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  • March9th

    They have finally found a diagnosis for my condition. Hooray!! I have recently been diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D.! Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder…Let me explain, tell me if this isn’t familiar:

    I decide to work on a new song! I start toward the JamminStation and notice the mail on the table. Ok, I’m going to work on a new song. But first I’m going to go through the mail. I lay my pic and capo down on the desk, discard the junk mail and I notice the trashcan is full. Ok, I’ll just put the bills on my desk and take the trashcan out, but since I’m going to be near the mailbox anyway, I’ll pay these few bills first. Now, where is my checkbook? Oops, there’s only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk. Oh, there’s the bottle of water I was drinking. I’m going to look for those checks. But first, my water is warm, oh, maybe I’ll pop it into the fridge to keep it cold for a while. Read More

  • February26th

    Thorn in the Flesh

     A friend of mine in Houston, Texas, a lawyer named Ron, as we were talking about the Apostle Paul, asked me one day: “Have you ever really thought about how much weight is given to the letters of a guy who has fits with blindness and was constantly tormented by his flesh?”

    Yes, I have, some of which I have attempted to explain below. Additionally, I recognize that Paul, as being human and not Christ, is very much like you and I and every other human on the earth……….he is flesh…and shared that with us. I believe that we are all, in way or the other, tormented by the flesh and would not expect any other person in the Bible to be any less….Abraham, David, Moses, the apostles, and yes, even Paul. Throughout Scriptures, I have never seen where the people called by God were anything less than real. To me, it serves to constantly remind me of my humanity and dependance on God. Read More

  • February26th

    I was asked about the apparent contradiction in the Bible concerning the conversion of Saul, otherwise known as the apostle Paul. The seeming contradiction stems from the fact that in Acts 9:7 it is stated that the men with Saul heard a voice, while the same story recounted later in Acts 22:9 states that they did not hear a voice. Read More

  • February16th

    The next place that Jesus teaches and mentions the kingdom of heaven/kingdom of God is in the Gospel of Matthew 8:11. He also speaks of the kingdom in a parallel verses in the Gospel of Luke 13:28-29. This again is a clue that the two kingdom phrases are synonymous. We will look at this closer later, right now let’s look at the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 8, verse 11 in context, we will look at verses 5 through 13 as Jesus tells us about the faith of the Roman centurion:

    Mathew 8:5-13: Read More

  • January30th

    “Anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell”

    My sister called me one day with a question. Her question: “Is it a sin to call someone a fool, to use the word, ‘fool’?” It seems she had been talking to a friend who told her that calling someone a “fool” was a sin because Jesus said it was. I do not know the full context of their conversation, however, I find that this is one of those passages that, when taken out of context, or when taken literally, can be misunderstood. Oh…..the danger of taking a portion of Scripture literally without looking at the context. The answer may very well be “yes”, however, not quite in the legalistic, literal way that my sister understood this statement to be. Let’s explore this statement that Jesus made in context, let’s look at the Scriptures. Read More

  • January23rd

    “The Tree and its Fruit”

    Jesus warns us against false teachers. There are many people who claim to speak for God’s only to be seeking money for themselves, or power or prestige. There are others who claim to speak for God who’s methods are of violence and hate. Jesus tells us that we can discern the false prophets by the “fruit” of their labor. Read More

  • January22nd

    “Christ Fulfills the Law”

    Jesus taught His followers and disciples about the Law. Next we will look in context at His teaching concerning the kingdom of heaven in the Gospel of Matthew 5:17-20.

    God communicated moral and ceremonial law to the Israelites so that they would come closer to Him, know Him, and love Him. He imparted this wisdom about life (after all, He created life so He should know), so that we, as people, could live fulfilled lives. But, what happened, and what I believe often continues to happen even today, is that we take this wisdom that God shared with us and we “legalize” it. The Pharisees and religious leaders of the day took the law and often misquoted and misapplied it. Many religious leaders today do the same. Read More

  • January16th

    Today, a friend ask me about this Scripture. He ask specifically how to apply these Scriptures to his life. Right away I read the Scriptures and didn’t have an answer. I then applied a technique that I preach….. “Focus and Meditation”. I find it important to let things “marinate” for awhile so that I can see things clearly, especially in the case of tough to understand passages and thoughts. I find that as I read Scripture, pause, read again, and even again, that the words and thoughts start to come into focus. Read More

  • January4th

    Next in this study is Matthew 5:3 and Matthew 5:10. In Context we will look at this well known Scripture known as the Beatitudes found in the Gospel of Matthew 5:1-12. I would note that in the Beatitudes, as recounted by Luke in his Gospel, chapter 6, verse 20, we see the “kingdom of God used”. This again, is a clue that the kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven are one and the same. We will look at the Beatitudes in Luke later in our study.

    To many, these Scriptures are very familiar. Let’s look at them from the “Kingdom” standpoint. Again, remember that John the Baptist announced a new age dawning in which the kingdom of heaven was near. Jesus, in the beginning of His preaching ministry announces the same thing, “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near”.  Now, a short time later the apostle Matthew relates to us the first record in his Gospel of Jesus Words explaining the kingdom of heaven. We commonly call this teaching the “Sermon on the Mount”. It takes place near Capernum. The first part of this teaching is the Beatitudes. I would note that the Scripture tells us that when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountainside and sat down and that His disciples came to Him to learn. A disciple is a follower. I believe that He was primarily speaking to the chosen twelve, however, the crowds were present and listening. We should be listening also and have that opportunity through the Gospel of Matthew. Read More

  • December30th

    By Michele G. Hudson
    First published in January 2010 Central Florida Lifestyle magazine, North edition. Used with permission.

    Lake Mary pastor rallies volunteers to support neighbors in need, and provides spiritual support. When Phil Ayres, lead pastor for LifePoint Christian Church learned the Lake Mary Police Department (LMPD) needed a chaplain, he willingly agreed to serve. But what he didn’t anticipate was the impact his decision would have on not only the police department, but on scores of residents and volunteers in Seminole County. Read More