Podcast Alive Ministries

“The Bible seeks to catch our lives up in a grand adventure, a great saga of God’s dealing with humanity – a saga begun in God’s journey with Israel, continued in the surprising call of God even unto Gentiles. The church is the product of that story.” – William Willimon, Shaped by the Bible The […] Related posts: Covenant People Live the Best Lives Becoming Gospel People Connect to Grow

        10 SIGNS YOU ARE a Chair Two Christians Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  In chapter 4 there is a list of the 10 signs you might be lukewarm (half hearted about being Christian). Lukewarm people attend church regularly, because that’s what good Christians do. Lukewarm people give money to charity and church…as […] Related posts: Will You Be Ready? Parable of the 10 Bridesmaids You Are Here pt1 Vital Signs: Heart Check-up

We all want to leave a legacy, to do something that will make a significant difference. We all want to know that the time we spent on this plant, the reason for our existence meant something to somebody. We want to leave a legacy. There are three things every legacy speaks to. (1) What is […] Related posts: Creating a Lasting Legacy Tomorrow’s Legacy Today Legacy is more than the Pursuit of Happiness

Every one of us will leave a legacy behind when we die.  So the question is not "Will I leave a legacy?" But rather, "What kind of legacy will I leave?"  Psalm 1 is consider by many to be the gatekeeper or the entry into the psalms in both wisdom and theology. Wisdom comes from […] Related posts: Creating a Lasting Legacy Tomorrow’s Legacy Today The Pursuit of Heaven part 4

Every one of us will leave a legacy behind when we die.  So the question is not "Will I leave a legacy?" But rather, "What kind of legacy will I leave?"  In his letter to the new pastor, Timothy, Paul shares his experiences and his wisdom as he mentors Timothy in his calling.   Read 1 […] Related posts: Creating a Lasting Legacy Legacy is more than the Pursuit of Happiness The Children are our Legacy

Sermon Slides: Christmas Eve Service 12.24.14 Charles Dickens published this classic work on December 19, 1848 and it quickly became a best seller. The message is timeless and the journey from miser to benefactor is one every person on earth must travel. This Christmas Eve, we consider the story of the birth of Christ learn how […] Related posts: A Christmas Carol Christmas Eve: The Great Story of Christmas The WHY of Christmas

There is a little bit of Scrooge in all of us. GENEROSITY is the best cure for a Heart-cold It must flow OUTWARDLY: “I will bless you and you will be a blessing to others.” Gen 12 When we bless others, we feel God’s presence flow It must flow FAITHFULLY: Give us today our daily bread. Matthew […] Related posts: Blessed Beyond Reason Prayer of Jabez ~ Blessed The Problem of Blessings

Every one of us will leave a legacy behind when we die.  So the question is not "Will I leave a legacy?" But rather, "What kind of legacy will I leave?"  In his letter to the new believers in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul reveals three characteristics that produce a long lasting spiritual legacy:  faith, hope […] Related posts: Tomorrow’s Legacy Today Legacy is more than the Pursuit of Happiness Creating a Culture of Contagious Generosity

When we think about the purpose of Christmas we often fall back on classic hymns, but they can often be misleading. Consider "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" God rest ye merry, gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember, Christ, our Saviour Was born on Christmas day To save us all from Satan's power When we were gone […] Related posts: Christmas Eve: The Great Story of Christmas Lessons from A Christmas Carol Is There Room for Christ at Your Inn?

I believe more people are afraid of the reality of grace than not. Grace, as defined in the Bible, is confrontational and deeply troubling. It demands a response and says this is the right way to live and to be human. In the face of grace all our delusions, well crafted excuses and alternative realities […] Related posts: Confronting Fear Overcoming a Monotonous Life The Problem with Cheap Grace

    Jesus has had without a doubt the greatest influence on world history, social structure, political structures, national boundaries and our understanding of human existence than any other person in history. We still study his teaching, dissect and parse his words, mine his parables and seek to look through the lens of spirituality he reveal as […] Related posts: The Humanity of Jesus as the Key to Joy The Questions Jesus Asked Is There Room for Christ at Your Inn?

We all go through difficult times in our lives, times when we feel like no body else understands what we're going through or what we need. We hide behind smiles and tailored suites and dresses secure in our misery of loneliness. If only someone understood, if only someone could share the burden, if only someone […] Related posts: The Challenges of Following Jesus The Questions Jesus Asked The Jesus Promise

  The value of any belief, virtue or goal in life is directly proportional to the amount you are willing to risk to achieve it, the obstacles you will face to make it come true and the time that must sacrificed to grow into it. In a world of quick fixes and sound bits, values and virtues […] Related posts: Signs of Becoming an Economic Atheist Christian Independence Living for Just a Bit More

I had this discussion with my daughter the other day, is it really possible to be a Christian, believing and serving God, and an Economic Atheist, trusting and serving yourself as your own god of money? I say emphatically, "YES." I think it happens in church and faith community all the times. There are simply […] Related posts: Vital Signs: Heart Check-up 15 Signs that your church lacks Vision Look for the Signs

     The men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Numbers 13:33  There they are, […] Related posts: Are You Ready to Move Forward in 2014? Facing Your Lions with Confidence The Future of Asking Why

There comes a moment in everyone's life when we feel our back's up against the wall, something has got to be done and God seems silent. We pray, we plead, we promise and we prostrate ourselves in the hopes that God will take away the pressure. The History of the Bible is filled with such […] Related posts: The Biggest Wall What to do in a Season of Change Enjoy the Silence – Day 7

When God appears to Moses and to the Hebrews, it is a far cry from what they had expected as it usually is with us as well. We look for God to take care of our problems, solve the predicament we've gotten ourselves into, forgive every selfish decision, overlook every grievance and in general bless […] Related posts: The Parables: The Generous Landowner Day 2 – You are NOT an Accident Expectations of Haiti Mission Team III

We all go through seasons of dryness when the joy and excitement of new life seem to be a distant memory. Actually we feel like God has abandoned us and life as we know it has come to an end. If you've never felt that way, hang on because it is a basic human experience. […] Related posts: A Leading Cause of Life is Hope Moses the Wounded Deliverer How to develop Life Altering Faith

We don't know much about the life of Moses, but we do know it was a life marked by change, disappointment, spectacular challenges and unimaginable encounters with God that would require courage and humility. Yet each of us will go through a season of change and time of become someone different. What can we learn […] Related posts: Waiting on God Moses the Wounded Deliverer Change Come to Everyone!