In a world that often seems chaotic and unpredictable, it's easy to forget that there's an invisible war raging around us. This spiritual battle, described vividly in Ephesians 6:10-20, is not just ancient history or the stuff of fantasy novels. It's a present reality that affects every aspect of our lives as believers.The apostle Paul, writing to the Ephesians, paints a picture of this cosmic con...  Read More

For some reason, Philippians 1:21 has been on my mind; "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."I understand what the apostle Paul is saying.  He was a champion for the gospel, and he had every right to say it. Because of his passion and brazen rhetoric, it led to beatings, jail time, mocking crowds, constant threats…and souls coming to Christ. Certainly, I do what I can, but my efforts pale ...  Read More

How Do We Measure Success?I’m proud of my successes. I don’t have many in comparison to others at CMPC, but they are worthy achievements. Let me give you one example.  Just after I turned 30 years old, I decided to lose weight. I weighed 230 pounds. Over the next few months, I lost 40 pounds, slimming down to 190. It’s a meaningful achievement, even though some of that weight is back after 40+ yea...  Read More

Early every winter I notice the trees are like sticks, the grass a light brown, and the plants have no blooms. It’s not attractive, but that’s the nature of changing seasons. Every year vibrant summer colors fade into grays and browns. The grass grows dormant, trees shed their leaves and plants die or go into hibernation.Every week in our church’s morning worship service, we recite Isaiah 40:8 aft...  Read More

Revelation 12:11 “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”  Read More