Practical Application

Live a Steering Wheel Life Forever

Steve Davis
8 Oct 2016
no comments

Driving down the road never happens in a straight line; it requires using the steering wheel. It’s amazing how many hundreds and thousands of times we adjust the steering wheel to continue in the direction we want to go. A small adjustment is needed almost every second. That’s very much like living our daily life. So, count how many seconds there are in a 20-minute drive to work. Wow! That’s a lot of adjustments. Why is this like living our daily life? Well, there’s no such thing as a mistake-less, adjustment-free life. Think about it. Our to-do list is really […]

-Read More

Developing a Fully Generous Life

Shelly Pond
15 Sep 2016
no comments

Gordon MacDonald, best-selling author and pastor emeritus of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts, encouraged pastors that the church can impact the culture through its generosity. He shared his insights during a Church United meeting at First Baptist Church on August 25. It is always a blessing to see the diversity of pastors who are finding common ground in these quarterly gatherings. While some may be skeptical about ecumenical gatherings, Doug Sauder, pastor of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, is quick to clarify, “It’s not just unity for the sake of unity; it’s unity for the sake of mission.” And the mission […]

-Read More

Developing a generous lifestyle

Forgive As You Are forgiven?

Dr. Tommy Boland
13 Sep 2016
no comments
forgive

  Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, I am always struck by these words: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12, KJV). Really? Do you really want God to forgive you in the same way you forgive others? I didn’t think so; neither do I! But what I do desire is to be able, by God’s amazing grace, to live out this truth in every area of my life. And this should be the desire of every Christian, because Christianity is all about forgiveness. You see, we are commanded to receive the vertical forgiveness that […]

-Read More

Is Your Heart Right, Wrong or Hurting?

Carone Gordon
8 Sep 2016
one comments

I could be wrong, but it seems that over the last few years the world has made a rapid change. Many things have changed as technology advances. My husband and I disagree on this one point as I often say things got worst. He says things have not gotten worst but technology has made us more aware of things happening everywhere. I’m sure there are many supporters on both sides of this argument. Jesus said, “and because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold.” How do we protect ourselves from the negativity? I was driving recently on […]

-Read More

Answering Questions about Homosexuality

Christina Sneeringer
2 Aug 2016
no comments

Christians need to be prepared to answer the myriad questions we hear in today’s increasingly pro homosexual culture. This is perhaps the most complicated and contentious issue we face in our culture. Most churches are poorly equipped to handle it; parents are even less prepared. In his new book Critical Conversations: A Christian Parents’ Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens, author Tom Gilson crafts a well-written apologetic for the morality of Christianity. He cautions, “Let’s not be fooled here: The big question isn’t whether homosexual behavior or same-sex marriage is moral. The big question is whether Christianity is credible. Gay […]

-Read More

The Battle Within

Dr. Tommy Boland
one comments

(Scroll down to leave a comment on your battle within.) One of Satan’s most destructive schemes is to convince the believer that all is well, and there is nothing to be concerned with. “You’re doing so much better than that person over there,” the serpent slyly hisses. “You don’t need to worry about making any particular changes in your own life.” But this is not for you. The apostle Paul was keenly aware of his own sin, and he knew well that acknowledging that he was the chief of sinners — a title that you and I can also honestly […]

-Read More

within

Engaging Muslims with Wisdom and Love

Daniel Ebert
one comments

The Lord calls Christians to relate wisely and virtuously with all people. This includes how followers of Jesus engage Muslims. Acts of terrorism done in the name of Islam, against both Muslims and non-Muslims, can tempt us to respond in ways that are neither wise nor virtuous. If people have never had Muslim friends, their only impressions come from news and social media, which tend to build a distorted picture. Even among Christians, heated debates break out about the very language we use on issues relating to Islam. In politics we debate whether or not terrorists should be called “radical Muslims.” […]

-Read More

Tips for Everyday Evangelism

Bob Woods
3 May 2016
no comments

The idea of stepping out in faith to engage in one-on-one personal evangelism can be daunting. Often we are afraid of rejection, worried about achieving results, or we don’t want to feel as if we are imposing our beliefs on others. But if what we believe is true, we have the light and the truth to share with a lost and dying world. Here are some practical tips and key concepts to remember. Remember what interests people Most people love to talk about themselves, their families and their own personal interests. This can be a natural way to start a […]

-Read More

Getting Back to Fulfilling Your Dream

Steve Davis
no comments

“We were returning from a cross-country hike to our camp at Red Can Lake. The acres of glaciated granite all looked the same to me but I wasn’t worried. Walt knew the way. All I had to do was stick close. Then Walt surprised me. ‘Want to lead for a while?’ he offered. ‘I guess,’ I said, and took off in the wrong direction. Walt followed me for a quarter of a mile as I led us further and further off course. Finally, he stopped me. ‘Actually the lake is over there.’ We switched roles.” (Mauryrobertson.com) People actually perish without […]

-Read More

Is Celibacy Relevant Today

Chris Alexander
5 Apr 2016
no comments

When returning to Christ 5 years ago after an extended period of wandering in the wilderness, I found it hard to believe that modern Christians were embracing a standard of celibacy. For the young adults taking the purity pledge, this seemed like a good idea — but for people my age? At the time I was 45 and divorced. Celibacy seemed like an antiquated idea. Maybe during biblical times this made sense, but today’s a whole other ballpark. Surprisingly, this is the very reason why celibacy is still relevant today. Trust me, I’ve heard and rationalized myself, for an updated […]

-Read More