I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white. Zechariah 1:8 The valley.  Who wants to be there?  If we live long enough, we get to experience moments in the valley.  Some go through valley experiences more than others.  And the valley is not just reserved for Christians.  Saved and unsaved people spend time in low places.  Sunday’s sermon gave us insight on a vision of a valley and an angelic redeemer riding in on a red horse. Zechariah 1:8 recounts a vision that the prophet Zechariah…

When you sit at my dining room table, you see the words “Blessed Are We…” on my wall.  Directly underneath those words are pictures of my family.  My picture wall is incomplete.  We need updated photos because the family has expanded since the pictures were taken.  Despite the challenges we’ve faced, I consider my family to be blessed.  We take lickings and keep on ticking.  We argue, but we remain committed to maintaining unity.  As I age, I have discovered that blessed means different things to different people.  Sunday’s sermon inspired me to think about what being blessed looks like. Psalms 1:1-3 begins with a list of things that a…

And David danced before the Lord with all his might, and David was girded with a linen ephod. II Samuel 6:14 What makes you dance?  Do you snap your fingers when your favorite song comes on?  Do you automatically move when the beat drops?  Can you dance when no music plays?  Are you a swayer or a toe-tapper?  Do you dance until you sweat, or do you barely move?  Sunday’s sermon finds King David dancing with all his might.  Let’s talk about the events that made him dance. The ark of the covenant is not in it’s rightful place.  The ark of the covenant represents the very presence of God,…

God is up to something special.  I can feel it in the atmosphere.  Things are different.  A change is on the horizon.  Although I often feel that I don’t have enough or that I’m not enough, God is constantly telling me something different.  Before 2019, I don’t ever remember hearing about Jael.  She’s a notable woman in the Bible, but if you’re reading straight through, just for reading’s sake, you’re likely to skip over her.  There aren’t many verses that tell her story.  She doesn’t have much, but she has just enough to win. Sunday’s sermon came from Judges 4:14-24.  We’re introduced to the prophetess Deborah.  She is speaking to…

Yesterday’s sermon covered an often-told Bible story.  We revisited the story of the prodigal son.  Many of us are familiar with analyzing the son’s actions.  We talk about how he wanted it all now.  We speak of his impatience and foolishness and then rejoice over his return to himself.  The sermon, however, focused on the father’s love and the fact that the father’s love made all the difference.  Let’s dive into it. Luke 15:11-32 recounts the tale of the prodigal son.  Jesus often spoke in parables to make His points more relatable to the audience.  It was an opportunity to help others see themselves and recognize their fallacies.  In this…

My Sunday morning routine is drastically different than what it used to be.  Pre-COVID, I would get up, shower, get dressed, and try to be out of the door by 8:30 a.m.  I wanted to get to Christian Life Development on time.  I didn’t want to miss any part of the service.  These days, I get up, shower, get dressed, and head to my dining room table.  I participate in Christian Life Development on Zoom.  And then I head to my pew, I mean my couch, to hear the sermon.  And what a sermon it was. Last week, Pastor discussed the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead.  This week, we…

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. John 11:25 Life.  So precious.  So fragile.  Every day that we wake up is another chance to get it right.  To do it over again.  When we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we’re given new life.  A do-over.  But it doesn’t stop there.  Walk with me through the sermon recap. In John 11:25, Jesus is talking to Martha.  Her brother Lazarus died four days ago.  She sent for Jesus while Lazarus was ill.  She believed in the Lord’s saving power.  She sent for Jesus…

Sunday’s sermon took us back to the cross on Good Friday.  Luke 23:32-47 begins with Jesus hanging on Calvary’s cross between two true criminals.  Jesus was scourged, mocked, and ridiculed.  He was wounded for our transgressions.  He was bruised for our iniquities.  He was rebuked and scorned.  Ultimately, he died.  And when the centurion, the Roman soldier, tasked with carrying out this punishment saw the events unfold…he cried out and proclaimed, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!” So, what convinced the centurion that Jesus was who He claimed to be?  Maybe, he was convinced by the way that Jesus maintained His composure on what was surely the worst day of…

Sunday’s sermon was full of meat.  I suppose it’s appropriate since today is Memorial Day.  Traditionally, people have family reunions over the holiday weekend.  They gather for fellowship…and food.  Lots of it.  Get your plates, forks, knives and napkins out ya’ll.  The sermon recap will have you chewing on this meat for a while. We are continuing our journey through II Kings with the prophet Elisha.  The sermon highlighted II Kings 6:1-7.  Forget reality TV.  We have “The Real Prophets of the Old Testament.”  Today’s text lands us smack dab in the middle of a dilemma.  The sons of the prophets (remember them from earlier in the season with the…

Across the nation, government officials are wrestling with the safest way for us to re-enter society.  Some are in rush to get things “back to normal.”  Here in Arkansas, the cases continue to climb daily.  Hopefully, we will see a decrease soon.  Sunday’s sermon challenged us to stay where we are and not come out.  Not in reference to quarantine but in regard to our spiritual lives.  What am talking about?  We’ll get into the sermon recap. Sunday’s sermon had us returning to II Kings and the prophet Elisha.  In II Kings 5:7-14, we read the story of Naaman.  Naaman is a captain of the guard.  And he has a…