Sunday, August 16, 2020
Kelsey Bohlender speaks on the mandate to pray for Godly government.
When Words Are Many…
We live in an age of abundance when it comes to words.
Writers, producers, musicians and public figures have merged into one category - content creators - with each of them generating sentence after thought after whim designed to grab our imaginations, and in most cases, eventually sell us something.
Digital natives - those who came of age after the advent of the internet - don’t remember a time when words couldn’t be transmitted wirelessly, nearly for free, around the world. Those of us who are a little older - digital immigrants - have a vague memory of paying for a newspaper but we’ve quickly adjusted and joined the fray of creating and consuming words.
Words have become a commodity, and like other commodities, an abundance drives down the value. With so many other people talking, we think that perhaps we should add our voice to the fray, because our opinion is as weighty as theirs, isn’t it? Strangely, that is both true and tragic.
When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. Proverbs 10:19 ESV
With many voices talking to us and the sudden ability to share every opinion that we may have as well, it’s tempting to discount the value of all the voices, but one voice stands alone.
“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever.” Psalm 12:6-7 ESV
In the flurry of messages you are exposed to on this day, make sure that the words of God are given priority. In His word He gives us the keys to fulfillment, to purpose, to life, and even to keep us safe.
His voice is not one among many. It stands in stark contrast to all the others. Give His words their earned value in your life.
All the good promises…
I have always loved the book of Joshua. I love the drama, the leadership challenges, the conquest and the characters.
The book contains some very straight talk from God to Joshua, when the Lord tells him, “You are old and advanced in years….”, but even then God follows up with a challenge. God recognizes Joshua’s limitations but then says “…and here’s what we’re going to do.”
The book also includes a feisty 85 year old, Caleb, who asks for an especially hard assignment because he insists he’s as strong as he was forty years earlier.
In 24 short chapters, so many of God’s promises come to fruition. It’s as if the windows of heaven open and God delivers. In fact, near the end of the book it says:
Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
If you didn’t know about the straight talk, or you skipped the 85 year old warrior asking for the hill country, you might read this verse and think that it happened easily. Nothing could be further from the truth. The story contains real battles with real casualties. People bled and cried and fought for these promises but when it was over, the promises were fulfilled.
God has promises and hill country for all of us and will not leave any promises left undone. He’s looking for those who will fight for them so He has a people worthy of stewarding the good land. Whatever your good promises are, determine in your heart today not to give up the fight.
Our yes to His call, coupled with His hand on our lives, is the path to our full inheritance.
Sunday, Aug 2, 2020
Randy continues the series, “Little, Rough and Ugly” as he teaches on Acts 8, where hearts are revealed through both persecution and revival.
Sunday, July 19, 2020
“Here Comes Trouble” is the theme of Acts 6 as the early church faces conflict within and pressures from without. This is part three in our series, “Little, Rough and Ugly: A Study in the Early Church”.
Sunday, July 12, 2020
In week 2 of our series, “Little, Rough & Ugly: A study of the early church”, Randy teaches through the latter part of Acts 4 and into Acts 5, where the scripture talks about caring for one another’s needs so that "there are none needy among us” as well as the heart behind giving to the Lord.
Alaska Conference
Sometimes it’s hard to connect the lofty parts of our faith with everyday life. At this conference, Kelsey and Randy spoke about pursuing God wholeheartedly in the midst of everyday life.
Holding out Hope
Recently, our big family van started exhibiting what engineers would call non-optimal performance. In more understandable terms, it was running terribly. I immediately started wondering what it would cost and how quickly we could get it fixed.
Often, when circumstances suddenly change for worse, or for the non-optimal, our first thought is how we can change them back to the way they were.
For many of us, that has been the most difficult part of the Coronavirus pandemic. Even if we haven’t been sick or haven’t lost a job, we are yearning for normal and we’re not sure how to get back to it. As days turned to weeks and weeks to months, we’ve even started wondering if normal is coming back at all.
Let’s be honest, we have placed an inordinate amount of hope in normal - hope that rightfully should be placed in the Lord.
Recently, our big family van started exhibiting what engineers would call non-optimal performance. In more understandable terms, it was running terribly. I immediately started wondering what it would cost and how quickly we could get it fixed.
Often, when circumstances suddenly change for worse, or for the non-optimal, our first thought is how we can change them back to the way they were.
For many of us, that has been the most difficult part of the Coronavirus pandemic. Even if we haven’t been sick or haven’t lost a job, we are yearning for normal and we’re not sure how to get back to it. As days turned to weeks and weeks to months, we’ve even started wondering if normal is coming back at all.
Let’s be honest, we have placed an inordinate amount of hope in normal - hope that rightfully should be placed in the Lord.
The writer of Hebrews encouraged us in this way - “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23 The hope we profess is in a Person, not a situation.
Normal may never fully return. If it does, many will remember that they were unsatisfied with normal to begin with.
We were never instructed to trust in situations - only in Jesus, who can sustain us in any situation that we choose to give to Him.
Paul told us not to lose heart, because it was possible to be renewed inwardly (as opposed to being renewed by the surrounding environment). In 2 Corinthians 4:17, he wrote, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison…”.
The current departure from normal is being used to shape our hearts to fully receive and contain the glory of God for all eternity.
Normal wasn’t doing that at all.
Hope in Jesus. He is there for us through it all and beyond.
Sunday, July 5, 2020
We start a new series, “Little, Rough & Ugly: A Study of the Early Church” as Randy teaches through Acts 3 & 4 regarding the confrontation and comfort of the Gospel and how the Lord views boldness on His behalf.
Wednesday, July 24, 2020
In our third End Times 101 in our midweek series, Randy teaches on the Millennial Kingdom to follow the return of Christ. Notes are here.
Sunday, June 21, 2020
When crisis hits, what guides our response? Some response are motivated directly by circumstance, but other times, we gather our wits and stir our hearts to find the strength to respond out of our identity as children of God. This week, Randy taught from the book of Esther.
It’s difficult to be wholehearted and make clear decisions about anything when so many things are uncertain. Because there is so much we don’t know, If we do not discipline our mind, we will fall into the trap of living like we don’t know anything. It is the reason many have a crisis of faith.
Clarity is a gift and the Bible speaks with clarity how to respond in times of crisis, and it’s not to draw back from the Lord in suspicion, but to draw near to the Lord in trust.
Psalm 55:22 says “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Due to technical difficulties, we only have audio of this session of End Times 101. This week we did an overview of the book of Revelation, laying out the four parts of the book and the chronological and parenthetical sections.
Sunday, June 14, 2020
Randy teaches through Jesus’ parable about new wine in new wineskins.
Friday, June 12, 2020
Steve Sjogren is a pastor, church planter, author and long time mentor to Randy. He is the author of many books including the bestselling Conspiracy of Kindness, and The Day I Died.
Listen as they enjoy a free ranging discussion about church planting, ministry philosophy and outreach.
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Part two of our ET101 study - an overview of the End Times. You can find a link to last week and this week’s notes here.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Randy teaches through the positive aspects of the end of the age in part 1 of End Times 101.
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Randy teaches on how the ascension is related to the great commission and the return of Jesus.
If you’re looking for audio-only versions of weekend teaching to listen to on the go, you can find them as bonus episodes on Randy’s Third Cup of Coffee podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or other podcast apps.
Don’t forget, on Pentecost Sunday - May 31, 2020 - we’re meeting in real time and space for Worship in the Woods!