I started a year long study of the Sermon on the Mount this month, with Tim Mackay and the Bible Project. So today we read a “fasting” verse. (At this point I can read the story of Jonah and see that it’s about the whale fasting) The verse is Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who… Continue Reading
When you Fast! January 1, 2024 Matthew 6:16-18 says, “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your… Continue Reading
“I’m going to keep preaching this one until you start doing it, then I’ll move on to the next one.” I don’t know if you remember but I preached on this Sunday last year, the Sunday after Christmas. Last year it was January 1. This year, of course, December 31. I preached a message I… Continue Reading
One of the often overlooked disciplines of the spiritual life is the discipline of simplicity. Here are 6 steps to help you choose a more austere, perhaps Christ-centered life in the days ahead. For a daily thought about this and other topics, subscribe at branchesblog.com, or follow on Facebook or Instagram. (Did I say that… Continue Reading
Nothing could be more heart breaking, I imagine, than the estrangement of our children. And yet it happens so many time. I meet couples all of the time that are suffering from separation from their children, sometimes without knowing why. The one thing we cannot do is lose hope. Here are some thoughts about God’s… Continue Reading
How do you connect with your grandkids? How do we talk to the younger generation in general? Here are five things to remember when you are working with the young people in your life. Remember they are people. Remember they have personality. Remember they have parents. (And you are not them.) Remember they are the… Continue Reading
5/8/23 MondayMatters: Testimony. Perhaps the most important words that will ever come out of my mouth is my testimony. When it is done right; centered on Christ, current, all about change, it has the power to change lives for generations to come. Here’s a quick testimony about testimonies. #MondayMatters #takeaminutemakeadifference https://youtu.be/iHFmeGTwzHY Continue Reading
The walk with Jesus is a walk of discipline. That is why we are called disciples. That is why following Him is called discipleship. But discipline is not gritting your teeth and doing what you do not want to do. Discipline is having a heart open to being led by God. It is having a… Continue Reading
Just as we are making the final arrangements to be ready to celebrate Christmas, so we can be thinking about the preparations we need to make to create a better, stronger, more joyful walk with God is 2023 than we have ever known before. Today we talk about the things we need to do to… Continue Reading
I was asked by my church to write a response to the Roe vs Wade decision handed down last week. This is it. A Historic Move of God On January 22, 1973, our nation took what most people of faith would believe was a tragic turn when it made Roe vs Wade the law… Continue Reading