I’m about halfway done with The Root of Riches, by Chuck Bentley, and already the ideas are pouring in for our next sermon series on finances. You might be wondering what else there is to know about money. As long as we keep the two biggies in mind: 1) Christians aren’t supposed to love it, and 2) we’re supposed to be generous. What else is there to know? End of story...

Revelation is one of the most controversial, written about books in the Bible.  It’s a book Martin Luther didn’t think much of and John Calvin never commented on.  It’s filled with strange and unfamiliar imagery: angels, demons, lambs, lions, horses and dragons; seals, trumpets and bowls; beasts with horns and heads; all of this accompanied by thunder, lightning, hail, fire, blood and smoke.  It’s a book demanding respect; bearing a promise to those who read it...

In July we sent six of our youth, ages 12-17, on a mission trip to New York.  On occasion I find myself wondering if they might be too young to be sent on a mission trip; after all, they’re just kids.  Then reality hits me, like it or not, the day is fast approaching when we’ll be sending them off to college, a place many would consider a mission field.  The statistics of how Christian youth fair in the turbulence of college life...

Every once in a while there comes a time when we need to talk about church finances. Jesus is clear that money deserves our attention personally and also as a church. Remember the time when Jesus drove out the money changers and sellers in the Temple (Matthew 21:12)? Even churches must continually examine and give account for how we use God’s money...

Happy Graduation for some of you, Happy Father’s day for others. June is the month when God takes my ‘live in the moment’ attention and helps me recognize the bigger picture; taking time to acknowledge past accomplishments, looking forward to what the future holds. Father’s Day and Graduation dovetail surprisingly well in my story...