Faith means a long-term commitment to God’s will in spite of circumstances or criticism. A true experience with God will evoke life change. Faith’s actions have long-lasting and eternal results.

Who is our neighbor? Our neighbor is anyone of any race, creed, or social background who is in need. Deep fulfillment and joy are ours when we pause and give to help others. If our beliefs and behaviors don’t result in a deeper expression of our love for God and others, then our beliefs need to be re-processed and altered.

ONE MINUTE OF SILENCE FROM 5:14 to 6:14. Resting from work is a part of a healthy lifestyle. God thought it was so important, it was the longest of the ten commandments. Jesus taught that Sabbath was not a religious observance, but a time to commune with God and others. We are to remember, rest and delight in God. NOTE: Audio lost between minutes 5 and 6 Move cursor forward.

At some point in our journey, most of us trade adventure for routine. While some routines can be good, we have to be careful. Sacred routines become empty rituals that keep us caged!

Living courageously means sharing Christ fearlessly. We bond together as co-workers as we reach the world for Christ. Church-goers are not to be consumers, but committed followers of Christ.

Jesus had much to say about divorce and remarriage. The sermon deals with what Jesus said about marriage and divorce, whether or not Jesus was a liberal or conservative when it came to the issue of divorce, and the Biblical guidelines for marriage and divorce. The permanence of marriage is also emphasized.

Many of us analyze the Bible to resolve doctrinal and behavioral questions instead of immersing ourselves in a story that is intended to saturate our heart, soul and mind. To delve into the feelings and emotions that underlie our actions and behaviors, we must ask the relational questions grounded in Matthew 22: How does this passage relate to loving Jesus? How does this passage relate to loving others? How does this passage relate to loving myself?

Closing the gap in our spiritual lives means moving from where we are to where God longs for us to be — experiencing the abundant life. It is possible to know the scriptures and miss the life — an intimate relationship with Christ and a genuine relationship with His bride, the church. We can’t close the gap alone and isolated from others. Even Jesus needed intimate friends.

Church is never a perfect place. The closest to perfection the church will ever become here on earth is described in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost. A great church is bound by Bible-based teaching, fellowship, prayer, healing and evangelizing. It is a place where we can find nurture, care and spiritual life with others who share a common purpose.

God’s Word tells us when we are sick to give thanks in all things, look for God’s refining work in our lives, seek to have His heart and pray in faith for healing. God’s physical miracles are shadows of His spiritual work for our eternal lives.

My youngest daughter Bronwyn has always pushed the envelope, sticking her hairy toe across any line drawn before her. Bronwyn, or “White Breast” was a Welsh heroine in her father’s favorite book, “How Green Was My Valley.” We never told her what her real name meant until much later. We just called her “pure heart” which matches her nature now. Her “pure heart,” however, was coupled with a predilection for stubbornness and extreme sports. Life with the Bronskie was never dull. When she burst forth from the womb (after performing a continual tap-dance in my abdomen for nine months) her bright red face and Indian mohawk were prophetic. Her colicky warpath made for long nights of rocking and loud days of cajoling. Once we passed babyhood, Roger and I were sure Bronie would settle down. Forget it. She protested any hair-combing or hair-washing the first two years of life. Headbands and hats were our only option. I don’t blame her for being cross. Nobody could spell or pronounce her name (including her). She was dubbed everything from “Brownie” to “Broadman” (the name of the old Baptist hymnal). Her only consolation came years later when we travelled to Wales and discovered her name was a household word. Instead of Barbie dolls, Welsh little girls had Bronwyn dolls. Bronwyn had three treasured possessions in her young life: the first was the “animal blankie”-a multi-colored mini-quilt pock-marked with farm animals and handed down from her older sister, Brianna. One tear-filled afternoon, we jumped in the car, peeled out and frantically drove to El Paso’s Motel 6 to retrieve it-dust bunnies and all. The second treasured possession was a blue taffeta dress with a built-in jingle bell petticoat. It never left her stinky body between the ages of three and four without a fist fight. The third, and by far the greatest, was a bald baby doll named Otis Lee. Otis appeared as the trophy toy from her three-year-old Christmas bounty. None of the other gifts mattered. It was Otis who stole her heart. Otis had a hard life. Besides the smelly task of living under Bronwyn’s armpit day and night, Otis had many brushes with death. Becky, our black and white border collie, fancied Otis as a chew-toy. Besides dragging the plastic heartthrob through dog-poop, several teeth-marks had actually penetrated Otis’ skull. After major surgery and some duct tape, Otis survived. We’re not sure whether he had brain damage. The worst catastrophe of Otis’ and Bronwyn’s lives came when her older sister Brianna had finally taken all of the pestering she could stand from her annoying little sister. Being the precocious yet sneaky seven-year-old that she was, Brie watched the weather channel to find a rainy night in July. After dark, she slipped Otis under a very deeply planted rosebush and waited for the mud to bury Otis alive. Her act was ruthless, pre-meditated dolly murder. Much to my chagrin, Otis was found. Bronwyn was in hysterics. In desperation, I threw Otis in the washer on perma-press. Although the rubber body parts were slightly deformed, Bronwyn didn’t mind. Otis slept in her bed for years. One day she was forced to give up Otis for another. Otis was exchanged for Richard, the man who captured her heart. Bronwyn loved Otis, but as long as she held onto him, she could never grow-up and enjoy the man of her dreams. After all, Richard is washable. We hold onto many things in this life-journey. Most of them are made of plastic. However, if by faith we choose to invite Jesus Christ into our lives and receive His gift of eternal life, we are forever transformed. All the playthings of this earth seem to fade when He captures our hearts. We do not carry Him under our arm, as Bronwyn toted Otis. We carry Him in our hearts. And when He draws us with His love, we will never be the same.

We witness at every stage of our spiritual growth, but we evangelize more effectively as we mature in Christ. Fishing for lost souls looks like accepting the rejected, supporting the struggling and comforting the hurting, the example Jesus sets.