Years ago, when we were living in Plymouth, Pennsylvania, my wife and I bought a house that backed up to a wooded mountainside. It was a nice setting to live in, but it often meant we had to deal with...
I've been thinking quite a bit lately about how grateful I am for our church family. There are many things I appreciate about the people God has brought together at Core Creek Community Church, but ov...
1 Samuel 16 begins with grief. Samuel is mourning over Saul, the king God has rejected because of his persistent disobedience. Saul remains on Israel’s throne, but God has already announced that his k...
Last week, I grabbed a quick dinner at one of my favorite local restaurants. While I was eating, a man who had just received his food at the counter walked toward the exit, but instead of opening the ...
1 Samuel 8–10 records Israel’s transition from the leadership of judges to the establishment of a monarchy. The people asked Samuel to appoint a king, God warned them about the consequences, and Saul ...
How do you respond to God? Do you respect Him? Do you honor Him? Or do you minimize the concepts of His power and His holiness in your mind?
Just yesterday, I saw a man with a saying printed on th...
The book of 1 Samuel is a very interesting historical book in the Old Testament, and it highlights a major transition in Israel’s history as the nation moves from the era of the judges to the establis...
Every believer lives with a tension between what is and what will be. We know Christ has saved us, yet we still live in a world marked by sin, grief, sickness, conflict, disappointment, and death. We ...
Most people like the idea that their lives have purpose. We want to believe that our abilities, experiences, opportunities, and relationships can contribute to something larger than ourselves. Scriptu...
One of the clearest signs that we understand the heart of God is the way we treat people. It’s possible to know a great deal about theology, attend church faithfully, memorize Scripture, and still str...
Many people think of obedience as the opposite of joy. Obedience can sound restrictive, demanding, or burdensome. Joy, by contrast, sounds freeing and satisfying. Our culture often teaches us that hap...
Everyone wants joy, but not everyone knows where to find it.
Earlier this week, I learned of the passing of one of the most joyful people I know. Pastor Jack Zuch died at the age of 104. Every summ...
