The Watchman
Ezekiel was called to be a prophet after being taken captive to Babylon. Since the beginning of his ministry Ezekiel knew his path would be difficult; he knew the people would not be receptive to his message; “The people to whom I {God} am sending you are obstinate and stubborn” (Ezekiel 2:4). And yet, from […]
Always Seek His Counsel
As Moses was about to die, he transferred leadership of Israel to Joshua. God gave His approval of Joshua with the instructions, “Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go” (Joshua […]
Know Him Better
When a child is born into a family, there is almost an instant bond of love. The parent and child spend LOTS of time together and truly begin to know each other. The parent knows the needs of the child, and the child knows the parent as the provider of comfort and security. But as […]
Join The Battle
In the message “We Will Overcome” we were encouraged to hold on to Jesus when our strength fades and we become weary. We saw that our faith, not our strength, ensures we will overcome and receive the gift of eternal life. We can take great comfort in knowing Jesus will carry us and not let […]
We Will Overcome
God’s Word contains many passages which encourage us in our struggles. Paul tells us to “press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:14), “run a good race” (Galatians 5:7), and “fight the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7). Each of these acknowledge the struggle and exhort us to keep moving forward. But there are times we become […]
The Examined Life
One of the benefits of our trials is that they allow us the opportunity to examine our life; and as it is said, the unexamined life is not worth living. If we flow through life without evaluating who we are and what we believe, we have not really lived; we have certainly not lived according […]
His Perfect Way
In the message “A Living Sanctuary” we considered our call to ALWAYS praise and worship, and that this can only occur as we trust God with all our heart and release control into His hands. We seem to often come back to this theme. Perhaps this is because releasing control is one of our major […]
A Living Sanctuary
Our Heavenly Father desires our life to be FILLED with praise and worship. When we gather together with other believers for church services, we generally begin with songs of praise. We praise God for His love and faithfulness, and for the gift of His Son. We worship Him for His awesome majesty as we prepare […]
With Our Bodies – by Sarah Troxel
[Note: My daughter, Sarah, is now a college student. Many of you enjoyed her messages about urban ministry this summer. I told Sarah she is welcome to write messages anytime. This is one she sent me this week.] I will never forget a day in class last semester when my short and sweet, sixty year […]
His Purpose in Pain
[Note: I first sent this message in January, 2013. This was a difficult time. And though Kaylee is doing well today, all of our lives have been forever changed. Our diet has certainly been dramatically altered. But more importantly, my understanding of God and the issues of pain and suffering have been deepened and solidified. […]
Clear Line of Communication
Communication is a key part of any relationship. Without proper communication, a relationship will slowly drift apart and feel isolated. This is true of friends and married couples, and certainly true in our relationship with God. Without communication, we begin to drift and will soon be unable to even recognize His voice. When faced with […]
Foundation of Truth
Six hundred years ago, there were groups of people who believed the earth was flat. In fact they didn’t just believe the earth was flat, they “knew” the earth was flat. Because of this belief, they also believed it was impossible to sail around the world. Of course, their view was warped and limited since […]