“And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.” (Acts 14:27 ESV). I’m a little sad. We recently had to close the door on our Hispanic ministry. We launched our Spanish-speaking worship services on Easter Sunday 2012 and within two
Author: Gary Combs
What motivates your God questions?
“And Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years’” (Luke 1:18 ESV). “And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’” (Luke 1:34 ESV). As a pastor, I get a lot of “God questions.”
Loving the sojourner
“He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:18-19 ESV). What is a “sojourner?” The dictionary defines it as “one who resides temporarily in a place.” Other Bible versions translate it as “stranger,
Two tombs that point to resurrection life
“Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again. ‘ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you
Easter means… hope
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3 ESV). “My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
Stop going to church
“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom
Proclamation follows passion
“In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15 ESV). “What you say flows from what is in your heart” (Luke 6:45 NLT).
Gospel-centered living
“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:5-6 ESV). Over the next few weeks we will be discussing how making the gospel the center focus of our lives will
Generous ears
“Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come?” (Isaiah 42:23 ESV). “Lend me your ears” (Mark Antony in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar). Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give another is the gift of listening. In a world where everyone is busy expressing their opinion on social
Displaying the selfless generosity of God
“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity” (2 Corinthians 8:1-2 ESV). “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give.