This year our church, Green Pond Bible Chapel, put together an Advent Devotional. With contributions from many of our members, we took focus on the hope, love, peace, and joy that Christ brought us and how we can respond in faith this Christmas Season. Below is my submission on Jeremiah 31:31-34 and the hope we …
Continue reading Advent Devo – Jeremiah 31:31-34: A New Heart’s Hope
Jesus’ death and resurrection is the crux of Christian faith, life, and hope. What we celebrate on Easter must be the principle point of our lives, our churches, and our families all year around. We love Easter because it provides simple and enjoyable time with family, both in and out of church, but there is …
Rules can do a lot of good for your children. God’s role for His law was to restrain and expose sin (1 Tim 1:8-11). With a clear set of good rules parents are able to protect their children from sin’s destruction. With a clear set of good rules parents are able to help their children …
Think of a time when it was difficult for you to love your child. Not when it was difficult to smile at them or think positively about them… But when it was difficult to seek their best at any cost. More than likely, it was either while they were steeped in sin or right after …
Mirrors do a great job at reflecting reality. The reflect exactly what is before them - for better or for worse. Yet, even the slightest imperfection or defect can distort their reflection. Jeremiah's ministry to Israel is in part an effort to help Israel realize their state before God. Israel is stubbornly fixed in idolatry, …
Singing is inherently inspired. Songwriters write about their most awe-held topics. Singers sing about their most beloved experiences. Musicians muse over their most unshakeable hopes and dreams. We sing from our heart’s ever-flowing fount of wonder. Furthermore, singing is inherently inspirational. Teens lose their minds over the latest pop song. Armies have rallied to victory …
God’s providence leads us to John 3:16-17 this week – a great Christmas preparation passage. John 3:16-17 famously reads, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn …
Something caught my attention in Jeremiah 3:6-18. So far in Jeremiah, God has not held any punches about Israel and their unfaithfulness. Israel has no concern for God while they pursue false gods. So, God blatantly condemns them for their sin and their indifferent attitude toward their sin. Yet, in 3:11-12, God mercifully calls Israel …
Continue reading The Before and After of Repentance (A Devo on Jeremiah 3:6-18)
We live in an age of constant, instantaneous, never-far-from, and ever-imposing digital glitz and glam. Many pixels have been spilt on how our attention to media and its delivery systems have shaped us. One of the chief results of our media-intaking moment is a rise in distracted behavior. I don’t mean those fleeting thoughts that …
Some say "It takes a village to raise a child." I may not completely agree with this statement and it's common applications, but I do think it points to a basic developmental reality sometimes overlooked or under-appreciated by the Church: Community shapes youth. Community is powerful. It is powerful because it is partnership. A community …
Familyhood 