Here I Go Again
Can one little light make a difference? Here I go again trying to light up the dark places in life.
What's love got to do with it?
Is love just a sweet old-fashioned notion like Queen of Rock N' Roll Tina Turner asks? Or is it something more? Pastor Mike thinks he has the answer. Watch the video and see if you agree.
Livin' on a Prayer
God, take my hand and we'll make it, I swear. Oh, we're half way there -- livin' on a prayer!
Joy to the World
Most Christians are looking for happiness, not joy. Happiness is based on what happens to us. Joy is fellowship with God. Because we are made in God's image, being generous is the secret to our joy. Seek joy!
That's the Way I Like It
Screaming and fighting to get our share, we forget to imitate Christ in our daily lives. Does it have to be like that?
I Will Survive
Whatever is happening in your life (surgery, grief, jobless, frustrated, frightened, wondering if you are doing the right thing, wondering who you really are) God is saying, “Fear not…I have called you by name. You are mine. You are my beloved. With you I am well pleased.”
Stairway to Heaven
Are you buying your way into heaven with your money or hard work? How will you feel if sinners worse than you are there, too?
How hard is it raining?
If you are filled with the Spirit, or your church is filled with the Spirit, you honor what God stands for. Switching our thinking from scarcity to abundance gives us the potential to do extraordinary things.
I Love You to the Moon and Back
If our spiritual gifts do not flow from love then they are not gifts at all.
For Paul, if you are not serving God with love, because of love, out of love, from a position of love, then what you offer is zero. Paul wants our love to grow and flow out of the love God is already giving us.
The Body Keeps the Score
"I'm fine," we politely lie hoping our childhood scars stay hidden. But, the body keeps the score.
Let's offer encouragement instead of judgment to people in pain. Let's welcome people who need help because it is what God does for us. Each of us MUST build up our neighbor.
Sometimes I Feel Lost
"The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse" gives comfort to thousands struggling with everything from job loss to cancer. See how this bestselling book mirrors the strength, encouragement and consolation that are always near with God.
Atomic Habits
Need a new you? James Clear says a 1% change in what you're doing now can be huge. Helpful little habits are the building blocks of a new identity. Watch the video to find out how atomic habits can change your world.
Green Lights
Hitting a bunch of green lights all in a row is #919 on the list of awesome things. It's like having things go your way in life. But everybody hits a red light now and then and it's way worse when they're self-inflicted. It's a good thing God is right there waiting.
Actor Matthew McConaughey shares his personal insights in his bestselling book "Greenlights." We can all relate to the times he faced setbacks and felt lost. But a little bit of wisdom from the book of Romans reassures us that God is with us all the time.
The 4 Agreements
There are a lot of elements in our lives we don’t choose or control. Somebody else sets the rules you must follow. Maybe it's time to break some rules.
Worship and Celebration
Worship is our response to God’s love. You can't fake it -- you have to feel it.
Have you ever noticed how many churches expect NO displays of joy in worship? I’m not talking about fake “hallelujahs” or empty “praise Gods.” I mean real JOY.
Who knows when it started, or when it became such an epidemic, but too many people have been shamed into church as an obligation. It is not a ‘have to’ it is a ‘get to’. Let's celebrate!
Fasting and Study
I once thought exactly like a lot of people do. I thought church was boring, I thought the
Bible was dull, and I thought being a Christian was ho-hum. But then I discovered scholars who made sense of these things.
I discovered people with deep wisdom. I discovered how spectacular the Bible really is,
and how absolutely amazing the story of the church really is. And I began to see the fun behind
all that God is doing. And I was hooked.
Reflection helps us understand why things matter and how they relate to us. Simply
accumulating information does not always equal knowledge.
Confession and Guidance
Who guides you through life? It's not that God is too busy. Maybe we just don't listen unless the decision feels too tough to make alone. If we are rationalizing our behaviors that are clearly contrary to God then we are NOT hearing the Holy Spirit guiding us.
Submission and Service
Selfishness is the soul-killer today. Does pride keep you from seeing the hurt and need all around you?
The obsession to demand that things go the way we want them to go is one of the greatest bondages in human society. People need a place where they matter. Where everyone knows their name. Where they are loved. Where they know people care.
Simplicity and Solitude
We race and scramble to keep up with the pace of our world, to keep up with the trends, to keep up with the latest gadgets so we will not stand out. We do not like being different because we fear being alone. Fear drives us to the noise and the crowds. But if we want to grow in our spiritual lives, we have to find a way to make room for distance from the noise.