What does it mean to persevere through a trial? How do we know we have done it? Luke 22 Jesus deeply troubled in garden of Gethsemane. Perseverance through a trial should look like Jesus did, translate my pain into your glory. That I grow more into the image of Jesus. That we trust him, and grow in our faith, that we can handle the next trial more comfortably.  2 Corinthians 12: What does the outcome and end result look like after a trial? Romans 8  What does this perseverance do for the life of an abiding believer in Christ? James 1: Reminiscing through the last 100 episodes: What’s ..read more

Part 2. The pain and trial: Many times we experience tremendous pain and grief at the loss in our lives.  Why do we want to avoid the pain? Avoid sorrow, experiencing discomfort, stuck point to stay away from hurt Luke 22- discipleship sleeping in the garden to avoid the sorrow. Why doesn’t He always remove the pain from the loss or trials? The Exodus 1 Peter 1:5-9 Romans 7 How can we experience the pain, but give it to the Lord? Jeremiah-Lamentations 3:19 ..read more

Part 1. The initial outlook: Looking at loss in life can be difficult. There are many types of loss we may experience: Loss of significant other, friends, jobs, clout, ability, financial stability, control, or even loss of self identity. All these cause a varying level of grief in the life of the individual who is going through this. We understand this grief and can see it manifest in many different ways. It may come out through isolation, emotional outbursts, or in how we conduct ourselves each day.  Any time we are in the thick of the situation it is hard to stop and see the potential f ..read more

Genesis 1:26 Many different descriptions for made in Our likeness. Many aren’t correct in their interpretation. THere are rules to understanding the Word of God, it isn’t a ragtag series of verses. We need to understand the context of the writings of that book, what would have been understood by the original hearers and readers.  We don’t see God telling us what the image of God is. We do see Him give us a mission to do what he does. He Created, We procreate (creating in the world). We are his vice-regents. We are to rule in His Creation.  Romans 8:29 We have been called to be predes ..read more

As a citizen of heaven we have been left here by God to represent the kingdom of heaven. As people then see us, then they see Jesus.  Hebrews 11:13 If our hope is in our nation or government, in our citizenship here on this place we have very little hope. The world is falling apart, cultures are being destroyed and governments are being corrupted. If that’s truly our hope, we won’t find any strength. If our citizenship in heaven is our primary focus, then we can take strength and know our future is bright. When one closely identifies with the conservative movement or progressive movement ..read more

There is a lot in a name, identity. It can give us a purpose, and meaning in life. We see that in the Bible in Cephas (peter), Abraham (Abram). In pop culture we see it in Lord of the Rings characters Aragorn, and in the Gladiator movie for Maximus.  Everyone is in search for meaning and purpose. Identity is the struggle our culture is facing these days. What everyone is looking for is the ultimate purpose and meaning, which is found in Christ.  1 John 3:9-10 But wait, what if I do sin? Does that make me a child of God or am I not? Romans 7:14-25 Romans 6:15-23 We are not just sinne ..read more

Have you ever wondered what God’s will was for you in your life? Was it to take this job, marry this person, move to this city? How can we know His will, or be certain we are in it? We talk about the Will of God broken into 3 parts: Sovereign Will, Moral Will, Personal/Individual Will. In this podcast we discuss the current thought about discerning God’s will prevalent in the Church today. We also discuss why this may not be biblical when we look at the context of the Word of God. Join us and see if it bring you back to God to reconcile His will ..read more

We talk about the Biblical context of how God answers us. Do you feel like you never "Hear" from God? In this episode we address the fact that you may be hearing him, but you just don't recognize it.  ..read more

Continuing through illumination into the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul ..read more

Why is abiding important in the daily life of a person? Have to be careful to describe abiding in a terminology people can understand, and not into phrases that many may not fully understand.  How can I have a relationship that is measurable as your (Peter’s) relationship was with Christ? 1 John 3 If what John said was true, it is everything for us.  How does this change my thought process, my emotions, my perceptions? John 14, shows us this relationship with a comparison between him and the Father, and Him and us.  Through our relationship with the Lord, there is a hope for del ..read more