Four Essentials for Finishing Well
As we continue to build on and think through Paul’s message on Sunday, I’d like to add four additional essentials to finishing well as Christians. These are reflections from one of my favorite authors, and I trust will serve us well as we continue our Christian race individually and as a church. Thanks for watching. “Finishing Well” (Various Scriptures)
Important Ingredient for Finishing Well
As I was thinking back through Paul’s message from Sunday about finishing well, there was an important quality or aspect that I have been mulling over in my mind. I’d like to share that with you today along with some thoughts as we continue to put together this recipe for finishing the Christian life well. Thanks for watching! “Finishing Well” (Various Scriptures)
Confrontation for Spiritual Maturity – How & When
From Nehemiah 13, we saw indeed the need to confront spiritual apathy or complacency or moral permissiveness in the lives of fellow believers. For as much as we may dislike this, it is a sign of mutual love and part of the process of the church growing collectively toward spiritual maturity. The question is how though? And when? Let’s take a look today at some great wisdom on how to confront a fellow believer who is in sin. Thanks for…
Resting in the Lord (Needing Help & Weaknesses)
I was challenged by some thoughts in a book recently that I had been reading that applied to what we talked about this past Sunday from Nehemiah 13. The book was on parenting. How in the world does that apply? Well, take a few moments today to watch and see how the calls to rest in the Lord are advantageous to us whether we are struggling with sin personally or helping to disciple another person. Thanks for watching! “An Anticlimactic…
Degrees of or Secondary Separation
On Sunday, we saw the Jews commitment to specific actions based upon hearing the Law. They understood the authority of God’s Word for their lives and as a matter of follow through committed to obedience. As we talked Sunday, obedience involves being both looking different and being set apart from the world. This week we’re looking at biblical and degrees of separation in light of our study of Nehemiah 10. Thanks for watching! “Because You…I Promise to…” (Neh 9-10) –…
Biblical Separation
On Sunday, we saw the Jews commitment to specific actions based upon hearing the Law. They understood the authority of God’s Word for their lives and as a matter of follow through committed to obedience. As we talked Sunday, obedience involves being both looking different and being set apart from the world. This week we’re looking at biblical and degrees of separation in light of our study of Nehemiah 10. Thanks for watching! “Because You…I Promise to…” (Neh 9-10) –…
The Grace of God in the Scriptures
We talk much about the mercy and grace of God. How do you see it though? How do you know that you’ve been shown it? What is the avenue? Is it something spectacular or more subtle? Today, I’d like to share a video with you that continues our discussion of Nehemiah 9 and that because God is gracious and merciful that we can find mercy and grace. We’re exploring the avenue in which we can find his grace immediately for…
Seeing Sin as God Does
Sadly, many times sin is treated with a laze faire attitude. While we know what the Bible says, we don’t always seem to care about it. That points to our continued need of the Spirit’s work to deepen our understanding and open our eyes to who God is. I’d like to look at Jeremiah 2:13 today with you, a passage that helps us to see sin as God does. I pray it will give you a unique perspective into this…
The Perfect Word of God
I am continually astounded by the timelessness of God’s Word. No matter the culture or time period, the Bible transcends though barriers and more to speak truth and life into the hearts and minds of people. Despite people calling it archaic and saying that much of what is written is for a different time, God’s truth remains unchanged and is for us just as much today as it was the day it was originally written. Thanks for watching! “When People…
The Domino Effect
On Sunday, Pastor Paul spoke from Nehemiah 7-8 and dedicated time to walk us through the Inductive Bible Study method and the importance of a Literal Grammatical Historical hermeneutic. Today we’re going to continue in that discussion as we explore an article Paul and I talked about last week together. Its content is common talk in our day yet reveals troubling doctrinal errors that then leads to a domino effect of toppling the common and foundational elements of Christianity. Thanks…
Tools for Spiritual Fitness
As you develop your spiritual fitness plan for 2023, I wanted to share some tools with you today that may help aid you in your purpose and goal. In this video we will also be reviewing that 5-facted fitness plan for 2023 and some general encouragements to start off the year well. “A Fitness Plan for the New Year” (1 Tim 4:6-11) Navigators Bible Reading Plans (scroll down on the link to find multiple plans) YouVersion (find on Google Play…
Focus for 2023
A new year lies ahead of us. While we may have plans, we don’t know what the year may bring for us. God does though. I’d like to encourage you today with an email I received recently which addresses our focus as we enter the new year ahead, grounding is in great truths from the Scriptures and God’s character. Thanks for joining us! “A Fitness Plan for the New Year” (1 Tim 4:6-11)
Citizens Living as Citizens
Citizens living as citizens. It is a concept we see in Scripture though written a little bit differently. It is a reminder that our physical address does not determine our primary allegiance as God’s children. His Word and rule are to direct not only as we live for him but ultimatley in our physical locales here on earth as well. Thanks for joining us as we continue the discussion from Sunday. God bless! “We Still Need a Savior”
Three Tibits on Opposition from Nehemiah 6
Opposition, trials, tribulations, sufferings are not stranger in the Christian life. God tells us that they are tools used to bring out the character of Christ in us as he draws the dross of sin off our lives. In Nehemiah 6, we see the opposition he & the Jews encountered from their enemies and with that three lessons we too can hold on too as we encounter spiritual opposition in our own lives. Thanks for watching!
PD’s Reflections – Conflict – What’s Your Response? – December 7, 2022
Conflict is inevitable in a world full of broken and sinful people. Even the Apostle Paul had conflict with his coworker in the faith, Barnabas. And while we typically choose either a fight or flight response toward conflict, there is a third option. There is a gospel-related way of responding to conflict. Thanks for joining us today as we look at this and the helpful information contained in Ken Sande’s book “The Peacemaker”. “High Taxes & Fake News” – Neh…
Your Thanksgiving Meal as a Gospel Door
You are likely making preparations already for next week and time that you may spend with family and friends around a dinner table or gather around a feast. As you prepare, I challenge you to consider the thoughts in this video today and be thinking about who you might have gospel conversations with. I challenge you to think how you might use the thoughts in this video to spark spiritual conversations that lead to thanksgiving to God for what he…
Inspiring Declarations
This Sunday we have our annual thanksgiving service at our local church. In preparation for that I offer these reflections on Nehemiah 2:17-18. While an Old Testament passage, it reminds us of exhortations from the Apostle Paul of the importance of encouraging one another that we might run this race of life with endurance unto the Lord. Thanks for watching! “The Good Hand of the Lord” (Nehemiah 2)
One Sphere. Our Everyday Mission.
In our present day and age with all its technologies, it is hard to compartmentalize parts of life. Our phones connect us to every part of the world, so much so that work follows us home many times anymore. Yet for all the interconnectedness of other things in life, it seems at tims that we are unfortunately successful at compartmentalizing the spiritual from everything else. Paul challenged us with a few thoughts on vision on Sunday. I’d like to springboard…
Still Struggling? Why?
Sunday, we worked through Ezra and and focused on the litmus tests of genuine repentance. A couple of weeks prior we talked about the holiness of God. All of this targeted the sin we have in our lives and a proper response to God. Why do we struggle though? We’ve included a clip today of Paul Tripp exploring that question. Thanks for watching! “Is It the Real Deal?” (Ezra 10) “Why Can’t I Defeat This Particular Sin? Ask Paul Tripp”
Repentance and Opposition
Sunday, we worked through Ezra and and focused on the litmus tests of genuine repentance. We skipped on last point though that happens to revolve around one of the most difficult verses in Ezra. Today we explore that verse and expound on that last point as we continue looking at genuine repentance. Thanks for watching! “Is It the Real Deal?” (Ezra 10)