March 9, 2025
I just want to emphasize in this series that Jesus lays out some operating principles within the kingdom of God. We are to enact these operating principles in our personal lives as people in the kingdom of God. Or people who have the kingdom of God within them. Yet I find there are many misunderstandings… Read More »
February 23, 2025
In this series we have been talking about the means of grace and putting First Things First in our lives and establishing priorities. And we have identified what Wesley called the means of grace or spiritual disciplines that are means to deepen our relationship with Christ and love for others. These priorities help us to… Read More »
February 16, 2025
We are in the theme of priorities in the Christian life. And these are means of grace in our Wesleyan tradition or what others may call spiritual disciplines. These are ways in which we practice the presence of God in our lives where God meets us in these experiences. And they are truly priorities, through… Read More »
February 9, 2025
We’ve been in this series talking about priorities of Christian life. So far, we have talked about the priority of the Word. Last week we talked about the priority of Holy Communion. Today we’re going to talk about Fellowship. This passage informs us about key experiences the early church devoted themselves to consistently practice. In… Read More »
February 2, 2025
It’s interesting that Jesus says here, “I have eagerly desired to eat the Passover with you before I suffer.” One translation reads “with desire I have desired”. These words would give the understanding that there is true excitement about sharing this meal with the disciples. It would be like going to meet your children and… Read More »
January 26, 2025
The scripture today was at a pivotal time in Israel’s history. They were rebuilding the city of Jerusalem which had been demolished by Babylon. And they realized the reason for their captivity and exile. They failed to keep and respond to God’s commands and the warning of God’s word through the prophets. I think of… Read More »
January 19, 2025
There are at least 6 points of instruction given in these surrounding verses. I am only going to focus on verse 16 today. Paul is instructing believers to redeem the time. Why? He includes the reason in the same sentence. Because the days are evil. Most translations interpret this word as EVIL. But it has… Read More »
January 12, 2025
Last week I talked about how vision leads us to our eternal home. This is the greater vision of God for the redemption of the world. This prophecy of Isaiah pictures God promising a new future for his people who were in a very dark and seemingly hopeless situation. Everything they had known was taken… Read More »
January 5, 2025
As we begin this New Year, I thought it appropriate for us to think about a new vision. At 5 Rivers Church, we are in a new church and new denomination. In many ways we are living out a new vision as this church is less than a year old. But even a new church… Read More »
December 29, 2024
On our church calendar it is important to note…Guess what? It’s still Christmas! It’s not just one day and it didn’t end on December 26th, we are not quite halfway through! I have been in stores after Christmas Day and sometimes say “Merry Christmas” to people and they look at me kind of strange and… Read More »