Sin: Discontinued
Sin is outdated, unloving, and irrelevant. Sin is what puritanical preachers use to control their lemming congregations. We no longer “sin” because there are no moral absolutes. We have preferences and need to be tolerant of each other’s choices. But here’s the challenge—For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). If we need God’s help and rescue from impossible situations, we must face our chief problem—sin. Sin is anything against God’s commands. Isn’t it interesting that God’s
How Do We Face Normal Life Decisions with Faith?
As we go through life, we need to be sure faith touches us where and when it’s most needed—in our grief, battles, and disappointments. If it’s not proved steadfast there, it’s of no value to us. Faith must apply in any circumstances, both big and small. Not just when we’re facing gigantic mountains but also the tiny mounds—the very mundane, disturbing, and frustrating irritations or needs. You know, those things that seem inconsequential or frivolous to others but are seemingly insurmountable
Storm Rider: Drawing Closer to God
Are you going through a storm right now? Something so difficult or traumatic that you aren't sure you'll make it to tomorrow? Don't give up hope. It often takes a storm to get our minds off our own plans and ways and onto God's greater plan—to realize there's a purpose for our life that is far better than our own. Our storms help draw us closer to God than anything else. So when we're facing a storm, let's remember three things as we
The Power of Personal Testimony
So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” -Acts 4:18-20 A very effective way to share the Good News is to tell people what God has done for us in casual conversation.
The Best Mother You Could Ever Have
Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. -Isaiah 49:15–16 A favorite memory of my mom was when I was ten years old. We lived opposite the Sharp Park Golf Course in Pacifica, California. When I wasn’t caddying, I searched for golf balls and clubs
Trust in the Lord: How Do I Do It?
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. -Jeremiah 17:7-8 Today, you may be praying, “Lord, I’m exhausted, drained of all my spiritual energy, but you know that I’m
The Restoration of All Things
A special Easter Sunday message from Dr. John I. Snyder, preached Easter Sunday 2022 in Bavaria, Germany. "He tells us, 'It's this way!' And he says, 'Pursue it. It's waiting for you, and for anyone who wants it more than anything else.'" https://www.buzzsprout.com/636826/10485429-what-easter-really-means.mp3
Holy Week – Day 3: Children of God
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. –Ephesians 1:7 The apostle Paul reiterates here the essence of the Gospel message: It is only through the sacrificial death of Jesus (“his blood”) on our behalf that we can say we’re forgiven of every sin. The word he uses here for this transaction is “redemption.” This comes from the realm of the slave trade, where slaves were redeemed or purchased by someone
Holy Week – Day 2: The Doorway Into Life
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. –Hebrews 12:2 If Jesus did for us what we couldn’t possibly do for ourselves, what keeps us from fixing our eyes on him and keeping them fixed where they belong? As believers through the centuries have discovered, the problems arise when we take
Hosanna in the Highest
Through Christ’s sacrifice and suffering, we are awed by the abundant gifts the Father grants us through Jesus’ physical resurrection—a lavish, abundant, beyond-all-expectations life that never ends. That’s the life-giving, hopeful, joy-bringing message of the Gospel. He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ( Romans 8:32) This above passage cuts right to the heart of the New Testament. It puts us in
