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”
Author Archives: asimpleguy
Greater Love
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”
New Every Morning
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”
The Season of Love
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”
A Season of Joy
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”
A Season of Peace
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”
A Season of Hope
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”
Running the Race
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”
Being Part of the Crowd Isn’t Enough
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”
Shining in Adversity
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”