When I was in high school I remember one of my favorite times of the year was the start of baseball season. The grass was beginning to green and the air seemed fresher in the outfield of our high school field.

Although the conditioning part of the season wasn’t necessarily my favorite, it was still a necessary part. We would stretch, run, throw, run some more, throw again and finish with running. We did this for about two weeks before we ever touched a bat!

However, the batting eventually came. There was something special about stepping into the batter’s box for the first time each season. This is what we’d been training for. And even though there are many facets to baseball like defense, running and strategy, there is nothing like stepping up to the plate and hitting a baseball.

One of my favorite phrases to both hear and say in Christian ministry is, “It was a God thing!” When we hear that phrase, the general thought is this… …if God had not been involved it would not have happened! Or, it only happened because God was in it!

How’s your prayer life? Are you spending time with God everyday? Are your conversations with Him geared more toward speaking or listening? Do you spend more time praising Him or asking Him for things?

My wife and I recently attended the Wisconsin State Fair. Honestly, we only go for one reason: the food! We love the cream puffs, the fried cheese, the pork chop on a stick, the roasted corn, and the list goes on and on. It's both fun and tasty to try all the different foods...and boy is it filling. I wish we all had the same kind of appetite for God's Word.

Welcome Solis’

Churches have many watershed moments. From breaking ground for a new building to burning the mortgage of an existing facility, the body of Christ is a place of growth and change. In fact, if it isn’t a place of growth and change, it will eventually cease to exist.

“Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him (Luke 24: 13-16).”

These two followers of Christ were talking about all they had witnessed with regard to Jesus’ crucifixion. They told the stranger (Jesus) that they had hoped Jesus would be the one to redeem Israel. But now he was not only dead, his body was missing as well. Jesus then shared the Scriptures with them emphasizing that everything happened just as it was supposed to.

Do you ever have trouble with Romans 12: 15? The verse simply says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn (NIV).” I think for most people, it is easier to mourn with those who mourn than to rejoice with those who rejoice.

I heard from a friend today that their pastor made a statement in his sermon that went something like, “We celebrate Christmas because of sin.” Of course, I’ve always known that to be true, but I had never really heard it said that way before.

The reason Jesus came to this earth as a little baby was to save us from our sins. That’s what Christmas is all about. There are many good and fun things we may do in the context of Christmas…like helping the needy (our adopt-a-family), buying gifts for family and friends, getting together with loved ones—…but the ultimate reason for the season is our sins.