CR at University Carillon

I remember hearing a teaching a couple years ago talking about the galaxies, the stars, and the speed of light, etc. All of which are so fascinating to me. I was looking at the sky last night observing the moon, the stars and all that God has created. It is pretty cool to see evidence of His goodness with my own eyes. It’s fascinating to think God and what He created is so big that it takes years upon years for the light to reach my eyes so that I can even be able to see those stars. That's a Big God, huh?!   God's truth is different though isn't it? Though I can't see Him physically, my faith is trusting in what is not seen. Living by faith helps me to see and know what is true even if I can't see it. Faith pulls me through even when I hear the lies the enemy is trying to show me otherwise. We have a big God to put our faith in.   ““See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness—” ...

    Read Matthew 2:13-18- After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.” Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: “A cry was heard in Ramah- weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”   Once again...

Our culture can be tough on dads these days. If you’re a father, you might be fighting a lot of battles—for your marriage, your family . . . even for your own heart. And finding the courage to keep fighting every day isn’t easy. That’s why I want you to know— you are appreciated . God sees the silent sacrifices you make. The hard work you put in. The obstacles you overcome to protect the ones you love. So I want to share this prayer of blessing with you to remind you how incredibly valuable you are. The battles you fight matter . Dear God, You have said reverence for God gives a man deep strength, and what we need today are men with deep strength. Help us to build our firm foundation on Jesus Christ.  When everybody else is running the race for acquisitions, achievements, accomplishments, and appearance, help us to remember that what matters most is love—to love you and to love our wives, our kids, our families, our friends, and even our enemies. Help us to remember, Jesus, th...

Have you ever felt like God was nowhere to be found?  Have you ever just feel like you’re “hanging on for dear life” – hoping that some ray of hope shows up soon from the Father?     In the Old Testament book of Job, Job himself expressed those feelings.   A friend shared these verses with me this week.  He said they were an anchor for him in a 3-year struggle with depression.     Job 23:1-3 & 8-10  (NLT) says: Then Job spoke again: “My complaint today is still a bitter one,     and I try hard not to groan aloud. If only I knew where to find God,     I would go to his court… I go east, but he is not there.     I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden.     I look to the south, but he is concealed. But he knows where I am going.     And when he tests me,  I wil...

“The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”  Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬ I saw a study where people were asked how many close friends they had in their life? The number of respondents who responded that they had ‘five close friends’ is down, from 68% in 1990, to 40% in 2021. The group answering that they have ‘no close friends’ has increased from 3% to 15%. Yikes. We need each other! Lonely people, who lack healthy community rooted in Christ, are likely targets for getting off course through deceit and falling back into unhealthy patterns of destruction. Staying connected is essential to our recovery process. Aren’t you grateful to have people in your life you can call brothers and sisters? Consider reaching out to a couple of them this week to let them know how much you appreciate their being in y...