A Bittersweet Parade - Mark 11:1-11

From the series "Premeditated" - Mark 11:1-11 Sat, March 27, 2010. Normally, a parade is full of laughing, fun, toys, balloons, and more – it’s a celebration! The spontaneous parade that began as Jesus rode into Jerusalem had plenty of celebration and happiness, but it was mixed with sadness as well. Although many people worshiped Jesus, He knew that His rejection and crucifixion were right around the corner. Commit your life to Christ and make sure you’re in heaven to worship Him forever! One day He’ll be back, but you don’t want to be here for that!

Don't Sugar-Coat the Gospel - Acts 13:14-52

From the series "To the End of the Earth" Acts 13:14-52 - Wed, March 24, 2010. Since the Gospel message includes the truth about hell and God’s judgment, it’s tempting to want to sugar-coat it. That’s a dangerous habit to get into though, because what people really need is the full Gospel message. Like a pill, it may not be easy to swallow at first, but it saves lives! When you are faithful to the message and proclaim it boldly, you can expect a variety of responses. No matter the response, keep going – every human needs the Gospel whether they want it or not!

Death Forecast - Mark 10:32-45

From the series "Premeditated" - Mark 10:32-45 Sat, March 20, 2010. Have you ever been talking to someone, and although they’re nodding and agreeing with you, their eyes seem glazed over and you can tell they’re not hearing what you’re saying? That is how the disciples seemed to react as Jesus forecasted the details of His betrayal and death. As soon as He got done talking, they immediately continued to promote themselves and their agenda. Take a minute to consciously think through Jesus’ death for you. Don’t live like you’re all that matters. Jesus is what matters.

The Gospel Goes on Tour - Acts 12:25-13:13

From the series "To the End of the Earth" Acts 12:25-13:13 - Wed, March 17, 2010. If you won the lottery, imagine how fast your friends would find out. You’d wake them up if they were sleeping to tell them the good news. Is it the same in your life when it comes to the Good News (the Gospel)? Jesus told His disciples to go to the end of the Earth with the Gospel and they did, but the job isn’t done. Our job isn’t finished until Jesus returns. It is our job to continue where Acts leaves off. How are you doing? Are you living the Gospel as well as talking about it? A balanced life does both!

It Began in the Garden - Genesis 3

From the series "Premeditated" - Genesis 3 Sat, March 13, 2010. Don’t think of God’s plan to redeem us from our sin as His “Plan B.” Of course it’s not what He wanted, but He knew all along that it would happen. Inevitably, sin would enter the human race and the perfect Lamb of God would have to die to redeem us from sin. From the very beginning of time, before you were even born, God had YOU and your eternity in mind – salvation was His plan from the beginning. God’s love and sacrifice is more than enough for any sin you’ve ever committed!

And the Winner Is... GOD! Like Always - Acts 12

From the series "To the End of the Earth" Acts 12 - Wed, March 10, 2010. One of these days, God’s enemies will learn: don’t mess with God. Until that day, however, they will continue to suffer one embarrassing failure after the next in their pointless pursuit to defeat God. As miserable as that sounds, it’s easy for us to get caught up in sin and destructive behaviors that result in regret and pain. Not that following God will be pain-free, but at least when you’re obedient, the pain has a purpose. Don’t live in pointless regret and pain – surrender to Him – He always wins!

How To Give Back the Greenbacks - Philippians 4:15-23

From the series "To Live is Christ" - Philippians 4:15-23 Sat, March 6, 2010. When you are living paycheck to paycheck, barely making ends meet, the natural thing to do is to hoard as much extra money as you can and spend next to nothing. What would happen if you made giving to the Lord such a priority that you gave whether money was tight or not? Jesus’ bank account is never low and what we need to remember about giving to God is that it’s His money in the first place. He will always be faithful to provide for your needs, so worship Him by investing in the eternal.

Always A Step Ahead - Acts 11

From the series "To the End of the Earth" Acts 11 - Wed, March 3, 2010. For the most part, people like to plan. We plan our days, our week, and we even look ahead to the next year or two. As far ahead as you can possibly think, however, God is always a step ahead. The difference is, our thoughts are normally just wishful thinking – His are reality. He’s open to all people and constantly a step ahead of us in helping more and more people see His love and His plan for them. The best thing we can do is hang on and enjoy the ride!

For Better or For Worse - Philippians 4:10-14

From the series "To Live is Christ" - Philippians 4:10-14 Sat, February 27, 2010. It’s easy to be happy when your gas tank and your fridge are full, but what about when you don’t know how you’re going to pay the bills or fix your car or feed your kids? That’s much harder. The world is literally killing themselves trying to find something to take their pain away. The problem is, they’re looking to things that, in the long run, will just bring more pain and disappointment. Not the case with Jesus. He infuses His strength into us so we can rejoice in good AND bad!