Have you ever been in a worship service and all of a sudden you’re thinking about a Honda Accord? Perhaps you’ve experienced this brain tease, when a verse is read from the book of Acts about the Christians being gathered together in “one accord.” One accord? What does that mean? The expression “one accord” is used 11 times in the book of Acts. It comes from a compound Greek word that combines the words for “same” and “mind,” to literally mean “the same mind.” The word is used to emphasize the “unanimity” of the early church. They were not all sitting together in one Honda Accord, but they we ..read more

The history of hatred and cruelty is as old as history. Ancient glyphs in Egypt, Assyria and Babylon all depict terrible treatment of captured prisoners. It is not limited to any one color or ethnic group. Atrocities done by the Japanese right before WWII toward the Chinese are the stuff of legend. Modern history also knows well the unrestrained hatred of the Jews by the Nazis. There is no point in denying the terrible treatment of many African slaves in America. American Indians were considered “savages” to be pushed aside and slaughtered and white settlers were also slaughtered by Indians. U ..read more

Coaching stories have certainly proliferated during the March basketball blitz, but coaching applies to much more than just basketball. Recently I read an article on coaching sales people. In it, the author was explaining how the sales manager’s primary job was to coach the sales team. He asked the question, “How do we raise the bar and more effectively coach sales people?” Then he laid out these gold nuggets, he said you raise the bar for your sales people when you “change beliefs, change attitudes, change behaviors and therefore change results.” Those are rock solid principles that apply to ..read more

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. (Phil. 4:8) With the exception of those doing yoga, meditation is probably not an intentional act for most of us. Thoughts come randomly into our mind as a result of interacting with the world around us. I don’t believe Paul was suggesting that we can, or even should, block out everything negative or harmful from our minds ..read more

Many experiences are common to us as humans because we all live life. At some point most of us have been overwhelmed with what is expected of us. Sometimes it is the intensity of the moment, when too many demands come at once. Sometimes it is the duration of pressures that just drag us down. Regardless of exactly what is going on around us, there are some principles that can help us be more effective. Organize. Each of us has a finite amount of time, money and energy. Deciding how best to use each of these resources can be challenging, but without proper planning frustration will almost certa ..read more

I’m really not sure at what age I began to be awed by the changing of the seasons. Look now along the edges of the road and notice how the green leaves and blooms on trees are becoming prominent. Daylight hours are increasing and so are temperatures. Spring is almost upon us. When I was younger there were only two seasons - school and summer! Summer was wonderful and seemed to go on forever! Now I pay more attention to all four seasons. The scriptures speak about seasons: a time for something, or a period of time. Ecl. 3:1 “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heav ..read more

One recent Saturday afternoon I sat among the folks gathered to witness a wedding. Tissues dabbed throughout the audience as memories washed over the crowd. When the father and bride moved toward the front I remembered walking my own two daughters down the isle escorting them toward the men they had chosen as companions for life. At times I’ve also watched as two young people each picked up a container filled with colored sand. With some difficulty, (poetically appropriate!) they pour their two different individual “sands” into a new single container. The symbolism is fitting and profound; two ..read more

(Mat. 15:30-31), "Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them. So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel." There will be many times during our lives that most will need to see a doctor. Having men and women trained to provide medical care is a great blessing to our lives. In real life, sometimes it takes a long time for doctors to determine the exact cause of an ail ..read more

They’re called “the terrible two’s” but the testy behavior is really about development, not age. As children grow from being babies to toddlers they start learning, moving, and exploring their world. As soon as they are mobile, parents start telling them “no” -- a lot! And they don’t like it. On any given day do you wish you could go lots faster than the posted speed limit or drive right through the stop sign or red light at the intersection when you come to it? Rules, of any kind, are a hassle because they’re restrictive. They keep us from doing what we want to do. But they are necessary. On ..read more

As we step into 2024, our church community embarks on a journey of renewed faith and increased action. Look to do "M.O.R.E in 2024". A spiritual call to deepen our commitment to Christ and each other. M - Magnify Our Lord: Our primary goal is to magnify our Lord in every aspect of our lives. Just as the Apostle Paul encouraged in Ephesians 3:20-21, let us give all glory to God, who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. Every act, whether small or large, should be an expression of our love and adoration to bring glory to God. O - Open Our Hearts: In 2024, we strive to ope ..read more