School Days

I love our Bible Study class. I love the people, the teacher, the discussion, the textbook, the laughter, the sharing of prayer requests and praises--but there's one thing I really DON'T like! It never lasts long enough. I feel like a sponge each week, soaking up the information from God's word, finding out more from the teacher's perspective and the thought-provoking discussions. I always leave feeling such thankfulness, but I want MORE!

And then I remember...one day, class will be in session for all eternity, as we sit at the feet of THE Teacher...the One Who knows it ALL, the One Who wrote the book. The characters we have studied will be in class with us. And there will be those same friends who I enjoy every Sunday morning...and we'll all be in class together again...laughing and sharing...and rejoicing. And because of what He did for me, when attendance is taken, I will be able to say, "Present!" Truly, what a day that will be!

Indescribable

Some things are hard to describe. The website "The Daily Edge" lists things that are difficult or impossible to describe. Find a friend and try to:

• Describe a color, without using the name of a color.

• Describe the difference between left and right.

• Describe what water tastes like.

• Describe the color of a mirror.

Paul found something he simply could not find a word to adequately describe so he made one up. This week, we look at 2 Corinthians 9:15, where Paul describes God's indescribable grace.

See you Sunday!

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

God's Blessing Equation

I was a sixth grade millionaire. Well, that's stretching it a bit, but on paper, I was the richest kid in my school. On paper. 2x4 note paper. In a small notepad, I kept IOU's from the lunchroom. Every day, my mother packed two Twinkies in my lunch. I ate one, and traded the other for an IOU - a fellow sixth grader's written promise that they would pay me back. By the end of the year, I had successfully created 157 loans, each for one Twinky. My plan was to collect the debt, sell the Twinkies, and pocket the cash. However, I soon realized the flaw to my theory.

The school year ended.

By the seventh grade, no one cared about their snack food debt, and I no longer wanted Twinkies. I had moved on to Hostess cupcakes. My fortune in Twinky futures had become absolutely worthless.

We sometimes forget the reason why we have what we have. God blesses us for a purpose - so we can give those blessings away for his glory. This week, we will take a look at God's blessing equation in 2 Corinthians 9:9-10.

See you Sunday!

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

Enough

I'm never sure if I have enough. For example, if I'm packing for a trip, I can never figure out how many socks to take. One for each day? What if some get dirty before the day is over? How many days might they get dirty? I have really sweaty feet! What if it is a three sock day?

Finally, my wife will tell me, "Enough! Pack one for each day and we'll wash some out if you need extra."

Great idea. So does that mean I need to pack laundry detergent....

In this week's passage, 2 Corinthians 9:8, we discover a wonderful truth. When we know Christ, we will never have to wonder if we need more grace. In Him, we always have enough!

See you Sunday!

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

Strong Comparison

We explain life by comparison. We explain what is not known by what is known. If we are trying to explain the sound of a new singer, we say, "He sounds just like Elvis!" If we are trying to explain the taste of a new dessert, we say, "It tastes like a Butterfinger candy bar with whipped cream." If we are trying to describe the problem we are having with our car, we might say, "It sounds like an overloaded washing machine."

This Sunday we look at 2 Corinthians 8:9, where Paul uses this principle to explain the unexplainable - to describe the riches we have in Christ.

See you Sunday!

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

Excel

I am not an accountant. For good reason. For one thing, my wife is an accountant. She is really good at it. For both of us to be accountants would be unfair. Somebody has to keep H & R Block in business.

Even though I am not an accountant, I have had to learn how to use spreadsheets. Not that spreadsheets are essential to ministry, but they have come in handy from time to time. At least when my wife begins to describe the credits and debits of her daily routine, I can nod my head supportively.

I would not, however, describe myself as an expert in spreadsheets. Or put another way, I do not excel at my Excel excellence. Okay, that was a long way to go for a pun, but it leads to the point of this week's message from 2 Corinthians 8:7, where Paul encourages his fellow believers to excel in everything, especially in the grace of giving.

See you Sunday!

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

No Thanks

I love the start of each new year. It is such a sweet reminder of our God, who is all about NEW! Even His book to us starts with Him creating new and ends with Him creating new. He is building a new heaven and a new earth, He makes us new creatures, and He provides new mercies every morning. And why....because He loves us.

We, too, start each new year with new things....clothes, toys, gadgets, etc. Couple that with new commitment, a new month, a new year...but what if we said, 'No thanks.' What if we were handed a brightly wrapped present from someone who knew just what we needed and we refused it? What if we refused to turn the page to the new week, month, year? But yet, sometimes we do something similar in our lives. We hold on to 'those things which so easily entangle us,' (Hebrews 12:1), and we try to hold onto the past, instead of realizing how very much He has to offer us in our future.

Happy NEW Year to you, knowing that He is working all things for our good, He is still on the throne, and He is still in control.