Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south. Read more…
Psalm 107 conclusion.
Psalm 107 (This is a fav Encouraging Word!)
Some of the redeemed had wandered into the desert, into the wasteland.
They couldn’t find their way to a city or town.
They were hungry and thirsty;
their lives were slipping away. Read more…
Trust & Obey Pt. 1
Do you trust everything in God’s Word? This is the hardest part of my relationship with Jesus. I’ve studied the Word and know many truths as presented in the Word and I’ve seen it shape my life and understanding of Jesus and Gods will. It’s through the Bible that I have learned how to trust Jesus and I’ve seen Him do incredible things and so have many of you, but once in a while something will happen that just doesn’t seem to make any sense. Read more…
Rays of Light
I love sharing with you the the unique ways God reveals life lessons to me. If you’ve been reading Encouraging Words for a little while, you know I find God speaking and revealing His love and lessons for life all the time. Today, I read a beautiful analogy I just have to share with you! It’s from the book Holiness Revealed by Amy Reardon. It’s based on Hebrews 1:3, “The Son is the light of God’s glory and the imprint of God’s being. Read more…
Hymn #222
Kim, the girls and I had the opportunity to visit a church of a different tradition than my daughters were accustomed to. They weren’t sure what to expect especially since they had to wear dresses at that church. After we arrived, they discovered that the building wasn’t that different from our church and that the people weren’t that different either but they didn’t quite understand why we were shuffled onto old wooden benches in the middle of the meeting space. Read more…
Church Music Pt. 4!
The final in a devotional series on music in the church. Next up: The Bible!
Many times in my pastoral career, I have been asked what makes a good church. So, I have said that a good church is made of only two things: good, solid Biblical preaching that encourages or challenges the Believer and authentic worship to God through music. We’ve already discussed the importance of preaching, so today we will break down why music is so i
mportant to God. Read more…
Church Music Pt. 2!
“I love rock-n-roll! Put another dime in the…” well, you know the song. It is true tho, I really do love rock-n-roll. The boom of the kick drum, the crack of the snare drum, the thump of the bass and the scream of a good electric guitar lick coming together with a voice belting out a catchy lyric became a love of mine way back in the eighties. Even today, when all of those elements come together, my heart races just a little bi
t faster and my hands start to clap and feet start to move to the rhythm. Read more…
Hero and Scratch!
This is an Encouraging Word I wrote just over a year ago. It is a story of my daughters and celebrates their uniqueness. I hope it encourages you as much as I did when I wrote it and now reading it again.
-Back in the mid 1990’s the superhero movie craze was just getting started. That was awesome for me since I used to collect comics when I was a kid. Even now, I love the big screen adaptations of the characters I loved. Read more…
Heart Felt
On this somber day of remembering the loss and pain we all experienced so many years ago, my mind fills with faces I cherish and people I love. We all have friends we wish would make better choices. We all have that crazy uncle we wish would not tell such off color jokes at family get togethers. We all have a very special loved one we wish would turn to God and accept Jesus as Savior. Read more…
Heavenly Perspective
From the man who walked on water: “Though you have not seen him (Christ Jesus), you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” – 1 Peter 8 & 9. Read more…