In order to set to keep the flame burning bright for Jesus, you must fix your eyes on the things above and be filled by the Holy Spirit. Our hearts were made to be alive and on fire for God. We are meant to passionately pursue Him with all of our hearts, minds, and souls. The Holy Spirit within you will change you from the inside out so that your heart will feel like it is going to burst open in e...  Read More

The Gallop Research Team just released a new report on the decline of religious gatherings.  "Americans' membership in house of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup’s eight-decade trend.  In 2020, 47% of American said they belong to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.  US church membership was 73% when Gallup firs...  Read More

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord....  Read More

We have all been there. We pray and pray, and it seems God’s answer is ”no.“. When that happens, here iswhat I encourage you to do:Trust His wisdom. He always knows what's right. He is, in fact, the standard for right.Trust His heart. He loves you more than you can ever know. Lean into that love.Trust His long-term goal. He is conforming you to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29). It may be that His s...  Read More

Worry comes from the old English term, wrygan, which means "to choke or strangle". Worry can creep into our lives and strangle us. Jesus says and Mark 4:19 "the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful."Each of us is tempted by the desires of the world. For some, it's clothes or cars. For others, it's a rela...  Read More

My Sunday School Teacher asked me yesterday if I still thought of God's promises when looking at a rainbow.  I do.  The declaration to Noah never to destroy the world by water is a testimony to the faithfulness of the Creator.I do remember God's promises when the rainbow appears, but not when i'’s raining.  My thoughts are preoccupied when the water that falls, the wind that blows, and lighting th...  Read More

1 Corinthians 15:50-57Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For thi...  Read More

The death of God the Son is the darkest moments in history.  Sin take it's full effect as Jesus suffers the Father's full force of judgment.  But Good Friday is not the last word.As you prepare to celebrate Easter be encourage by this sermon from S. M. Lockridge (March 7, 1913 – April 4, 2000).  He was the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego from 1953 to 1993. Lockridge was known for his...  Read More

The week between Palm Sunday and Easter is often over looked.  We spend quality time looking at His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the Crucifixion and the Empty Grave.  Between Monday and Sunday, Jesus was busy.  He issued challenges to the Jewish leaders.  He taught lesson on marriage in heaven, paying taxes, and His authority.  Jesus also spent much of this time preparing the disciple to live ...  Read More

Part of my childhood meant playing ball beside the church I attended.  It was a wonderful place to grow.  The building itself was tall and imposing.  Built two years after the Civil War, it has such a treasured history.  The windows of the church were amazing.  Towering over ten feet, they pieced together with stain glass and each one was dedicated to a former member who has served God so faithful...  Read More

1 Corinthians 11:17-34 But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.  For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it.  For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.  Therefore when you meet tog...  Read More

The HBC Sunday School Lesson for March 14th focus on the life of the "Prodigal Son".  I always thought the older son got a bad rap in this story. Luke 15 recounts the history of the two brothers.  The younger son wanted his share of the father’s estate "before the father died" (vs. 12).  That tells us of this young mans nature and character at the time.  The father agreed to the son's demand.  Jew...  Read More