Thinking Out Loud

God Is Big - Really Big!

2012-01-31T11:23:00.001-07:00

God is big–Really Big!Two weeks ago, we started our first winter course at the RMCM School of Ministry. Each of these courses is designed to equip believers to carry the love, life, and power, of God out into their world. Our current course is called “Praying With Power.” We are talking about the kind of prayer that releases on earth what Jesus has already provided for us through the cross. We

Don't Eat Your Seed!

2011-12-22T18:48:00.001-07:00

DON’T EAT YOUR SEED!Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound

The New Testament Pattern

2011-11-29T12:46:00.002-07:00

After a recent bible study, a woman raised her hand and asked if there was a pattern that we could find in the Bible relating to people being born again, and baptized in the Holy Spirit. She wondered if you had to be born again before you could be baptized in the Holy Spirit. I was so glad that she asked that question, because it gave me the opportunity to share what I have found to be one of the

DO YOU WANT EVERYTHING THAT GOD HAS FOR YOU?

2011-11-01T11:14:00.000-06:00

That seems like a simple question doesn’t it? Do you want everything that God has for you? The answer actually depends a lot on your understanding of God’s nature–His character. If you trust that God always has the very best in mind for you, and that He gives nothing but good gifts, then the answer is probably a resounding YES!When Jesus was talking to His disciples about the coming of the Holy

Can I Trust The Holy Spirit

2011-10-12T11:16:00.002-06:00

In this second article about the Holy Spirit and His gifts, I want to briefly address the issue of trusting the Holy Spirit. It may seem like an odd question, “can I trust the Holy Spirit,” but I find that many people are very nervous about the whole topic of the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, and supernatural things in general. As I have ministered to people over the years, I have found that

Immersed In The Holy Spirit part 1

2011-09-20T12:43:00.002-06:00

I have found in recent days, that the Lord has been reigniting in me a deep hunger to see Christians receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It’s odd to think that in my seemingly short tenure as a Christian, I have watched the church in America awaken to the baptism in the Holy Spirit, begin to embrace the host of benefits that come with it, only to slowly drift back to sleep in regard to this

God Measures by Potential

2011-08-24T13:54:00.001-06:00

When we moved into our house 15 years ago, there was a little Blue Spruce out in the front yard just off the deck. It was just a few feet high, and we wondered if it would survive the harsh winters and dry summers when some unnamed person neglects the watering. A couple of winters later, the tree was badly mauled by vicious Rocky Mountain rabbits with big buck teeth. The poor thing was pretty

Everyone Needs A Good Soaker Now And Then

2011-07-14T10:38:00.001-06:00

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to go out for a short mountain bike ride early in the morning before work. It had been a week or two since I had gotten out on our local trail system at Hartman Rocks. The last time I was out, the weather had been hot and dry for some time and the trails showed it.With our rocky, sandy, soil, it doesn’t take very many days of hot dry weather to cause the

I'm Hungry

2011-06-23T13:46:00.001-06:00

I’m hungry. It’s close to noon, I swam before coming to work today, had a light breakfast, and a busy morning. I’m really hungry. Those of you who know me well, know that this is not a good thing. When I get hungry, my thinking gets fuzzy (fuzzier than normal) I get grouchy (I believe Colleen Cawthon used to call it “cranky”) I get short with people, and life generally goes downhill until I

Awaken The Sleeping Giant...

2011-05-26T12:23:00.001-06:00

There is a giant slumbering inside you. This giant is more powerful than you would imagine. Most of us go through life not even knowing that the giant is there. This giant is the part of you that God designed to be a conduit of His nature and His power - this giant is a unique combination of gifts that only you posses. Every believer wants to see our world impacted by a powerful expression of

Pray With Power And Confidence

2011-04-27T12:50:00.001-06:00

The earnest, (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. - James 5:16 AmplifiedBeginning in James 5:13, James describes a lifestyle that centers around conversation with God. He says that when we are in trouble, we should pray, when we are happy, we should praise, when we are sick, we should receive prayer and be healed, when we sin,

Train Me In Your Ways

2011-04-15T06:23:00.000-06:00

Be blessed, GOD; train me in your ways of wise living. I'll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth; I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches. I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, I attentively watch how you've done it. I relish everything you've told me of life, I won't forget a word of it. Be generous with me and I'll

WHAT ARE YOU SAYING ABOUT YOUR CITY?

2011-03-23T13:36:00.000-06:00

I don’t know about you, but for me, Spring is one of the most difficult times to live in Gunnison. When most people think of Spring, they think of flowers blooming, gentle breezes through sunlit meadows, and birds chirping in trees full of brand new leaves. But here at 8000’ in central Colorado, its more like frozen brown stalks protruding from the snow, a strong, cold, west, wind driving a hard

God Conversations

2011-03-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

I love the way God speaks to His kids. We all want to know what God is saying, but I think nearly every Christian I have ever known has been challenged by the process of learning to discern the voice of God. Some believers don’t realize that God actually communicates with His family on a regular basis. Many of them spend their lives looking around at the circumstances of life, trying to interpret

Freedom or Lawlessness

2011-02-23T14:02:00.001-07:00

The other day, I overheard a conversation between two non-Christian men. The discussion was about drug use and abuse in our society, and particularly among young people. They came to the conclusion that while, in their opinion, drug use was a personal choice for teens and young adults that should not be judged by society or regulated by government, there are certainly some negative impacts from

LIVING WORSHIP

2011-01-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

I was standing there in church the other morning enjoying our time of worship. I love gathering with my brothers and sisters in Christ (yes, that does specifically mean people who have believed on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior – John 1:12 – ‘nuff said) and worshiping God together as a congregation. I have some wonderful time in the presence of God on my own, but there is something very special

The Little Things That Say I Love You

2010-12-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

With Christmas morning just hours away, I find myself reflecting not only on the extravagance of God's grace that is reflected in the gift of His Son, but on the goodness of God that we see in His attention to the smallest details of our lives.Tomorrow morning people all over the world, Christian and non-Christian, will open gifts given by their friends and relatives. Gifts are always displays of

Thanksgiving Is a Verb

2010-11-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

I was thinking this morning about the whole idea of thanksgiving and what it means. I heard one of the guys in our congregation say that he and his wife take time every day with their kids to talk about what each one is thankful for. I thought that was fantastic. What a different outlook on life that will produce over the course of a couple of decades.In our home growing up, as in many American

Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit

2010-11-17T15:28:00.002-07:00

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3, NIV). One day, as the crowds that followed Jesus grew, He called His twelve disciples apart for a bit of leadership training. Jesus knew that the only way He could make sure that this growing multitude was cared for was for Him to, in essence, multiply Himself by equipping His disciples to

What Is The Good Life?

2010-10-22T20:48:00.000-06:00

Let me ask you a question; how would you define “The Good Life?” All my life I have heard this phrase kicked around. As a culture, we believe that everyone deserves to have a shot at “The Good Life.” Parents want their children to have “The Good Life,” even if they themselves have not reached it. We debate public policy, elect and fire political representatives, relocate our

Purity, Power, Prayer, Praise

2010-09-30T09:42:00.002-06:00

And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is

ANACONDA CHRISTIANITY

2010-08-26T10:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning during my personal prayer time, I felt specifically led to pray for people who were weary, and faint-hearted. The picture that I got was of believers who were experiencing a spiritual (more accurately a soulish) fatigue that was cumulative. In other words, this was not a fatigue that came from just one bad day, or even a difficult week. This fatigue was

GOD'S PRINCIPLES ARE UNSINKABLE

2010-08-04T14:08:00.000-06:00

We were standing knee deep in water. That wouldn’t really be so bad, but the water was in a boat that was lying on its side. That might not be that big a deal either, but the boat was lying on its side in the middle of a narrow, granite-lined canyon, the wind was howling like a teenager who just had her texting privileges taken away, and it was getting dark. At least the

I CAN'T TYPE

2010-07-06T14:02:00.003-06:00

I can’t type. I know, for a guy who spends a minimum of 6 hours a day on a computer, that is kind of strange. Don’t get me wrong, I can form words using a keyboard. In fact, I am actually creating this very article using a keyboard. But I can’t TYPE, not really type, as in put your fingers on the home keys and use all ten digits. Nope. I have learned over the years to hunt

GOOD FRUIT TAKES TIME

2010-06-15T12:27:00.000-06:00

Jesus also said, “Here is another illustration of what the Kingdom of God is like: A farmer planted seeds in a field, and then he went on with his other activities. As the days went by, the seeds sprouted and grew without the farmer’s help, because the earth produces crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the

HIS MISSION–OUR MISSION

2010-06-09T10:14:00.001-06:00

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling

WORD OF GOD, OR WORD OF MAN?

2010-05-26T10:37:00.001-06:00

1 Thessalonians 2:13, NIV - And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. One thing that never ceases to amaze me, is the fact that God has given us so much freedom of choice. It is just not in His

IS GOD "THE GOD OF THE LAST MINUTE?"

2010-05-01T07:15:00.000-06:00

How many times have you heard someone say something like, “God always comes through, but usually at the very last minute.” I have even heard it said that, “God is the God of the last minute.” I think that whenever we start to define the nature of God, it is important to ask ourselves a few questions, such as: Where does that idea come from? Is this a Biblical idea, or just

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?

2010-04-09T06:59:00.001-06:00

April. Warm sun, soft fluffy clouds, grass turning green, puppies playing in the yard, flowers popping out, barefoot children dreaming of summer just around the corner, put away the snow shovel, get out the BBQ…. NOT SO MUCH! At least not in Gunnison, Colorado. One of the things that I have had to get used to here in Central Colorado, is the fact that April is almost

THE SAME NEW LIFE!

2010-03-31T14:48:00.001-06:00

Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him….]Ephesians 2:5 Amplified Bible As we come together this month to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the defeat of sin and death, and the

WHAT CAN POSSIBLY KEEP YOU DOWN?

2010-03-02T10:10:00.001-07:00

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13, NKJV). All of us have days, and even seasons, where it seems like we just can’t move forward. Usually we know that God has spoken some thing to us, that there are specific things that He has called us to do, or that He has begun to do in us, but we just don’t feel like we are making any progress.

PRAYER CAMP

2010-02-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

I wonder why we think that Christians should know instinctively how to have a good prayer life. You know, there isn’t much evidence for that assumption, even Jesus’ own disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. Most of us are not satisfied with our prayer life. Most of us sense that we can have deeper intimacy with the Lord, be able to hear His voice better, and

DIVINE COMPASSION

2010-01-28T11:24:00.001-07:00

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. (Matthew 14:14, NIV) Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. (Matthew 20:34, NIV). Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” (Mark 1:41, NIV).

YOU ARE ON GOD'S MIND

2010-01-23T21:05:00.003-07:00

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV). For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV). This verse from Jeremiah has been on my mind all day. I posted

THE POWER OF WORSHIP

2010-01-12T10:31:00.001-07:00

Recently, we have been taking some extra time to fast and pray, and to seek God about His vision for Rocky Mountain Christian Ministries in 2010. One of the things that I have personally enjoyed the most, is having the opportunity to spend a little extra quality time worshipping the Lord. Some of the most satisfying times that I have in my Christian walk come when I make the space in my life for

WHY FASTING AND PRAYER?

2010-01-06T08:02:00.001-07:00

Frequently in Scripture, we find fasting and prayer together. For example, we know that prior to starting His earthly ministry, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness fasting, and presumably seeking His Father’s face. In Daniel chapter 9, when Daniel wanted to better understand the meaning of Jeremiah’s prophecy, he sought God through prayer and fasting. In Acts 13, the whole church at Antioch was

Fasting

2010-01-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

At RMCM, we are taking this first full week of the year as a time of fasting and prayer. We are doing this as a means of consecrating this first portion of the year to the Lord, and also as a way to seek Him for His vision for us in 2010. Here are a couple of thoughts on fasting that I hope will help you have a great week of seeking God. Fasting is not something that

LOOKING AT THE BRIGHT SIDE

2009-12-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

I wish to report that I set a new personal record today for a 5K run. Unfortunately, it was a new slowest 5K ever. Maybe I have run one slower, but I think I was asleep at the time and can’t remember it clearly. But, even at times like this, I like to look at the bright side. After all, even when we are going through difficult times in life, there is always a lesson to be

GOD'S WORD MAKES LIFE SO MUCH EASIER

2009-11-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

Back in the summer of 1981, Karen and I began attending a local church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For my part, I can take absolutely no credit for this decision. I didn’t even want to go; it was Karen who felt that it was important, as we prepared for marriage, that we start going to church together. Prior to this time, we had both developed the habit of starting each day

FAITH LEAVES A MARK

2009-09-25T07:33:00.011-06:00

The other day, Karen and I were running on a trail just up the Ohio Creek Valley from Gunnison. Along the trail, there were dozens of places where people had carved their names, initials, or a date, into the bark of the aspen trees. Over time, the tree will build a black “scab” around the carving, which will contrast sharply with the tree’s white bark. Lots of people seem to

A DREAM COME TRUE

2009-09-15T16:17:00.001-06:00

I am still just a little bit in shock right now. Today at about 10:45 am, Karen and I had the privilege of signing the documents that transferred nearly 7 acres of land, and our church building, to the ownership of Rocky Mountain Christian Ministries. While this did mean that the church is taking on a large debt, it also meant that we now have a significant piece of equity

RMCM FACEBOOK PAGE

2009-08-18T14:37:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to invite all of you to check out the new RMCM Facebook page. Bear in mind that we just put it up, and we will be adding functionality as time goes on. This page will primarily be a place to find information about upcoming events at RMCM, and to join in the occasional discussion. Check it out, and if you have suggestions, please click the discussion tab and leave a comment.

TIMES OF REFRESHING

2009-08-14T12:01:00.002-06:00

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this

STAYING UPRIGHT AND ON COURSE

2009-07-24T19:18:00.002-06:00

If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.Proverbs 24:10 - NKJV I think this Scripture from the Book of Proverbs holds an especially important message for all of us right now. The word translated “adversity” here is a Hebrew word that means trouble, pressure or distress. Have you noticed that a lot of people are experiencing some adversity lately? Or, if

THE WORSHIP THAT IS CHOSEN

2009-07-16T15:36:00.000-06:00

Last night, at our mid-week Bible Study, We had a great discussion that centered on the idea that God loves the worship, or devotion, that is chosen. We started by asking the question, why were their two trees in the Garden of Eden? This was before the fall of man and the entrance of sin, and yet God created an environment for mankind that included options. Man had to choose

TRANSFORMERS

2009-07-08T11:20:00.002-06:00

(Ephesians 4:22-24) that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. In the last couple of weeks, I have had several great conversations that all led to the

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY STARTING AGAIN

2009-07-01T12:09:00.002-06:00

I am excited about our midweek Bible study starting up again tonight. We took a break for several months while we prayed about what God wanted to do with it. Karen and I both felt that we still need to have a mid-week study, but we were not sure about the format of it. Starting tonight, and for the rest of the summer, we will be meeting outdoors for a shorter study and plenty of fellowship. We

LIGHTING IS EVERYTHING!

2009-06-18T13:06:00.000-06:00

The first point in the Westminster Shorter Catechism reads: “What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I am not much of a catechism guy. That’s because the word catechism in my life meant you had to get dressed up on a perfectly good Saturday morning, go into town, sit in a hot old

THE SMALL BLESSINGS

2009-05-27T05:47:00.001-06:00

I have noticed that sometimes it is the small blessings of God that seem to mean the most. I think it’s because, from some instinctive, human standpoint, it seems to us that God must have more important things to do than to take care of inconsequential details in our lives. The things I am talking about are nice, but by no means necessary. And for that reason, they express

WHAT MAKES THE CHURCH SO GREAT

2009-05-13T20:36:00.000-06:00

Part of what makes the church so great is the multiplied sense of the grace of God that occurs as believers go through life together. Last weekend we experienced the death of a wonderful young woman in our church. Although she moved away a few years ago, her parents are still active members of our congregation, and she was such a part of all our lives, that it feels like she

LIFE IS SHORT - DO IT WELL

2009-05-07T12:31:00.004-06:00

Just finished a visit, the last one for this trip, with my Mom. She is 88 and has Alzheimer's. She is hanging in there, but declines a bit at a time. It really makes you think about how truly brief and fragile life is. My Mom has lived a very good life, raising 5 children, and outliving 2 husbands. She was, and is, a very strong lady, and I appreciate all the things she did for all of us.It seems

IT JUST WORKS

2009-04-27T15:52:00.002-06:00

He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces corn--first the stalk, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has

DON'T LET YOUR LOVE GROW COLD

2009-04-23T09:33:00.001-06:00

Speaking of the days in which we live Jesus said; “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12). I have been noticing a trend in our society for a long time now. It seems that everywhere you turn, every product that is sold, every ad you see, in some way promises to reward your purchase with love, or friendship, or the admiration of

EVERYTHING IS PERMISSIBLE

2009-04-14T15:55:00.001-06:00

Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under it’s power. 1 Corinthians 6:12 Amplified Bible. It seems that the Body of Christ continually struggles with the

MAKING YOUR MARRIAGE STRONG

2009-03-30T14:30:00.001-06:00

Karen and I just finished a six-week small group based on the book, The Love Dare. We cleverly called the group “The Love Dare Group.” Sometimes it is just hard for us to contain all this creativity.Anyway, we really enjoyed spending a couple of hours each Sunday night with this group of married couples. Each week we would discuss some aspect of the material that we had all (at least in theory)

LIFE-SOAKED

2009-03-26T07:13:00.002-06:00

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10, 11).This morning, what the NWS calls a

GOD'S UNREASONABLE LOVE

2009-03-20T08:20:00.001-06:00

God’s love is so unreasonable. I have been thinking about the parable of the prodigal son, found in Luke 15, for a couple of months now. This is one of those passages that many of us are so familiar with, and have heard preached so many times, that it is easy to read through it without gleaning any new insights.Back in January, this story suddenly began to speak volumes to me again. Some of the

IMAGE COMMUNICATES OWNERSHIP

2009-03-15T16:02:00.001-06:00

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not

SEEDS OF A BRAND NEW LIFE

2009-03-06T09:01:00.003-07:00

"(Mark 4:26-29) He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces corn--first the stalk, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”I

THE POWER OF ACCEPTANCE

2009-03-03T08:16:00.002-07:00

I wrote this article for another blog that is connected to a small group that Karen and I are leading right now based on the book, The Love Dare. I thought it was also applicable to a wider audience, so I am sharing it here. If you want to look in on The Love Dare blog, you can find it at - http://lovedaregroup.blogspot.com/As I sit staring at this screen, I am not at all sure that I will be able

WORSHIP NIGHT

2009-03-01T17:04:00.002-07:00

Tonight is one of our monthly Worship Nights. This is a time when we get together for a couple of hours to just worship and press into the presence of God. We come with no real agenda other than ministering to the Lord, and allowing Him to minister to us in any way He wants to minister. Each of these nights has a different flavor. Some are more rowdy, some more quiet, but each and every time,

THE GOD WHO SEEKS YOU

2009-02-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

I remember distinctly when the idea of seeking God first became a reality in my life. I was 17 years old, and one of my older brothers had been “born again.” I didn’t know exactly what that meant. We were not-so-good Catholics at the time, and although we believed in God, and prayed from time to time, around my house there was never any real life in those things. But suddenly this brother of mine

FACEBOOK? ME?

2009-02-26T10:37:00.002-07:00

So, some of the younger and far more in touch, members of my leadership team have suggested that doing the facebook thing is a great way to introduce this blog to more people. We were talking about effective ways of getting the Gospel message out to the greatest number of people, and it was said that more and more people communicate through online social networks. While I know that, I have never

A CLEAN FRESH FLOW

2009-02-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

I felt like a second-grader walking home from school. My feet were wet and cold, my pants covered with light brown silt from the muddy water. The sounds of trickling snowmelt were all around me, and the shy was leaden gray. The problem was, I was not a second-grader walking home from school, but a pastor trying to keep the church parking lot from being flooded by runoff from the adjacent

More R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

2009-02-13T08:27:00.001-07:00

Today I want to try to sketch a picture of respect. How does respect look in a home or other relationship?Respect is all about value. We know that God Himself has ascribed an unsurpassable worth to every human being. How do we know that? Because God, the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, was willing to lay aside the expression of divinity, become one of us, then die a gruesome death on a

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

2009-02-09T11:14:00.003-07:00

This morning, Karen and I were talking about respect. We were discussing the fact that it is very important to have some people in your life that you really respect. People we respect often become the role models, and depending on the level of relationship, the coaches in our lives. The opinion of a person you respect matters to you. You value their insight and perspective.Sometimes, I find

ARE YOU WILLING?

2009-02-04T21:39:00.004-07:00

Have you ever read Exodus 35? It's a chapter about the gathering of materials and skilled labor for the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness. God was building a place that would be dedicated to one single purpose - the gathering of His people for worship. In this one chapter, the word willing appears at least 5 times depending on the translation you read. God asks those who are willing to

GROUNDHOG DAY

2009-02-03T06:41:00.006-07:00

Great News! The groundhog saw his shadow! Technically, the groundhog seeing his shadow is supposed to mean six more weeks of winter. The people in Pennsylvania were saying "woe is me", but we live in Gunnison. Only six more weeks of winter means by the end of March, or mid-April at the latest, we could be riding the trails at Hartman's instead of skiing them. Sounds like good news to me.Have you

IDENTITY AND BEHAVIOR

2009-01-30T16:38:00.008-07:00

It seems to me that one of the biggest misunderstandings that the world has about Christians, and for that matter life in general, is that a person’s identity is defined by their behavior. In other words, if I experience certain temptations, if I have certain emotions, or I am compelled to act a certain way, then that is who I am. The world would have us believe that love means accepting others