Thursday, August 31, 2017

Living the Dream

One year, for sixty-two minutes, I lived the dream. I was in show business. Not on the stage - way to many lines to memorize. Not in front of the camera - too much make up.

I was a spotlight operator.

I sat up in the balcony and illuminated the main actor with my spot (as they say in the biz). Without me, the stage would be a dark formless void. Without me the actors would be running into each other and falling over all the props. Without me, the show could not go on.

Light is important in more than just stage production. Light is essential to life. This is nowhere more true than in the light shining out from the gospel message of Jesus. This week, we will read the words of Christ where he calls for believers to turn up the wattage (Mark 4:21-23).

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Good Soil

A few weeks ago, the Prime Timers invited a representative from Wickman's Garden Center to come and share some secrets and hints about gardening. She gave a very interesting presentation about different plants for different kinds of gardens. She had advice for plants that were bug resistant and fertilizer that would make to keep the plants strong and healthy.

Good advice. Every gardener wants their flowers bright and tomatoes ripe. Jesus gives away the secret to good gardening and much more - good soil. Join us Sunday as we look at the conclusion to Jesus' Parable of the Sower in Mark 4:8.

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Bucket of Rocks

We have a bucket of rocks on our back porch. They are rocks we gathered 19 years ago when we dug a trench to put in a new electrical line. They are still on our porch because I am not sure what to do with them now. I don't want to dump them back in the yard. So far, I haven't found anyone who has any use for them. So we still have a bucket of rocks.

Most people understand that, if you want to plant a garden, rocks and weeds are not your friends. Jesus used that simple reality to illustrate two important truths we should know about our own lives, truths we will discover together this week in Mark 4:5-7.

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Everyone Loves a Story

Everyone loves a good story. Tonight, in millions of homes around the world, in hundreds of languages, children will put off bedtime with the simple request, "Read me a story." As our girls were growing up, this ritual was followed with another request, "Tell me a story." For the next few minutes, we would make up a story about a character of their choice, always ending with the same question and answer, "And what did they do next?" "They closed their eyes and went to sleep!"

Jesus was a master storyteller. He used what we often call "parables" as stories to illustrate important spiritual truths. Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at his Parable of the Sower (Mark 4), where Jesus used a familiar sight during his time - a farmer sowing his seed - to describe a spiritual truth people of every age need to know. Join us as we unpack this fascinating and important message.

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Overfilled

We witnessed a very real truth last week. Gutters have a purpose, but when that purpose isn't followed, it can create a huge mess. Gutters are supposed to fill up with rain, but then MOVE it. If the water isn't moved out as it's supposed to, its purpose fails. Just being filled with water does no good.

Similarly, Christians are not just to be FILLED, but to let God's love and grace flow OUT of them. It's one of our purposes. Every day we have opportunities to share His grace, His love, His goodness and His message. God forgive us when we are useless gutters!

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Understand This

In Mark 3:29, Jesus makes a profound statement about a sin that will never be forgiven. This frightening reality is something we all need to understand. Join us this Sunday as we start a new series from the Gospel of Mark by unpacking what has often been called "The Unforgivable Sin."

See you Sunday!

Hear this message at NHBC Media