Revelation 21:1-5 (ESV)The New Heaven and the New EarthThen I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He ...  Read More

At some point, King David had time to reflect on the state of things after his palace was built and God had given him “rest from all his enemies around him.” Maybe he felt a tinge of shame that the home of God’s ark of the covenant was merely a tent, and so he decided to build a more permanent house for the ark. Initially, Nathan gave him the go-ahead, until God told Nathan otherwise.Through the p...  Read More

Why do people make promises that they have no intention of keeping? All of us have probably experienced that from time to time. “Need help babysitting? Just give me a call.” “Need help moving? My truck is yours.” Yet when we go to take them up on their offer, it’s like they forgot what they had promised. Of course, all of us fall into the same trap. How often do we make promises to others OR ourse...  Read More

Genesis 15:1-6 (ESV)God’s Covenant With Abram15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue[a] childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my house...  Read More

As we gather together with family over the course of this week, many of our homes will be filled with laughter and joy. Of course, even in the best of homes, we realize that few ever escape some form of trouble. Sadly, many are filled with brokenness that spills out into the world around them.From the beginning, the earth that God created was meant to be filled with goodness, and as we have seen i...  Read More

For many people, doors are the first form of protection against the harm that would enter their homes. For others, that is not enough, and so they not only lock their doors but they deadbolt them as well. And still for others, they install peepholes or security cameras so that they can see what is outside before they let someone in. The reality is that outside of God’s presence, all sorts of harm ...  Read More