Author Archives: asimpleguy

In Romans 8, there’s an interesting scripture that asks a compelling question: “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31 Think about that for a moment: If the God of the universe—who knows all things and created all things—is for us, thenContinue reading “God is For Us”

Last week, I had the honor of officiating my grandfather’s graveside service at Willamette National Cemetery. He was a 98-year-old veteran who served in the Navy during World War 2. It was fascinating to me as a kid to hear the stories of my grandpa firing guns off the ships at enemy planes. At theContinue reading “Greater Love”

For many, the new year is a fresh start. They make their New Year’s resolutions hoping that this next year will be better than the last. The cool thing for those that follow Jesus is that we don’t have to wait until the next year for a fresh start. In Lamentations 3, we’re told thatContinue reading “New Every Morning”

In our service on Sunday, we lit the fourth advent candle, which represents Love. And when we stop and think about that first Christmas, we realize that LOVE is what Christmas is all about. It’s about the sacrificial love of Jesus.  At Christmas, it’s so easy to focus on the world’s idea of Jesus. ThisContinue reading “The Season of Love”

This week at church, we continued lighting the advent candles with the candle that represents Joy. In Luke 2:10, the Angels proclaim: “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” That word Joy is an interesting word. Often times we treat joy and happiness as if they were the same.Continue reading “A Season of Joy”

On Sunday, we continued our season of Advent: a time to celebrate the arrival of Jesus on this earth some two thousand years ago and the anticipation of Him coming back once and for all. To honor this time, we lit the second Advent candle which represents peace—the peace that Jesus ushered in when HeContinue reading “A Season of Peace”

This past Sunday, our church began the yearly tradition of lighting the Advent candles. If you aren’t familiar with the lighting of these candles, it takes place on the four Sundays leading up to Christmas and concludes on Christmas Eve.  The word “advent” actually means coming or arrival. So, we light the Advent candles inContinue reading “A Season of Hope”

There are a handful of scriptures in the Bible that talk about running the race or seeking to receive the prize. One of those verses is found in Hebrews 12:1-2 where it says: “…And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”Continue reading “Running the Race”

In Matthew 5:1, it tells us: “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.” Some of you may be familiar with this section of scripture and remember this is what is known as the Sermon on the Mount.Continue reading “Being Part of the Crowd Isn’t Enough”

As believers, we are called to be light in a dark world. It’s something I talk about often. But one of the things I’ve realized is that our light often shines the brightest in the midst of adversity. People aren’t drawn to someone who finds joy in the midst of prosperity. Because the truth is,Continue reading “Shining in Adversity”