Thoughts From The Preacher

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62573425258188836972011-11-27T16:13:08.176-08:00Thoughts From The PreacherRandom thoughts from throughout my day.Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.comBlogger151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-72345462906859102392009-01-13T19:21:00.000-08:002009-01-13T19:30:35.891-08:00What is your faith in?

With the looming recession one might expect people to turn to God, but alas it is the almighty dollar that has won out. Yes, people are playing the lottery more and more. The AP reported that lottery sales are up nation wide. The sad reality is that even if people make money from the lottery, it won't make them any more content. True contentment only comes through a relationship with Jesus

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-90417802883654726032009-01-11T13:49:00.001-08:002009-01-11T14:04:40.469-08:00The path to Joy!

People often wonder where joy comes from. Some confuse joy with happiness and seek material things to find it. Assuredly, when people seek after material things they will never find contentment. Many have quoted Rockefeller to make this point. Rockefeller, when asked how much money is enough, reportedly replied "just a little bit more." The same could be said for people looking for joy in

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-28314178341142830382008-10-22T06:59:00.001-07:002008-10-22T07:06:05.158-07:00The Mustard Seed

The Bible talks about the Kingdom of God being like a mustard seed.A mustard seed is very small, the smallest you would plant in your garden. But when it grows it reaches heights of 10-15 feet tall. In the fall the branches stiffen and the birds are able to take refuge in it.The Kingdom of Heaven is like this. It began small, with only the disciple, but quickly grew to thousands and thousands

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-29263038200817822452008-10-18T06:57:00.000-07:002008-10-18T07:06:11.230-07:00The Kingdom of God

And the Kingdom of God is like: "Leaven a woman took and hid in three measures of flower until is spread through all of it" (Matt. 13:33).Long ago the apostles hid a small amount of leaven in the world. This leaven had a strange effect, it put the world into a ferment, it changed the world in a way that cannot be undone. The spreading of the leaven was effective, not by outward force, but by an

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-68771735130142357442008-10-17T06:20:00.000-07:002008-10-17T06:52:32.026-07:00Proof that God Exists!

Okay, so I don't really have proof that God exists. Not scientific proof, anyhow. Here's the thing - nobody is going to get a picture of God on their iPhone and I wouldn't count on God opening up the clouds and declaring to the world "Here I am, look at me."Instead, God has chosen to reveal himself to us through revelation, generally through creation and more specifically the Bible. I know

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-77784832794989153582008-10-15T18:48:00.000-07:002008-10-15T19:26:00.830-07:00to think or not to think

I got an e-mail from a self proclaimed "material atheist." He told me that if a god did exist that it would (and these are his words): "be perfect ... [with] no need to be worshiped it could have no thoughts."I don't want to pick on this guy, I just want to make a point at his expense. The idea of 'a god' that has no thoughts, doesn't seem very god-like. The very fact that humans are able to

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-497601521171722442008-10-11T18:21:00.000-07:002008-10-11T18:32:04.110-07:00The Devil

Reading through Matthew 13:24-30, I find some very interesting ways the Devil works against God. We would do well to recognize these so that we may remain safe from the wiles of the devil.First, the Devil works "while the men slept." The Devil is a trickster, he is ever watching for opportunities to take advantage of people. He sows his evil under the cover of the night. Stealth, secrecy and

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-57811411215136016502008-10-09T08:11:00.000-07:002008-10-09T08:29:56.583-07:00To fear or not to fear?

Is fear necessarily a bad thing? There are some who would say that fear is bad ... but I would disagree. In fact I think that a healthy fear is beneficial to us as people and to society as a whole. You see, fear keeps us accountable.What I mean is that if there was no fear, there would be no reason to do what is right. If people did not fear the consequences of their actions, there would be

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-27401456437766120312008-10-06T17:57:00.000-07:002008-10-06T18:23:09.837-07:00Exploding beetles

So I spent all day shaking a box of wood and glue together to see if at some point I could open the box and take out a model airplane. Well, I'm sad to say, it did not work. That got me thinking about evolution.How is it that people believe that at one point in time there was a lot of nothing - then things got shaken up (big bang) and somehow life happened? The argument for evolution has no

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-74301346090726522562008-10-05T18:44:00.000-07:002008-10-05T18:54:50.616-07:00Baptism

It is great to see people come to the Lord. Watching people being baptized into the family of God is a wonderful thing to behold - it is a great step for a new Believer to take.Below is a video from last Easter where we had the privilege to see five Believers baptized in one service. We have seen others baptized since then, just don't have the videos handy.God Blesssteven

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-46672752620236305642008-10-03T18:55:00.000-07:002008-10-03T19:47:20.675-07:00The heavens declare His glory

I sure do miss the New Mexico skies. Texas has its own beauty - but there is nothing like a New Mexico sky.This picture is from Reserve, NM on Easter morning. Every time I see this picture I am reminded that "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (Psalm 19:10.The creation is amazing, everything with a place, everything with a purpose, everything so

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-10069157162685069462008-10-02T11:27:00.000-07:002008-10-02T11:39:15.534-07:00You're gonna die

Not real sure why - but I was thinking of that song, you know the one where Chris Rock says something like: "this is your horoscope" ... "your gonna die."I'm not real sure the song is edifying and I don't endorse Chris Rock, but he makes a good point. You're gonna die! We all are going to die. Perhaps the more important question is this: where ya goin' when you die? Well, here are your

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-45395983251227843652008-10-01T05:18:00.000-07:002008-10-01T05:53:32.805-07:00The Love of God

Today I am going to preach at one of the local nursing homes. This is something that is important for churches to do - that is, take church to those who can't go to church.Preparing for this afternoon, I read through that ever popular Bible verse, John 3:16. Except today I notice something that I haven't really paid much attention to before. The only begotten of the Father was sent because

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-29815913229766646452008-09-30T10:22:00.000-07:002008-09-30T10:39:00.169-07:00The cost of following Christ ...

It is all to often that we neglect to consider the cost to follow Christ. Now, I don't aim to explain any deep theological truths here, but consider the following example.Before Timothy could go with Paul, he had to be circumcised. Luke records it this way: "Paul wanted [Timothy] to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257342525818883697.post-51925295025977196002008-09-29T07:25:00.000-07:002008-10-03T19:48:14.978-07:00Babies

Right now the wife is changing a diaper - have you ever noticed that when you have a baby it is suddenly okay to talk about the color of poop? I know that sounds really gross, but just ask around, you'll find it is true.Speaking of babies, have you ever considered the wonder of life? The psalmist writes: "You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I

Pastor Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01592655889965564416noreply@blogger.com2