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There is purpose in pain: to eventually become the one that God uses to comfort others.  Both comfort and affliction are meant to be shared within the Body of Christ, not lived out in isolation.   I believe Pastor Harry couched it appropriately in his sermon this past Sunday when he said, and I paraphrase (hopefully…

A rock feels no pain and an island never cries. Simon and Garfunkel published a song with these lyrics in 1965, which asserted an exaggerated aversion for relationships. It’s a song about being a fortress unto one’s self, disdaining love and laughter, hiding away from loving others in order to avoid the inevitable sadness that…

Many of us have bemoaned the state of our country and the world. As election year rolls around, it becomes even more difficult to find hope amongst the rhetoric. We want to do something but feel helpless against the perceived darkness. As Pastor Lawrence pointed out Sunday, perhaps the problem is not too much darkness,…

As I listened to Pastor Mark’s sermon this past Sunday, I jotted down some key words and phrases in preparation for this blog, which were (1) worry, (2) whose will, (3) Jehovah Jirah, (4) confidence, (5) faith, (6) the twelve spies, (7) Hebrews 11:1, (8) God will make a way, (9) transcending human limitations, (10)…

I’ve come to think that it is impossible to have faith without doubt. What could I possibly mean by that? The Bible is clear that we are to have faith and NOT doubt. When doubts arise, and if we are human beings then they will, verses pop into our minds, such as James 1:6, “But…

“The Touch of the Master’s Hand,” otherwise known as The Old Violin, is a poem written by Myra Brooks Welch in 1921.  It tells of an old, battered violin that is about to be sold as the last item at an auction for almost nothing. But just as it’s going, going, gone, a violinist steps…

The standards of our Savior have always been high…impossible, even. Forgive those who persecute you?? Love your enemies?? We all know we can only do so by the Lord’s grace. The problem is when we don’t recognize that we are NOT forgiving, that we are NOT loving our enemies. We usually have no problem seeing…

As we embark on the Via study the Mosaic staff has developed from now until Easter, keep in mind that just as a tree is known by the fruit it produces, similarly people are also known.  Galatians 5:22-23 says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” These…

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World  is a book that was published several years ago documenting how much more advanced we are than we think. When you look at the trajectory in several categories, across ALL continents, material conditions have vastly improved for everyone. And this includes the blimp on the radar that was…

As we begin 2024, let’s focus on starting a new year with how God enables us to embrace the Spiritual fruits listed in Galatians 5:22-23.  Isaiah 43:18-19 “The Lord says, `Forget about what has happened before.  Do not think about the past.  Instead, look at the new things I’m going to do.’    Following is an acrostic…