1963 saw the release of “The Great Escape,” a movie based on and dedicated to a band of Allied soldiers imprisoned in a German concentration camp during World War II. Their entire mission while imprisoned was centered around escape in order to keep as many German soldiers as possible busy and away from the 'Front' by their constant escapes. One scene stood out for me in that movie. Toward the end Captain Hilts (Steve McQueen) steals a motorcycle and attempts an escape. He makes it to the…

If I Only Had More Faith...

Ever felt that way?

Mark 9:14-32 sets before us one of Jesus' healing occasions. Consumed by desperation a father brings his demon possessed son before Jesus asking, with hope and doubt mixed, for some relief. “If you can do anything...help... (vs.22)!” Jesus repeats the first part of the man's plea in the form of a question in order to get to the real inner heart issue in the father, “If you can...? [Are you saying I can't?] Everything is possible…

“Houston, we have lift-off.” Those words are accompanied by the roar of the satellites' departure from the launch pad. The command center is full of scientists and technicians actively monitoring all the measuring instruments recording the event. It's a gigantic undertaking involving thousands of hours of research and invention but also the belief, trust and faith in the human ability to put into being what the mind has conceived. Shift this into the spiritual dimension and consider God's…

To receive Jesus is to begin a spiritual relationship already in the mind of God and one that is never ending. You've heard that before but to really tap the reservoir of what that means we extract the operative word in that statement---”spiritual.” Keep that word in mind as we continue.

Those of you who know me know that I like many of the old movies from the 40's and 50's. Black and white, the first technicolor ones and their imagery depended on the acting styles of the stars in…

Worship is a growing experience wherein the mind expands its reasoning capability through belief, the heart is nourished to increase in trust and the spirit is energized to be more relationally discerning and confident so that we can reach out to others in love. What does it take to make this growth happen? How do we get that growth spurt? How do we become more able to sense what's in the hearts of those around us so that we can share our faith with them?

It depends on our personal…

“Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it (Haggai 1:5-6).”

If worship is the investment of our time, talent and energy (our physical equipment), our belief, trust and faith (our spiritual abilities), then its practical definition---practicing…

When people you know don't get the picture, the point of why we believe what we do about God, we can help them along the way with some things to think about. What really makes people tick? Why are we like we are? What causes the world to be like it is with all the problems we have? Why am I like I am inside? We need to identify where we are and encourage some personal sharing. It can be in the store or a party or whenever the opportunity presents itself. It starts may be with identifying…

It's one thing to believe, it is another to trust and still another to act. This is why Paul tells Timothy to get immersed in Scripture because it is not only good for teaching (it prepares the mind) but also for rebuking and correcting, which deals with the key target, the sin-conditioned heart. When the heart is redirected by the Word it follows that our spirit can be trained for righteousness (acting in faith) by the Holy Spirit.

A while back I was watching one of those doctor…

Skillful worship begins with the mind. The mind is where we develop belief. The mind processes life and passes it on to the heart. The heart processes the person from whom belief comes to measure the person's trustability. What the heart is willing to trust will influence the spirit of the person to act in faith. This process is true in every level of human activity. This is why everyone looks for a leader whose ideas and character touch the heart and inspire faith to follow and act. This is…