Archive for Bruce’s Blogs
Be Accountable to One Another
Did you make any resolutions for the new year? About this time, many people who have made New Year’s resolutions are finding it very difficult to keep their resolutions. We’re a few weeks into the new year, and the changes we made on January 1 are starting to wear thin. Perhaps you’re not sticking to [...]
Love One Another
The first church was an “unusual” group of people. Acts 2:44-47 says that “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate [...]
Jesus Was a Gift of Love
It’s often when we’re celebrating Christmas that I consider how content we have become with receiving God’s gift of salvation and eternal life through Jesus. We should certainly celebrate the gift of God’s grace through Jesus, but if that’s as far as we understand it, then we certainly need to consider how to be more [...]
Jesus Brought Grace and Truth
Did you survive “Black Friday”? The so-called start of the Christmas shopping season began as it has for the past few years, with breaking news stories about lines/mobs of anxious, if not angry, people who were willing to push, shove, kick, punch, gouge, trample, and even pepper spray anyone around them just so they can [...]
Jesus Gave Thanks
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, most people begin to consider everything for which they are thankful: family, friends, jobs, homes, health, and more. This is certainly the right attitude, one that ought to permeate our daily lives. This attitude of thankfulness is also found in the Jewish celebration of Passover, which commemorates God’s deliverance [...]
Jesus Taught Others
I am thankful for the people among us who are teachers in our Bible school classes, our Adult Bible Fellowship groups, our elective classes, and smaller groups. I am thankful that so many of them take additional time out of their already hectic weeks to prepare and teach lessons so that our children, teens, and [...]
Jesus Lived Love
As I mentioned in my sermon on September 25, we are God’s children. Of all the things I said, I glossed over one key point that I took for granted: as God’s children, we must love each other. If we want to live as God’s children, we ought to focus very specifically on being more [...]
Jesus Was Persecuted
We American Christians seem to have a different perspective about persecution than many other Christians in the world. Many of us seem to think that the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the widening cultural gaps between us and the rest of our country are examples of persecution; however, we are still free to [...]
Jesus’ Life Was Joyful
I don’t know where this perception began, but Christians don’t necessarily have a reputation for being happy people. Maybe it’s because too many Christians spend their time condemning everything the world says and does. Maybe it’s because so many Christians focus on the dos and don’ts of the Bible at the expense of the Good [...]
Jesus Was Unequivocal
I probably don’t have to tell you, but we live in a confused world. It’s pretty clear, considering how often we find people doing wrong when they ought to know better. For those who are making disciples, we understand that it’s difficult, if not impossible, for people to do what is right if they have [...]
Jesus Prayed
In Luke 5:12-15 we read that Jesus healed a man who had leprosy. The man revealed his faith by telling Jesus, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus said he was willing, touched the man, and said, “Be clean!” Immediately the man was healed. Jesus told him not to tell anyone [...]
Jesus Was Obedient
Through the course of the EACH (Everyone A Chance to Hear) the 2WordStory campaigns, I have encountered something I didn’t expect, Christians who have started doubting their relationship with God. I’m not talking about people giving up on their faith but people who are questioning how they came to faith. The doubts are more common [...]
Jesus Opens God’s Kingdom
In Matthew 11:2-5, we read, “When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’ Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, [...]
Jesus Changes Minds
As we approach the celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we start to realize that adopting the mindset of “More Jesus, Less Me” has greater significance than simply deciding what we do on a Sunday morning. Becoming more like Jesus leads us to change the way we think about others and, more than that, how [...]
Jesus Has a Family
It would probably surprise many of us to discover that even Jesus had to face the busyness of life and family. In Luke 8:19, 20 we read: “Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, ‘Your mother and [...]
