How Many Times Can You Fold a Piece of Paper?

The old myth was you could only fold a piece of paper in half seven times (or eight, depending on who was telling the myth). This led enterprising high school student Brittany Gallavan to fold a piece of paper in half twelve times. The myth also led hard working mathematicians to theorize that if you could fold a piece of paper more times, say 50, you would have a wad of paper that would reach from the earth to the sun. That's assuming a piece of paper that is 0.1 millimeter in thickness, doubled fifty times over. The math gets away from me on that calculation, but what I do know:

Scientists have way too much free time.

The experiment does illustrate an important spiritual truth, that when we understand our unity in Christ, we can do amazing things for the Kingdom of God. Paul describes this essential understanding in Ephesians 4:4-6, the passage for this Sunday's message.

See you Sunday! (Bring paper)

Listen to this message at http://www.nationalheights.org/messages.html

Not About Me

In his book It's Not About Me, Max Lucado writes:

“God does not exist to make a big deal out of us. We exist to make a big deal out of him. It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s all about him.”

Want your life to count for something great? In this week's message, we'll discover the Bible's secret to successful living in Ephesians 4:2-3.

See you Sunday!

Listen to this message at http://www.nationalheights.org/messages.html

The Call

I used to carry a quarter in my pocket (actually, it used to be a dime). That was so, if I was ever stuck anywhere, I could always call for help. Good luck finding a pay phone now (and do they still cost a quarter?). Now, instead of a quarter, I've got my phone. Not only can I call for help, people can call me to let me know how much help I need.

You have a call, and you don't need a quarter or a phone to get this one. We all have a calling in Christ. This week's message looks at the scriptural command to "live worthy of the call" (Ephesians 4:1).

See you Sunday!

Listen to this message at http://www.nationalheights.org/messages.html

How Big?

We bought a new bed for our daughter, and went to pick it up in the little Toyota pickup we owned at the time. My wife drove the truck, my daughter sat in the passenger seat, and I sat in the back to hold the bed. Good plan right up until we actually loaded the bed. I had measured to be sure the bed would fit in the back of the pickup. I forgot that I was going to be in the back of the pickup, too.

Always a good thing to know if your truck is big enough. There is, however, something so big, you can't measure it. This week, we will see how Paul describes the power of God as "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20-21).

See you Sunday!

Listen to this message at http://www.nationalheights.org/messages.html

Appropriate Seasoning

Another season is upon us and some of us will moan the end of summer days, while others will rejoice at the thought of hoodies, all things pumpkin, and the beautiful, changing leaves. Still others have already begun the countdown to Thanksgiving and/or Christmas, and look forward to seeing a blanket of fresh snow. Others can’t wait for the cold to pass. However, through all of these, we see the hand of God. The bright sunshine, the colors of fall, and winter with its celebration of the birth of Christ. But before long, many will start the countdown to the next thing, whether the first day of Spring, the last day of school, or the first long weekend of summer. The Bible mentions seasons in numerous places, and it makes me wonder….did people in Bible times also look forward and have preferences for the different seasons?

One common theme in the Bible is that God created the seasons, and He created each of them with specific purposes. Similarly, we have different seasons of life…rejoicing, contentment, sorrow, puzzlement, discouragement, but all which can be times of growth. Just as each season has a purpose in nature, God can use each season of our lives to His glory, and to teach us more about Himself. The question is….will we let Him?

Deep and Wide

My brother-in-law has an old quarry filled with water behind his house. Swimming in it one day, we asked him how deep it was. "I don't know," he told us. "I've never been able to swim all the way to the bottom."

This week, reading from Ephesians 3:17-19, we will see how God's love is like that, so great, we will never fully understand its depth.

Hope to see you Sunday!

Listen to this message at http://www.nationalheights.org/messages.html