Follow these steps: 1. We must acknowledge God as the Creator of everything, accepting our humble position in God’s created order and purpose. Romans 1:20-21 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” 2. We must realize that we are sinners and that we need forgiveness. None of us are worthy under God’s standards. Romans 3:23 “For all…
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Something More
We moved into our new house 5 years ago. We love our place but no matter where we’ve lived, we’ve always filled up the space we have. Sometimes I think, “If I only had 3 more feet along the end of my garage, my garage wouldn’t be as crowded”. “If my woodworking shop had had more floor space, I wouldn’t feel cramped.” No matter what it is, we often want more. We want to be paid more for our work and career. We want more free time. The list goes on and on. More. More. More. Do you want more out of life? Of all the things in life we…
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What’s Your Passion?
Anybody who knows me knows that I love my coffee. People that also know me well, know that I love to grill and smoke meats. I grill and smoke meats year-round and it’s not uncommon to do something once or twice a week. Some people would say that I’m passionate about smoking meats and grilling. I also enjoy woodworking as a hobby. Most of my larger tools came from my dad who passed away when I was 18. I’m very passionate about how I take care of them and the fact that I get to use them. I also have 2 grandkids that were born earlier this year. My daughter, Brittany,…
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Keeping Life in Balance
This past week in our church, we studied Ecc. 4:1-12. Solomon looked around and he saw vanity. People were either lazy or they were a workaholic. He saw all vanity. Ecclesiastes 4:1-12 – English Standard Version (ESV) What does this mean for me? We often buy the latest self-help, time-management, making priorities, scheduling,… type of books and resources to try to get a better handle on our time and priorities. What I’ve learned though (and keep repeating the lesson) is that I need to start with God’s Word. Real change in my life will not happen apart from the Word of God. When I read verses like Matthew 6:33 (Seek God’s…
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Why Pray?
Today, I was asked the following question… Many friends (Christians) are saying why pray?…God has a plan and He knows what He is going to do and our prayers don’t change that…they aren’t challenging that He is God and sees the big picture…any help? This is a great question. It is obvious from the Bible that God wants us to pray but on the other hand the Bible is clear on the sovereignty of God. God cannot be controlled, coerced, influenced unwittingly or manipulated by our prayers. So, what does this mean? First, let’s look at some basic teachings on prayer. 1. Prayer was important to Jesus. Jesus prayed. Luke…
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Does God’s grace allow me to do what I want and still go to heaven?
As a follow-up to yesterday’s blog on “what the bible says about suicide”, I’ve been asked by a few people if God’s grace means I don’t need to worry about sin anymore. The question is that if we are saved by grace, does that mean I can now do whatever I want? In other words, does my eternal security that’s founded in God’s grace give me the permission and allowance to sin? Does God’s grace and assured forgiveness give me the green light to make whatever choices I want??? … whether it is to continue to live in sin, do wrong to others, or even do harm to myself? If…
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Face Time with God
Our church (RCC) is in the middle of a series called, “Do Something: Make Your Life Count.” We are using the materials from the book by Miles McPherson. As a Bible Study leader at RCC, we are studying various scriptures as it relates to this theme. This past Sunday we looked at the Matthew 3-4 and saw in the scriptures that God prepares His people for what He wants to accomplish. We not only see that John the Baptist “prepared” the way (Matthew 3) but also that Jesus was led by the Spirit and fasted 40 days to “prepare” himself for the upcoming temptations and His earthly ministry (Matthew 4). …
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What does the Bible say about suicide?
I was asked this question: Cecil, what is your belief on whether or not a Christian would go to heaven if he or she commits suicide? Here was my response: I believe we are saved by grace, not by works (Eph. 2:8-9). Even though it appears we “choose” to accept Christ, it is clear in John 3:3-8 that we are born again and our salvation is actually the work of God. We were once “dead” but made “alive” (Eph. 2:4-6). The Bible also says that Jesus holds the believer in His hand and nothing / no one can snatch him away (John 10:27-30). Romans 8:38 also says that “nothing” can…