The Devil's Strongest Weapon

February 6, 2020

"The only way to DEFEAT your enemy is to first KNOW your enemy."

We may not always realize it, but every day we wake up to a war – one that’s been going since the day we were born and will continue until the day we die. It’s not a war fought with guns and other physical weapons; this war is much more deadly and there’s much more at stake…your soul!

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary THE DEVIL walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

Adversary… devil… roaring lion… DEVOUR! YIKES!!!

Blind Faith, Part 5 - THE MAN BORN BLIND

November 18, 2019

“I don’t have to UNDERSTAND everything in order to BELIEVE something.”

Week 5 of our Blind Faith series takes us to John 9 and the story of a man born blind who was miraculously healed by Jesus. Some struggled to accept the miracles (the Pharisees) because they couldn’t understand it and make it fit into their “god box.”

And if we’re not careful, we may end up doing the same thing. That’s what happens when you choose to only believe that which you can understand.

What’s the Most Boring Book in the Bible?

August 14, 2019

Forgive me for what I’m about to say. I know it sounds bad – especially coming from a priest – but it’s honest. We all know that there are books/sections in the Bible that are really difficult to understand – rule after rule, painful detail after painful detail…the very thought discourages us from even opening our Bible.

I know it’s not right, but it’s true.

So what one book in the Bible exemplifies this? The one book that we avoid the most?

God's Promises: INHERITANCE VS POSSESSION

June 5, 2019

Inheritance comes from promise. Possession comes from obedience.

Have you ever heard a sermon about God’s promises and felt a little discouraged? Have you ever read a book or an article about God’s faithfulness and felt just a little bit cheated? Have you ever heard someone else tell the story of how God fulfilled a promise to them and had a little gnawing voice inside you say “why not me too?”

We all have. It’s not easy to appreciate the beauty and splendor of God’s faithfulness when you feel like God promised you something (healing, success, victory over a certain temptation, etc.) and He hasn’t yet provided it.

FORWARD BY FAITH - The Promised Land, Part 2

July 24, 2018

Special thanks to Steve Messeh (yes, we're brothers) for delivering a fantasticly inspiring message this past Sunday: FORWARD BY FAITH.

In this message, we continue our study of the book of Joshua and the land God promised to His children in the Old Testament. But remember, we're not chasing a promised LAND the way they were; we're chasing a promised LIFE - a life that fulfills the myriad of promises God has given to us in His Word.

In Part 1, we set the stage for the Promised Life; this week, we move FORWARD BY FAITH!

What Every Parent Wants from Their Child

May 23, 2018

Parents, if you could get your kids to do one thing, what would it be? Think before you answer. This is your chance. Don’t waste your one wish. You want something long lasting – something that will bear fruit in the long run. What would you say? Ready for my answer?

OBEDIENCE.

The most important trait that we, as parents, need to instill in our children is obedience. Obedience to teachers. Obedience to police officers. Obedience to librarians, bus drivers, firemen, and of course, most important of all, OBEDIENCE TO PRIESTS – especially the really cool ones who blog and do stuff like that!

Nothing is more important than this. Agree?

He Did It Because He Loves Us

January 19, 2018

Today's heart-warming guest post comes from Madona Lawindy - a close friend of mine and an original founding member of St. Timothy & St. Athanaisus church who has guest posted on my blog before.

There’s a phrase that I have been repeating absentmindedly since my first days of attending Sunday School. “He did it because He loved us.” This is of course referring to Jesus when He came to earth and was crucified on our behalf. I always got it but I never really got it. That is, until this past month, which led to one of the most horrible weeks of my life.

ETHICS VS OBEDIENCE - God's Ethics Part 1

October 27, 2014

“There are two ways, one of life and one of death;
but a great difference between the two ways.”
Didache 1:1

ETHICS VS OBEDIENCE. One is how we look at right vs wrong; the other is how God does. One is relative and ever changing; the other is fixed. One focuses solely on actions and behavior; the other focuses on a mindset. One talks about sin as a line you can't cross; the other looks at sin as a slope you shouldn't mess with.

Most importantly, one leads to life; the other leads to death.

Which one are you using as you walk through life???

Check out Part 1 in our newest series at The Well called GOD'S ETHICS: REALIGNING YOUR MORAL COMPASS to help you see the difference and answer this extremely important question for yourself.

Laying Hold of God's Promise [video]

October 20, 2014

Too often, it seems like there's a disconnect between God's promise and our possession. In other words, we hear/read many great things that God promises to His children (peace, joy, power, victory, etc.) but we seldom find any of those things in our possession. Why is that? Check out yesterday's message from The Well - LAYING HOLD OF GOD'S PROMISE - and you'll see why.

The problem isn't that God doesn't fulfill His promises; the problem is that we aren't looking for the right thing.

We're looking for trees, but God is giving out seeds.

World-Changing OBEDIENCE

June 2, 2014

This week's message was the finale in the World-Changers series and it was my personal favorite. It's a message I believe in very deeply and is at the fundamental core of who I am and why I do what I do. And that message is this...

OBEDIENCE IS THE MEANS BY WHICH GOD BLESSES OUR LIVES.

I don't know about you, but I want to be blessed by God. And I believe God wants to bless me even more than I want to blessed. So finding His blessing and finding His peace and finding His joy isn't a game of hide and seek. And most of the time, I'd say He wants to give it to me even more than I want to receive it.

But the means by which that blessing will come is OBEDIENCE. God gives us forks in the road every day and what we do at those forks will determine whether or not we find blessing.

The Real Reason We Don't Read the Bible - YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT Part 3

March 17, 2014

Be honest. What's the real reason you don't read the Bible more? Too busy? Not sure if it's true? Don't need to hear God's voice? Nope. None of those are the root. The real reason we don't read the Bible is simple: WE DON'T GET ANYTHING OUT OF IT!

I am fully convinced of that. If you found HOPE in the Bible, you'd read more. If you found COMFORT in the Bible, you'd read more. If you found DIRECTION in the Bible, you'd read more. Our problem is not that we don't want to read the Bible; our problem is that we get nothing out of it when we do.

That's why this Week 3 in the YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT series might be the most important one for you. In it, I talk about what I believe is the most important thing we need to do to find meaning in the Word of God. We know that there's good stuff in the Bible; but it doesn't do me much good unless I know how to find it and understand it.

Check out this week's message - The Real Reason We Don't Read the Bible - below and get ready to discover the one key to unlocking the benefit of God's Word in your life.

Joseph the Obedient - ALL YE FAITHFUL, Part 1

December 16, 2013

Kicked off a new message series yesterday called ALL YE FAITHFUL. It's a look at the Christmas story from the perspective of four different characters (Joseph, Mary, Jesus and Herod). We'll see how each one responded when God introduced a "change in plans" to what they were expecting in life.

The theme verse comes from Proverbs 19:21: “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.”

In other words, no matter how great your plan might be, get ready for it to get messed up!

In fact, usually the best outcomes in life come from when God decides to totally "mess up" our earthly plans in order to replace them with His eternal plan. But it all depends on how you respond.

So check out part 1 as we look at the first character in the story, Joseph the Righteous - a relatively unknown and underappreciated character who played a huge role in the Christmas story.

Do You Know Who’s Watching You?

November 13, 2012

Few things in life are more nerve-racking and anxiety-causing than becoming a parent for the first time. All of a sudden, you are entrusted with the responsibility of raising a child and you are responsible for the development of that child – physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually.

Recently, I was conversing with someone who is about to become a parent for the first time and he was asking my advice.

“What’s the most important thing I need to know as a parent?” he asked.

How would you answer that question? What would you say? What is the most important thing that a person needs to know before entering parenthood? How to change diapers? How to drive a car and break up a sibling fight simultaneously? Where to get cheap babysitting? What?

Ignorance Is Not An Excuse

October 5, 2012

When I was in high school one of my teachers had a poster up in her classroom with the phrase “Ignorance is Not an Excuse in the Court of Law.” At the time I had high hopes of becoming a lawyer. And even though my career took a turn when I learned that law school was three years, the phrase stuck with me.

The official legal term is “Ignorantia Juris Non Excusat,” and in my loose legal translation it essentially means that people cannot claim ignorance as an excuse to do something illegal. I have been thinking about this lately as I have been feeling convicted about the faith and the Bible which I claim so fervently to love.

I can picture Judgment Day and going up to the Throne of God and attempting to claim my ignorance of His Law as the reason for my disobedience. I then imagine laughter infiltrating the depths of Heaven. I grew up in a home where we had about 4 Bibles per capita, access to countless sermons (in HD), books available on order, and Google. I’ve had parents and a plethora of teachers willing to listen to the questions I’ve had and answer them with research and deep consideration. All these thoughts brought me back to “Ignorantia Juris Non Excusat.” I really have no excuse.

Change of Mind = Change of Behavior

September 21, 2012

What would you do today if you believed you won the lottery? Would that change anything in your day? I’m not talking about if you played the lottery and thought you had a chance to win. I am saying imagine you just got a certified letter, hand-delivered to you by Regis himself, saying that you’ve just won $100 million and the check is in the mail.

Would that change your behavior?

YOU BET IT WOULD! Are you kidding me? I’d be dancing in the street! I’d be screaming so loud that the neighbors would hear! I’d drive straight to my workplace – with resignation letter in hand – but before I submitted the letter, I’d go around and tell everyone how I REALLY felt about them!

(Note to all who work with me now: please don’t be offended by the last sentence. Of course I was just exaggerating to make a point. I’d never want to work with anyone other than you guys and as long as I don’t win the lottery any time soon, I’m sticking with that as my story :) )

What Makes Me a True Child of God

September 7, 2012

As a parent, if there’s one lesson that I’ve learned repeatedly over the years, it’s this: as much as I know that God has many things that He wants me to teach my children, He has an equal number of things that He wants me to learn from them.

Last night was one of those nights. All week I’ve been thinking/blogging about the idea of hearing God’s voice and discerning His will – how to make decisions and how to know what’s right, etc. And then last night, during our family Bible time before bed, we read this passage:

“Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:48-50)

After reading that passage, we discussed it together as a family and my kids came to the following conclusion: we need to obey God to be in His family.

The Answer to Your Decision Making Dilemma

September 5, 2012

Yesterday I posed one of the most important questions in life: how can I know the “right” thing to do in whatever situation I’m in? Ultimately your life is nothing more than the sum of all your decisions. Make good decisions and you’ll probably find yourself in a good place. Make bad decisions and you’ll find the exact opposite. The question for us is: HOW DO I MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS?

I mentioned yesterday that sometimes it seems (emphasis on the word “seems”) that Jesus was inconsistent in His decisions. Sometimes He would heal people and sometimes He wouldn’t. Sometimes He’d raise the dead person, other times He wouldn’t. Sometimes He’d speak softly and compassionately; other times He spoke sternly and harshly.

How did He know when to heal and when not to heal? How did He know when to say yes and when to say no? How did He know the “right” thing to do?