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Goshen is the name of a few places in scripture. The most well -known is the land the Israelites dwelt in during their time in Egypt (Gen. 47:1 -6). Several blessings came by being in the land of Goshen. Consider three: Protection First, Goshen became an initial line of defense in keeping the Israelites separated from Egypt ’s pagan culture (Gen. 46:33). To the Egyptian, shepherds were an abomination. Ironically it was not the Israelites whose culture was an abomination,…

Have you ever been to the zoo and seen all the animals like the tigers, lions, alligators, rhinos, bears, and many others? Man’s body is no greater than the body of a beast; they are both mortal. The only difference between them and us is we have an immortal soul which lives for eternity. We have to choose how we live for the destination of our soul going to Heaven or Hell for eternity. Solomon teaches on this very subject…

VBS is almost here (6/27 -6/29)! It is truthfully one of my favorite times of year because there are some really creative and talented minds that really shine in making a great experience for our kids. It is an opportunity to really “think outside the box” and to make a lasting impression on these kids about the spirit and life of Jesus. Even if you are not directly involved in the teaching, decorating, feeding process, or anything else here is…

The temple was finally built! Worshiping God on the “high places” was intended to cease (cf. 1st Kings 3:1 -4). In 1st Kings 8, the ark of the covenant of the Lord is brought in, and the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord (1 -11). It was a time of immense celebration and joy for Israel, who had been waiting on this promise from God since the days of Moses (Deut. 12:1 -14). This was a…

Lord willing, we ’ll be on our way Sunday morning to this year ’s session of Camp Bandina. I love going to a Christian camp. I don’t love it because the counselors there are perfect, but because they ’re servants of the Perfect One. As counselors, we all bring our faults and flaws right along with us, but we get a chance to serve God by teaching His perfect love and His perfect ways to the campers. I don’t love…

There are at least nine different Greek words that are used in the New Testament which could be translated “great.” The word appears more than a few times in different books and letters. As we read our Bible, some of these great things stand out. At times, even if the word “great” is not used, we know they are great by what we read about them. The letter we call I Peter could be an example. You can easily see…

Nothing will motivate us more than becoming better at what we do. As we dedicate ourselves to having Jesus at the center of our thoughts, our actions, and our words, we will begin to be motivated by “Christ being formed in us” (Gal. 4:19). This does not happen by accident but it has EVERYTHING to do with the doing of daily following Jesus. The more we follow, the more we are motivated to follow more closely. The more we follow…

Lacey and I were blessed to go to Focal Point recently and wanted to say “thank you” as well as share a few lessons and reminders from our time there! Focal Point is a week -long seminar that focuses on the work of preachers and ministry in order to renew, recharge, and encourage. 1. The meek spirit of Moses is alive and well in the church (Num. 12:3). Every preacher I heard presented humbly, standing firmly on the Word of…

It is coming faster than we would think and not soon enough for kids in school! Summer is nearby, and that means a whole different kind of busy -ness for a lot of families. Vacations, camps, travels, and family reunions quickly fill up the calendar (if they haven ’t already)! Consider three ideas to help make God the focal point of your summer! Make God the purpose of your travels. Camping, visiting national parks, or even a really long drive…

In verses 12 -19 of I Peter 4, the apostle deals with the subject of suffering. Those who first received the letter were not to consider it a strange thing, but were to meet it with rejoicing (12 -13). No Christian should be ashamed of suffering if it is for being a Christian (16). Other lessons could be noted, but verse 19 might be overlooked. Goodspeed ’s translation has it like this: “Therefore, those who suffer by the will of…

Before Sunday morning Bible class, Their hands in loving grip, Hand in hand through the parking lot, He makes sure her feet don’t slip.   He leads her to her Bible class, Where students she will teach, Makes sure she has just what she needs, And grab whatever’s out of reach.   After class, he’s at her door, To take her to her seat, They sit in church both hand in hand, Worship together it is sweet.   As they…

One of the chief sources of problems and difficulties that we will most regularly deal with in our lives, comes from communication, the lack thereof, or the misunderstanding thereof. Marriages fail because husbands and wives stop communicating. If they do communicate, they do so in the wrong way or they misunderstand each other to the point of assuming and behaving as individuals instead of “one flesh” as God intended (Gen. 2:23-25). Issues with communication can happen anywhere and in any…