“Mama, who made God?”  When my son asked that question, he confirmed what I already thought:  he was undoubtedly brilliant! Only much later did I discover that many children ask the same question.

40 years! It had been over 40 years since the crossing of the Red Sea.  The Israelites who wandered through the desert perhaps did not know much about Jericho. Yet, the Lord went before the Israelites and brought fear to those in Jericho.

What are we actually saying when we use the word, Glory? There are many uses of the word “Glory.” But some often it is speaking of praise, worship, and Thanksgiving, as we offer up God in gratitude for all He has given us. 

Usually, when something seems too good to be true, it is. Most likely in 1517 that is what the general population thought; because, wasn’t it the Church’s duty to preach, teach and interpret the Scriptures to the people?

Jesus gave all for us and gave all to us.  For us there is one God, the Father from whom all things come and for whom we live and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ through whom all things came and through whom we live.  1 Corinthians 8:6

Whether it’s a trip to the doctor’s office, a broken relationship, or stress on the job, we all have fears that we carry like a stone on our shoulders.  We all experience fear.

How much is enough? It takes knowledge and wisdom to answer that question. Most anyone can determine with ease how much is all or none but knowing how much is enough is often difficult. Many times when making a major purchase we become consumed with getting the most bang for our buck but what if we had endless financial resources?

So here we are, already a month into 2017. Where did the time go? It seems like yesterday we were welcoming in the new year. In the last days of 2016, I wrote down some goals that I wanted to achieve in 2017.

Roast, two vegetables, bread, and dessert.  Every Sunday after church, my mom had lunch on the table.  I never thought much about it.  After all, it was her job.  Ahem! 

As a child I trusted my parents more than anyone else.  I was fortunate to always have food on the table, clothes on my back, and a roof over my head. Of course I disappointed them more times than I care to admit, but I always knew, despite my shortcomings, they would provide for me and love me unconditionally.

As I peruse through our GBC Advance plan I happen to notice under Operations Priorities one of the items listed was “To provide adequate and God-called pastors and staff to ‘equip the saints’ for the work of the ministry at GBC.”

Have you ever given any consideration to how many different people it takes to make even a Sunday morning worship service happen at our church? Sure without the Pastor, or the worship leader, or the choir, it could not happen. But what if you came on a cold day and there was no heat on, or a hot day and no air conditioning?

As I thought about our Pastor’s comments a few Sundays ago regarding our end of year giving, I began to think about how this relates to our new three-year strategic plan for the church, or what we call GBCAdvance.

Did you know that there is a force actively working to destroy the universe? You may recall from high school science that the universe is constructed from protons, electrons, and neutrons. And inside the nucleus of an atom, there is a combination of protons and neutrons.

Have you ever taken a moment to notice all the many different types of front doors on people’s homes? Most are unique to the style and taste of the homeowner but they all serve the same purpose.  They serve as a gateway for entry. 

I recently read a statistic that almost half of the people that make New Year’s resolutions don’t follow through with them.  The intent is there but the faithfulness is not.  I am glad that I serve a God who is faithful.

Where does my faith come from??

17 …faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. The bible says faith comes from hearing the word about Jesus.

One of the Bible study methods used in the Muslim world, where public gatherings are challenging, is a self-study that works verse by verse.

In 2 Kings 4, lepers realize they are going to die in a military siege of their city, so they developed a plan that may be applicable to us.

In Acts 20, Paul declares he is clean, that his listening audience has their own blood on their own heads.  Acts 20:26 reads, “I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it's not my fault…”