Heavenly Wisdom In Two Words | His Word, My Story 2020

When my kids were little, we watched the movie Aladdin (Man, that Robin Williams was one funny dude!). Even though the story of the genie trapped in a bottle is around 3,000 years old, it still has a world-wide appeal. There’s just something enticing about being able to make three wishes and have them all come true. Well, in our passage this week, a king makes two wishes of God – just two – but in these two wishes we see heavenly wisdom for the here and now. I’m excited to share those two wishes with you as we dig into one of my favorite passages of scripture.

Children In The Faith | Known Everywhere

I love being a dad. It truly is one of my favorite things in life. But being a good dad isn’t easy. It takes hard work, consistent behavior, and encouraging words.  So it was with the Apostle Paul and the church in Thessalonica. He considered them like children in the faith, so he treated them like a father. That’s the heartbeat of our passage as we wrap up our series, Known Everywhere. 

In The Dark | Faith in the Dark

Have you ever been in the pitch dark? I mean, the kind of dark where you literally can’t see a thing. It’s kind of fun… for a little while. But an extended time in it would most likely bring uncertainty and fear. Well, 2,600 years ago, the prophet Habakkuk found himself in a dark place of uncertainty and fear. But, through faith, he rises above it. We’ll get to finish our journey with him as we wrap up our series, Faith in the Dark.

A Work Of Art | Faith in the Dark

My mom loves to knit. She’s even a member of a ladies group called the “Knit Wits”. They make beautiful (and often useful) items. I don’t know anything about it, but I do know this… sometimes a work of art will look good on one side but not on the other. That’s often what it’s like with us and God. He’s working out His beautiful and eternal plan from heaven, but from our perspective down here, we don’t always get a clear picture of what He’s up to. That was definitely the case for Habakkuk 2600 years ago.  But in the midst of it all, we get to see his faith in action. It’s amazingly timely and inspiring for us today.

Puzzling Questions | Faith in the Dark

So, how are you all passing the time during this season of “shelter-in-place”? I’ve heard from several of you that you are doing puzzles; and you’re not alone. Puzzle Warehouse says that their sales are up 600% from this time last year. There’s just something satisfying about seeing all of these individual pieces – through perseverance over time – form into a complete picture. Maybe that’s like watching God’s plan unfold; I think Habakkuk would agree with that. We’ll see him wrestle with God as he asks “puzzling” questions.

The Raising of Lazarus | SIGNS: So You May Believe

A couple of years ago, Arby’s created the world’s largest sign (saying, “Arby’s now has Coke”). The sign stretched across nearly five acres of land (which is over 200,000 square feet). The record was confirmed by an official with the Guinness Book of World Records. Well, 2000 years ago, Jesus performed the biggest sign of His earthly ministry. And this resurrection Sunday we will dig into this timeless and true story.

Feeding of the 5,000 | SIGNS: So You May Believe

I love to eat fish; and I love to eat bread. So, if I had a good fish sandwich in my hands, I’d have a difficult time sharing it. Fortunately for the disciples of Jesus, there was a young man who was willing to share his fish and bread with them; and what Jesus did with it once they put it in His hands has become one of the most famous miracles of them all. I look forward to sharing it with you this Sunday… so you may believe.

Healing of the Invalid | SIGNS: So You May Believe

Do you like to swim, or just hang out by a pool? There’s something almost medicinal about being around a clear, cool body of water when it’s hot outside. Well, such was the case 2000 years ago in Jerusalem when Jesus encountered a very sick man by a special swimming pool. And this encounter not only changed his life, but it tells us a lot about who Jesus is. I’m looking forward to sharing this great story from John 5 with you today.

Water to Wine | SIGNS: So You May Believe

Weddings are such special occasions, but they can also be stressful – especially when something goes wrong. For example, if you ran out of food and drink at the reception, that would be a problem. Well, such was the case 2000 years ago at a wedding feast Jesus attended. But, with His mom’s insistence, He resolved the problem; and, in doing so, Jesus gave us His first of several “signs” that point to Him as the Son of God. I’m excited to begin this new series on the signs of Jesus today.

The Complete Family | A Sojourner’s Guide

One of my favorite aspects of TBC is that we have every generation well represented. We truly are a complete family. I dig that about us. In God’s Word, from time to time, He will give special instructions to the different generations – and such is the case with our passage in 1 Peter 5.