Archive for Bruce's Blogs
Simple Service
In Ephesians 4:11, Paul writes: “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” We get that. We understand that there are people called and gifted to do what we call “ministry.” However, most of us aren’t employed by the [...]
Simple Weight Loss
I hate exercising for the sake of exercising. Unfortunately, the majority of my day doesn’t include activities that cause me to use my body in such a way that burns calories effectively, and so I must purposefully add exercise to my schedule. Since “misery loves company,” we started dragging the kids to the gym with [...]
Simple Submission
When Paul wrote in Philippians 2:5 that our “attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus,” what was he expecting us to do? We usually respond, “Be humble like Jesus,” but what does that mean? Too often we reduce humility to the idea of simply not taking credit for something we’ve done or [...]
Simple Humility
There’s nothing like the events of Jesus’ last week to put the Christian life into perspective. From the beginning of the week, when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, to the last supper, when Jesus washed his disciples feet, to the garden, when Jesus prayed for his disciples, Jesus shows us clearly that everything he [...]
Simple Unity
Believe it or not, Easter is just around the corner. The traditions I remember growing up are among my favorite. From the sunrise service to the breakfast that followed to the amazing celebration in worship to the family get-togethers that lasted through the afternoon, Easter has always been an extended family reunion.
But it is so [...]
Simple Program
It’s cool to be a parent and to be able to say, “Because I said so.” Whether my kids do what I say is another story, but it’s a simple concept to grasp. There’s a benefit of being under that kind of authority as well. Whether you agree or not, you know immediately what you [...]
Simple Mercy
In Luke 10:36, at the end of the parable about the Good Samaritan, Jesus asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” In verse 37 we find the reply: “‘The one who had mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do [...]
Simple Commands
As we work to become a simple church, one that focuses on a single purpose-to share the Good News of God’s love and forgiveness with the whole world-we ought to consider the simple nature of our relationship with God. While the church is a body with a corporate purpose and goals, it is made up [...]
Simple Church, Simple Goal
As we face the new year, I have a single resolution: to help us become a simple church. The word simple, unfortunately, sounds like “easy” or even “dumb” to some, but that’s not where we need to go. If we go back to the word’s Latin roots, simple means “single-fold.” So a simple church is [...]
Get Connected in Joy
I’ve never really understood the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” at least that part that talks about “scary ghost stories.” Other than Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, I’m not aware of any Christmas ghost stories. The idea of being frightened at Christmas doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Unless you think [...]
Get Connected for Strength
Halfway between Thanksgiving and Christmas, many people are wondering how they’re going to make it through the holiday season. On one side we have the preparations for our Christmas celebrations-shopping, baking, cleaning, decorating-and on the other we have the pressures of everyday life-work, bills, health, family. We’re overbooked, overworked, and overextended, and we’re wondering [...]
Get Connected in Thanksgiving
If we’re honest, there are truly a lot of things to get us down these days. It’s in times like these, as Mark and Adam preached on November 16, that we need to come together and get connected to each other as we connect with God. In 2 Corinthians 4 Paul writes about how our [...]
Get Connected as a Family
First, an invitation: everyone is invited to join together in prayer at the church every Wednesday from 1:15-2:15. It’s during this prayer meeting that I am frequently moved to see how many of our members are requesting prayer for their parents, children, relatives, coworkers, friends, and neighbors. Often I find myself praying not only for [...]
Get Connected in Submission to Our Leaders
I look at people who write letters and thank-you notes and send birthday cards on time with envy, desiring to be a better friend and encourager. The apostle Paul was a great letter writer. Sure, much of our doctrine comes from his letters, but you can tell from them that Paul was pretty good [...]
Get Connected Through Participation
We have a great opportunity to get connected through participation this fall. Our upcoming Christmas program will combine choirs, children through adults, to share the message of Jesus’ birth through music and song. There will be several portions sharing the message through drama. This program is planned to be performed over several evenings, and there [...]