Need to KnowBy Pastor Dan Hickling“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”—Psalm 100:4 (NKJV)Psalm 100 is unique among the Psalms in that it is relatively short, being only five verses long. However, its focus is powerful and impossible to miss. The tone is certainly celebratory. It doesn’t include any deep wrestling with th...  Read More

 A Righteous ReleaseBy Pastor Dan Hickling“Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.”—Psalm 98:1 (NKJV)Have you ever considered the place that singing has in our lives? As a race, we humans like to sing and be surrounded by songs. These desires are universal and undeniable. It doesn’t matter how old we are, what ...  Read More

The Ultimate Fixer UpperBy Rob Nieminen“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”—Revelation 21:5 (NIV)If you’ve ever watched the HGTV hit show Fixer Upper, you know that the husband-and-wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines specialize in buying run-down houses and turning them into their clients’ drea...  Read More

Real Fulfillment  By Pastor Jeff Seward“May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose.”—Psalm 20:4 (NKJV)If you could pick one word to describe more of what you want in life, what word would you choose? A survey of 700 people revealed that most people want to be happy. The top 10 responses, in order of importance, were:happinessmoneyfreedompeacejoybalancefulfillme...  Read More

The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the Lord weighs the motives.Commit your works to the Lord And your plans will be established.The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil. Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will ...  Read More

New Mercies, Unwavering HopeBy Danny Saavedra“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”—Lamentations 3:22–23 (ESV)In the midst of World War 2, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s indomitable spirit helped keep hope alive in the hearts of the people he served. Even with the enemy advancing, he belie...  Read More

A New HopeBy Danny Saavedra“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”—1 Peter 1:3 (NASB)As you look back over the last 12 months, what comes to mind? Every year is full of ups and downs, highs and lows, successes and failures—though it’s likely you...  Read More

Having a year filled with vision, purpose, and goals will make for a year filled with meaning and a sense of fulfillment. We must commit to living in these things every day. Many people will have a vision and even set good goals but will never follow through. Their enthusiasm for a life of purpose will last a couple of weeks but soon fade away. Research has shown that people keep the New Years Res...  Read More

How do we know if the new year will be a great year? It will be because we are living with purpose. We need to live with a vision from God, focusing on doing things significantly. God gives us the vision and what is necessary to accomplish that vision. He provides the resources. God is the Source that allows us to be successful in living with purpose. This does not mean that we don’t make plans.Pr...  Read More

We must approach life purposefully and make life all that it can be. We shouldn’t live with just any type of purpose but have a God-given purpose. We might have good ideas, but “God ideas” are always better. God ideas are what give us purpose and meaning in our lives. The best way to live a purposeful life in 2023 is to have the vision to accomplish for the year that God gives you. A God-given vis...  Read More

Jeremiah 29:4-13Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce.  Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do no...  Read More

For many people, Jeremiah 29:11 is one of their favorite verses. It’s a verse that reminds us that God’s intentions toward us are good. No matter what challenges we face or what lies ahead, this should encourage us in any situation, and for that reason alone, it is an important word for us to know.As often with scripture, there are other things we can learn from this verse. One of the most overloo...  Read More