Forged By Faith

1 Peter 4:10 NIV To have been so assured and insured that our hope were and will continue to overflow, as such they are, is to bestow an invitation as to the extending of the same grace as has been given in place of that first that He gave. For grace is but an open door. It’s a revolving reverence. It’s a gift given meant then to be given away. Grace is this place to which we go that runs along the outskirts of both Heaven and here, asking us that we might invite the delight to walk this line between mercy and madness as blurred so violently within a humanity that needs the former because of their fondness for the latter. Yes, grace is a gift so God-given that it both settles the matter and then further unravels whatever we once thought to matter more. Because when stood face-to-face with forgiveness, what’s a soul to do but to break down in empathy for the others around who may likely be as of yet unable to see what God’s given them. All because we’re not taught to see such things in ...

Psalm 130:4 NIV For, “If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?” It seems as though verse 4 highlights the hope whereas verse 3 pinpoints the problem, both coming around to the combing of the magnificence of what we celebrate at Christmas. Indeed, it’s something that manages to hit me somehow differently every year anymore. And yet despite the design or divide, each year is still defined in many ways the same too. It’s become quite the challenge to a consideration as it always changes and yet stays the same. Kind of the perplexity proven between affect and effect. I remember growing up and finding that similarity in spoken word as defined by the difference between one letter determining the verbal form of the same idea from the idea’s use as a noun instead to be an almost condemnation in regard to my ongoing interest in the English language. Look at me now! Guess it’s sort of like the kid who despised geometry that grew up to own a construction company or engineering ...

Galatians 5:13 NIV An altogether linear pursuit, freedom in fact runs straight ahead in opposite directions depending entirely upon the condition of the heart pursuing it. For many, freedom is a right to indulge. It’s an opportunity to seek out anything and everything a person may want, want to do in their lives, for themselves, of themselves. That is in fact the freedom we find most folks most faithful toward in this world anymore. The pursuit of unrestrained intentions and a corresponding resiliency to craft the inventions or inclinations that allow a heart deeper into itself seeking more of what might be pleasing to a person. This world knows well that freedom. We all know well that freedom. But what if there’s more to freedom than just doing everything we want? What if there’s a bigger picture to all this than all that we can paint? Sure, it has been somewhat enjoyable to entertain our every idea of chasing after anything our hearts may have allowed themselves to become convinced w...

2 Corinthians 2:17 NIV Nothing to hide. Nothing to gain. Nothing to lose. That literally hit me yesterday right after I hit the post button to share yesterday's message. And I thought on it for a lit bit and actually deleted yesterday's post so that I could add it on at the end. There are so many who seem to have an angle or an agenda or a hidden motive for sharing God's word. But if we're trying to gain something personally, then I'd say that it's a fairly safe assumption that we're going about this all wrong. You see, everything we do in life already brings some air of outside influence. We can't help but wonder what others may think of whatever we may say or do. We wonder how we'll be received. We wonder if we should edit or tweak or alter something in order to make it more acceptable and appealing to those on the receiving end. After all, most of what we do is done in order to accomplish something. And if our words or actions are ignored or deeme...

Philippians 2:4 NIV We've been talking about how genuine love must be grounded in the truth because the truth of God's word provides each of us with the foundation upon which we can build something that lasts. Problem is that our society has taken it upon itself to craft a new, weak, and honestly just sad definition of love that has left those of us who are following Christ scrambling trying to figure out how to keep doing what we're called to do without ruffling feathers or facing backlash from the angry horde that we're now living along side. But the thing we need to understand is that just because this world has changed what it wants from us, it doesn't mean that God has changed what He wants from us. And when it comes down to the nitty gritty, we have to choose who we're serving with these lives we've been given and the time we have to live them. Are we going to alter everything we say and do in order to please a world that loves all the ways in which it...

1 Peter 4:10 NIV I think we've become to accustomed to this world of division that we've created. It's always been this way, but maybe it shouldn't be. Maybe we shouldn't spend our time dividing ourselves up. Maybe we shouldn't spend our time and energy fighting over petty nonsense that doesn't matter. Maybe we would be better off if we sought ways to work together for a common good rather than squaring off to our corners looking for a fight. There will always be differences. There will always be unique perspectives and talents and ideas. But that can be a good thing. It's all in what we use those special talents and viewpoints to accomplish. Can you imagine what this place would be like if everyone used their specific skills and abilities to point to Christ? If we all worked together, doing whatever each of us had the ability to do, to make a positive impact in the world. What if the majority of people were all focused on one common goal: to know Christ...