God

When The Church Stood Still

Was anyone else excited for the start of 2020? It was supposed to be a call to action, a new decade to conquer and then… everything stopped. For me this was on March 9th. We got a call from the school where we were meeting at the time, and we were told that they were shutting down any extra programs held at the school. The church stood still. Over what we thought would only be the next few weeks until we got back on schedule, things turned into a global pandemic. It was there that I realized for the first […]

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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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Gospel Hope In The Seasons Of Life

Last month we saw how God arranged the sequence of night and day to teach the gospel. At creation he established a sequence of evening followed by morning, of darkness followed by light. This pattern reminds us of our gospel hope that death itself will one day give way to new life. Every day God is faithful. Every day he calls us out of the heavy darkness of night into the marvelous light of dawn. We learn to recognize that when we walk through the shadows of darkness, God is drawing closer and closer to the dawn of redemption. But […]

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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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For Ours Is the Kingdom

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom” (Matthew 5:3).   Do you feel weary? Tired? Do you feel discouraged at your lack of physical, emotional or spiritual strength? Today, God is giving us an invitation through this incredibly powerful verse. He calls the poor in spirit blessed. He invites those who feel their deep need and their poverty of heart to come and experience the kingdom for themselves. He invites us.   This passage has been ringing in my heart for months. It seems that lately everywhere I look I feel my weakness; I feel my […]

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Searching Our Hearts About Racism

At Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA), our hearts were broken as we learned of the senseless killing of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and others like them, and we’ve been asking ourselves some tough questions in response. I invite you to join me in those questions, led by verses from Psalm 139. “You created my inmost being,” wrote King David; “you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Consider Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, fatally shot while jogging. A work of God’s hand, […]

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Surviving or Thriving?

The health of a leader’s soul matters more than any amount of success, education, following or charisma. While it would be hard to find someone who would push back against that statement, it seems like every week another news story is breaking about a pastor or ministry leader whose secret double life has been exposed. In the words of pastor and Christian counselor, Chuck DeGroat, “I’m not surprised when the secret lives of Christian leaders are exposed. I am so sad that we keep elevating them. I’m even more grieved for the countless ‘followers’ who feel betrayed, confused, maybe even […]

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Empowering Laity in the Church

Connecting a group of people to its purpose starts with leaders. We’re tempted to talk more about the sacred. However, if God is redeeming all things, we must reframe how we invite others to a fresh Theology of Work. This forces some of us into a tense moment of dichotomy. If we, the Church, are a visible and recognizable entity living out the Father’s love in every city, it requires much of us. When a local congregation understands its true character as a holy priesthood, its most important contribution is its witness to the Kingdom of God, counteracting the world’s […]

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First Steps

I have been thinking about the idea of a first step. I am not sure what has prompted that idea, perhaps it is watching my grandchildren growing up, perhaps its watching students graduating university and starting their careers, perhaps its watching newlyweds and young families beginning to write their own stories. I have friends who are starting new business ventures, planting churches, and changing careers and all of these require a first step. Neil Armstrong took a first step and became famous for it. Do you remember those famous words, “One small step for man and one giant leap for […]

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