Blog (Page 24)
God’s Gift to YOU!
“Salvation is a free gift from God to all people” That is the first line of our church’s belief statement on the subject of salvation, which was the topic of our youth study last night. As I read that line, one teen asked, “But how can you say salvation is for all people if we believe that some people are never saved from their sin?” Herein lies the issue which people often get confused about. When you mistakenly believe that…
Sin is Sneaky
Most of us who have attended church for awhile have heard the story of Adam and Eve being tempted by the serpent and eating the apple, thus committing the first sin of humanity (Genesis 3). It’s an important story to know and most of us like to imagine that story in our minds. But rarely do we take the time to really think about what it teaches us about sin. Sin is Sneaky The serpent told Eve that if she…
Why Creation Matters… And so Do You!
Most people, at some point in life, have to wrestle with the question of whether their life holds any value. For some, you question if you are worth anything because of how other people abuse and misuses you, and for others, because of the things you have done to mess up your lives. The good news of the Gospel of Jesus, however, is that it doesn’t matter why you are doubting if your life has value, but that your dignity,…
Get Some Rest!
Photo copyright 2004 Elaine Baird This past week, we began a new worship series at Ashworth Road entitled “The Lost Art: Recapturing spiritual disciplines that strengthen faith.” We started this with a message about Sabbath, the importance of finding times of rest. In our society, it is not uncommon for us to run ourselves ragged, way past the point of exhaustion, to show our value to an organization, to keep others from showing us up, to provide stuff we think…
A Designed World
There are some today that try to convince us that the random chance of the universe and the chaos from which everything came proves there is no God. But when I see pictures and videos like from the website linked below, I must admit I do not understand how they can miss something that seems so obvious to me. The grand design of the universe. The laws of nature, science, physics, etc. If we look, we really can see the…
Can Faith and Science Coexist?
It is not uncommon to hear people make the claim that religion and science are mutually exclusive, that in order to believe in God or Christianity, you must “check your brain at the door.” But is that true? Are all Christians nut jobs that have given up completely on all rational thought for the sake of “faith?” Or can you believe in God and Jesus Christ and still be an intelligent, rational, individual who understands how science and faith work…
A Circle of Friends
I have a friend whose son has been diagnosed with autism. He is in the 10th grade. If you met my friend’s son somewhere out in the community, you would not recognize that he has been diagnosed with autism. After you have talked with him, you would think he is different from other teenagers, but you still would not realize that he has autism. One of the many challenges my friend’s son faces is not having any friends. Can you…
When Politics Get in the Way
In a blog post earlier this week, I shared the story of Kirsten Powers, a Democratic strategist and Fox News contributor, who came to know Christ and left behind her life of agnosticism and atheism. Here is another interview Ms. Powers did about the article in Christianity Today. What I find intriguing about this interview, is what I referenced in the footnote of my previous post; our assumptions about one’s faith based on their political affiliation. Republicans don’t think Democrats…
From Agnosticism to Faith
I am always fascinated by the unique stories of how people come to know and follow Jesus Christ. As unique as we are as individuals, so are our stories of coming to faith and experiencing the overwhelming love and grace of God through Jesus Christ. I recently read a very interesting article where Kirsten Powers, a Democratic strategist and Fox News contributor, shared her experience of coming to faith in Christ through the ministry of Redeemer Presbyterian Church and Pastor…
Won’t You Be My Neighbor
This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to speak on the parable of the Good Samaritan. In studying the text, every time I read the question from the expert in religious law, “Who is my neighbor?” I was taken back to my childhood and a television show that had an impact on me and countless children for over 3 decades. So, to introduce the message, I shared this very familiar theme song with our congregation. To listen to the complete…
Compassion
Over and over in the New Testament we find Jesus moved with compassion, reaching out, healing, and loving those who were hurting, neglected, or in pain. As followers of Christ, compassion is one trait that should not be lacking in our lives. In 1 John 3:17, we read, “If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?” (NLT) Recently, I saw a video…
Beza Threads – Helping Bring Redemption and Freedom to the Enslaved
This week, we opened our building to one of our favorite missions organizations, Beza Threads. Beza Threads needed space to sort and fold the 2,000 scarves they recently received from Ethiopia. Each scarf is hand-crafted by teenagers in their program and takes seven hours to create. Beza Threads partners with Hope for Children in Ethiopia (HCE), an on-the-ground (public) nonprofit dedicated to the rescue and transformation of enslaved children. HCE confronts the issue of slavery by freeing, educating and empowering enslaved children…