Posts with the tag “pastor-jim-cecy”

In my travels I have visited several ancient ruins, including the Flavian Amphitheater in Rome, more commonly known as the Colosseum. During those ancient battles, the gladiators would sometimes fight...  Read More

One of the first Bible books I ever thoroughly studied (and preached) was Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. The following are some names given to this epistle by some of the great preachers: • The Magna...  Read More

On the second Monday of October my Canadian relatives gather for their version of Thanksgiving Day. It is held at a time that brings back fond memories of my childhood in Ontario--picking apples, play...  Read More

I am rarely a crier, especially in public. In fact, I used to react to preachers who were “pulpit criers” who made me wonder if it was for real or for show. Frankly, it was wrong of me to accuse their...  Read More

I have spent many decades listening to children and grandchildren crying out for their baby bottles. They really have no understanding of the value of the milk. They just want it and want it now! The ...  Read More

In the early years of my Christian life my prayers had a ring of the “too familiar,” even bordering on being  monotonous. In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus warned us about using many hollow words and v...  Read More

I am always amazed when I read the apostle Paul’s commendation in 1Thessalonians, Chapter 1, written to a group of new Christ-followers who may have only been six months old in the Lord. He could not ...  Read More

In Acts 28...the last chapter of the Acts of the Apostles...we find Paul and 276 shipwrecked crew safely on the Island of Malta. It is now the spring of 61 AD—six months after they left Caesarea for R...  Read More

Acts 27 is the record of the first part of Paul’s journey to Rome in the Fall of 60 AD to stand before  Caesar, as God had promised (23:11).  It is a risky time to travel by ship and Paul warns of the...  Read More

In Acts 26 we find the apostle Paul now standing before King Agrippa II... • the son of Agrippa...who killed the apostle James• the grandson of Herod Antipas...who killed John the Baptist• the great-g...  Read More

In Acts 25 we are back at the trial of “Paul vs. Everybody” — this time before Governor Festus, who replaced Governor Felix. Festus goes to Jerusalem and gets an ear-full from the jealous Jewish leade...  Read More

In Acts 24 the apostle Paul is in Caesarea by the Sea, standing trial before Governor Felix. Frankly, this is more than an ancient courtroom drama. We get to bear witness to God intervening in Gospel ...  Read More

"I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead" (Acts 23:6)  I have never been on trial. However, I have served as a jury foreman in a trial in which we, the jury, found  a young man guilty...  Read More

“But then it happened...” (Acts 22:6)  Acts 22 puts us with the apostle Paul, defending himself before the Jewish leaders who, from his childhood,  gave him his religious training. My summary of his ...  Read More

It’s hard to suffer. Sometimes, it is even harder to watch loved ones to go through difficulties. The anguish of someone we love going through...or about to go through...great difficulty tears at our ...  Read More

The apostle Paul is in Greece, preparing to go to Jerusalem, fully expecting to suffer greatly there. Before he leaves, he provides (in vv. 28-35) instructions that ministry leaders of every age shoul...  Read More

Acts 19 can be described as "a microcosm of ministry." The apostle Paul is in the City of Ephesus, one of the  pagan capitals of the ancient world. He spends over two years equipping believers to wal...  Read More

This last year has been a season of adjustments. Besides Covid mask and social distance restrictions, we faced unhealthy air pollution due to wildfires, excessive heat in the summer summer and bitter ...  Read More

Acts 17 contains the report of Paul’s second missionary journey to Thessalonica (1-9), Berea (10-15) and Athens (16-34). It is easy to get caught up in the travel details but don’t miss the real news....  Read More

 In Acts 16 we find the sovereign hand of God on every part of Paul’s missionary journey. It was God’s plan for Paul to go to deliver the good news of the gospel and strengthen the churches in Asia Mi...  Read More

Each day this week we are releasing a video devotional from one of our pastors related to the Passion Experience - an online, interactive experience designed to help you meditate on the events of Jesu...  Read More

Each day this week we are releasing a video devotional from one of our pastors related to the Passion Experience - an online, interactive experience designed to help you meditate on the events of Jesu...  Read More

Each day, we will release a video devotional from one of our pastors related to the Passion Experience - an online, interactive, immersive experience designed to help you meditate on the events of Jes...  Read More

Acts 15 presents TWO fights in the early church--one corporately and one personally.Fight #1 is The Worthwhile Battle: Grace vs. Law (15:1-35). In one corner are the Legalists: "Faith in Christ is NOT...  Read More

In Acts 11 we are blessed by the evidences of true discipleship. This is where followers of Jesus are first called "Christians" (Greek: christianos = followers of Christ). What are the marks of a true...  Read More

Acts 9 is about the miracle of transformation from Saul of Tarsus to "Brother Paul".It takes us on his dramatic journey...•From breathing threats and murder to breathing prayer and praise.•From laying...  Read More

I especialy love the first three verses of Psalm 5. They present seven principles I often reflect on before my morning devotions. As we engage in these 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, I encourage all o...  Read More

Do you know what an agnostic, dyslexic, insomniac does? He stays up all night wondering if there really is a dog! Yes, it’s an old joke but there is a current sad reality to this.The doubting agnostic...  Read More

I  am reminded today of the many wonderful passages in the Bible showing how accessible our great God is: * God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). * . . . the nea...  Read More

Even if you are not a list person and like to be completely spontaneous (I can’t even imagine such a life!), I still think it is important for all of us to prayerfully and carefully outline and priori...  Read More

I recently read a touching eulogy as a friend spoke of the deceased as a man “on a mission to go from his best interpretation of what the Bible says to his best imitation of how Jesus lived.” Oh, how ...  Read More

In his Gospel, Luke records what happened when the people saw the power of God demonstrated before their eyes. Pastor Jon calls them “God-sightings” and “God-moments.” They can be amazing spiritual vi...  Read More

In Proverbs 16:4 we are reminded that the Lord has made “everything” for its own purpose. Might that also include each of us? Let’s rehearse a few of our purposes for being alive today: • “I am a Belo...  Read More

As I reflect on these verses my mind rushes to a special memory of a dear old friend, John Fischer, singing a song he wrote when we were both starting in the ministry. It is called the All Day Song. P...  Read More

Growing up I wanted to be a singer. The only problem: I didn’t sing well. In my last years of high school, I considered pursuing a career in law. In my first year of college I believed I was headed to...  Read More

“Man overboard! Man overboard! This is not a drill.” I was around twenty years old when I first heard these words, while serving on an attack aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War. Apparently, our s...  Read More

Pastor Jim shared a message from his heart at the beginning of the service on September 13....  Read More

Having substantial reason to be afraid of what surrounds us is not new. Perhaps it’s been a while since you read the story of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20-21. He wakes up one morning surrounded...  Read More

Do you remember what happened in Exodus 20:18-20? God has just given Moses the Ten Commandments. He then follows it up with thunder, lightning, sounds of trumpets, and a smoking mountain. It's quite a...  Read More

Daily our news reporters insist we have something more to worry about personally, locally, nationally and globally…physically, emotionally, financially, socially, and politically. It feels like an imp...  Read More