How to Grow a Loving Church (Part 1)

In Romans 12 Paul gets very practical about our relationships with other believers AND even with non-believers – especially with difficult people.  And the basis for all of those relationships, Paul says, is LOVE. When followers of Christ begin to really love each other the way God wants them, the world will be attracted to …

“God is Life” – 1 John 5:4-21

John ends the last chapter in his first letter to show us how “God is LIFE.” He says that we can know that God is life when three things are operating in our lives. The FIRST thing that proves that God’s Life is working in us is: Our Undying FAITH. “For everyone who has been …

God is Love (Part Three) – 1 John 4:1-5:3

OK…that was the first three effects of the love of God in our life. Here’s the… FOURTH effect of the love of God is our lives: It distinguishes between TRUTH and ERROR. John 4:1-6: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets …

God Is Love – Part Two (1 John 3:19-24)

So far, we’ve seen in 1 John 3:14-18, the evidence of God’s love (LIFE) and the essence of God’s love (ACTION). In this blog, we’re going to see the effect of God’s love. What John does for the remainder of chapter three all the way to verse three of chapter 5 (1 John 3:19-5:3) is …

God is Love (Part One) – 1 John 3:11-18

We’ve been working our way through the NT book of 1 John – discovering as we go how to live in a world that claims to be “spiritual” – but not Christ-centered. 1 John’s entire message can be summed up in nine words: “God is LIGHT. God is LOVE. God is LIFE.” To this point …

The Test of Truth

Today we discover another test  or “proof” found in 1 John – the test of Truth. 18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 19 These people left our churches, but they …

The Test of Spiritual Maturity

NOTE: Please know that this is not a quick read. It will take about 15-20 minutes. What comes to mind when you hear the words “spiritual maturity”? John Wimber wrote: “Many of us treat church life like immature adolescents. From other Christians we want thrills, constant exhilaration and to have our needs met. When Christian …

God is Light

NOTICE: Please know that this is not a quick read. It will take about 15-20 minutes. If you’ve just joined me in this series of blogs, we’re learning how to define “true spirituality.” It’s our response to the new age thinking that has saturated our culture.  The so-called New Age has been around since the …

“Love, Fellowship & Joy”

NOTICE: Please know that this is not a quick read. It will take about 15-20 minutes. When Valerie & I first moved to Santa Cruz one of the things we often heard was how “spiritual” this area is.  And after living here for the past seven years – I’d have to say I agree! All …

Spiritual Fathers

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because …