Posts by Brent Clark (Page 11)

Posts by Brent Clark (Page 11)

What’s Your Story? Beyond Buddhism

A young man raised in a devout Buddhist home, hears the good news of Jesus for the first time at college. Growing up in a “sea of deities,” he finally encounters God with us, Emmanuel. A powerful story of community, faith and honor. What’s your 2015 story? Click … click … click. I could hear my parents in the other room using a handheld tally counter as they recited mantras. In one day in our home, the counter might reach…

What’s Your Story? From Atheism to Christ Follower

What could possibly move someone from a long held atheist worldview to not only believing in, but trusting in God? A very powerful story of searching, surrender, and following Christ wherever he will lead. I don’t know when I first became a skeptic. It must have been around age 4, when my mother found me arguing with another child at a birthday party: “But how do you know what the Bible says is true?” By age 11, my atheism was…

What Is Your Story?

What Will Be Your Story in 2015? We all have a story. Where we have been. Where we are. Where we are going. And everyone’s story is different. Our stories are littered with twists and turns, good decisions and bad, blessings and trials.  For many of us, we don’t think too much about our story. We go through life just trying to survive from day to day. We can’t stop and think about the tory being written in our lives because…

Threads: The Values Woven Through Ashworth Road

What is important to you? What shapes your life? Have you ever given much thought to that question? All of us are shaped by an internal set of values that guide us and help prioritize our lives. Values that shape who we are personally and, if you are married,  values that shape your marriage and family. We are all different. We all, to some extent, value different things. Some place a high value on exercise. And so you plan your…

Day 21: The Excitement of New Birth

1 Peter 1 There is nothing more exciting than the birth of your child(ren). I had the great privilege of being present at the birth of three of my six kids, although I nearly missed one of those because of an extremely fast delivery! (I was only present for three births because my wife and I adopted three wonderful children in 2014. We are very blessed to have six kids we love dearly!) I cried at every birth. It was…

Day 18: Read the Directions

I love to put things together. This past Christmas,we bought one of my sons a robotics kit. It took every ounce of energy I had not to push him out of the way and put it together myself. But I resisted that urge. He put it together just like the instructions told him to. And in the end, it looked great.  For many of us, directions are for those losers who can’t figure it out or lack the imagination to…

Day 16: Don’t Give Up!

I have loved Galatians 6 for years. I have found it to be an encouragement to me. What has been an encouragement is the idea of perseverance. Paul says to us, “Don’t give up!” It is easy to get discouraged. You do good things, the right things, and they go unnoticed. You are working hard and someone criticizes you, or puts you down. Paul reminds us, keep going. Wrapped up in verses about farming, we are reminded, we will reap…

Day 11: Life and Death

Colossians 3:2-3 – “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” (NIV) Death. A part of life. But not something most people like to talk about. Yet, when you look at Christianity, we see death talked about and seen all around. But there is something that is strikingly different about the death mentioned in the Bible.  We are so used to life and death. People…

Day 4: A Roller Coaster Life

Reading Psalm 30, you feel a little bit like you are on a roller coaster. Praise and pit. Healing and hurt. Weeping and joy. Wailing and dancing. We could almost recommend a good counselor or medication for David’s up and downs. That is until we remember we function much the same.  As David remembers the ups and downs of his life, what ties everything together is God. When life has been great, God was there. When he was in despair,…

Day 3: Fixer-Upers

Early in our marriage, Kerri and I wanted to buy a house. Being the poor newlyweds, the only houses we could afford were “fixer-upers.” They required time, energy, and money to repair and remodel. It wasn’t an easy process, but we always loved the final result. When new flooring was installed. When a new coat of paint went on. When the avocado green appliances were replaced! In Romans 12, Paul talks about a transformation of a different kind. This is…

Do You Believe?

Years ago, a young girl wrote a letter to The New York Sun newspaper with one simple question; Is there a Santa Claus? Virginia O’Hanlon wrote to The Sun these words:  “Dear Editor: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says ‘If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.’ Please tell me the truth; Is there a Santa Claus” Many of us are familiar with the story. One of…