April 14, 2017
The Week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday is commonly referred to as Holy Week. On the “Christian Calendar” there are many activities that point back to the final week of Jesus’ incarnation and life as a man. It’s amazing how quickly the crowd changed its tune when Jesus didn’t kick the Romans out of town. The cry of the people went from “Hosanna” [Salvation has come], to crucify him in less than a week. There is quite a bit of intrigue and politics going on between the Roman and Jewish leaders. The religious elite could hardly stand to look... View Article
April 7, 2017
A preacher who poured a lot into me as a young man was often heard saying “God is never early and He’s never late; He’s always right on time.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reminded myself of this quote over the years. And even though there is great truth in this statement, it doesn’t make the waiting any easier. We are impatient people. There are people that won’t wait for fast food. If it’s not ready when they pull up to the drive thru window, they drive through. Last Sunday we considered Jesus’ declaration that He is... View Article
April 1, 2017
The word “contrast” elicits many different emotions. One of my professors in a composition class repeatedly asked us to compare and contrast various objects. She expected a very detailed contrast that covered almost every possible variable. But in other contexts, contrast is what makes life interesting. The sweetness of a cinnamon roll is tempered nicely with the robust bitterness of coffee. The cool of a fall night is the perfect complement for the warmth of a glowing fire. The old adage “opposites attract” still finds use today. Jeremiah 17:5-8 uses contrast to draw out the truth of a deeper principle.... View Article
March 23, 2017
“That’s what friends are for” When is the last time you were grateful for your friends? Doug Larson is quoted as saying “A true friend is one who overlooks your failures and tolerates your success.” There are many benefits of having great friends. Think about the times that you’ve needed encouragement and a friend was there to offer that. Or better yet, how about the times you were headed in the wrong direction and a friend stepped in and made you reevaluate some of your life choices. There are a lot of benefits from having a true friend. What about... View Article
March 16, 2017
“No Fake News” Although it’s fairly early in 2017 yet, I’m guessing “Fake News” might make a run to be the word(s) of the year. Rarely a day goes by that this moniker doesn’t get some airplay. If it’s not an accusation used against a specific brand or network, then some other network is trying to defend itself from being labeled as such. One political persuasion uses it as proof of presidential incompetence. The other “side” sees it as comeuppance against an entity, which has been privileged by years of people fearful of upsetting the machine. During some personal reading... View Article
March 9, 2017
“A Renewed Spirit” Have you ever wondered “Why am I here on this earth”? This question is usually found in a Triad with “Where did I come from” and “Where am I going”? They have been lumped together and classified as the questions of life. How you answer these questions sets the course you navigate your life by. In the last weeks, I’ve been asked to ponder with people “Why am I still here”? The desperation is clear in both the content and intent of the question and presents some unique challenges in answering. Usually the person asking the question... View Article
March 5, 2017
Grace Chapel, Pampanga, Philippines Hillcrest is raising funds to help build a church in a provincial area outside of Manila. There are five public high schools and over 100,000 people within walking distance of Grace Chapel and it could easily reach 1,000 Philippine people with the life-changing message of the gospel each week. The project will be comprised of a “Gymatorium” with two NCAA regulation sized basketball courts. (A Gymatorium is a roofed building with open sides which can be used year around.) This will serve as a multi-use ministry center during the week and the church’s meeting area on... View Article
February 27, 2017
Repentance as a way of life The topic of repentance occupies considerable bandwidth in some spheres of evangelicalism. The tension is most palpable in the works v. faith argument. If repentance is something I can gin up, then it serves towards my salvific end and must be considered a work (a thought that Ephesians 2:8-9 repudiates). But if I have no “skin in the game”, why bother to worry about the behaviors of my life. The usual definition of repentance requires a “turning from something and going the other way.” The given in this working definition is the expectation of... View Article
February 24, 2017
How about the weather? If you were able to get of the house last week you enjoyed some spectacular weather. As I put these thoughts to paper, the windows in the sanctuary and surrounding areas are all open in an attempt to freshen up the air. And then some silly forecaster wants to tell us snow is in the forecast 48 hours from now. I’m guessing that most of us are praying the forecast models have it wrong. One of the sessions during our Youth Snow Camp Retreat last week focused on the place of prayer in our lives. The... View Article
February 9, 2017
Last Sunday Evening, Fox aired the biggest spectacle on the sport’s calendar. The game featured a matchup between that Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots that has been dubbed the greatest football game ever played. The favored Patriots spotted their opponents a 25-point lead before they began to make their move. How many of us shook our heads as the momentum had shifted so forcefully that all Atlanta could do was hang their helmets in bewilderment. I know that a lot of New England fans were hopeful that they could secure the title, but I’m fairly certain that with... View Article
