trusting God

Free Will—So What?

Free Will—So What?

The other day we took a walk downtown with the boys. There was a fair, so it was a good excuse to go out in a clear sunny day to get some fun and street food. 

We found a public parking lot and once we parked the car, we started walking. A lot of people everywhere. I saw a lot of families too... walking through the traffic with small children. And I could help but notice this mom. 

Her little one wanted to go across the street toward the shaved ice and cotton candy stands. She was about to go across the street when the light changed. You could see immediately how she held his little boy’s hand so hard to prevent him from going forward into the traffic. The little one’s eyes were so fixed on what he wanted, but yet... he had to wait. 

Herein Lies the Dilemma

Herein Lies the Dilemma

Throughout these past weeks, in my church, we have been studying the four Gospels by reading one chapter per day. Then, on Sunday the pastor would discuss the highlights of those seven chapters we read corresponding to that week. The deal is to read the four Gospels in 90 days and understand the concept that “Jesus Has Left the Building,” the name for these sermons’ series. This series of sermons have been an eye opener to me and I have even found things in the Gospels that I was unaware of or that I previously overlooked. 

This idea of “Jesus has left the building” is basically to illustrate that we, as followers of Jesus, are Jesus’ hands and feet; that Jesus is not confined to a structure; thus, we shouldn’t be living “double” lives—being one thing one day of the week and another thing the rest of the week. In a general sense, we—the church—should be a reflection of Jesus. If we are following Jesus and ask ourselves “what would Jesus do?” in a particular situation, we first need to know “what Jesus did.” Therefore, through these sermon series we are going through the Gospels to know Jesus, back to basics, back to our first love. Here’s this quote from Henry Blackaby that I find very revealing:

Hope and Joy in the Dark

Hope and Joy in the Dark

Throughout these past weeks, in my church, we have been studying the four Gospels by reading one chapter per day. Then, on Sunday the pastor would discuss the highlights of those seven chapters we read corresponding to that week. The deal is to read the four Gospels in 90 days and understand the concept that “Jesus Has Left the Building,” the name for these sermons’ series. This series of sermons have been an eye opener to me and I have even found things in the Gospels that I was unaware of or that I previously overlooked. 

This idea of “Jesus has left the building” is basically to illustrate that we, as followers of Jesus, are Jesus’ hands and feet; that Jesus is not confined to a structure; thus, we shouldn’t be living “double” lives—being one thing one day of the week and another thing the rest of the week. In a general sense, we—the church—should be a reflection of Jesus. If we are following Jesus and ask ourselves “what would Jesus do?” in a particular situation, we first need to know “what Jesus did.” Therefore, through these sermon series we are going through the Gospels to know Jesus, back to basics, back to our first love. Here’s this quote from Henry Blackaby that I find very revealing:

My Grace Is Sufficient For You

My Grace Is Sufficient For You

In these past few days I’ve been listening a lot to the song “Praise You In This Storm” by Casting Crowns. It talks about the difficult times we face, and how we sometimes deeply desire that God would step in and save the day… but somehow the reply is not immediate or is not in the way we expect… as the song describes:  “But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining”. The song then says:

 “As the thunder rolls, I barely hear You whisper through the rain…

‘I’m with you’”—Praise You in This Storm, Casting Crowns

Like those words say, you may still be within the rain in the middle of the storm, hearing the big thunder roll; but be still, be silent to be able to hear Him whispering to you that He won’t leave you. He is right there with you to go thru the storm with you, to give you strength, to even carry you. Suddenly, the feeling of His magnificent Grace just surrounds you and the peace of God, which goes beyond all understanding  guards your heart and your mind.