“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” This “quote” is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi –I would like to challenge this thought – Yes our lives have to be lived in a way that proves our faith but… You cannot preach the Gospel without using words – The word Gospel literally means – “bringing good news’ to proclaim, to tell. The word preach means – “To herald, proclaim – to announce publicly – So when Jesus said in Mark 16 – Go into all the world and preach the Gospel - He was saying – Bring the Good News to all the World by proclaiming it, announcing it publicly. Pau ..read more

Stupid. Failure. No good. Idiot. Albert Einstein heard all these phrases about himself and more. Growing up was tough for young Albert. He didn’t express himself well and struggled in school. Even his teachers gave up on him, deciding that he was impossible to teach. Those around him considered him mentally retarded, and no one thought he would ever make anything of himself. This doesn’t sound like an auspicious beginning for someone who is considered to be one of the greatest geniuses of all time, does it? Einstein seemed to meet failure at every turn. He wished to attend the Swiss Federal In ..read more

The Holidays can be a stressful time for many. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of family get-togethers, church functions, work parties, shopping, wrapping, and everything else this time of year distracts us with. We can quickly lose sight of what’s important – letting God’s light shine through us. We can start within our own families, but we can also love on others around us that aren’t a part of our families too. The Bible even gives us a command to love one another: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this ev ..read more

Who doesn't enjoy being positive? It just feels good to know things are going well and will only improve. The problem? It's not always easy to maintain such a hopeful and optimistic mindset, even if you're naturally positive. For those who struggle to look on the bright side, positivity might seem as likely to happen as a trip to the moon. How to turn all this around and stay positive even when the day looks grim? It's simple. Make positivity a habit. You can start by adding these items to your daily To Do list: Concentrate on Your Self Talk Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to ..read more

It's easy to identify leaders in the world today, but how do you know which ones to follow? In 1 Peter 5, Peter gives his definition of what makes a good leader — and it might surprise you! Discover how you can be a shepherd to your family or group and still be faithful to God’s calling on your life. Whether you’re looking to become a leader yourself or learn how to follow someone well, this article will help you take care of others and fulfill God’s plan for your life! What it means to be a shepherd To be a shepherd is to care for the sheep. To be their guardian and protect them from harm. T ..read more

I have often wondered what happened in between Jesus' crucifixion and His resurrection. Friday was awful. Sunday was unbelievable. But, what was Saturday like? Was it a day of grief? A mixture of sadness and despair? Did those that loved Him weep until there were no more tears? Did strangers get teary-eyed over the tragedy? Was it a day of confusion? Did His followers still wonder if He had died? Did they sit in disbelief, questioning everything they had gone through together? Had they been so sure about who Jesus was, to only be blindsided by God’s plan? Was it a day of anger? Were there tho ..read more

Psalms 51:12-13 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. Are you willing to worship? The above passage tells us that we need to focus on ourselves first. Not because we're being selfish, but because we need to adjust our hearts before we can be concerned about others. We need to remember how amazing Jesus' sacrifice truly was and get the joy that we are free back in our souls. It's so easy to forget how God sent his only Son to die on the cross for OUR SINS. He s ..read more

The Gospel of John contains many of the most famous passages of the Bible, and John 6:32-51 is no exception. In this passage, Jesus speaks to his followers about the bread of life, emphasizing the importance of believing in him and the role that he plays in our spiritual nourishment. For Christians, these words are essential in understanding the nature of their faith and the importance of their relationship with Jesus. For those looking to connect with their faith and find a community to support them in their journey, the local Christian church can be an excellent resource. In John 6:35, Jesu ..read more

I have definitely felt like a failure before. It can be tough to keep pushing through when we're feeling discouraged. I'm really inspired by the Wright brothers' story of perseverance. It's a great reminder that failure doesn't have to be the end of the story. I recently preached a message at Catalyst church about making disciples and shared how a chip of wood from the propeller of their airplane sold for $275,000. That would never have happened if they had given up. It's encouraging to hear about how even those who experience failure can go on to do incredible things. I'm sh ring over the ne ..read more

Have a Merry Christmas Did you ever why it is a merry Christmas instead of a happy Christmas? Why Merry? While we think of Merry as meaning happy, joyful or cheerful. one other possibility is that Merry means mighty like “Robin Hood and His Merry Men” That would give saying Merry Christmas a whole different meaning – rather than just wishing someone a happy Christmas – One would be wishing another a massive, huge, monumental, happy, joyful, mighty Christmas! A mighty Christmas – what we are celebrating on that day is one of the mightiest things that ever happened – God became a man, born of a ..read more