From the Blog
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Inviting Others into Gospel Community
What are your greatest needs? Belonging? Purpose? Like every other human being that has ever existed, you want food, water, shelter, but you truly seek family, community and purpose. You were made that way. Do you pursue these deeper needs? Do you seek out Gospel community? Are you inviting people into this kind of community? Are you opening up your life as a conduit for God’s grace to others?
In the book of Acts, Luke recorded how the early church cultivated a culture of Gospel Community, and God added to their number daily. We can invite others into Gospel Community with an eager expectation that the Lord will grow His church. -
Living with Gospel Intentionality
Do you sometimes feel a disconnect between you personal spiritual life and your public life? Do you feel like there is a version of you that goes to church and community group, and then another version of you that goes to work or school or to the grocery store? What would it look like to be more consistent, being your true self everywhere you go?
What if every day you could be more intentional about making your spiritual life and your public life one and the same? Wouldn’t that make every day more of an adventure?
In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he told them that their ordinary, day-to-day lives could be radically used for God by living with gospel intentionality. -
It’s Time to Trust God With the Future
Do you worry about the future? Do you ever wonder if God is really in control when the world seems chaotic? Maybe you feel uncertain about your job, your health, or your family. Maybe you're looking at the state of our nation or the world and wondering, "Where is this all going?"
The people of Israel in Haggai’s day had similar concerns. They were a small, struggling remnant in a land that once flourished under King David and Solomon. Their temple was in ruins, their enemies were strong, and they wondered if God's promises to them were still true. But through Haggai, God gave them assurance that they could trust Him with the future.
In Haggai 2:20-23, God spoke through the prophet Haggai to assure Zerubbabel that he could trust God with the future of Israel. We can trust God with the future. -
It’s Time to Worship With a Right Heart
God cautions His people to understand that worshiping God, both giving and serving, must come from a heart that is pure and devoted to Him, not just outward religious activity. God cares more about the attitude of our hearts than the amount of our giving. He cares more about our motive than our money. He desires that we worship with a right heart.
In Haggai 2:10-17, God told the prophet Haggai to help the Israelites to understand that what really matters to God is that they worship Him with a right heart. -
It’s Time to Trust God for the Results
Do you worry about success? At work? For your family? In other words, do you worry about how things are going to turn out? Sure, we can put the work in, but how do we know it will be successful in the end? Is there a more trustworthy way to live?
In Haggai 2:6-9, the Lord told the prophet Haggai to tell His people that if they would persevere in building His house, they could trust Him for the end result. We can join God in His kingdom work and trust Him for the end result. -
It’s Time to Be Encouraged
Discouragement is one of the greatest obstacles to faithfulness in serving God. When things don’t seem to be going the way we expected, we can easily lose heart. The people in Haggai’s day faced this same struggle. They had begun rebuilding the temple, but it didn’t compare to the former glory of Solomon’s temple. Many became disheartened, and some questioned whether their efforts were even worth it.
How are you doing today? Are you facing some obstacle or difficulty that has you feeling discouraged, even feeling like giving up, or quitting? We all have feelings of discouragement from time to time. How can we find encouragement during times like this?
That’s what today’s message is about. How to be encouraged in the Lord! In Haggai 2:1-5, the people of God were encouraged to overcome their discouragement and to persevere in His work. We can be encouraged to persevere in God’s work. -
It’s Time to Respond To God’s Call
Have you heard God’s call on your life? For some, it’s a call to come to faith in Jesus. You’ve never responded to the call of salvation. You’re still trying to live life according to your own priorities and purpose.
For others, you’ve answered God’s call to come to Jesus. You’ve trusted Him as your Lord and Savior. But lately, you’ve been feeling stuck spiritually, you’ve lost the joy, the fire that you once experienced in Christ. Could it be that Jesus has called you to more? Could it be that you’ve gotten your priorities out of order and forgotten your true purpose?
Jesus hasn’t left you nor forsaken you, but He can’t fully bless you and lead you until respond in faithful obedience to His call. That’s where the people of God in Haggai were. They had been stuck, but now they’re ready to move on with God again! In the book of Haggai 1:12-15, the people of God faithfully responded to God’s call to rebuild His house. We can faithfully respond to God’s call. -
It’s Time to Consider Our Purpose
Isn’t purpose one of the most basic questions we ask ourselves? “Who am I? Why am I here? What’s my purpose?” Some look around them and find purpose from the external sources. This is the traditional approach: My family and my community give me my identity and purpose. The post-modern approach is more common today: I look within to find my identity and purpose. But both of these approaches, the outward and the inward, fall short. They both lead to false identities and meaningless lives without real purpose and fulfillment.
In the book of Haggai 1:7-11, God challenged His people to consider their ways to bring them into alignment with God’s ultimate purpose for their lives. We can consider our ways to bring them into alignment with God’s ultimate purpose for our lives. -
It’s Time to Consider Our Priorities
The pressures, demands, expectations, and tasks that push in from all sides assault our schedules. Do this! Be there! Finish that! Respond to that email! Answer that text! It seems as though everyone wants something from us—family, friends, employers, school, church, children’s sports and activities… Soon there is little left to give, as we run out of energy and time.
We find ourselves rushing through life, attending to the necessary, the immediate, and the urgent. The important is all too often left in the dust. Our real problem is not the volume of demands or lack of scheduling skills, but our priorities—what is truly important to us?
In Haggai chapter 1:1-6, the prophet challenged the Jews who had returned from Babylonian exile to consider whether they were giving God and His house priority. We can consider whether we’re giving God and His Kingdom priority. -
The Way is Through
In this life there will be difficulty either physically or spiritually. Where there is greater physical difficulty, people tend to turn quickly to the Lord spiritually and where there is little physical challenge the people struggle to see God. We are beyond blessed physically but this means we have to actively and intentionally pursue the Lord and His will.
Some of us are asking God today, “Can I avoid those challenges, Can I just be a spectator, Can’t someone else do the hard stuff?” But God wants to reveal Himself to us and change us in those times. When He calls you into deep waters will you pursue Him?
In Isaiah 43, the prophet shared an encouraging word from the Lord that His people could fearlessly go through the difficulties ahead as they pursue the Lord. We can fearlessly go where God leads us too.