Apprentice 2 Jesus

Lent

  • Holy Week — Passion for Christ

    This is a week given to meditating on the passion OF Christ. Yet, Philippians 3:1-14 is a reading for today. Here it is passion FOR Christ. Everything must pale in comparison to my thirst for knowing him. Any accomplishments, any desired accomplishments, any distractions… those need to drop off. I must know HIM. It is… Read more

  • Palm Sunday — Expectations

    Jesus came in power, or so it seemed. Speculation about Jesus is rampant. He has come to Jerusalem in a season when the rumor mill is high. He has taken off the gloves, so to speak, with the Pharisees and it seems an all-out confrontation is ahead. There is no doubt in the minds of… Read more

  • No Grave Wins

    All of the texts for Sunday speak to resurrection power. Ezekiel 37 is the Spirit bringing life into a place where death has ruled for a long time. John 11 is the Spirit bringing life where death has gripped Lazarus for a few days. Romans 8 is the power of the Spirit breathing new life… Read more

  • Prophesy!

    The journey through Lent is so intense in examination, I am incredibly thankful for the texts we have for next Sunday! They are about RESURRECTION! Ezekiel 37 is the vision Ezekiel had of the valley of dry bones. I love this passage. Ezekiel is standing in this parched grave yard and the question comes, “Can… Read more

  • Kingdom DNA

    I am using the Ephesians 5 text today rather than the gospel text for my Sunday message. All week long the Spirit has been stirring my heart. I am to BE light. Paul doesn’t say, “You were IN darkness, now you are IN light.” He says, “You WERE darkness, now you ARE light.” The Kingdom… Read more

  • The Place of Prayer and Expectation

    Last night we had what we call a “watch of the Lord.” We give part of the night watch to the Lord, so we open up the church from 8 p.m. to midnight for prayer. The theme I had in my heart last night was “light.” There are different aspects of light and I reflected… Read more

  • Walking Through the Dark Valleys

    Psalm 23 deserves a slow walk at times. I’ve come back to it all week because I don’t want to rush through such a treasured Psalm this time. One of the most difficult things for us to learn is knowing the presence of our Shepherd in our darkest valleys. If God is really there, why… Read more

  • He Refreshes My Soul

    With the Lord as my shepherd, and the metaphor of me being the sheep, the picture is that I follow. When I follow I will find that I lack nothing. He provides. He brings me to places where my hunger is taken care of and my thirst is quenched. He is the One who brings… Read more

  • Losing Sight of the Familiar

    The Psalm for next Sunday is Psalm 23. So familiar, right? Really? How long has it been since you looked it over? For me, it’s far too long. Even if it’s on my regular reading schedule, I breeze through it. The familiar is dangerous territory. We lose sight of the beauty right in front of… Read more

  • The Barrier of Busyness

    This Sunday’s text is John 4. My message focused on barriers in our lives. One of the biggest barriers we face in our lives as Americans is the barrier of busyness. The busyness is an excuse to keep us from hearing the voice of our Lord more clearly. It’s also an excuse to keep us… Read more