Pastor Tom's Community

Some of the preaching I hear is just a lot of hot air. I hate to sound judgmental, but if it is not life-giving, refreshing, and enlivening, what is it? We feel like we are living in a spiritual dust bowl. When God raised up the children of Israel, they were a desert people.  Read …

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Mary_of_the_Presentation_Catholic_Church_(Geneva,_Indiana)_-_stained_glass,_Christ_forgive_a_penitent.jp Psalm 22:5  – They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. What was it that our fathers did that brought them into the experience of God’s deliverance? It was very little and very much. It was very little of human effort or initiative. However, it was a…

  How do you know that an invisible God who rarely manifests His presence directly and obviously in your life is really hearing and answering? Sometimes it is in the subtleties; often it is in the coincidences; frequently it is in the irrational peace or the unexplained strength and faith that arises in our hearts…

Who is my mother, my sister, my brother?Who is my neighbor, my friend, my another?This is the crux, the crisis, the cross.This is what matters. All else is loss. Medium Member' link: https://medium.com/@tomsims/what-do-you-mean-by-my-neighbor-32767e27adc3 Friend Link: https://medium.com/@tomsims/what-do-you-mean-by-my-neighbor-32767e27adc3?sk=99f9f357c25ad8d3b54492f03eeb1a0d Excerpt We all know the story. It was prompted by a question and occasioned by a teaching in response…

  In Acts 16, Paul has come to a very unique city, a Roman colony, Philippi. It is located in present day Greece. There are very few Jews there, but there are some God-fearing women. One of them, Lydia of Thyatira, becomes the first believer in Europe. A little later, Paul is having a successful…

Favor with God “The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.’” – Luke 1:30 Mary had reason to be startled. She was seeing an angel. She had probably never seen one before. But even if the angel looked like an ordinary man, she might have been…

Photo by Mark Koch on Unsplash "O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!" – Isaiah 40:9 I have always been inspired by…

We calculate net worth when we evaluate our finances, apply for loans, or make other financial decisions. Real net worth is more holistic and spiritual. Consider these verses. Rich Toward God “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. “-Luke 12: 21 This is not so much about…

Most people never intentionally lie. They (we) just come across snippets of information that support what we believe. We fully embrace them, skim the surface, avoid nuances, simplify, and pass them on as gospel truth to be received by others and passed on with our endorsement. ——————————— Often, the most disturbing lies are the ones…

  It is not about the rain.Rain falls everywhere.It falls on everyone. It is not about the wind.Wind blows everywhere.It blows on everyone. It is not always about design of the house.It is not always about the materials you use.It is not about how hard you work to build it.Not always though those things matter.…