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Read Ephesians 2:1-8  Let's look at an example of Jesus in the New Testament and of Joseph in the Old Testament as we evaluate the highs and lows.

I often wondered as I grew up why the Old Testament was so important. I thought that the New Testament was something to focus on because of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. All that He began, the Christian life, and eternal life. But I’ve grown to appreciate and see how important Old Testament Scripture actually is, It’s why we started looking for Jesus in the OT. It comes down to this: The entirety of the Old Testament continually points to Jesus in the New Testament.

I've been challenged recently to think about trust in a mindful and impactful way, both personally and professionally.

I often trust my gut to assess people and situations. I strongly believe that the Holy Spirit is constantly working within me (in all…

What was the last car trip you went on? What do you remember from it? How about the road? Was it bumpy or smooth? Do you remember that?

Ezra was a great leader whose whole life was dedicated to serving God. He wrote of 1&2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Psalms 119…and led a council of men who compiled the OT. The Book of Ezra is about God’s promise...

What if you had the job of communicating Pizza Ranch’s history? Its leaders, struggles, events, economic cycles, etc. ? What if you had to do that for our nation? Oh, and it needs to start at the beginning of all mankind?

When my family and I first moved to Iowa, I was always in awe of the sky and how big it was. I often felt so close to God when I was outside. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” I feel the same way today as I experience a beautiful sunrise or sunset, when I’m out on a lake, at the ocean, or up in the mountains. Seeing God in nature is powerful.

Fear is real. And, during these crazy times with COVID-19 and rioting, fear has gripped many people. Not to mention the many other things that bring anxiety to life. Fear can be a daily battle for people. What do we do with this? How do we defeat it? Well, let’s talk about what the Bible says about it. Fear is a topic that’s talked about a lot in Scripture.

Our world has a plentiful harvest of souls waiting to know and accept Jesus. And, God has given each of us a different role in that harvest.

The river of society has a current that’s flowing fast and furious. We can feel it pulling us down at times. Just think of the pull we’re feeling right now with the riots and coronavirus stuff going on. With all its political pull, with the elections coming up, it’s crazy. It’s pulling our society downward with all its might. It would be much easier to just give in and float along with the current, right? But God calls us to fight against that current, to swim against the flow with everything we have. It may not be easy for us, and we may feel like we’re swimming alone, but we definitely know it’s the right thing to do. In the Books of Kings, we read of many rulers who go with the flow. It might even be said that they actually add to the downward pull, just like our leaders can do. They openly sin, serve and worship other gods, and really don’t care one way or the other what is right, or what people think.

These books are called Samuel, not because he’s the author, but because he’s the one that God directed to anoint the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David. The books talk about who these two kings were, how they ended up on the throne, and how they did while leading. But in truth, the books are really about the Ultimate King. We see who God is, what He does, and what life is like with Him or without Him. These books are honest about sin and society, and full of hope and salvation.