After my retirement in March 2019, I had 3 unfortunate and atypical occurrences happen to me over the first 6 months that were frightening and confusing. I am thankful for the many people in our church that were very thoughtful and concerned for me and prayed me through this season. Initially, Donna especially, kept sending me encouraging devotionals as the Lord would put ...

There is nothing like four different churches coming together as one Body of Christ to worship and celebrate ONE purpose together. Though very different as people and churches, we were united in worshiping our King. I think we truly blessed our Father. I saw real fellowship happening both in greeting old friends and meeting new people. We were so different but had the mos...

I laughed last Sunday when Pastor Chris said, "Professional Weaker Brother", as I've met a few of them through the years. I thought at the time they were over-sensitive judges of everyone's behavior that was unlike their ownmuch like today's coddled millennials living in the safe space of the basement. I was reminded and did appreciate this series of sermons on wisdom i...

Intensely enjoying something does not necessarily make it into an idol. If the ability to experience a particular pleasure is God-given, and the way and time in which it is enjoyed is God-approved, it is safe to say that a Christian's enjoyment of it is God-ordained. Unfortunately, through two-thousand years of church history there have always been a number of accusing vo...

Yesterday we finished our series "Being a Wise Church: 7 Principles to Consider". But there is one lingering question that was not addressed clearly: How do I know when something that I enjoy and was once thankful to God for becomes an idol? How do I know when something that can be done out of worship TO God now becomes the object of my worship INSTEAD of God? For examp...

Have you ever had a season in your life in which it's become apparent that God is tugging at one, specific area of your heart?Well, I'm in one of those seasons. The Book of 1 Corinthians has proven to be one of the most influential books of the bible in my walk with Christ. At the start of this series, I remember first hearing the title "Church Gone Wild", and letting o...

The "spirit of the law" spoken of in the New Testament is revealed in a believer through the Holy Spirit, not through self-indulgence or self-righteousness, not, in fact, through "self"-anything but through God. Knowledge of the difference between the letter and the spirit of the law is at the very core of the new life granted to the children of God. It is part of the free...

Christ-like love that God's Spirit imparts as fruit to his children runs deep. Divine love is grace (charis) or undeserved favorno performance required. Divine love is also forgiving (agape) or sacrificial"keeping no record of sin" (I Corinthians 13:5). Such love "covers a multitude of sin" (I Peter 4:8). When spouses sin against each other, and they do in the best of mar...

There are some things good without being perfect. You do not need to have a whole regiment firing outside your room to wake you. It is quite enough that your alarm clock rings. it is not necessary to fret about everything; it is quite enough if the devil gets your mind rasped with one little worry, one little thought which destroys your perfect peace. It is like the polis...

No doubt the Apostle Paul observed the worst of marriages in the pre-Christian culture of Corinth. One of his conclusions was, "those who marry will face many troubles in this life" (I Corinthians 7:28). However, 2000 years later on Sunday morning, October 6, at True Life, all the married couples laughed in agreement with Paul. In a fallen sinful world "troubles" are unavo...