I want to start today by telling you that we are in my favorite week or two of the year, I love this time of year. Maybe that should be more of a warning, because this time of year, hits my heart pretty hard. I love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. I grew up always looking forward to this time of year. It just always hit me as a time of laughter and joy and rest, after what . . . Read More »
Only God can Reproduce God
It’s Christmas. It really is the most special time of year. The reason it’s so special is because God entered earth as a baby. And when that happened, it sent shock waves through history. Today, the birth of Jesus is still radically impacting our culture today. How? Think about most of the Christmas movies produced. The themes around Christmas are, ‘believe’, ‘hope’, and ‘love’. Even if you don’t believe in God, in general, people are impacted by some . . . Read More »
Soaring on the Wings of Eagles…Really?
So today we continue this I am Second series looking at a very inspiring young lady. Some may know her from the movie Soul Surfer which is all about her story. Her name is Bethany Hamilton, and I will tell you her story is inspiring and challenging because of how she responds to adversity, and the challenges of life. I know by now you probably sick of hearing about it, and you are thinking is he seriously going . . . Read More »
The Hardest Person To Forgive
You know if you have been anywhere near MRC in anyway, you probably have seen one of our favorite images. It’s the image of an upside down turtle with this one very specific question on it; “stuck?” We love that imagery and we use it on everything from our Facebook page, to our billboards, and our invitations to our church because it really says a lot about how a lot of us feel. We can feel stuck in . . . Read More »
How To Be Grateful
Janelle Hail I am Second video. Janelle’s story shows us the power of gratitude. She said: “I looked at my hands and held them out saying, “Thank you, God, that I have two hands to work for you. I have two feet to go where you want me to go. I have a mouth to speak for you.” At that moment, gratitude overtook me and erased the scar on my heart.” – Janelle Hail Founder/CEO of National Breast . . . Read More »
If God is all powerful, why is there suffering?
One of the greatest challenges we have is trying to understand why there is pain and suffering in our life. I have a family member who claims they don’t believe in God. As I was talking with them, they shared with me that in high school, one of their best friends was killed in an accident. It’s hard for them to understand how God could be all powerful and loving and allow pain and struggle. Just recently in . . . Read More »
The Way Through
So today, we continue this I Am Second series looking at Brian Welch, who was a musician in the band Korn. I’m excited because as I watched his story I realized even though he is a famous rock star, with fame, and fortune, and all that comes with that rock star life, he also deals with a lot of what you and I deal with. When I watch his testimony I see that Brian is in the whirlwind of life, . . . Read More »
How Does God Heal Me?
Lisa Ryan I am second video. Scripture says: A healthy spirit conquers adversity, but what can you do when the spirit is crushed? MSG Proverbs 18:14 Does that connect with you? Have you noticed that the hurt you experience from people doesn’t just go away? It can stick to you? Have you ever walked with guilt or fear or worry for a long time? What does it do to you? It wears you out – doesn’t? The reverse . . . Read More »
When will the local church focus on people who are torn up in this world?
Brian Welch I am Second video. Do you know what I see and hear in this video? There is a world full of people who have been torn apart. They are in deep pain and they have no idea how much God is over-the-top in love with them. They have no idea about how God can redeem them. They have no idea about being in God’s presence. Please hear me tell you, many of them are soft hearted, . . . Read More »
Sometimes Pain Comes In Handy
I’m just going to come right out and say this as we get started today, I think today we are going to get into the true reality of life today, and if we are honest, reality isn’t always pretty. So as we jump into the next story in our “I Am Second” series you need to know, this one is going to be very raw. I know it might not be the world we show people on social . . . Read More »