Christian Life
God’s Love Sustains My Soul
A pastor shares his experience as he was visiting a new couple that started attending his church: As he talked with the parents at the kitchen table, the children were at play not far from where he sat. Suddenly, he heard an animal-like moan come from the other room. It caught his attention, as well as the mothers, prompting her...
The High Calling of Anguish
We are not a wrecked people. We find our comforts close at hand and our convictions deeply hidden. I am beginning to understand that this is terribly wrong. God has a desire for us to feel the weight of His pain but also the relief to know that it is ultimately His to reconcile. This week in a staff prayer time at...
When Brokenness is a Great Strength
At times it seems that the economy of heaven is upside down. We are used to a this fight-to-win-it world which declare loudly that only the weak will fail. Yet, in God's eyes, the only way to succeed is to spend your soul at the deepest level. We are called to lose our life. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will...
Listen to Your Dad and He’ll Listen to You
When I was a little kid, I would play on a merry-go-round at the park with my dad. We would both run around it to get it spinning as fast as we could, and then on the count of three we would hop on. It was fun, but not always easy… many times I would miss the platform and...
Jesus is the Son of God. Proof From the Gospel of John
The central theme to the Gospel of John is that Jesus is the Son of God. This is most evident by the way that John continues to build a case for Christ’s deity from the very first verse to the very end of this book. John begins his gospel by writing, “In the beginning the Word was God and...
God’s Secret to Taking Over the World
Jesus Christ commanded us to “Go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). The final words given to His the apostles have remained over time as instruction for those of us born into the family of God. This command has not only provided me with a plan and purpose, but it has become my heartbeat. My greatest passion is to make...
Remind Us That You Are the Giver of Life
Dear God, Giver of Life, We forget how precious you are at times, and in doing so, we forget how precious life is. Yet, in-spite of our shallow view of you, God, you patiently wait for us to remember the depth of your goodness. We complain over the struggles of life, all the while forgetting the privilege we have to live. Yet, God, you patiently...
My Farmer’s Footprints
A commercial was playing on the radio as I turned the corner into my office parking lot. I was rather tuned out until the voice in the 30-second spot said, "There is nothing better to have on these fields than the farmer's footprint." The commercial was about organic vegetables, tenderly cared for and grown to supply our local Safeway supermarket....
What Is A Life Transformed By Christ?
One of the things I loved about working at Mission Hills is that our vision is clear and concise: Transformed Lives. But as the Discipleship Pastor, my role demanded that I accurately define what it means for a life to be transformed by Christ. Our values clarify why this type of change is important, but we had never really defined what...
The Greatest Comfort for Those In Christ
"There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1 The believer is in Christ as Noah was enclosed within the ark, with the heavens darkening above him, and the waters heaving below him, yet not a drop of the flood penetrating his vessel, not a blast of the storm disturbing the serenity of his spirit. The...
3 Keys to Helping Someone Through Loss
This may sound a bit off, but consider this a pastoral confession: I enjoy being involved with people at their greatest point of loss. There is nothing more tragic than the loss of someone you love. Death is hard, no matter when it comes. As a pastor, I am often involved in helping people through the loss of their loved one,...
