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As we’ve been studying Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel of Mark, we’ve learned that Jesus openly proclaimed this world is not really ours, and that for his followers, our home is in heaven.

I mentioned to a friend of mine that a person I knew was worth millions. This friend responded, “You are only worth as much as you give."

How was your Thanksgiving? The trouble is, even before we could really contemplate our gratitude, this world is churning out its marketing ploy for Christmas, instigating dissatisfaction and greed.

Jim Carey said, “I think everyone should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”

As a young Christian, I heard someone say, “God doesn’t want you happy, he wants you holy.” Another way I’ve heard this, “God isn’t interested in your happiness, he’s interested in your holiness.”

Bill was buying a car. The dealership was offering an unbelievable rate, so he elected to finance it. He now says it was the worst decision he ever made.

Two landscapers were working vigorously in a park. But a casual observer was confused by what he saw. One man was digging a hole, and the other man was filling it up. They were making good time, but what they were doing didn’t seem to make sense. So he asked them about it.

The only reason Christians celebrated Jesus’ birth on December 25 was because the Romans had a pagan celebration on that day and Christians took it over. Right?

I feel awful for our Care Pastor, Joel Bradshaw. His dad had diabetes related foot surgery last week, and then he had a heart attack in recovery, and died. His funeral was the day before Thanksgiving. He was a wonderful man, devoted to God and his family. Can you imagine being them on Thanksgiving?I can. My dad passed away the day before Thanksgiving years ago. He was getting ready to come to our house for the long weekend, as we were hosting for my family. It was a Thanksgiv

Do you know of any hopeless cases? People in your world who are so far from God, you don’t even bother praying for anymore?One such case could have been Jeff. He had been witnessed to many times. He had been to church and didn't care for it. He was a major substance abuser and had been for decades. Twice divorced and virtually unable to be a positive partner in any relationship. No job. No money. Hopeless case.That’s when I met him. Better yet, that’s when he met Jesus. His b

When hiring people for a ministry staff position at The Bridge, one of the things I pay closest attention to is how the candidate converses during off-times, when not being interviewed.Who does he/she talk about? Is it always or even usually about themselves? Do they show genuine interest in others, or do they work to get people interested in them?There are some people who are very good at getting conversations back to their own thoughts, opinions, experiences, or interests.

I put a Harley Davidson sticker on the rear window of my truck. I’ve noticed some things. People tend to treat me differently on the road now. Seriously. They seem to give me a little more space. Fewer cut me off by squeezing in tight spaces in front of me. I’m wondering if it’s the reputation that old school Harley riders had. Has the sticker generated a little fear? Whatever it is, I like the respect on the road I seem to be getting.And then I began to ask myself, what kind

Every year around this time I get questions from parents asking, “What did you tell your kids about Santa?” Some are very adamant: “Santa Claus is a replacement of Jesus in this secularized society and just another way of spreading the materialism of this age.” Others see the fable as harmless, delightful fantasy: “I believed in Santa when I was a kid and it didn’t hurt me! It’s just a fun way to give the kids a magical spark during Christmas.”Have you ever thought that Santa

How was your Thanksgiving? The trouble is, even before we could really contemplate our gratitude, this world is churning out its marketing ploy for Christmas, instigating dissatisfaction and greed.

There are days, and sometimes weeks, when disappointing circumstances can seem overwhelming. You feel like you are barely keeping your emotional head above the water and then you see a giant wave approaching. For some reason, hard times come in blasts, not trickles. A broken relationship, trouble at work, health issues, money problems…they seem to come at us all at once. You don’t know what is harder: disappointment, fear, shame, or rejection.And sometimes it’s just one reall

Having pastored for 30+ years, I’m not surprised by the viral #metoo from weeks ago. I know the rape culture is real. Sexual harassment is a nearly everyday occurrence for some and sexual assault is far too common. You would probably be shocked to know the numbers of people sitting in our church, week after week, who have been molested as children, assaulted as adolescents, or raped as adults. I, and our counselors at The Bridge, deal with it weekly. I didn’t title this post

Last Tuesday, social media was on fire with posts, articles, and quotes regarding the 500 year anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation. There was already so much written and so many posts that I didn’t enter the fray. But all of us have a debt of gratitude to the brave reformers who changed the world in their time.But Martin Luther nailing his ninety-five theses on Wittenberg’s Castle Church on October 31, 1517, wasn’t really the beginning. The seeds of the Reformatio

I was struck at the bank the other day when I noticed the vault was left open and unattended, yet, I was filling out a deposit slip with a pen that was chained to the counter.Does that seem ironic to you?I’m guilty of those little hypocritical gestures….such as ordering a burger, fries, and then a DIET Coke. A friend of mine used to leave his new $30,000 car in his driveway, because his $2,000 camper was taking up the garage space. I could go on and on with things that we do

In our Outsiders series through the Book of Daniel, we’ve learned that this world is not really ours, and that our home is in heaven.

The problems with politics in a democracy is that by it’s very nature we have to choose between imperfect people. Sometimes the choice is more stark than others, and sometimes it’s our background and upbringing that causes us to focus on the strengths or weaknesses of either candidate, causing us to view stark differences where others may not. For the citizens of the kingdoms of this world, it’s understandable that they pick sides and swear allegiance to an imperfect candidat