Dear Metro Family,Since October 7, 2023, I have been watching, listening, and praying about all that is taking place in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas. I have been trying to make sense of it all. I have been asking the Lord what to dowhat to saywhat to think. Over and over again, I keep coming back to a simple answer pray. As I pray, the words from Psalm 122 a...
Keep ReadingBelow are my notes from Peter Scazzero's teaching at session 4 of the CMA conference on October 20, 2009. EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND SPIRITUAL MATURITY Like the iceberg that is 1/10 above water and 9/10 below the surface, what we see in the average Christian's life is only 1/10 of their spirituality. There is much more below the surface (fears, insecurities, hurts, etc.) that...
Keep ReadingThis past Sunday Pastor Rigo prayed for Israel and for the missionaries we support there (join that prayer here). At the time, I only knew there had been an attack, but I was in Ocean City all day Saturday and didn't have a chance to really take in what was going on until after service on Sunday. I thought it was another exchange of fire across Gaza like in 2021. But t...
Keep Reading"Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it . . . How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." - Genesis 28:16-17 One of the reasons for gathering together for in-person worship is the corporate experience of God. While it is great to be alone with God, as Jesus modeled for us in the gospels, there are ...
Keep ReadingCharm is deceptive and beauty does not last, but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised - Proverbs 31:30 The book of Proverbs ends like it began with an emphasis on the fear of God (see Proverbs 1:7 and the first blog post from August 1st). Here, in a long passage about the kind of woman a young man should look for, the writer summarizes it all by saying a ...
Keep ReadingMany seek audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that one gets justice. - Proverbs 29:26 - Injustice abounds all around us. And when we are feeling fed up with it, when it affects us personlly, then we look for solutions. We look for something - or someone - to put our hope in. It's normal to look to kings and presidents and governors and policies. And I don't th...
Keep ReadingAs charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. -Proverbs 26:201 If you are in constant conflict with people, if you regularly find yourself in the middle of some kind of drama, there is a chance that there is some kind of strategic spiriual attack on your life. But there is also a good chance that you a...
Keep ReadingDo not exalt yourself in the king's presence, and do not claim a place among his great men; it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here," than for him to humiliate you before his nobles." - Proverbs 25:6-7 NIV This proverb is not saying it's wrong to be recognized or seen as important. But it is saying that it's wrong to be motiva...
Keep ReadingNo presumas delante del rey, ni te coloques entre los grandes; es mejor que te inviten a subir, que ser humillado ante los nobles. Proverbios 25:6-7 (BLPH) Este proverbio no dice que est mal ser reconocido o incluso ser visto como importante. Pero est diciendo que est mal estar motivado por el deseo de ser reconocido y visto como importante. No se trata tanto de la posic...
Keep ReadingDo not make friends with a hot-tempered person; do not not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared. - Proverbs 22:24 I have more questions than answers on this one. Maybe you all could share your thoughts in the comment section? Is this saying that being hot-tempered is contagious? That those who are easily angered rub o...
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