We lived in California for 15 years and lived through several earthquakes -- though we were never close to the epicenter of any of them. The first one we experienced was the 1994 Northridge earthquake. At the time, we had a little Peek-a-poo dog who woke us up around 4:30 in the morning. We didn't know what was going on. The dog was yipping and yapping, running in circles on the bed. About 30 seconds later, our walls began shaking and we knew we had experienced an earthquake. As bad as the earthquakes are, what follows them can often be worse: fires and aftershocks. If you’ve lived very long, you know that life’s troubles can be like that -- there’s the first explosion and then the aftermath. A family member has a stroke, followed by rehabilitation and perhaps even learning how to speak again. A person goes through a divorce,…

Everyone will experience a loss at some point in their life. When it happens, a healthy person knows that we must go through it and not around it. This requires us to accept what cannot be changed. How you feel about it can change. What it does to you can change. But the event itself cannot be changed. This weekend we will walk through the normal stages every person goes through. Unfortunately, too many people stop too soon. A mature follower of Jesus will eventually arrive at a place of acceptance. This requires us to choose God's way over our own will. In your life, is there something that’s over that you need to accept? A job, relationship, or something in the past? Only when you can surrender what you cannot change will you truly begin to experience God’s love and mercy. When you surrender your will to God’s way,…

Have you ever encountered a sign like this one? Personally, I've never seen an actual sign like that, but I’ve experienced it many times. At some point in life, each of us will approach an intersection where you struggle to make sense of life. For some, it might be trying to choose a major in college. For others, it could be whether or not to buy a house -- or which house to buy. Often, the stakes are higher. It might be health or marital decisions. When you hit one of these intersectins, it's not clear which way to turn. The signs might be confusing. If you're downtown, the person behind you is probably honking at you. If you have ever encountered this intersection, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re in good company. Nearly every major figure in the Bible expressed doubt or confusion at some point in their lives.…

5 And hope does not put us to shame (does not disappoint us), because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. -- Romans 5:5 The Apostle Paul says that God has poured his love into the hearts of those who follow him. But how can you be sure of God’s love? How has he proved his love? That's where the gospel comes in. God did so by allowing Jesus to die on the cross for our sins and then raised him to life again. The cross reminds us that God is also acquainted with pain and suffering. The resurrection of Jesus is extremely relevant for those who’ve been victims of injustice or have been gutted by betrayal. The resurrection is highly relevant for those who face every day with pain. The message is this: Suffering and death do…

A Korean Christian once told Lloyd Oglivie that when he and his friends were under great pressure from the Communists, they used to say: “We are like nails: the harder you hit us, the deeper you drive us.” As you likely know, life will hit you from time-to-time, and sometimes it hits pretty hard. -- The health we expected into old age is suddenly lost. -- Child we thought was “normal” = has special challenges. -- The teenager we love more than life makes destructive choices. -- Job we worked hard for is eliminated or downsized. -- The one we love so much dies. When life smacks you, you have a choice: will I become bitter or better? Will I allow this circumstance to drive me deeper into prayer and God's word, or will it become a wedge between us? God does not want it become a wedge. In fact,…