…you are the image of your creator!

New Year's Resolution Prayers
     'Refreshment in Refuge' from Gina Burgess

Lord, help me to relax about insignificant details beginning tomorrow at 7:41:23 a.m. p.s.t. Lord, help me to consider people's feelings, even if most of them are hypersensitive. Lord, help me to take responsibility for my own actions, even though they're usually not my fault. Lord, help me to not try to run everything. But, if You need some help, please feel free to ask me! Lord, help me to be more laid back and help me to do it exactly right. Lord, help me to take things more seriously, especially laughter, parties, and dancing. Lord, give me patience, and…

The New Christmas Story
     'Voice of Inspiration' from Andy Castro

Recently the season of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s started to invade my mind I had to wonder about value of the spirit of the holidays. It seems that Thanksgiving has turned into a starting line for an Olympic sprint for the rest of the season. The advertisers start to tease us with the great deals that are coming up, loudly proclaiming, "On your mark"! The ads continues through Thanksgiving week adding, "get set"! And at the very moment at our Thanksgiving dinner, when we put the final bite of pumpkin pie in our mouth,…

Having
     ''Christ in You...'' from Dale Krebbs

In the Hebrew language, there is no word for “have”. The concept is not even in the language. Therefore, nothing can really be possessed or owned. Nothing can be “had” by adding or subtraction. “Having” (as most understand the word…) can not be possessed. Also, as Christians we can “have” only in Jesus Christ. All things are in Christ, simply because He is the creator, the sustainer, the power of continuance are only possible in and through Him. The well known expression “you can’t take it with you” is…

Rise Above
     'Inspiration For You' from Randy Mitchell

The Economy. Money. Jobs. Your Future, and the future of our youth. It’s filling the minds of everyone these days especially during this super-heated political election. People are more concerned than ever about what their future holds, and rightly so. Millions are looking for work, or have stopped searching at all with little hope. It isn’t the America I grew up in, and one in desperate need of a new direction. America was founded on self-reliant, entrepreneurial principles. A nation where people are free to dictate their own future, create their own jobs,…

Bible and Quote - April 28 - May 2
     'Bible verse and quote' from Jan Couns

The Lord is . Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. Psalm 103:8b Many of us do not really believe in the unconditional love of God. We dwell excessively on ourselves and on our mistakes. And so we keep asking, 'Who am I that the Lord should love me?' Instead we ought to be asking, 'Who are you, O my God, that you love me so much?' John Powell, 1925-2009 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. .great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear (awe) Him. Psalm 103:10-11b So much of His mercy comes…

"I AM"
     'God's Words For US' from Cecelia Lester

“God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14 (NIV) Moses had some concerns about the task God lay before him. Moses first felt that he was not worthy of doing the job. If someone had asked him he would have said he wasn’t the person to do this gargantuan work. God told Moses that He would be with him as he performed his part in the work to rescue the Israelite people. Moses used second excuse to try to get shed of this. “If they ask me…

The Team
     'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' from Tom Kelley

Marshalltown, Iowa. Why Marshalltown, Iowa? Because Marshalltown, Iowa is where the legend began. Legends always have to begin somewhere and this one began in Marshalltown, Iowa in the mid 1920s. A young man with a drive in his spirit that few had seen before was new to this small town in Iowa. The school had a limited budget as schools did then. Many of the teachers were not only coaches but also coaches of several sports. Adolph Rupp was the coach...of the wrestling team. Before he came, the team had struggled to get boys involved and those who were involved weren't very…

Why Defend Inerrancy?
     ''Winging It' from Stan Smith

I find myself these days more and more defending the argument that the Scriptures in their original documents were without error. We can further conclude, based on the high level of confidence that we have (better than 99.5% confidence), that the texts we have are true to the original documents, that our Bibles are without error. Oh, there may be a minor translation mistake here or there. There may be a transcription error in a number or something. But the doctrine of biblical inerrancy holds that the Bible is 100% infallible and inerrant in what it teaches. I defend that. Lots…

The Monk
     'The Way' from Kevin Pauley

“I, the Son of Man, am master even of the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:8 There once was an old Japanese monk who lived simply and tried to follow his orders’ rules as best he could. He had an acolyte that followed him everywhere, trying to absorb the old man’s wisdom so that he too could one day become a monk. One day, they were traveling to a distant city. As they approached a river, they discovered that the little footbridge had been washed away in a storm. The river could be forded, but there was no to cross and stay dry. Standing on the bank of the river…

No Ordinary Sermon (1-6-11)
     'Today's Little Lift' from Jim Bullington

Tired of ordinary sermons? For a refreshing change, try the Sermon on the Mount. The contents of this timeless sermon are not ordinary; its speaker was not ordinary; its purpose was not ordinary; its implications were not ordinary. About the only thing ordinary about the Sermon on the Mount were the issues with which the hearers were dealing. These were as old as time itself; they have not changed since then by any appreciable amount. The names are different, the customs are different, but the struggles are the same. It is a timeless message aimed directly at the heart of humanity. …

It Can Be Dangerous Rushing Up to Follow Jesus Christ!
     'Word from Scotland' from Sandy Shaw

In the latter part of Luke Chapter 9, Jesus Christ has resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem and ultimately the Cross. He and His disciples have been travelling together with a highly interesting conversation and profound teaching from Christ. As they were going on their way, a man comes up to……