GCV Blog

At the beginning of the summer, I wrote a pastoral word on the topic of denying oneself during vacation and unscheduled free times. Andy Muxlow encouraged me to consider the same topic with respect to the workplace. So, after enjoying Labor Day weekend, here I go. Instead of using the same passage (Matt. 16:24-27), I think another passage may be helpful. Allow Colossians 3:17, 22-24 to instruct our minds and guard our emotions

The central message of Hebrews 11 has captivated my mind these last weeks since Shannon Hurley was with us: the topic of faithfulness. Verse 1 defines what faith is: the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. “By faith” is repeated 17 times in this chapter. By faith, we believe that God created the visible universe by His invisble word. Faith is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8-9) and is just as necessary from the

Year One Recap: By the grace of God, 41 students are about to complete their first year! It is hard to describe the joy it has been to teach through the entire Bible in one year. The daily and systematic study of the full counsel of God has been an indescribable blessing. I am also humbled by the labor and dedication of my students, many of whom balance their studies with work, family and ministry.

Dear Grace Church Family, Thank you once again for your continued love, support and prayers–for your gifts of transportation, food, cards, phone calls and encouragement–during an adventurous two months including surgery and other challenges. We are truly blessed with your ongoing involvment in our lives as we deal with health issues. We continue to marvel at the opportunities the Lord places

One of God’s blessings through kids is the reminder of how much we assume. For instance, I was under the mistaken impression that babies are born with some basic understandings. Turns out that not only are children born without basic communication abilities, hand-eye coordination, or motor skills, there’s even a learning curve on how to eat. To eat! Pretty hard to get more basic than that. At this point, I have eating, walking, and talking in the “basic” category, and don’t tend to think too much about doing them. Still, those basics touch every part of my every day.

As we’ve been studying and seeking to apply Jesus’ instructions from Matthew 20 regarding greatness within the Kingdom, I have been persistently convinced that a lifestyle adjustment must take place for many of us to pursue greatness through serving others. This week I found and thoroughly appreciated these practical suggestions for obedience from Paul Tripp, a like-minded pastor and author. He calls service to one another “cross-shaped love,” and uses these eleven applications to help clarify what it means to follow our

Biblical wisdom is the God-given ability to apply biblical principles to life. It is knowledge of God’s word rightly applied. It is valuable, you must seek it, and it will bear fruit that honors God. The Bible has much to say about wisdom. We should value it more than jewels, gold and silver, and nothing we desire can compare to it (Proverbs 8:11, 16:16). The wise are blessed (Proverbs 3:13). You are

There are approximately 30 distinct one-anothers spread throughout over 50 separate scriptural commands in the New Testament. I want to make two points about the often-discussed one-anothers. First, they are commands. These are not optional suggestions that we get to pick and choose our way through, ignoring the ones that make us uncomfortable. These are commands from God’s Word given to you and me as means of grace within

I hate being tricked. Telemarketers using the guise of “surveys” doubly annoy me, magic tricks make my brain hurt, and scam artists make my blood boil. Unfortunately, my heart is the best deceiver I know. When it comes to hearing, I’m concerned that I share a weakness to deception with all the rest of you. I can hear, and hear, and hear, and still not do. In James 1:22-25, James probingly moves on from the right attitudes in hearing to the right actions.

We do a lot of listening. It’s an integral part of our Christian lives to listen to sermons, as well as to other Christians speaking into our lives personally. So it’s also a constant challenge to actually hear the way God intends us to. In this crucial discipline of hearing, God has not left us without instruction. James 1:19-25 continues to shape my thinking about how I hear, and I’d like to encourage you to consider it too.