PTL Wednesdays

Have you noticed how easy it is for people to build entire beliefs from just a couple of Bible verses? A big reason false ideas spread is that people take isolated passages and turn them into full doctrines while ignoring everything else scripture says. That kind of selective reading works great for the scammer in the pulpit telling you to take out a loan to get a “blessing,” but it doesn’t work when it comes to knowing the truth. That’s why it’s important to slow down and read the Bible as a whole instead of pulling isolated lines into a system built around one idea. Take for example how some verses seem to emphasize faith alone, while others emphasize works. Ephesians says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith…not of works” (Eph 2:8-9). If you stop there, it can sound like works have no role at all. But then the book of James says, “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (Jas 2:17). James even says, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by fait...

My meetings took longer than I thought so I had to drive from Dallas to Houston late at night. I was on a dark stretch of highway when I felt the sudden thud of a flat tire. My heart sank when I realized I didn’t have a spare but I managed to reach the next exit. Relief quickly faded as I rolled into a dimly lit gas station in the middle of nowhere and found it was closed. When the tow truck finally arrived the driver said no one nearby could help but he knew of a 24 hour tire shop in Dallas. As he towed me all the way back I just sat there frustrated and tired as more time slipped away. I didn’t know it then but a storm hit Houston and flooded parts of the highway I was headed toward. What I thought was a setback was actually God stepping in. We get upset when plans fall apart and we question why things don’t go our way. Maybe you look at your life and wonder why you’re not where you thought you’d be by now. I know I have had times when I expected to be further along in my career and ...

I’ll never forget the time I was running late for work and I couldn’t find my keys. I tore the house apart looking for them. I had couch cushions on the floor, drawers pulled out and my frustration was building by the minute. I kept checking the same spots over and over like that was somehow going to help. I even started blaming my wife, convinced that she must’ve moved them. She calmly walked over and checked one of the places I had already looked. Of course she found them sitting in a kitchen drawer and I found myself owing her an apology. It wasn’t that the keys were hidden. It’s that I wasn’t really seeing what was right in front of me. That’s how it is with Jesus in the Old Testament. He isn’t missing. He’s woven throughout the whole story… hiding in plain sight. From the very beginning the Old Testament gives signs that point directly to Jesus. Right after the great fall God tells Adam and Eve that her offspring will crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). That’s the first hint ...

It was such a beautiful Saturday morning I just had to lean my head out the window and soak in the sun. My wife was driving and I could sense a little envy for what she calls being a passenger prince. I call it no stress driving because for me  there’s no traffic, no red lights   and no pretending I know where we’re going. My attention was on the sun, a good breeze and good vibes. The only thing disturbing my peace was a podcast playing in the background but as I reached to change the station one of the hosts said, “The Trinity just doesn’t make sense.”  That got my attention. One God and three persons can sound confusing at first and if we’re being real, it can feel like something you’re not supposed to question. But the more I thought about it the more I realized this isn’t about figuring God out on our terms. It’s about understanding what He has already revealed. The Bible is clear that there’s only one God. Deut 6:4 says “…The Lord our God the Lord is one.” That truth...

Every Sunday is special but Easter Sunday carries a weight all its own. Churches will be filled with worshipers as we gather to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. His victory over the grave is the very foundation of our faith but Easter isn’t just about what has happened. It also points to what will happen. There’s a second act, another piece to the promise. And for those who faithfully follow Christ it’s the one we long for: the return of our Savior. Make no mistake about it for as assuredly as Uncle Sam wants your taxes Jesus is coming back. And when that day comes life will look ordinary. People will be at work running errands handling responsibilities. Others will be celebrating, relaxing or simply going about their day. Life will be moving forward just like it always has. Then suddenly everything will change. A deafening blast from the trumpet of God will sound. The sky will be filled with light as legends of angels descend to every corner of the earth. That’s when the King o...

He tried to muster a confident smile but his halfhearted attempt fooled no one. “Relax. I’m sure you’ll do fine,” the receptionist said as she tried to reassure him. It felt like hours but only a few minutes had passed since he last glanced at his watch. To pass the time away he began to go over potential questions they might ask, but her voice broke his concentration, “Sir, sir, they’re ready for you now.” The answer to so many of his prayers was on the other side of that door but is he ready? It’s a question we all should be asking ourselves. We pray and pray for God to change our lives and you better believe he will. Our Lord is in the blessings business: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (‭‭Matt ‭7‬:‭7‬-‭8‬). God can bless you so abundantly that it can be overwhelming and if you’re not ready, you’ll stumble. You don...

The young man nervously glanced at the crowd of people that filled the pews. He knew in his heart he was making the right decision but the significance of the moment began to weigh on him. The reassuring smile of the elder steadied him as he began to wade into the water. “Do you believe Jesus is the son of God?” The elder asked. “I do,” The young man confidently replied. “I now baptized you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” the elder proclaimed as he submerged the young man into the baptismal pool. Rising out of the water he could hear the applause from his new Christian family. The angels were also rejoicing for the newest member of the chosen, of those separated by God to be a royal priesthood.   Yes priesthood? I know it’s a lot but Christian are called to be God’s representative to the world. It’s a big challenge to go from being worldly to preaching to it. Let’s be honest, we don’t just stop doing many of the things we did before we were saved. If we we...