeks we have been looking at an article by Pastor Albert Tate that deals with our “Disappointments with God”. The premise is simply this: When we petition our Heavenly Father, and the heavens are silent, we want to know why God has disappeared. Where has He gone? Why is He silent? […]
Last week we began to unpack an article by Pastor Albert Tate entitled “What do you do with a Disobedient God? Much like the children of Israel who tired of waiting for God to do their bidding, we have a tendency to expect God to answer our prayers within our boundaries and expectations. In their […]
What do you do with a disobedient God? When I read the title….I just had to read the article by Pastor Albert Tate. What’s the first commandment? “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). You could make the case that there is really one sin beneath all other sin: Idolatry. It’s when […]
Happy 4th of July. God Bless America! Last week we began chatting about Jesus’ very INTENTIONAL model of leadership…the best leaders are first and foremost servants. These familiar passages (Matthew 20:26-27 and John 13:14-15) remind us that Jesus lived what He taught. There are four important truths for us to consider as we attempt to understand the essence of service as Christ modeled […]
