Category Archives: Bible Study

5/13/24 MondayMatters: Great Expectations (or not so great)

5/13/24 MondayMatters: Great Expectations (or not so great)

We all have a little Clark Griswald in us. We create these over-the-top, larger than life expectations of an event, a season, or a relationship. And more often than not things just don’t happen the way we imagine. Here are some fantastic ideas about how to manage expectations, well, at least some pretty good ones. 😂

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https://youtu.be/1MSJVWYkTBU?feature=shared

5/6/24   MondayMatters: How To Stay Positive In A Relationship

5/6/24 MondayMatters: How To Stay Positive In A Relationship

In a fallen world, relationships fall. How we talk about them has much to do with how they survive. Here are 5 Rules of Relationships that help me stay positive about those connections in my life. Click on the link to watch the video. And follow on Facebook or Instagram for a daily reminder about… Continue Reading

4/29/24   MondayMatters: Seasons of Life

4/29/24 MondayMatters: Seasons of Life

https://youtu.be/e4d40ytW8g4?feature=shared “There is a time for all things. Everything has a season.” The writer of the Wisdom Book was talking about more than summer and fall. Perhaps one of the most important adjustments in life is the recognition that we are constantly transitioning from one season to the next. Here are some thoughts about that… Continue Reading

4/8/24 MondayMatters: The Problem with the Mountaintop

4/8/24 MondayMatters: The Problem with the Mountaintop

  https://youtu.be/8bhDR60WsuA?feature=shared Mountaintop experiences are great. We need them every once in an awhile to regroup, refresh, and revive. But we are called to live there. God does His best work in us and with us while we are in the valley. Look at 1 Kings 18:16-46 When I focus in the emotional high I… Continue Reading

Divide and Conquer

Divide and Conquer

Divide and Conquer (warning, may be my longest blog ever.)  2 Chronicles 20:15 — “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”  I had a conversation with a young mother on Easter Sunday morning. She was distraught. Her baby was very sick, but her… Continue Reading

3/25/24       MondayMatters: Self-Reflection

3/25/24 MondayMatters: Self-Reflection

https://youtu.be/qcfZFVVHszE?feature=shared Click the link above for the MondayMatters video. During Holy Week we often look at spiritual discipline and consider things we can do to deepen our walk and increase our faith. The idea of self-reflection, self-examination is often uncomfortable and certainly underused. But this week is a wonderful time to look inward, allow the… Continue Reading

3/19/24  Lent      Psalm 85    Cherished Terms

3/19/24 Lent Psalm 85 Cherished Terms

3/19/24 Lent Psalm 85 Cherished Terms  Many years ago, Richard Parrot wrote a fascinating paper on Cherished Terms. He said there are certain terms in every discipline, but particularly in the church, that have a special relationship with that body of people. They are words that have a meaning, apart from the definition, steeped in… Continue Reading