Author Archives: pastorsteverichards

What do you want? I ask this question a lot. Really, what do you want? Not the stuff you would like to acquire, but in living today and tomorrow and into the future, what do you want? It is a … Continue reading →

And the God of all grace… will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (1 Peter 5:10) As I read the final chapter of 1 Peter, I realized how in five short chapters some form of the … Continue reading →

If you knew the end of all things was near, what would you do? If today was the last day, how would that change the way you live today? The editors of the Bible I am using put the words … Continue reading →

“Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” This phrase is attributed to a 19th century journalist named Finley Peter Dunne, but I first heard the words in a preaching class in seminary. It was suggested that this is what our preaching … Continue reading →

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. (1 Peter 2:16) A few weeks ago, I had breakfast with my best friend from college. We had lost track of … Continue reading →

The prayer of the righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16) Prayer is really about making ourselves available. It is being present to God. When we are available and present to God, the extraordinary happens. Just remember that the … Continue reading →

James indicates we have a choice. We can be a friend of the world or a friend of God, but we cannot be both. To be a friend of the world negates a friendship with God. To be a friend … Continue reading →

In Psalm 46:10, God says, “Be still.” The Hebrew word probably means something more like “Enough!” Like taking an out-of-control child by the shoulders and saying, “That’s enough!” STOP. And God says, then “know that I am God.” Today’s Old … Continue reading →

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  (Hebrews 11:1) In this chapter, the writer shows that all of scripture points toward the one thing – the main thing. Faith. The next … Continue reading →

It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:31) That’s a sentence that has my attention. What could be so dreadful about the hands of God? Then I remembered some of my parenting … Continue reading →