No one can hold it all together all of the time. We’re all bound to break at some point. We can only run so fast of so long before we just crash. As a pastor I have a tendency to fall into this category of holding it all together. I’m the kind of person who likes to make sure that everything gets done right, even if that means I do it myself. Continue reading
Category: musicmonday (Page 27 of 28)
Ever have one of those days that just seem to go on forever? The type of day that makes you wonder why you even woke up. Perhaps you’ve had a string of those kind of days in a row making you wonder why you are even here. Perhaps you just feel broken. A loved one is sick. You just found out that the raise you were expecting is just not going to happen. You can’t pay this month’s bills. You try so hard but just can’t seem to get on top of things. Continue reading
As followers of Jesus we often overlook a huge part of what the bible promises for our lives today. We talk a lot about things like the story of creation, the flood, the burning bush, Jesus’ baptism, His death and resurrection. But truth be told, as important as these are, the key to what Jesus promises us today is His Holy Spirit. Continue reading
The bible is full of wonderful imagery that just pulls us into the presence of something bigger than we could ever imagine. The imagery of the blood of Jesus is something that is permanently burned into my mind. True I wasn’t there to see it. I wasn’t physically present when the nails were driven into his hands and feet, but I can still see it. I see the bloody sweat running down his face. I see his skin smudged with mud and sand. I can hear him gasp for air as he hangs there. He did it for me! Continue reading
Are you one of those people who look back all of the time? 
Do you live in the past more than in the present? I have a friend who calls it bad fishing when we keep dredging up the negative pieces of our past. We cast our pole behind us hoping to catch something and drag it into our present.
There’s a great song that addresses this exact issue. The song is called That was then, this is now. The idea is pretty simple actually. Leave the past in the past. Quit trying to dig it back up. Quit trying to re-live it. It’s done. It’s over. That was then!
If we, as followers of Jesus, truly believe in the power of confession then we’ll take this to heart. Jesus invites us to lay our problems, hurts, and burdens at the cross. He tells us that he is going to take them from us. He promises that he has them covered and we need not worry about them any longer. He tells us that was then!
But he doesn’t stop there. He then invites us to a new reality. This is now! Now is the time for this new life. Now is the time to live in the freedom of forgiveness in Christ. Now is the reality that Jesus death and resurrection have made us new and we are now free to live a life that God always had in store for us. That was then, this is now!
Live in the NOW of God’s redemption and grace.
Have you ever seen one of those infectious smiles? Not everyone has them but when you see one, you can’t help but smile right back. My daughter has one of those smiles. She smiles and I just can’t help but smile right back at her. I don’t know how to explain it. Continue reading
A few days ago, I woke up with this song running through my head. Now normally that wouldn’t be a problem, but this happened at around 4am. I was not ready to be awake but I just couldn’t stop singing this song in my head. Continue reading
The name alone is great! Come as you are. It means that you don’t need to change anything to be accepted. You don’t need to be different from you are right now. You don’t need to have it all together. You don’t have to have your life perfect before you come in.
Unfortunately that’s not the message many people hear. Too many people see the church as a place where you’re only accepted if you’ve got it all together. But that’s just not the way it should be! Jesus invites us who are . Give this song a listen. Just sit and listen to the words.
Come as you are with all of your pains and all of your hurts. Come just as you are right now. Don’t wait until you have it all together. God wants to be the one who carries you through the difficult times in life. And the best part…he’s always there. You need not see him. You may not even feel his presence at times. But know this, there’s never a time when you’re actually alone. He’s right there.
A common misconception is that God won’t let you go through more than you can bear. The hard truth is that he regularly allows us to go through more than we can bear. He just walks that road with us. .
Today just come as you are and let Jesus hold you.
Good Monday morning! Today we have so many reasons to be thankful for all that God is doing in our lives. That’s why I love this song by Matt Redman titled 10,000 Reasons. As we kick the Monday Blues to the curb, get a little pick-me-up for everything the day has before us.
The title says it pretty simply – 10,000 Reasons. There are so many reasons for us to be thankful, for our hearts to find a reason to rejoice in the presence of God in our lives. There are countless reasons for us to enjoy every moment that we have in life. Continue reading
This week’s MusicMonday post is one of my personal favorites – a song called Free to Worship. I first heard it at a conference that talked about the sacramental presence of Jesus in the world today in his people. The message of this song was so very powerful for me. Check it out below. Continue reading