Active Faith

The Promise of Christmas

“For the word of God will never fail” (Luke 1:37 NLT).   For far too many even in the church today, Christmas has declined into little more than “gift-giving” and “get-togethers.” The questions that are foremost in the minds of many are, “What did you get? What did I get?” Well, throughout the month of December, I would like you to consider this question: What is the most glorious promise of Christmas? To be sure, there are many promises that are expressed through the Babe in the manger, but there is one that rises above all the rest, and that […]

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Fire and Fur Coats

There is an old Jewish term, tzaddik im peltz, meaning, “a righteous man in a fur coat.” There are two ways of keeping warm on a cold night. You can wear a fur coat or light a fire. Wear a fur coat and you warm only yourself. Light a fire and you warm others. The year 2020 has been one of the most unusual years of my life (and I could be so bold and suggest the same is true of you). The year has been polarizing. We have all experienced loss and gain, peace and fear, loneliness and community […]

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Nourish Your Nazareth

My love for music started at a young age. I loved the melodies, harmonies and tones. Music was just something that caught my attention no matter where I was or what situation I was in. There would even be times where in the middle of a dream, I’d conjure up a melody. Some of those melodies I still remember today. Because of this love for music, I got to end up in interesting situations, but never in a million years did I ever imagine myself being where I am today. Basically, I never thought I’d be using music for the […]

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Church Connect: A New Opportunity Emerges

Forty years ago, South Floridians across hundreds of different ethnic backgrounds, race and life stages gathered to hear one of the icon evangelical figures to this day. They listened intently as Evangelist Billy Graham passionately commanded the attention of those in Lockhart Stadium as he gracefully pointed them towards Jesus Christ. Thousands were saved. Fast forward 20 years and you’ll find over 300,000 South Floridians gathered across the beach in Fort Lauderdale to participate in one of this community’s largest evangelistic efforts to-date: BeachFest. Thousands were saved.    Church Connect: A New Opportunity Emerges Alongside hundreds of other local churches, […]

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Thanksgiving Thoughts

I get nostalgic around Thanksgiving. A few years ago, the holiday had me thinking back to my childhood on the mission field in the Middle East. Thanksgiving in Israel Those were dangerous times. We were evacuated three times amid gunfire and threats, my Dad was arrested in Iraq, and he was even kidnapped by Palestinians. We had to leave this missional minefield, but my parents figured out how to continue the ministry via correspondence courses.   The power is not in the sower, the power is in the seed This is when I began to understand the power was not […]

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Surprised by Jesus – As The Almighty Ark

I (Scroll down to leave a comment on Jesus being the Almighty Ark) want to thank several of you for your positive and encouraging comments on our new study, “Surprised by Jesus: Encountering Christ in the Old Testament.” As I said previously, when I was first exposed to seeing Jesus in the Old Testament, it changed everything about how I read the Bible. I hope that you too will be delighted to discover Jesus in places you might never have seen Him before not so much to increase your knowledge, but rather, your love for Jesus. You can also go […]

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The Snow Globe Effect

I hope that during your lifetime you’ve had the chance to hold a snow globe. The snow globe is either a toy or piece of art that displays an idyllic scene that is encased within the confines of a clear globe, a liquid and small specs of “snow.” The idea is that when you shake the globe, the clear scene becomes covered with a make-believe snow fall, transforming before your very eyes a most beautiful snowy scene and creating one of the most wonderful feelings one can have, the feeling of a first snow fall. However, the perfect scene is […]

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Undivided

In the midst of one of the most contentious, combative and polarized seasons our country has ever faced lies one of the greatest opportunities for the Church in South Florida. Though fear, anxiety, anger, political identity and division have become commonplace, this bleak backdrop has sent our friends, neighbors and co-workers searching for answers – for hope. Now is the time for God’s people to demonstrate that the Church of Jesus Christ stands unified and undivided. Undivided Throughout the month of November, Churches from across South Florida will be preaching through a common teaching series called Undivided. This three week […]

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Surprised by Jesus – As the Seed of the Woman

(Scroll down to leave a comment on Jesus being the seed of the woman) Last month I introduced you to the new apologetic focus we will pursue for the next few months: Surprised By Jesus: Encountering Christ in the Old Testament. I am preaching this as a sermon series, which is available for you to hear on our church website. I want to emphasize that this concept was not invented by the imagination of men, but rather expressed through the revelation of God in the words of Jesus to two downcast disciples on the afternoon of the first Easter as […]

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Gospel Hope in Days of Darkness

Do you remember when you were a child learning how to tell the time? First, your parents told you the strange news that somehow a clock had “hands.” Next, they showed you that one hand was longer than the other, and based on this odd fact, you could identify the time of day down to the very minute! Then came the wonderful day when you realized you didn’t have to bother with any of this complicated business at all. Digital clocks were far more practical! As children, we don’t just learn to tell time by looking at a clock. From […]

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