Rich Faith in Poor Health

In a small village, there were two women that got into a terrible dispute they could not resolve so they decided to talk to the wise, old town sage.   The first woman went into the sage’s home and told him her version of what had happened. When she had finished, the sage said, “You’re absolutely right.”   The second woman then went into the sage’s home and told him her version of what happened. When she had finished, the sage said, “You’re absolutely right.”  Afterward, the sage’s wife scolded her husband, “Those two women told you two completely different stories, and you told them they were both absolutely right. But that…

One of the things on my bucket list is to visit the huge redwood trees in California.   These trees are considered the largest living things on earth and the tallest trees in the world.    Some of them are over 300 feet high and over 2,500 years old.    You would think that with these trees being so large and being in an area prone to storms and earthquakes, they would have a tremendous root system, reaching down hundreds of feet into the earth.    But they don’t.   In fact, most of their roots are found only in the top 3 feet of soil.    How can roots that only go down 3 feet…

When you compare yourself to others you end up feeling pretty awful. But God can help you learn how to stop comparing yourself to others so you can find JOY! But before we dive into this topic a little deeper, can I ask you a quick question? Why did Eve eat the fruit? Listen to this:   “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”   -Genesis 3:4-5 NLT Eve ate the fruit because she thought it would make her like God. She compared herself to…

Think about this for a moment.   What do you want people to say about you when you’re gone? What words would you want them to use to describe you?  How about words like:  Yep, I think most of us would like to be remembered by these kinds of words, right?  Now, how about these words:  Yeah, no thank you. I don’t think anyone of us wants to be described by these words. And yet, unfortunately, for 2 women in the Bible, they are forever known for being disagreeable. For fighting with each other and refusing to cooperate.   Out of all the things they could have been remembered for. This is…

When Jesus knew His time on Earth was about to come to an end, He decided to have dinner with His friends. He washed their feet. Ate yummy food. And then He prayed over them.     As He prayed for them, He knew these were some of the last words He would ever speak to them, which helps us realize their importance. In general, people choose their last words wisely because those words are what they want people to remember.    If Jesus’s last words reveal what was important to Him . . . then they also reveal what should be important to us as followers of Jesus.       So, what were Jesus’s…

Sometimes I struggle with feeling the Christmas Spirit. Sometimes I have a hard time feeling joyful during this time of year. Sometimes I think about all the things I need to do to prepare for the upcoming holidays . . . and it just makes me feel overwhelmed and stressed out.    For a while, I would chastise myself for this.    After all, I’m a Christian.    Christmas is when I celebrate the birth of my Savior and King. I should be happy. I should be in a good mood. I should look forward to it.    But sometimes, if I’m brave enough to admit it, my heart just isn’t into it.    But…