Posts with the tag “mike-bergman”

Here we see a command and a promise from God regarding the tithing by Israel of their harvest. In ancient Israel it was commanded to tithe, or give a tenth of your harvest to the storehouse, also know...  Read More

If you had to pick the darkest day of the year, spiritually speaking what would it be? For me, I would say October 31st, All Hallows Eve, or Halloween, as we know it would be a top contender. It is th...  Read More

Here in 1 John we see a verse that looks very similar to John 3:16. A summing up if you will of God’s salvation plan for us. However, this passage differs a little in that it focuses more on the love ...  Read More

This verse is the end of a parable in which Jesus is telling his disciples about watching for the return of the Master, alluding to His return, Jesus’ second coming. We are reminded here to be ever-wa...  Read More

The human race has done some pretty remarkable things over the centuries. We have tamed many seemingly uninhabitable parts of this world, and we’ve built great machines that have let us explore, fly, ...  Read More

Praise God that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that we stand forgiven if we simply put our faith and trust in Him as our salvation. But we still sin, we still disobey, we still go astray. Wh...  Read More

How often do you think about the source of our hope? I guess I could also ask the question, what is our hope? What do we hope for, and what is that hope based on? I think in broad terms we hope that j...  Read More

The Olympics are currently underway in France, and I am always amazed by the talent, poise, strength, and endurance that the athletes display. We are watching the best of the best compete against each...  Read More

Are you in a dark place right now? Are you hurting, in pain, sick, or weary? Are you seeking wisdom for a difficult situation? Do you simply not know where to go or what to do? This verse provides som...  Read More

This is one of those verses that for me when I read it, I can easily think, yeah I can do that. But then someone wrongs me, and my thoughts immediately turn to revenge. I think it’s a primitive view o...  Read More

This is a powerful verse, a convicting verse, and the answer to anyone who asks, “Do I need a savior?” The answer to that question is of course a very solid YES. The great equalizer among humans is th...  Read More

Have you ever heard the “christian” phrase tossed out that “God will not give you more than you can handle?” I think it is actually a very common belief and yet it is not correct. Like all lies from t...  Read More

Hope, that is what this verse speaks to me. It is a hope for the future, that there will be an end to all the misery and pain, the sorrow and death, and all the other realities of this life on this si...  Read More

Having been a Christian for many many years, it always does me well to come back to some of the fundamentals of the faith. Pastor Jim often speaks of the basic tenets we know as salvation in Christ al...  Read More

These days it is not uncommon to hear the Christian walk being touted as nothing but a prosperous one. God is love and wants the best for you so everything will always be ok. If you are really walking...  Read More

On Monday, April 8, the United States experienced a total solar eclipse, and while for us here in California it wasn’t very exciting, for those in the path of “totality” the sky went dark in the middl...  Read More

We just celebrated Easter last week and in the midst of the celebration and joy that we experience in our church services, it can be easy to forget just how dark the world is becoming around us. Howev...  Read More

I don’t think anyone likes the feeling of being wrong, or the feeling of guilt having done something wrong. So much so that often our first instinct when confronted about something we have done is to ...  Read More

As I read around this verse for context I was struck by how many truths we often recite as Christians are nestled within Romans chapter 8. I would implore you to read the entire chapter today and real...  Read More

Have you ever stopped to really contemplate the mercy of God? Our Pastor has often said “If God were to stamp out all sin at midnight, there would be no one left at 12:01.” And how true that statement...  Read More

This verse popped up today and I found it very appropriate as I am currently going through the jury selection process known as voir dire as part of jury duty, something I think most of us dread. What ...  Read More

It is now 2024, and a new year has dawned and with it, all the hope and promise that a new start typically brings. However, we cannot deny the fact that while great things may lie in store for us in t...  Read More

Anywhere in this world I think, but especially here in America it is easy to lose sight of the eternal while chasing after the material and temporel. As Christians we are called to follow the cause of...  Read More

If you had to pick the darkest day of the year, spiritually speaking what would it be? For me, I would say October 31st, All Hallows Eve, or Halloween, as we know it would be a top contender. It is th...  Read More

As the world seems to descend further into darkness around us, I think it is timely to remember that we as Christians were not guaranteed an easy or prosperous life here on earth. Rather we have actua...  Read More

Living on earth it is often easy to forget about higher things, heavenly things. We can get lost in the trivial, in our day-to-day lives, and focus only on what we can see with our own eyes. This vers...  Read More

Have you thanked God for anything lately? How about today? While there is so much pain, hurt, and trouble around us in the world today there is still plenty to be thankful for. And that is how we shou...  Read More

This verse comes in the middle of a passage, verse 12–17, describing the character of the “new person in Christ.” I would encourage you to read the whole passage as a reminder of what our life should ...  Read More

This is another verse that cuts the legs out from under the “I’m a good person” argument for why someone thinks they will get into heaven without Jesus. There are plenty of things that we do throughou...  Read More

Working in the Church office we will occasionally get people calling in with theological questions and as staff, we will do our best to help sort them out. One of these days a man called in asking for...  Read More

When I read this passage I am reminded how much this world is trying to force its belief system, its reality down our throats at almost every turn. We are told that we must accept everyone else based ...  Read More

July is when we celebrate our nation’s birthday, our independence. We make quite a big deal about independence, and liberty and freedom in this country, especially in July. But why is that? Why do we ...  Read More

Here in Micah, just prior to this verse the prophet is crying out a question. How can I please the Lord? He asks if it requires thousands of rams, or rivers of oil, or his firstborn for the sins of hi...  Read More

Today I turned forty. I don’t really feel forty but alas, here we are, four decades of life and almost all of them as a follower of Christ. I can look back and see plenty of examples of God’s faithful...  Read More

I was part of a seminar about immorality in the ministry, specifically how to prevent immorality, not how to be immoral. It is a poignant reminder of how easy it is to fall into the trap of sin, even ...  Read More

Have you ever felt timid or shy about your faith with others? Have you ever thought that others might think what you believe and stand for is weird, odd, or silly. I know as a kid I often had these th...  Read More

The world is doing a great job these days of watering down the gospel and the message of Jesus Christ. In its constant quest for tolerance it is constantly pushing that love and acceptance are the onl...  Read More

We just finished celebrating Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the very foundation of our faith! Praise God that He is risen, He is risen indeed! And in light of that momentous event I thought...  Read More

As I opened my Bible app this morning, this was the verse that was waiting for me, which I found very appropriate as we are still in the middle of “40 Days for Life” praying for the end of abortion. O...  Read More

I read the passage above as the “verse of the day” on my Bible app after returning from standing and praying in front of Planned Parenthood for the lives of the unborn. The passage immediately jumped ...  Read More