Churches also want to ask about a pastor’s Bible reading. For him to thrive, it should be much more than just for sermon preparation. How does he go about putting the Word in his heart? Does he still memorize scripture? What translation(s) does he use and why.
Then it is good to know how what he reads has influenced the way he ministers. Right along with that, it is a natural segue for…
Read MoreLately we’ve been considering how to become more missional and shine our light more brightly in the community around us. The light we share is Jesus in us, and it’s exciting to imagine all that He has planned for us!
I joyfully tell J.S. about all that God is doing…
Read MoreElection Day: Tuesday, November 5th, 2024.
I want to place before you two scenes:
One is a dry, hot, brown, deserted wasteland. Barely anything lives. Nothing thrives here. It’s a lonely, difficult place with no hope.
The other is a lush, green valley with a river running through it. Everything is vibrant. Birds are chirping, squirrels are running, and flowers are blooming. Trees provide shade and fruit for all. No one is worried when drought comes.
What’s interesting is those two places are…
Read MorePaul says that we are not only to think about ourselves, but to consider the needs of others. Then he really goes counter-cultural to our society’s current love affair with “self-esteem” when he says to consider others more significant than yourself. Paul also points out that this attitude can only…
Read MoreFor a moment, let’s consider this our prayer triplet, you, Jesus and me. Open and honest.
Ok, I’ll start… 55 years ago Patti and I began pursuing one another, spending as much time as we could talking, or just being, together. Even after curfew, we would fall asleep on the phone, just talking. I still love being with her.
Do you remember when…
Read MoreThis past Sunday, Matt shared a comment that had been attached to the Ministry Insight Tool (MIT) survey. It went something like this, “We're not waiting for the new pastor to come and fix us. We’re waiting for him to come and...
Read MoreThe lush garden of Genesis and the glittering jewels of Revelation are meaningless apart from their Author, whose beauty is unmatched. In His presence is the greatest bliss, and to be thrown out of His presence is...
Read MoreLast Sunday, I preached about our urgent need for being closer to God, and that a primary way we can do that is through prayer. Are you buying it? That sounds kind of crass, but I want to challenge you to really think about it. Are you going to use your life that God has given you to...
Read MoreWe celebrate weekly through the Featured Missionary portion of our Sunday service, hearing updates and seeing videos of our treasured missionaries. Those videos have been an especially exciting addition recently! We also have been blessed by some in person updates! We had the...
Read MoreLast Sunday, Darcey Simmons presented the Pastor Search Team update. She emphasized how prayer and faith and the Holy Spirit’s leading are the team’s underpinning and has led them in developing a description of the church and our view or hopes for our next pastor. They will be contacting...
Read MoreAs a career educator, I have gone “back to school” more times than I can count, and it is always just as crazy and intense when the calendar flips to September. Although there’s excitement in the air, this new season promises NOT a lot of stillness. Is it possible to “Be Still” in the middle of a packed schedule? Is this stillness referring to an absence of activity, or...
Read MoreWe were created for relationship. That’s an interesting concept. The word “relation” just means there’s some sort of connection. But if two people are in a relationship, that denotes intentionality and love. In the beginning, God created man but made a point of stating that it is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). And God didn’t create another being just to simply exist with the man. He created a “helper” for him – someone to be in relationship with him. That’s because mankind was made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27). They were to be a reflection of the loving relationship that exists within God himself as Father, Son, and Spirit.
What we see then is that the foundation of relationships is love and that love is expressed through....
Read MoreWe are hard-wired to serve. Medical science has shown there are biological reasons we feel good when we serve. Studies have shown that people who volunteer/serve others can reduce mortality, lower risk of high blood pressure and lower risk of inflammation levels. Lowering stress levels while increasing your health, that’s certainly going to bring....
Read MoreDid you notice how it was perfect in design? Why would God create something so perfect that possibly no one would ever see? Why wouldn't He save some time and create something quicker and with less effort like a stage prop that gave the illusion of reality? The answer is obvious. Everything He does is perfect - that's who He is. Creation itself is a....
Read MoreBut as I reflect on these, I look back at the man I was twenty-five years ago, five years ago, or even one year ago, and tears of joy come! I am no longer that man… little steps, big steps, small victories, lost battles, and battles won… Jesus, by his Spirit, is working in me, making me the man he intends for me to.....
Read MoreWhen I participated in a Christian singing group a few years ago, the choir director was more than a musically gifted leader. He often encouraged us with his pastor’s heart as well. On multiple occasions, he told us that part of belonging to this group of Christians with the mission to share the gospel through song was the requirement that we must be compelled by God to do it.
Compelled. Not just able, but…
Read MoreIt’s easy to get so caught up in what we want God to do for us that we forget what He’s already done. At LTCC, there’s certainly been lots of talk lately about our vision for the future, a future that I’m as thrilled about as anyone. Today, however, I invite you to look back and remember all that God has done for you, for His people, and for…
Read MoreI still remember when my world revolved around a guitar. I was obsessed. Christmas came around and I had a big box with my name on it, but it was very square shaped. No way was a guitar in there. I was crushed. As I went to half-heartedly open my present, my mom jumped up and….
Read MoreWe are and have been in the perfect environment for healthy growth and the opportunity for bearing spiritual fruit within our LTCC family. God has us right where he wants us; abiding in him as we…
Read MoreI recall the exact spot in my childhood home. My brother, sister, and I would take turns putting our ankles firmly against the wall, looking straight ahead, and fighting the temptation to stand on our “Tippy-Toes”. We would wait with anticipation as our mom…
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