Pizza Ranch Serves

Matthew 25:14-30 (Similar story found in Luke 19:11-27)

Being in the heart of the Midwest (& surviving last week) none of us are strangers to extremely cold temperatures. Last week I watched as my husband bundled up in countless layers of clothing to take our dog on a 40-minute walk. It got me thinking about how diligent we are in dressing to protect against extreme weather, but do we have the same diligence in our spiritual health & climate?

In today’s culture, what does following someone mean? Who are you following? In the age of smartphones, Facebook, Instagram, etc. we “follow” so many people. Who we follow likely ranges from our closest friends or relatives to people we don’t even know. Is how we follow Jesus different?

In my lifetime, now more than ever, we seem to have a country in turmoil, there is craziness and danger everywhere, and false reports and slander seem to be the norm. It makes me angry sometimes. It makes me feel powerless…like there’s nothing

When I was growing up, “New Years Resolutions” seemed to be a much bigger deal than they are today.

We are quickly approaching 2024 and all that a new year brings. Resolutions, Biggest Loser for some here, new hopes and dreams for the next 12 months. It’s a good time to hit the reset button and I always look forward to it. For now, however, we can take a few moments to reflect back on 2023. Think about these questions… your responses can be big or small, silly or serious:

At the 9/11 memorial a few years back, we saw a video of a person looking up at the sky in horror. I could read their lips as they said, “Oh my god.” We also see this happen in movies, TV, and life when we (people) find ourselves in precarious situations. Or when we see an accident about to occur. Even folks who’s movie character does not portray Christ in any way will cry out “Oh god!”

One of the battles I’ve had from time to time in my life is worry. Not very often, but when I have, it grips me. In my job here at Pizza Ranch, I talk to many people who struggle through this very same thing. The most recent example in my own life is when our oldest daughter and her husband moved to Indonesia.

When I was a child, I imagined God being this person up in heaven looking down on us trying to catch us doing something wrong. Now I believe that is half right.

We’ve been slowly walking through the Book of Psalms, and this week we’re looking at (Psalm 52). The Psalms do such a great job of talking about the topics and emotions we most often deal with in life.

I believe most people long for a closer and more intimate relationship with Christ from time to time. I know I do. The question is, how can we make this happen? How can we feel closer to God? Well, I believe Scripture points to a thankful heart:

We’ve been slowly walking through the Book of Psalms, and this week we’re looking at (Psalm 51). The Psalms do such a great job of talking about the topics and emotions we most often deal with in life.