Do you know people whose pride has blinded them to God's work in their lives? King Nebuchadnezzar was such a man. He seemingly had it all, and he mistakenly thought his vast prosperity was due to his own effort. In Daniel 4, God used another bad dream and a humbling experience to open his eyes. This example helps us to see that God can reach anyone, no matter how far away...

Have you ever wondered how you would respond if you were forced to make the choice between your life and your obedience to God? That's the choice that three Jewish exiles, named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, have to make in Daniel 3. It's a well-known story about these three men choosing to face the fire of a furnace that was designed to smelt gold, rather than bow to a ...

When was the last time you were awakened by a troubling dream? It's not a good feeling. If you think that's bad, now imagine being a ruler during a time where dreams give insight into your reign. In that scenario, troubling dreams become even more troublesome. That's where Nebuchadnezzar finds himself as we pick up the story in Daniel chapter 2. The most powerful man on t...

When life feels out of control, we must never forget that God is in control. Be encouraged today that if you love Him and are called according to His purpose, He always works all things together for good (Rom. 8:28). No matter how impossible that may seem at the moment. Viewing our life under the control of God changes the way we process our deepest trials, and it even ch...

Over the next few days we get the opportunity to reflect upon the Gospel and recalibrate our lives accordingly. There are many important truths to believe in this life, but only one is of foremost importance. That is the truth of the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul summarizes this life-changing message in succinct form:"that Christ died for our sins in accordance wit...

Have you ever tried to keeptrack of how many times you think about yourself in a day? If you haven't, trykeeping count today. It won't be a pretty result. Our text for Palm Sunday will be Philippians 2:1-11. In it, Paul instructs us to do nothing (NOTHING!) from selfish ambition or conceit, but instead, count others' interests as more significant than our own. It's a chal...

On Sunday we have the privilege of celebrating Pastor Jared's ordination to gospel ministry. You may be wondering, "What is ordination and why is it important?" Let me briefly explain. Ordination is the church's way of testing and approving those who are called by God to serve in pastoral ministry (2 Tim. 2:15). Essentially, through ordination the church is saying, "We wh...

How do we obey the command to "Pray without ceasing?" (1 Thess. 5:17) Examining the commands that come before and after will move us closer to the answer. Paul says, "Rejoice always" in verse 16 and "give thanks in all circumstances" in verse 18. Even so, if you're like me, the absolutes of these commands can make them seem daunting, if not impossible. Friends, our Savio...

When you pray, what do you find yourself asking God for most often? For many of us, that is an easy answer. Current life circumstances dominate our conversation with God: Health issues. Relational difficulties. Stressors at work or at home. While these are important (and valid) issues to bring to our Heavenly Father, we must pay attention to the fact that the Apos...

When was the last time you felt unworthy to come before God? Do you have a nagging sense that you must "clean up" before entering his presence? If so, Jesus fully understands your struggle. If you are a follower of Jesus, dwell upon this glorious truth about your Savior today: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who i...