Month: March 2025

This morning’s topic is hard to make clear. Stay with me as I stumble through it. Here we go. Sometimes both believers and nonbelievers question if the gospel really works? Wondering whether or not if what Jesus preached 2000 years ago really is true. Was he, and is he still, the Savior? Is eternal salvation real? Does heaven really exist? Are all the promises from God true? Doubt is a natural response for humans. Because believing in the “un-seen” is difficult to do.

Now, proving that all of these truths that I’m talking about are real can be difficult. Especially to those who don’t already believe. Might be even more difficult for those who are doubting their beliefs. I think this because I believe that there is a spiritual warfare taking place in all of us. Satan is after our souls. He attacks the very core of our thoughts and beliefs. If he can put doubt in there, then he has a chance. But…at the same time, if we allow Jesus into our thoughts and beliefs, Satan does not have a chance.

When we change our thought process from self pleasing, to one of serving others, we begin to see the scriptures are true. When we concentrate on doing what God has called us to do, it becomes more obvious to us. As I have grown in my faith, it has become increasingly easier for me to see that what Jesus preached is in fact very real. During a recent conversation I had with a young lady, she was telling me that she can feel Jesus knocking at her door daily. That she is struggling trying to figure out who she is. Her old self is still fighting to keep her. I told her that God is convicting her. She is feeling the Holy Spirit coming after her. Just as Satan wants her, so does Jesus. Even more so. God is not going to stop convicting her. And that is a very real example of the truth that the Bible teaches us.

Yesterday was the opening day of trout season. Thousands of people were lined along side the river casting time after time, trying to land that one “lunker” that has avoided them cast after cast. We say a lot, that sometimes the best conversation between two men is simply saying hello, casting a line, hours of silence, then saying goodbye. Just knowing someone is there can be therapeutic. Just knowing someone is there can be very peaceful.

We believe that man, all men, are searching for peace. So please bear with me as I try to explain this. We have stated this before. And we’re going to do so again today. Because we believe it might be the one thing that all men are looking for. Question is, “Where do you find it?“ Just as we believe that all men are searching for peace, we also believe that finding it is going to be different for everyone. Let me rephrase that. How we find it is going to be different for everyone. Unfortunately, many are not going to find it because they look in the wrong place. And here’s the reason for that: The one true source of peace is Jesus. The one true answer for peace is Jesus. He is peace. No question about it. Therefore, finding Jesus is the key to finding peace. 

We can find peace and tranquility along river banks. We can find them in deer and turkey blinds. We can find them while driving on back roads through the country. But…we can only find honest, true, lasting peace in our hearts through Jesus. He provides that. He willingly provides that. I often say, “Sometimes we don’t know what we need until we get what we need.“ And that’s the truth with Jesus. Many people are searching. Looking for something that will only come from Jesus. That’s how I was. I was searching years ago. I didn’t know I needed him until I found him. So maybe today is the day for you to find him. To bring him into your heart. Maybe today is the day to receive the peace that only comes from Jesus. He will give it to you. Because he loves you. He always has. He always will.

Family dynamics are interesting to me. Sometimes, family members can be best friends. Other times, they are not so friendly with each other. In my family, the tree branches off in many different directions. It can be hard to keep track. We have biological parents, step-parents, siblings, half-siblings, step-siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, children, step-children, grandkids, cousins, 2nd-cousins, and so on. And that’s just on my side. The story expands when we consider Barbara’s too. I magine that several of you reading this can relate. Extended families. Blended families. Large families. And there’s the Bible. It’s a family story. 

Just as we have personal flaws, the family in the Bible has issues too. And just as family parents do, God shows us all grace. He shows us mercy. He shows us love. Even when we don’t deserve it. As a matter of fact, those moments might be when he shows us examples of his love for us the most. The times when we don’t deserve it the most. He does this for us because we are part of his family.

Grace, mercy, and love are all from God. And we are to follow his example and show these to others. We are to do this because God loves us, even though we are flawed. I, for one am thankful of this. Because, I know I am undeserving of his love. There’s no way that I have earned his grace. I never will. Yet, he still extends it to me. The Bible gives us examples all throughout it. Lessons that we can learn and follow. Then we can teach others these same things. And then…they can teach others as well. And then our extended family, blended family, large family, can all be brought into God‘s family. And that’s what we are called to do. Show others who he is. So they will want to be under his grace.