Posts with the category “daily-faith-challenges”

Monday, October 12thYes, I want you to take your time today and read the bulk of the Flood Narrative (Genesis 6:13-7:24). I want you to take your time. TRY not to read it with what you think you already know. TRY to read it with fresh eyes, which means slow, deliberate, with intention of God showing you something “other.”Then, when you are done deliberately reading it, what did you notice? What go...  Read More

Greetings New Lifer-s! Pastor Bill here.This week I encourage you to work through Romans Chapter 12 with me. I have a suggested reading portion for each day and a verse I have chosen for you to focus on.I love nature. (the fact that almost EVERY message I do has a nature illustration might hint at that!)The amazing migration of salmon up the rivers, against the current and against all odds to achi...  Read More

Greetings New Lifer-s! Pastor Bill here.This week I encourage you to work through Romans Chapter 12 with me. I have a suggested reading portion for each day and a verse I have chosen for you to focus on.I love nature. (the fact that almost EVERY message I do has a nature illustration might hint at that!)The amazing migration of salmon up the rivers, against the current and against all odds to achi...  Read More

Greetings New Lifer-s! Pastor Bill here.This week I encourage you to work through Romans Chapter 12 with me. I have a suggested reading portion for each day and a verse I have chosen for you to focus on.I love nature. (the fact that almost EVERY message I do has a nature illustration might hint at that!)The amazing migration of salmon up the rivers, against the current and against all odds to achi...  Read More

Greetings New Lifer-s! Pastor Bill here.This week I encourage you to work through Romans Chapter 12 with me. I have a suggested reading portion for each day and a verse I have chosen for you to focus on.I love nature. (the fact that almost EVERY message I do has a nature illustration might hint at that!)The amazing migration of salmon up the rivers, against the current and against all odds to achi...  Read More

Greetings New Lifer-s! Pastor Bill here.This week I encourage you to work through Romans Chapter 12 with me. I have a suggested reading portion for each day and a verse I have chosen for you to focus on.I love nature. (the fact that almost EVERY message I do has a nature illustration might hint at that!)The amazing migration of salmon up the rivers, against the current and against all odds to achi...  Read More

Friday, October 2ndRead Genesis 6:7-10- 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 9This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of hi...  Read More

Thursday, October 1Let’s reread Genesis 6:5-13- 5The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have...  Read More

Wednesday, September 30thFor the next three days I want us to discus, what should get our attention?Read Genesis 6:5-13- 5The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the...  Read More

Tuesday, September 29This week’s passage asks a lot of you. There is historical complexity, cultural distance, and theological weight that can feel overwhelming. Give yourself permission to sit with unanswered questions. The goal of this discussion is not to resolve every mystery in Genesis 6 but to allow the truths embedded in the text to do their work.Read Genesis 6:1-4- When human beings began ...  Read More

Monday, September 28We are continuing our journey through Genesis where we come to the Flood Narrative. Theologian John Walton says, “(this is) some of the thorniest passages in Old Testament to interpret.”Noah, the Ark, the flood, and what was God doing? I wonder, how much of your belief of the Noah, the Ark, and the flood is based up actual scripture versus a mixture of fiction and scripture. Or...  Read More

Friday, September 25thTake a moment and read Matthew 14:15-21- 15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fis...  Read More

Thursday, September 24thThere was a statement made on Sunday during our “Ministry Spotlight” of Celebrate Recovery, where Stephanie Johanning said, “she felt like she was seen for who she was, not what she struggled with.” Founding Pastor Bill, in our interview of how we ended up here as a church, referred back to that statement of the value of being seen. Which is my desired focus for today.What ...  Read More

Wednesday, September 23We’ve been observing the question, how did I end up here. Yesterday we looked at Luke 15 and the prodigal story. We looked at how the younger son had to wrestle with that question when he was in the pig trough, how did I end up here? He came to his senses and went home, embraced by a father that loved him, even though he offended him.Today, I want to keep going with the stor...  Read More

Tuesday, September 22This week we are reflecting on the question; how did I end up here? Yesterday we used it as a guiding element of growth and encouragement. It can also be an assessment; do I need to make a course correction in life because I have wandered from my true north? Do I need to reroute because I’ve not been walking faithfully with God or I’ve walked away from the things of God? Where...  Read More

Monday, September 21Let me set our time today this week with this question- Have you ever wondered or thought, how did I end up here? How did I get here?It could be anything, it could be driving, getting lost, and before you know it, how did I end up here? It could be your career path, you started in one place and now you are looking back and you are like, how did I end up here?Or relationships or...  Read More

Friday, September 18thIn the original passage of Genesis 5, what two names and descriptions stood out?Let’s take a look again at Genesis 5:24, 29- 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away… 29 He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.” Enoch and Noah, their descripto...  Read More

Thursday, September 17Yesterday we engaged with what appears to be something simple in life, life and death, blessing and curses. But my push wasn’t that they exist, my push was, how do we respond to both blessing and curses?Remember, blessing is goodness, life, increase; curse is challenge, hardship, pain, chaos, and yes death. Both are the reality of life, no one can escape blessing and curse, h...  Read More

Wednesday, September 16th Read Genesis 5 (yes, I know, it may be a struggle- but what do you notice? What stands out? BTW- don’t worry about pronouncing the names, it doesn’t matter) This is the written account of Adam’s family line. When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind”  when they were created...  Read More

Tuesday, September 15Read Genesis 4:25-26- 25 Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.What do you notice? This has a different feeling, doesn’t it? Reference to God’s p...  Read More

Monday, September 14thI understand that everyone’s algo rhythm is different, and I don’t pretend to understand, nor do I care. But I do find it interesting that my algo rhythm has a lot to do with “not” getting older or shall I say, staying younger. Try this cream, this pill, this workout. This will help with losing weight, growing hair, and other … and if that doesn't work, try this shirt or unde...  Read More

Friday, September 11thJohn Walton in his commentary shares it this way. “How much more should we be in awe of God’s mercy and compassion. We can never know whether Cain responded with such gratitude to God, though his initial response might suggest not. But it is irrelevant how Cain responded. What is important is how we respond once we are impressed with the power of God’s mercy and grace.”Two ro...  Read More

Thursday, September 10thLast thing I want us to pay attention to in this passage, marked by mercy. The interchange between God and Cain continues where God lays out the consequences of Cain’s actions. This wasn’t necessarily a punishment, as much as it was the reality of consequences.Because Cain didn’t tend to what was crouching within, this is the pain that resulted from it. We get this glimpse ...  Read More

Wednesday, September 9thRead Genesis 4:6-9- 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attack...  Read More

Tuesday, September 8thLet me ask you this question that should get our attention within Genesis 4. Are we ruled over or ruled by? Read that questions again before you jump into the passage.Read Genesis 4:6-9- 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your ...  Read More

Monday, September 7Last week I shared the quote from the classic poem by Robert Frost The Road Not Taken, Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.How many times do we truly understand the road we take? How many times, as we look back, do we see that we had options and wish we had a warning, or had greater intention versus simply w...  Read More

Well, hi, New Lifers! Bill McCaskill here with a devotional for your week.My talk Sunday was on the Holy Spirit with a particular focus on doing mission WITH the Holy Spirit, both personally and collectively as part of a church body.Most of you know that my my dearly departed wife Kathy and I were involved in “church planting” our entire married life in some capacity and had the privilege to plant...  Read More

Well, hi, New Lifers! Bill McCaskill here with a devotional for your week.My talk Sunday was on the Holy Spirit with a particular focus on doing mission WITH the Holy Spirit, both personally and collectively as part of a church body.Most of you know that my my dearly departed wife Kathy and I were involved in “church planting” our entire married life in some capacity and had the privilege to plant...  Read More

Well, hi, New Lifers! Bill McCaskill here with a devotional for your week.My talk Sunday was on the Holy Spirit with a particular focus on doing mission WITH the Holy Spirit, both personally and collectively as part of a church body.Most of you know that my my dearly departed wife Kathy and I were involved in “church planting” our entire married life in some capacity and had the privilege to plant...  Read More

Well, hi, New Lifers! Bill McCaskill here with a devotional for your week.My talk Sunday was on the Holy Spirit with a particular focus on doing mission WITH the Holy Spirit, both personally and collectively as part of a church body.Most of you know that my my dearly departed wife Kathy and I were involved in “church planting” our entire married life in some capacity and had the privilege to plant...  Read More

Well, hi, New Lifers! Bill McCaskill here with a devotional for your week.My talk Sunday was on the Holy Spirit with a particular focus on doing mission WITH the Holy Spirit, both personally and collectively as part of a church body.Most of you know that my my dearly departed wife Kathy and I were involved in “church planting” our entire married life in some capacity and had the privilege to plant...  Read More

Friday, August 28thTwo people, two paths, one God. Reminded me of the last stanza in Robert Frost classic poem, The Road Not Taken, Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.One path is the path of perceived rejection. You don’t believe that God is for you, that he is generous, or if you do, it’s because you’ve been good enough or don...  Read More

Thursday, August 27thRead Matthew 20:1-15- “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I ...  Read More

Wednesday, August 26thRead Genesis 2:2b-5- Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was...  Read More

This week, as we look at the passage we are looking at what MUST get our attention. We want to be drawn towards what got God’s attention.The first element that got God’s attention, that should get our attention is the favored intention. Unfortunately, I’m not a huge fan of this summary, unfortunately I didn’t take enough time to wordsmith it better. But my hope is that by the end of our time you w...  Read More

Monday Today I want you to take some time and read this story, that may be familiar, but take your time with it. Underline, highlight, jot down questions or thoughts of discovery. Genesis 4:1-16-Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept f...  Read More

  We hope you have felt encouraged throughout this week and have taken some time to spend with God around the different challenges/encouragements. As we wrap up this week, we have one last encouragement for you. One of the testimonies shared this past Sunday was from Easton, a freshman in high school. He shared how at the end of the mission trip, during one of our debriefing sessions, he felt chal...  Read More

  Have you ever been in awe of something in nature? Have you ever gazed upon something filled with tremendous beauty and thought, “Wow, God is an amazing creator! How could anyone doubt a creator after seeing that? No one or nothing can create like God!”The rolling mountains, the sun glistening upon a river, the waves of the ocean rolling beautifully to just name a few. One of the testimonies shar...  Read More

  Genesis 6:14-15 “So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.”A cubit is roughly 18” which would mean the ark was roughly 450’ long, 75’ wide & 45’ high.Saturday, we got to visit the Ark Experience. It’s a full-size replica of ...  Read More

  A “Yay God” is a special moment throughout the day where we can see and celebrate how God is working, moving, providing, or showing more of himself.Every night at the end of our work days while on the mission trip, we spent time in community sharing our individual “Yay God’s” with our work crews and as a large group. This video clip showed a small snippet of what that looked like - so fun, encou...  Read More