Who am I? I work at a church as a pastor, but that's not who I am. I am a husband and a father, but who I am is not defined by my family roles and responsibilities. I'm a huge Texas Ranger's fan, but my identity is not wrapped up with their success or their slumps. … Continue reading Who are you?
Category: Jesus
Who is the real Jesus?
If we see Jesus only as we want to see Him, we deny the reality of His life on earth, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead. Not every image of Jesus is the real Jesus… There's the Conservative Jesus—who is against tax increases and activist judges, for family values, and owning firearms. There's … Continue reading Who is the real Jesus?
Second Chances
The famous Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh, tossed away the truth imparted to him in his Christian home and sank into a deep depression and destructive lifestyle. By the grace of God, he later began to embrace God's love again and found he was given a second chance. Van Gogh's life took on hope, and … Continue reading Second Chances
The “R” Word
Over the years, the "R" word has developed a bad reputation. Repentance has gotten a bad rap. Perhaps, for far too long repentance has been used as a weapon against people rather than an encouragement to people.Driven by fear of hell and judgment, calls to repentance most often are intended to bring about a change in conduct. … Continue reading The “R” Word
Why Bother with the Church?
Over the years, you’ve probably heard people say, “I love Jesus, but I don’t need to go to church to be a Christian.” Recently, we asked some people why they aren't involved with the church and got some pretty honest answers. Here are a few of the responses: “My parents MADE me go as a kid. I … Continue reading Why Bother with the Church?
Holiness is what I need for Christmas
Jesus didn't come just to make us happy, happy, happy. He came so that ruined people could be declared holy, holy, holy before a righteous God. Happiness is a temporary feeling based on our personal circumstances. Holiness is our eternal standing before God based on the finished work of His Son, Jesus. The LORD God says, Be … Continue reading Holiness is what I need for Christmas
The Messiah – more than just background music?
In December of 1984, during my junior year at Lakeview Centennial High School, the a cappella choir was invited to sing George Frideric Handel’s, Messiah, in its entirety with our rival school (South Garland) at the newly opened Garland Performing Arts Center. Many of us were friends from earlier days at O’Banion Middle School, so we were excited to … Continue reading The Messiah – more than just background music?
God’s Unshakable Hope
Most of the time, our meaning of hope is not much more than wishful thinking. We say things like, "I hope we have a White Christmas." "I hope the Texas Rangers win the World Series." "I hope the Dallas Cowboys can win at least one meaningful game someday." "I hope I got an “A” on … Continue reading God’s Unshakable Hope
Dust
On our own, we are nothing - we're made out of dust. But in Christ, we are His priceless work of art - raised from the dust of death's decay to be made alive to reflect His beauty and glory. You're not just a piece of work - you are God's Masterpiece!
Friends
A few months ago, DeeDee and I got together with some great friends before they moved to the Seattle area. This month is our anniversary, of sorts - the four of us have been friends for 20 years. As we sat and watched our growing kids play together, we reminisced. We had some time to … Continue reading Friends
following Jesus 