Focus on Faith

I read an article in a synagogue newsletter written by the rabbi titled “Israel: Off Our Radar Screens?” The article was about American Jews born after 1955 and their relationship to the state of Israel. The results are rather stunning for me as an ardent Zionist. The rabbi found that young Jews don’t feel a closeness to the state of Israel because they haven’t encountered anti-Semitism or oppression, unlike a generation or two ago.

Let’s go to Matthew 22:35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" 37 Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment.

Galatians 5:1 says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” The Greek literally says, “Persevere, triumph - do not be moved off of - the freedom through which The Messiah (Jesus) has liberated us; and never be ensnared again with the yoke of slavery”. From many hours of study in the book of Galatians, I believe this is the key verse - the verse that sums up the whole b ...

“For Thine Is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory” O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:1-3 “1 I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. 2 I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. 3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.” Psalm 18:30 “30 God’s way is perfect.

Haskel and JoLee Cooley are coming to town. Don’t miss their program Time for Refreshing to be presented at Spring Branch Baptist Church on Sunday, March 14 at 6:00 p.m. Haskel sings and plays the piano (formerly the pianist with the Weatherfords and the Cathedrals); JoLee sings and plays the bass guitar.

A congregation laid out a less than thoughtful plan for building a new building. 1) We shall build a new building. 2) The new building will be built on the site of the old one. 3) The old material in the old one will be used in the new one.

Dino Maisano will be the instructor for Walk Thru the Bible – The Old Testament to be hosted by Blanco United Methodist Church on Saturday, March 6, 9:00am – 4:00pm. He will present a fun-filled, action-paced seminar that helps attendees to reconnect with the biblical characters, geographical movements in history, and the message and meaning of scripture – scripture that is as relevant today as when it was written. Maisano has been an associate instructor wi ...

1 Corinthians 2:1-2 “1As for myself, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony and evidence or mystery and secret of God [concerning what He has done through Christ for the salvation of men] in lofty words of eloquence or human philosophy and wisdom; 2For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucifie ...

Although it’s not a Bible verse, certainly “Good things come to those that wait” is a Biblical principle. “Be not weary in well doing, for in due season you’ll reap a harvest” and “Through faith and patience we inherit the promises” are a couple of examples. We at Abundant Grace are thrilled to see these verses come to pass in our church.

Matthew 22:37 says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your mind” (paraphrased). Now the gospel of Mark adds, “And with all of your strength” (Mk. 12:30). It adds a fourth distinction there. Those four distinctions that are all complimentary to one another, though they do have some very definite distinctions.