When we go to a bakery, we want to know if the bread or the treats were made fresh.  Why is that? Could it be that we know that today’s bread will be better than yesterday’s bread? Yesterday’s bread is still good of course, it hasn’t expired and there is no mold on it, but fresh bread just tastes different (especially when it’s warm. Mmmm).  When the Israelites were in the wilderness and God fed them with manna from Heaven (Exodus 16:13-26). He told them not to store any, except on the day...

We are all called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). However, we are also called to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other that we may be healed (James 5:16).  When leaders fall or fellow believers lose their faith, we comment, we question, we whisper, and maybe we get as far as praying. But here is the question, did we ever create room for that person to be honest about their struggles and failures - before the seeds they privately ...

ENTERING THE WILDERNESS The Wilderness is necessary.  The temptations are intentional.  Can you believe that? The seasons of isolation, the challenges, the struggles, the frustrations, the lack- all of it, intentional.  But here is the thing, while they are allowed, we are expected to intentionally overcome them. In overcoming, new dimensions of who we are and who we are meant to be are revealed. The Israelites had a wilderness. Jesus had a wilderness. And we have a wilderness of our own. In...