God's mercies, the gifts He provides to those of His children who choose to live in relationship with Him, are new each day. They regenerate. They are never used up or run out. And, taken in total, these gifts make up the Good News of God's Kingdom. Good News that is far richer and more applicable to daily life than merely avoiding eternal damnation.

One Sunday, after church, I asked my boys what they thought about the service. Christian said it was good, and that the sermon and that it had given him something to think about.

This was interesting in that we had a guest speaker. Of even greater interest was that both Tracy and I had delivered the same message on numerous occasions. At church. At camps. At youth group.

As someone who works with teens, this simply reinforced something I've long known.

Whatever can be said for worship in this day and age, there is one problem that far eclipses all others.

Me

Well, not ME me, but me us. Like, the figurative me.

• "I really don't feel like going today."

• "I would really rather watch [insert athletic event here]."

• "I don't like this song."

• "I don't know why it has to be so loud."

• "I wonder what's for lunch?"

• "I really don't feel fed in worship."

See where I am going here?

The Bible tells us to pray. We are supposed to pray. We KNOW we are supposed to pray.

And yet...

Over the last few weeks I've seen several news stories about parents throwing up their hands and giving up over the idea of trying to effectively parent, school, and work. Some people are made for this. Some have adapted to it over time. But many are simply trying to survive…

That we, as Christ followers, should be engaged in serving those around us is indisputable. Since its inception, Christ Community Church has made service - inside and outside the church - one of our core tenets. But we need to recognize that it is possible to serve for God without serving with God.

Imagine being at the World Series. Game seven. Fifth inning.

(For purposes of comprehension, at this point please substitute whatever sports metaphor is appropriate for you.)

You've got seats just behind YOUR teams dugout. All of a sudden, the coach comes out, squinting against the sun, points to you, and says, "Suit up! You're going in!"

In the past, when things of great horror or tragedy occurred, children could be shielded from them. Whatever they didn't know couldn't hurt them And, in the past, it was easy to keep them from knowing…

For some time, I have written to you on the subject of spiritual disciplines. Up to this point, I have shared with you about meditation, prayer, fasting, study, simplicity, and solitude. In this list, we can each identify at least one thing that makes us cringe. Something that seems to difficult. Something we deem unnecessary. Something from which our human nature recoils.

Well, if you thought that one thing was bad, here is something worse. The one tool of God every human being absolutely despises.

There is no arguing the fact that God is all-good, all-present, and all-powerful. But, as I've shared once or twice over the last few weeks, our ability to find peace and comfort in that is predicated on believing this is true. Simply saying it, whether to convince ourselves or others, will not do the trick…

With the kids home from school, keeping their day full may be proving difficult. Some of you are homeschooling, and have developed a schedule that probably remains pretty consistent. But, if not, filling that six and a half hours they used to spend at school is not going to happen…

In my latest video, (see it here), I spend most of my time talking about how the combination of the current pandemic, and the approach of Easter might make people our unchurched family and friends more receptive to the message of the Gospel. Well, as it turns out, I was 100% absolutely totally right…

Many times, we assume that just because a group of individuals share the same last name or the same address, they automatically share the same goals. But the thing about individuals is that they are...well...individuals.

In the midst of this time of hunkering down and social distancing, we may wonder how we can be the church. We know that the church is a body of people, not a building of stone. But what happens when that body of people can't be together?

Hello C3AK! It’s been a week of world changing events, Presidential announcements, state declarations, travel interruptions, Clorox cleaning, and concerned anticipation. We find ourselves facing a global crisis unlike anything in modern times…

In Sunday's message, I laid out the case that the unpardonable sin - attributing the works of God to the devil - is the culmination of a process that begins with the hardening of the heart. While the unpardonable sin is the final step of the journey, there are other mileposts along the way…

Ever get the feeling your son or daughter is the next great leader of government or industry?

OK, friends… Remember that email asking for your updated contact info and cell phone provider information in case we had a snowstorm, Alaskan hurricane, or other event which might require immediate communication with you?

The current world-wide concern over Covid-19 is a prime example of a scenario where we may need to alert you with great speed and through multiple avenues. How does this apply to the Corona Virus?

If you’ve stuck with me from the beginning of this series called “Does Church Matter?” I want to thank you. We are at the finish line and I’m ready to answer the question for us. But, before I do that let me recap where we’ve been and where we are going in this conversation.