Happy New Year. Today’s post is an excerpt from the New Year sermon delivered by Pastor Cameron Arensen of the Evangelical Community Church based on Jesus’ sermon on the mount (Mathew chapters 5 through 7). Here it is:Jesus’ words in this sermon are intended to bring us to the cross for salvation and thus to
Read More1 Thessalonians 5:17‘and never stop praying.’ (Contemporary English Version)Prayer changes things. Prayer releases God’s power to work in the situations we pray for.I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes I wonder about prayer. Sometimes it feels like such a simple thing to do, so unimportant in the face of huge challenges; especially when the
Read More1John 1:9 ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’(NIV) This is one of those scriptures we quote off so very easily. But let’s take time today to really read it again. According to Wikipedia, a confession is a statement
Read MoreLuke 18: 9-14’To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:’ (Verse 9, NIV)Here’s the story of the two guys who prayed. There was the Pharisee who came to tell God all that he did and how faithful he was. He wasn’t lying. Fasting is a spiritual
Read MoreMatthew 5:23 ‘Blessed are the peace makers for they will be called children of God’. (Matthew 5:9) Recently I had to obey this scripture and initiate reconciliation with a much beloved person who’d hurt me considerably. I realized i had let too much time pass while justifying my anger, hurt and waiting to be apologized
Read MoreJames 1:5’If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God Who gives to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. (Amplified Version)God has been good to me. He has blessed me. Lately, fear has threatened to steal my joy and rest in
Read MoreProverbs 4:18The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day (NIV)From my little corner of the world, I get a pretty good view of the sun rise every morning (well, every non-crazy morning, for mornings are usually hurried and crazy around here).Anyway, it starts out
Read More