I spent a while thinking about how to describe WHY God is worthy of it all…
But as I stared at the beautifully painted evening sky and watched the birds fly across, I realized there’s only one reason God deserves everything: because He is who He says He is.

The specific, unique design of creation shows His perfection as a creator.
The forgiveness He offers shows His unconditional love as our Heavenly Father.
The scars on the hands of His son Jesus shows His boundless grace as our redeemer.

As you read story after story in the Bible, the question of “who God is” will become more clear. Yet what I find to be one of the most amazing things is that we will never fully know…

No amount of studying scripture can give us the ability to understand EXACTLY how great God is. It’s suspenseful yet satisfying knowing that the God who has our life in His hands is EVEN MORE awesome than we could literally ever imagine.
His love exceeds all the limits of comprehension and His grace is unlike any forgiveness this world can offer.

Sometimes people will mock you for giving everything to God, but boy. We shouldn’t be ashamed or get insecure. We should simply strive to show them why we give God our all. Christians have access to the most loving, caring, compassionate, forgiving, powerful, strong, loyal, and trusting being there is.

God deserves our ALL and it’s our duty to show others why He deserves it as we speak out of grace & truth.

So let this be encouragement in knowing how great God is but also a challenge for you to talk more abt His greatness to even those who attempt to mock you.

“I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.”
~ Psalm 145:1

May 24th, 2021

Too often we forget how powerful Jesus really is. So many people celebrate Easter and claim to truly believe Christ rose from the grave…but just days later, those same people refuse to believe God can handle their tough situation in life.

My favorite story in the Bible is the story of Jesus walking on water and Peter following Him. This story is my favorite for many reasons but for the sake of staying on topic, one of the greatest points in that story is when the waters are raging and the waves are huge and wild BUT when Jesus gets into the boat, the waters settle.

This part is so amazing because it highlights the immense power Jesus holds. By the simplest command of “Peace, Be still”, the raging seas become calm. And in His presence, the men on the boat with Him experienced an indescribable peace.

Just like in that story, when we allow Jesus to take control of our storms and come into our boat (life) and raging battles, His presence brings comfort and peace. Not to say that the situation will go away immediately, but fear in that situation most definitely will.

FEAR = LACK OF FAITH

When you dive deeper into understanding who God is and what He is capable of, the size of your mountains shrink to mere pebbles.

I once heard someone say “I don’t know what the future holds but I know who hold the future” and holy smokes was that profound. When we learn more about God: His character, motives, power, etc. you realize if you had to trust anyone with your life, He is the best option…yes, even better than trusting yourself.

I encourage you to not let distractions get in the way of growing in your relationship with God. He is the only one who can 110% ensure His help in your life and never leave you. God is so extremely powerful and how blessed are we that we can experience His presence by doing something as simple as praying. Stop trying to survive these raging waves in your storms, you’re not strong enough alone. Take Jesus’ hand and believe in His loyalty and power as much as you claim to believe He rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.

April 20th, 2021

“He has RIS-“

…I’m sure you’ve heard the news. But why is it so significant?

On Good Friday, it was made clear that the cost of our sin was great but our God was greater. Jesus endured the pain, and suffering, and separation from the Father that we were supposed to have went through.

As He was nailed to that rugged tree, a new, simple, and clear way to God was created. No longer did we have to sacrifice lambs in our place or try to be this impossible perfect person. When Jesus died for us, He covered the cost. His perfect life was traded for our broken one, giving our Holy God of supreme justice something worthy enough to pardon us.

Without the shedding of blood there could be no forgiveness of sin. Not because God is blood thirsty, but because He would be unjust if He forgave with no covering of the cost. And because He would be unholy if He allowed those full of sin in His presence.

So on Good Friday we give thanks to the sacrifice made in our place, but on Easter we rejoice that Jesus not only paid the price of our sin, but defeated death as well.

It’s not through any of our own works or actions that we can be saved from such a dreadful place known as hell. It is strictly through the grace and love of God that we can be made new and strictly though the power of the Risen Christ that we can be freed from the chains that Satan tries so desperately to keep us bound to. There is nothing that can stop our God.

So be ever so glad that Jesus did not stay in the grave. This means we serve a living God. A God who does not expect us to believe only in what He’s done in the past, but what He will do in our lives today and all He will do in the future. Death is something no one but our God can overcome. Find joy in the fact that we don’t ever need to be that strong, because Christ carried the weight for us.

So now I will say in overwhelming joy (and I hope you join me)…..

“HE HAS RISEN!”

April 4th, 2021

“Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

~John 12:12-19

This is what the people shouted as Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. As they waved palm branches in the air and laid them before their coming King, they praised and worshipped Him. After hearing about the miracles this man named Jesus had done, they rejoiced in acknowledging the Messiah had finally arrived.

What was amazing is that He came to celebrate Passover. The feast in which they had to remember the grace and mercy God showed over His people.

So on this Holy Week, and specifically Palm Sunday, let’s not forget it’s significance. This week, 2000 years ago, was the week where Jesus completed His mission to save us. Yes, He was praised by some, but mocked by many more.

Just as God made a way to be physically saved during Passover, God made a way to be spiritually saved during this Holy Week.

So rejoice and be glad that the perfect God of all creation loved you so so so much that He endured all this pain just to have the chance to spend eternity to with you.

March 28th, 2021