Posts with the category “church-life”

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."  (Matthew 13:44)This past Sunday, ...  Read More

Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. (Proverbs 14:4)A couple of Sundays ago, my worship time was interrupted by the sound of a child loudly ...  Read More

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others...  Read More

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)In September of 1997, I found myse...  Read More

Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"  11 "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin...  Read More

“A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)Think about the last time you entered a ...  Read More

Today’s post is adapted from the February 23rd, 2021 blogpost. Today, June 21st, would have been Gino Marozzi’s 78th birthday. He passed away on February 17th, 2021.Dear friends, since God so loved us...  Read More

“And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.” ...  Read More

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:10) On July 12th, 1992, NewLife Christian Fellowship held its f...  Read More

“On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling dov...  Read More

“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop...  Read More

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts...  Read More

“A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)Think about the last time you entered a ...  Read More

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:11-12)I met...  Read More

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1)This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the first day...  Read More

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21)I was pushing my grocery cart down the frozen food aisle this past weekend when I caught a glimpse of an Edwards key lime pie to my r...  Read More

     Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints (Psalm 116:15)In September of 1997, I found myself on a Sunday morning in a Glastonbury church that was meeting at Academy School on M...  Read More

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest com...  Read More

“Everything is permissible”-- but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”-- but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. (1 Corinthian...  Read More

As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12, God has gifted each of us by His Holy Spirit, and has shaped us for ministry to others in unique ways. We all have different passions, experiences, and abilities th...  Read More

As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12, God has gifted each of us by His Holy Spirit, and has shaped us for ministry to others in unique ways. We all have different passions, experiences, and abilities th...  Read More

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as...  Read More

During January and February, I will be using this space to interact with the ideas put forward in David Zahl’s book Seculosity: How career, parenting, technology, food, politics, and romance became ou...  Read More

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. A...  Read More

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-- with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctr...  Read More

Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.(1 Timothy 5:1-2...  Read More

“Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, a...  Read More

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neig...  Read More

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)There is a dangerous myth floating around our culture that the healthier you are, the more you do not need anyone. In counseling c...  Read More

“Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afr...  Read More

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15)Sports, and in particular rooting for sports teams, can so often bring out the worst in people. I want my team to win – and ...  Read More

This summer, beginning after the morning service on July 13th, we are offering a four-week community group based on the book “Creature of the Word” by Matt Chandler. As I’ve been reading through the b...  Read More