anxiety

Good Friday

April 9, 2020 by Tim Sherfy

What’s so “good” about a Good Friday in the middle of a worldwide pandemic? The answer is everything. In a time where hope is in short supply, Good Friday offers the hope of redemption, salvation, and life as God intended it. The people of the first century were no strangers to disease and sickness. It was a constant companion, only they lacked the medical care and facilities we have today. There were no ventilators, only the breath of life provided by the spirit of God.

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There were few doctors, but Jesus, the great physician, healed many with a word or a touch. People saw Jesus not only as an eternal Savior but also as one who could deliver them from their day-to-day troubles. Everything He did was good, and everyone He touched was restored. And then they killed Him.

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Times Like These

March 23, 2020 by Tim Sherfy

In times like these, it’s easy to lose our way. The needle on our internal compass seems a bit jumpy. The culture of a 24/7 news cycle can overwhelm with information and confuse us about what to believe. Stress and anxiety threaten to overcome our best intentions and defenses. Times like these bring out the best, and too often, the worst in humanity.

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For followers of Jesus, we can have peace. Our Lord is the Prince of Peace, and His grace and mercy are not in short supply. And yet, we seem to forget these truths when we need them most. Instead of relying on the peace and power of our Creator, we give in to the siren song of the crowd. There is no comfort there. We find comfort only in the arms of Jesus.

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Long-Term Planning

January 18, 2018 by Tim Sherfy

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Every new morning is a new beginning of our life. Every day is a completed whole. The present day should be the boundary of our care and striving (Matthew 6:34; James 4:14). It is long enough for us to find or lose God, to keep the faith or fall into sin and shame.” I find his words to be at once both inspiring and motivating.

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In the American culture in which I live, there is much emphasis on long-term planning. We plan for retirement and financial independence. We make 5, 10, even 20-year plans for our lives, all the while knowing Jesus called it foolishness as none of us has a guarantee of even tomorrow (Luke 12:13-21). It leads me to believe we as disciples of Jesus are getting it all wrong.

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