A Life of Love

And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'" Matthew 25:40, NKJV

When Jesus told the parable of the sheep and the goats, He wasn’t trying to scare anyone. He was trying to reveal something simple, something surprisingly down-to-earth about what it means to be ready for His return.

He described a scene that will one day unfold: the King returning in all His glory with e

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Knowing the Master

Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.  Jeremiah 24:7, NKJV

Have you ever noticed how much our interactions with others depend upon what we believe about their character? If we trust someone, we draw near; if we fear they’ll hurt us, we pull away.

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells a parable about a man who, before leaving on a journey, entrusts his

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Give Me Oil in My Lamp

The wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  Matthew 25:4, NKJV

Waiting.  It’s an unavoidable dynamic of our faith journey, but that doesn’t make it an easy part of our faith journey. Whether it’s waiting for a prayer to be answered, for healing to come, or for Jesus Himself to return, waiting tests what our hearts are made of.

In Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins, everyone had lamps and everyone fell asleep while waiting for the bridegroom. But when the midnight cr

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Signs of Salvation

So when you see standing in the holy place "the abomination that causes desolation," spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand — then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Matthew 24:15-16, NIV

Sometimes warnings can sound frightening.  But when they come from someone who loves you, they’re really signs of protection.  A parent who says, “Don’t touch, it’s hot!” may come off sounding harsh.  But that warning isn’t meant to strike fear in t

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Watching and Waiting

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” — Matthew 24:42, NIV

Have you ever stayed up late waiting for something exciting? Maybe you’ve waited for Christmas morning, or for a loved one’s headlights to appear in the driveway after a long trip. There’s a certain mix of excitement and longing that makes it hard to close your eyes, isn’t there?  On October 22, 1844, many sincere believers looked to the skies with unmatched excitement, exp

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Jesus, Our Steady Hope

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.  Matthew 24:6-8, NIV

Sometimes the world can feel shaky. Things change fast — jobs, health, even the headlines we wake up to. It’s easy to feel unsure or afraid, like the ground

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The Great Conductor

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord. 

Psalm 150:6

In my life I have been blessed to be part of many different music groups. When people ask what instruments I play I often reply with the tuba and bass guitar. Those are by far the two I am the best at. Growing up I took 8 years of Piano lessons. Do I play piano today? Nope! Maybe you can relate to that. I didn’t like it. Instead I begged my parents to let me play the bass and I fell in love with it.

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All Things New

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away... Revelation 21:1, NKJV

"How do you spell 'Broncos,' Daddy?"  Our youngest had been intently creating a colorful drawing last weekend and wanted to personalize it for her older brothers with their favorite team name.  But somehow, in the final stages of finishing her masterpiece, she misspelled one of her brothers' names -- a fact that I became aware of when I overheard a loud

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The Power of Curiosity

So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” Exodus 3:3-4

Have you ever wondered why God does what He does? Have you ever questioned His plans? There are so many instances in the Bible and in our lives today where God acts in a way that we simply don’t understand. Sometimes when this happens we choose to simply accept that

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A Different Kind of Sorrow

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13, NKJV

Last week was an emotionally heavy week for a lot of us.  Personally, the sting of death saddened my heart in more ways than one.  The day after our news feeds informed us of stories of tragic violence in America and also right here in Colorado, I came across a shocking social media post from one of my former youth m

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Heavenly Judgment

Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. Psalm 43:1 

2002 was a big year for many people. For my family it was the year that marked our introduction along with the rest of America to the singing competition American Idol. I was only 4 when the show started but you can bet your bottom dollar that when I was old enough to care I was watching. My family and I would sit down and watch the judges as they judge

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The Preeminent One

"And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.  And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence." Colossians 1:17-18, NKJV

Over the weekend, as we celebrated our younger son's birthday, we got to watch him open a few gifts he received from family and friends.  He tore through gift wrap and bags with gusto and finally got to one that brought an especially large smile t

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Looking to Jesus in the Sanctuary

Therefore...fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. Hebrews 3:1, NIV

It was the beginning of my freshman year in high school when one of my teachers invited me to be part of a team-preaching project with a handful of other young people.  We were asked to share a joint sermon at several churches in the area.  I had participated in speech competitions before, so the public speaking part wasn't too intimidating.  The specific subject, ho

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The Gift of His Fullness

In music when a musical phrase is incomplete its called unresolved. This feeling of an unresolved phrase is awful. Most times we hear this it is done on purpose to leave you with a sense of anticipation and let me tell you I really really don’t like it. There is something about having a complete musical thought played out that is satisfying. This dislike for the incomplete is not unique for music. Half baked thoughts are infuriating, half baked pies are disgusting, when a

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The Gift of God

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 2 Timothy 1:6, NKJV

Last night, before our kids plunged full-on into the first day of school, we sat around the dinner table and each reflected on highlights from the summer.  It brought plenty of great memories to mind, including a few camping trips and, of course, times around the campfire.  Lots of laughter, lots of s'mores, and sometimes just the entrancing joy of watchi

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