Category Archives: General

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. (Hebrews 6:19)

As we head into the fourth week of this global pandemic, it can begin to feel as if we are adrift on a sea of uncertainty, trapped on a boat with no rudder as we veer perilously close to running aground on the rocks of disaster. But I want to emphasize to you today that it only seems that way, because the Christian is on a boat that is steadily running its intended course with its sovereign, unwavering Captain standing at the helm.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the anchor of our souls; He keeps our hope firm and secure, regardless of the storms we find ourselves in, including this unprecedented, unrelenting virus. Jesus has assured His followers that we are in Him (John 14:20), and He has promised to keep us safe in the midst of the storm winds of life. Because we are in Christ, and Christ is unmovable, we too are unmovable when the waves of challenge wash over us, including the challenge COVID-19.

The song “My Soul is Anchored,” written by Douglas Miller, encourages and instructs us to stay anchored in the Lord, no matter how hard or how long the winds of challenge and confusion may blow: “If the storms don’t cease, and if the wind keeps blowing, in my life, my soul has been anchored in the Lord.” Remember, Jesus never promised us a storm-free life; in fact, He told us to expect just the opposite. But He also promised that He will take us through every storm that comes our way. And one day, in His sublime, sovereign timing, He will command the storm, “Peace! Be still!” And the raging waves of COVID challenges will become a flat calm.

We live in a broken, sin-stained world as broken, sin-stained people, and so we suffer. But so did Jesus! The King of kings was “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering” (Isaiah 53:3). He who was sinless suffered when he was tempted (Hebrews 2:18). He suffered the heartbreak of rejection by His Father (Matthew 27:46), and he suffered the unimaginably agonizing punishment for your sins and mine (1 Peter 2:24). And Jesus the Christ endured all that suffering so that we would one day enter into the new heavens and the new earth, where there will be no more sickness, no more sorrow, no more suffering, and no more death.

Until we cross the Jordan and reach our glorious, eternal abode, let us fix our eyes on our Almighty Anchor, who promises never to leave nor forsake us. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

You are in my prayers and in my heart.

Purpose and Passion,

Pastor Tommy

He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

No one likes to feel powerless. Yet in times like these, we are all faced with this absolute biblical truth: We are powerless! We like to think we are in control of our lives until something like COVID-19 smacks us upside the head, reminding us that we are not. But there is a Power that can give us great comfort when we feel most powerless. I’ve quoted Steve Brown here before, who likes to say, “God is bringing you to the end of yourself” . . . to which I add, “And the sooner the better!”

Powerlessness is actually power beyond measure, because that is the place where we acknowledge that we are not in control of our lives. Daniel flatly told Belshazzar that “God . . . holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways” (Daniel 5:23 NKJV), and what was true for the king of Babylon is just as true for you and me.

But before going on, know this: powerlessness is not—most definitely not—a place to pull over on your life’s journey and put your life in “Park.” It is however, the place that opens the door that will connect you with the one true Power in the universe, and His name is Jesus Christ. This is the place where surrender intersects with strength—true strength, a God-honoring strength—a power that will never flicker, falter, or fail us. This was the place where Paul lived his life of service to the Savior, for he knew well that “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Beloved, God is as all-powerful as He is all-present, even in the midst of this pandemic and even when it looks as if He is not engaged. But think back; He did not look all-powerful when the young shepherd boy laid aside armor and sword, taking only a sling and 5 smooth stones to face the giant Goliath. But He was! God did not look all-powerful when a little boy handed over his five loaves of bread and two fish to Jesus to feed a crowd of thousands. But He was! Make no mistake, our God will always appear underwhelming to the watching world. And that is the way He most likes to work, so that when the victory is achieved, there can be no doubt as to Who was responsible for it.

We will get to the other side of this virus, by God’s grace and by practicing our mandated social distancing and the “stay-at-home” orders. But when we do, remember that it was God who brought us through. To be sure, He has provided every means available for us to be responsible citizens of this world as we love our neighbors and obey our civil magistrates. But it is our all-powerful God whose power is made perfect in our weakness. And so let us “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10).

To my church family, I can only say that you have no idea how much I miss you and how much I love you. You are in my prayers and in my heart.

Purpose and Passion,

Pastor Tommy

God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1:27)

Today is the First of April, which traditionally is an annual day of playing practical jokes and pulling hoaxes on others. The perpetrator of the trickery will reveal their behavior by shouting “April Fools!” at the person who was the object of the prank; the victims of the chicanery are referred to as “April Fools.” Now, I suspect that while we are in the midst of this worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, not many people are feeling lighthearted enough for playing pranks . . . or for being on the receiving end of one either! But since today is “Aprils Fools Day,” I’d like to encourage you to be an “Almighty Fool.”

Today’s verse provides a powerful word of encouragement for those who are in the family of faith. We are not God’s adopted children because of anything “good” that is in us. When Jesus left His throne in heaven and came to this earth, He chose twelve disciples; note well that He did not choose those whom the world considered wise or powerful or influential. On the contrary, He choose a few poor fishermen and even a despised tax collector, all men of low esteem and position in the community. They had no special learning or ability to do what Jesus was calling them to do.

The world would have expected Jesus to choose the scribes, Pharisees, and teachers of the Law, but He did not. He chose the foolish things of this world to shame those who exalted themselves as wise; He chose weak people to shame those who presumed themselves to be strong.

Why would Jesus do such a thing? He had available to Him the elite within the religious community, as well as the elite outside of it—learned Greek philosophers and powerful Roman rulers. Yet He chose the powerless and uneducated so that that no one would mistake the reason for their success in ministry. The more foolish they looked to the watching world, the more glory would be ascribed to the wisdom of God. The more powerless they appeared, the more praise would be given to the strength of the sovereign Lord. Whatever good they were to do would all be attributed to the only One who is truly good (Luke 18:19), and who had called them and empowered them to do it.

When was the last time you considered yourself to be an “Almighty Fool?” You may not be greatly esteemed in the eyes of the watching world, but you are of inestimable value in the eyes of the One who chose you to be His. Remember, you don’t need any special education, position of influence, wealth, or wisdom to be a servant of Christ and to show His love to a lost, broken, and hurting world.

And at this time, when tens of millions of people around the world are gripped by uncertainty, fear, and even despair, remember that all you need to minister to them is Jesus and the willingness to go where He is calling you to go and to do what He is calling you to do. We have been instructed to avoid coming into physical proximity with others, so your ministry this day may be as simple as picking up the phone and reaching out to someone you haven’t spoken with in some time in order to let them hear a calm, loving, caring voice—a simple action that can carry a profound impact.

So . . . probably no Aprils Fools’ jokes today; but let us instead be Almighty Fools who are intent on spreading the love of Christ to a world that needs Him now, more than ever!

Purpose and passion,

Pastor Tommy

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

And yes, “all things” includes this global pandemic. Before we go on, notice what the apostle is not saying. He is not saying, “All things are good.” There is a lot of bad in this world, and that includes the coronavirus. People are being infected, many are getting sick, and tens of thousands have died. People are losing jobs, losing income, and, yes, losing perspective. Yet our God promises to work even this for the good of those who love Him.

Keeping this biblical truth in view is the proper perspective for you and me to maintain, especially now. Here are just two of the good things God is working through this dreadful virus.

Confidence Corrector

When the sky is blue, the clouds are fleecy, and the sun is shining brightly, we have a tendency to work through the details of life in our own strength. Self-confidence seems to soar when things are going well for us. But when storm winds begin to blow, the waves of challenge have a tendency to correct our self-confidence and shift it to Savior-confidence. Think of it this way: Even with extreme social distancing measures, people all over the world are getting sick. As I write this, more than 30,000 people have died from the virus. With no known vaccine yet, and the estimated time for scientists to create one still months away, we now must look to the Giver of every good and perfect gift, rather than focus on the gifts themselves.

This confidence corrector also extends into our work world. Businesses and entire companies are closing and income is being affected. Some businesses may never recover. The only way out of this mess is up, as we look to our Savior and trust completely in Him.

Where have you been placing your confidence lately?

Idol Identifier

I grew up with a love for sports, having participated in many; injuries have prevented me from continuing to play, but I still watch them. But now the only sports available for viewing are reruns, because the entire sports world has been put on hold. In the past, people have confessed to me that when they are forced to choose between watching a sporting event or worshipping God on Sunday, the sporting event takes precedence. I say all this to say that I believe God is using this virus to help us identify some of our idols, including our professions, our prosperity, and even some of our pleasures, like sports and food. These are all good gifts that our God has given to us, but as I’ve often said here, good gifts become bad gifts when they become ultimate gifts.

Are there any hidden idols that have been exposed in your life while we have been sequestered socially? Remember, proper perspective is knowing that inasmuch as all things are not good, all things will ultimately be worked together for our good, including COVID-19.

I’ll be back again on Wednesday. You are in my prayers and in my heart.

Purpose and Passion,

Pastor Tommy

I will not let you go unless you bless me. (Genesis 32:26)

Wrestling with God is not a sin, nor is it a sign of faithlessness. Rather, it is a sign of a heart that is being challenged and changed under the weight of what we don’t yet understand. Read on and be encouraged today!

Jacob was on his way home to Canaan after spending twenty years on the run from his brother Esau. After hearing that Esau was approaching with 400 men, Jacob was fearful for his own life and the lives of his wives and children. Instead of spending the night in passionate prayer, Jacob wrestled until daybreak with God. When the Lord determined that Jacob had wrestled long enough, He dislocated Jacob’s hip and demanded to be released. But Jacob cried out, “I will not let you go unless you bless me!” To this God responded, “Your name will no longer be Jacob [deceiver], but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” (Genesis 32:28).

The witness of wrestling has much to say. It says “Lord, I don’t understand but I want to.” It says “I am confused but caring.” It says “I am hurting but still hopeful.” Because we see only a tiny fraction of what our God sees, often we cannot see the relationship between what He is doing in the present and what He has promised to do. All throughout Scripture we read about those who have wrestled with God. David and Job come immediately to mind, but there are many more. Some wrestled in confusion . . . some in frustration . . . some in uncertainty . . . some in grief. But all wrestled with hearts that were beating for the One with whom they wrestled. And just like Jacob, they would not let go of God until they received their blessing.

How is it with you? Have you been wrestling with God in the midst of all the uncertainty and fear brought on by the Corona virus pandemic? Fear not! God is not surprised or shocked by your wrestling, just as He is never surprised by events in the world. He invites you to come into the closest possible contact with Him, moment by moment. Right now we’re all being instructed to maintain “social distance” from each other, but you never need to maintain any distance from the Lord, nor should you! Like Jacob, hold on tight and refuse to let God go until you have received your blessing.

I have repeated this promise from the Lord Jesus many times here, but His words provide the perfect conclusion to today’s word of encouragement:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds;

and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalm 119:165)

To be sure, we are living in distressing times unlike anything we have faced in the past. Yet we have a stronghold promised to us in times of trouble—times such as right now, when we are in the midst of the spread of COVID-19.

When I look for a biblical definition of encouragement, I understand it as God’s supernatural way to fill us with cosmic courage to keep going when we would rather not. We have all experienced encouragement, and we know instinctively how to recognize it when it shows up. It’s a word that speaks and a work that shows just how much someone cares. It’s like seeing that rainbow arcing across the sky after a day of pouring, pounding rain, a message from our God that shouts to us, “I am with you . . . I am for you . . . and I have gone before you!”

In the New Testament, the Greek word for “encourage” is parakaleo, which means to bring comfort, but also to strengthen, to exhort, to urge. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11 we are commanded to “Encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” If we all need encouragement—and we do—then we all need to be encouragers. Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome, “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith” (Romans 1:11-12). Who in your life right now could use a little extra encouragement from you with a word you can speak or a work you can show, knowing that you simply cannot give without also receiving?

It is my prayer that this Amid Covid series will provide a source of biblical encouragement to you and those you love as we all walk and work together to slow the spread of this virus for the glory of God and the good of all our neighbors. In this unprecedented time, which has cast a shadow of fear over the entire world, let our faith in the Savior be a source of hope and comfort—not only for ourselves, but for all those with whom we come in contact.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

I’ll be back again on Friday. You are in my prayers and in my heart.

Purpose and Passion,

Pastor Tommy

Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. (Psalm 119:165)

To our faithful followers:

Inasmuch as this blog has been designed to provide brief and meaningful words of encouragement to you over the years, at this time I want to be very intentional about speaking to this unprecedented and wildly uncertain time we are currently facing due to the Corona-virus pandemic . . . the anxiety we are all feeling while we are amid Covid.

In just a few short weeks, the daily routines of our lives have been turned upside down and inside out. To be sure, this caught all of us by complete surprise. But we can take cosmic comfort in the fact that it did not catch our God by surprise. Some 2,700 years ago, God spoke to the prophet Isaiah, saying, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand. This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations” (Isaiah 14:24, 26). He also told Isaiah, “I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things” (Isaiah 45:7). Jesus told us that not a bird falls to the ground apart from the will of God (Matthew 10:29); while you and I are feeling uncertain about the days that lie ahead of us, there is absolutely no doubt or confusion in the mind of the Sovereign Lord.

In light of all the instructions issued by state and local governments, we as a church have “fasted,” as I have been calling it, from meeting together physically. We now engage in our Lord’s Day worship via live stream at 10:30 a.m. Sunday mornings; you can click on this link to watch each week live, as well as any of our past sermons, including our new Children’s Sermons, which I began teaching this last Sunday.

Beloved, we are navigating through uncharted waters. We, the people of America, have never seen anything like this. So the question that has been on my mind and in my heart as a pastor is this: How can we have a godly peace when we are amid Covid? The answer, of course, is to look past the pandemic to see our Prince of Peace, who gave us these very encouraging words:

Peace I leave you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

The peace the world offers to us is based on circumstances. When things are going well, we have peace; when things are going badly, we are troubled. But the peace that the Word of God offers us is not based on circumstances, but on Christ, who changes not and whose compassions never fail. Our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. True peace, a godly peace, is built on the sure, solid foundation of the Word—both in print and in Person. When we look to the Lord, “The peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Now more than ever, let me encourage you to stay in the Word and pray to the living Word, knowing that “He himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). I’ll be back again on Wednesday. You are in my prayers and in my heart.

Purpose and Passion,

Pastor Tommy

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas.” (John 1:42)

We have before us a word today a word that offers unimaginable strength and encouragement: When our Lord looks at us, he does not see us as we currently are, but rather as what we will one day be. Let that truth set you free to be all that God is calling you to be today.

When Jesus looked at Simon, He saw what Peter was. But that’s not all! Jesus also saw what he was to become: Cephas, the rock, which is Peter. And what did Peter become, by God’s grace, throughout his walk with the Lord? Did he become perfect? No, but he did become a rock of growing righteousness, a rock settled solidly on the foundation of an unshakable faith. Remember, our Lord knew that Peter would deny Him three times on the night He was betrayed. Yet Jesus saw past Peter’s cowardly denials to his deliverance and ultimate destiny as a disciple who would one day die for his faith.

But there is something more going on here. Jesus not only sees you for what you will one day be, He is also working to conform you into that image day by day. The same grace that saved you is the grace that is sanctifying you all the way into glory. God’s plan and purpose for your life includes His power to carry that work on to completion.

It is true that God loves us just the way we are, but it is equally true that He loves us far too much to leave us there. When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He knew He was speaking to a murderer on the run from Egypt. But God also knew that Moses was so much more than a hot-headed fugitive, and now was the time to make Moses into the deliverer of His people Israel.

Christian, regardless of what your past has been, it does not equal your future. The Lord is looking at you today, and what does He see? He sees past what you currently are to what you will one day be. Do you see it too? Keep looking to Jesus and soon you will!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1)

The Bible speaks often about being bold for God. When you do a word study in the Greek and Hebrew, you see that the words rendered in English as bold, boldly, or boldness carry the common themes of freedom, confidence, or trust. The question is this: Is our relationship with Jesus characterized by a growing freedom, confidence, and trust in God as we deliver a clear, compelling, candid witness to the good news of the Gospel?

Can the same thing that was said about Peter and John can be said of us? “When [the rulers and elders and teachers of the law] saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13 ESV). No matter whether you have earned a doctorate in a certain course of study or never finished high school, boldness is a by-product of being with Jesus.

Later in in the same chapter of Acts we read, “After [the believers] prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31). The more we are with Jesus, the more our lives will be marked by boldness. The shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ has paved the way for confidence and courage in the life of the believer. By His blood we are saved, by His blood we are sanctified, and it is His blood that empowers believers to come boldly before the throne of grace to ask and to seek and to knock.

Remember, bold believer, come not with guilt to the throne room of heaven, for all your sins have been forgiven. The blood of the Lamb of God has forever eliminated all your condemnation and empowers all your boldness. When the Jewish religious leaders were astonished by Peter and John, it had nothing to do with who they were; rather, it was because of Who they were with. Their demeanor was marked by boldness—confidence and trust in God—because they had been with Jesus.

Regardless of where this message finds you today, God is calling you and has equipped you to be a bold believer, not ashamed of the Gospel. To the degree which our lives are marked by being in the presence of our Lord we shall live lives as bold as lions, with Paul’s prayer on our lips, “Pray for me that I would speak boldly as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:19).

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. (Proverbs 23:17)

It’s easy to get caught up in thinking that others have it better than we do. When our spirit is weighed down under the storm winds that inevitably blow our way, we may cast an envious eye at seemingly carefree and prosperous sinners, believing that they are better off than Christian believers. And there is nothing that makes Satan happier than enticing the saints of God to shift their focus away from the Lord and onto the stuff of this world.

But this is not for you! Envy is real and it must be rejected. But how do we do it? Today’s verse tells us how: by filling ourselves with the fear of the Lord. Envy is ejected when we live in the light of eternity, fixing our gaze on the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Envy cannot rear its ugly head when we hold fast to the promises we have in Jesus. Living in the light of eternity elevates us above the earthly and into the realm of the heavenly. The more heaven we have in our hearts the less earth we will envy, thinking that perhaps we are missing out on something “better.”

The fear of the Lord reminds us of the ultimate end of those whose god is this world. Paul warned, “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19). Regardless of what the world has now, it has it for but a fleeting moment in time. But for the saints of God, all the unfathomable riches of Christ are ours for eternity.

And what is the greatest of all the riches we have been given? The Lord Jesus Christ Himself! Remember, the Lord Jesus was the first promise of God to the sons of men after the Fall. He is the “seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15) who would ultimately crush the head of the serpent.

Regardless of where this message finds you today, remember that if you have Jesus you have it all. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his very soul in the end? A man’s wealth can be counted and measured. But when his riches are in Christ, even after a thousand years in eternity he will not have even scratched the surface of just how rich he truly is. Be zealous for the fear of the Lord; then you will know true prosperity and peace forever.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!