Proper 23 (A): Standing Fast in the Lord

Dean Niferatos reports that it was a routine morning on the Number 22 CTA bus in Chicago. Office workers, restless punkers and affluent shoppers filled the seats and crowded the aisles. At the Clark and Webster stop, two men and a woman climbed aboard. The driver, a seasoned veteran, immediately bellowed, "Everybody watch your valuables. There are pickpockets on board."

Proper 22 (A): A Life of Passion

When you have it all, it's hard to give it up. I recently went to an estate auction where everything had to be sold, not because of death, but because of divorce. More than $2,000,000 was the bottom line. The owner rode his prize show horse in the ring while the bidders nodded their heads. Though the horse sold for an amazing $102,000, the owner quickly had to dismount and go into his house where he cried like a baby. It's one thing to be forced into giving things up, but quite another to willingly part with that which has given you joy, consumed the attention of your life and made you proud.

Proper 21 (A): How Near Is God?

Life is a journey in which we will discover the sufficiency of God when we learn to trust Him. However, we would be naïve to believe our faith will go untested on the journey. God's people and God's leaders have lessons to learn on the journey which cannot be fully understood except through times of uncertainty and delayed provisions. The journey of faith is just that-a journey of faith, not sight.

Standing Fast In The Lord

Philippians 4:1-9 Dean Niferatos reports that it was a routine morning on the Number 22 CTA bus in Chicago. Office workers, restless punkers, and affluent shoppers filled the seats and crowded the aisles. At the Clark and Webster stop, two men and a woman climbed in. The driver, a seasoned veteran, immediately...

A Life Of Passion

Philippians 3:4b-14 When you have it all, it's hard to give it up. I recently went to an estate auction where everything had to be sold, not because of death, but because of divorce. Two million dollars plus was the bottom line. The owner rode his prize show horse in the ring while the bidders nodded their...

How Near Is God?

Exodus 17:1-7 Life is a journey where we will discover the sufficiency of God when we learn to trust Him. However, we would be naive to believe that our faith will go untested on the journey. God's people and God's leaders both have lessons to learn on the journey which cannot be fully understood except...