In June of 2014 my wife and I were about to begin the process of doing a major remodeling of a house we purchased. The first stage of that remodeling was to remove the trusses of our 3 bedroom bungalow, to turn it into a two-story Cape Cod style house. The day’s work was complete and we were approaching evening, but they were calling for rain. We covered the exposed walls with plastic and waited for the rain to pass. It did, but it dumped 7 inches of rain in about 10 hours, after attempting for 4 hours to drain pockets of water in the plastic the water burst through sending gallons of water through the floors and destroying the finished basement, which we were planning on living in as we finished the upper floors. I remember going into the basement after we gave up hope of protecting the house from the rains, and with the ceiling tile falling on the floor, the insulation hanging from the floor joists, and sparks coming from the hot water heater as it burned out. I remember says, “We have lost everything!” We gave up as the rains came down and knew that there … READ MORE

Matthew 12:36-37 is a great verse to keep in mind as we prepare to open our mouth. Words are powerful gifts and weapons! The same mouth that can build up and encourage another, can rip someone apart. Words often stay with us for years, as we work mentally to overcome the insensitive words that someone has shared with us. Our inward outlook of who we are, are often shaped by what others say to us. We need to remember and understand that we will eventually give account for the things we say and how we impact those around us. There is a good reason that James tells us in 1:19-20, “… let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” We need to learn to think before we speak. Is what I have to say necessary, is it spoken in love, is it designed to build up? Learn to evaluate your words before you let them escape your mouth. … READ MORE

In 1 Kings 5:5 Solomon “purposed” to do the task of building a house for “the name of the Lord.” A place where people could go to and find out who God is. It is essential that we have a place where we know we can learn of the Lord. This is not a place where we might run into God (beach, golf course, sporting event, etc.), but a place where you go for the purpose of understanding who God is and what He desires of us as one who follows Him. That place is the local church. This gives a fucus for ministry, and a goal for our attendance. People by nature gt tired, and it is important that we understand the reason behind our service and attendance in order to persevere through the tough times of our lives. When we serve with a purpose (bringing Glory to God). We serve with more excitement and enthusiasm when we know what we are attempting to attain. To have a reason for our planning gives it direction, and with direction comes the ability to evaluate whether we are accomplishing our goal. Business is not a virtue, but working to the glory … READ MORE