January 27, 2012
January 27, 2012 Dear Church Family, you sometimes find yourself in a tough situation where you just do not know what to do? Do you ever feel like God has abandoned you and that your prayers are just not getting through? I want to encourage you to not give up by listening to these words from Isaiah, Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you...
read moreJanuary 20, 2012
January 20, 2012 Dear Church Family, Are you thankful for your church? Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his classic book Life Together says, “How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from Him the little things? If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed, even where there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith, and difficulty; if on the contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so paltry and petty, so far from...
read moreJanuary 6, 2012
January 6, 2012 Dear Church Family, I hope this note finds you happy and well. Anna Dewey was a quiet, unassuming individual who always made you feel special. She was also a deeply principled woman who loved her country and worked hard to protect the freedoms and promote the virtues that have made this country great. I came across a quote this week that I wish I could have shared at her memorial service. It is from the American political leader Adlai Stevenson. Hopefully, she will forgive me for quoting a Democrat since she was...
read moreDecember 16, 2011
December 16, 2011 Dear Church Family, I hope this note finds you happy and well. How do you respond to the good news of Jesus Christ? We see three common responses to the message of Christ by examining the story of the Wise Men. The first response is hostility. We see this in the life of King Herod. He pretended to the Wise Men that he wanted to know all about the coming of the Christ child, but showed his true colors by having all of the baby boys in and around Bethlehem executed. He wanted nothing to do with the...
read moreDecember 9, 2011
December 9, 2011 Dear Church Family, Imagine a clear, cold night in Balboa Park. Thousands of people are milling around and the beautiful Spreckles Organ Pavilion is filled to capacity. A gorgeous 35 ft. Christmas tree covered with 15,000 lights and hundreds of ornaments is flanked on either side by an 80-voice choir. A hush comes over the crowd as two young ladies step forward and the orchestra begins to play “A Baby Changes Everything.” If you are not familiar with the song, it describes how Mary’s life was forever changed by...
read moreDecember 2, 2011
December 2, 2011 Dear Church Family, This morning as I was trying to drag myself out of bed I was reminded of the verse which says, “Let us not grow weary in doing good.” Our Christmas Pageant hasn’t even officially started yet and I’m worn out. I pray that God will give us extra energy and stamina over the course of the next few days as we let our light shine for Jesus. It’s so easy to lose sight of the big picture when we are tired. I remember a few years ago when the church I was serving decided to have a...
read moreNovember 25, 2011
November 25, 2011 Dear Church Family, “I’m thankful for you.” “I appreciate you.” “You are special to me.” These are words that we all long to hear. So, why do we not share them more often? I’m not sure what we are afraid of, but I am certain we could all use a kind word in our world today. So, if you are taking the time to read this note I want you to know, “I’m thankful for you, I appreciate you, and you are special to me,” not just because you are...
read moreNovember 18, 2011
November 18, 2011 Dear Church Family, I came across a poem this week written by Helen Austin. Helen was a member of the church I pastored in Fremont, California, a number of years ago. She loved poetry and often would write poems and present them as gifts. The following poem entitled, “Teaching” was presented to Amanda and I on May 4, 1997. It says, Teaching is a wondrous art That carves upon the human heart A...
read moreNovember 11, 2011
November 11, 2011 Dear Church Family, I grew up in the state of Alabama where football is king. I remember tuning in every Sunday afternoon to the Paul Bear Bryant Show and listening to the gravelly voice of Coach Bryant as he talked about the exploits of his team while watching a replay of the game. I can still hear him saying, “Bingo” whenever someone made a good block or tackle. I can also still see the bottles of Coca Cola and Golden Flake chips on the table in front of him. I dreamed of growing up...
read moreNovember 4, 2011
November 4, 2011 Dear Church Family, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” This is the advice Solomon gives in Proverbs 4:23 to anyone that finds themselves in a tempting situation. However, he doesn’t leave us hanging. He tells us how to do this by applying four simple principles. First, be careful what you say. Do not engage in perverse or immoral conversation. Second, be careful what you set before your eyes. The eyes are the window to the soul. If you want to guard your...
read more