The book of Hosea is an incredible picture of God’s relationship with many of His people. Hosea was a prophet to the nation of Israel during a time of rebellion and idol worship. God decided that the best way to reveal their sin and turn them back to Himself was to show them their error through the life of Hosea.

This was the command that changed everything for mankind. For this was the one command that God gave Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. And it was the one act of breaking this one command that placed all of mankind under the dominion of sin and death.

Growing up the in the church I heard a lot of phrases used over and over again. Phrases that at one time were powerful statements of truth, but then as they were used again and again without further explanation they became empty clichés. Phrases that were repeated in order to sound spiritual, but no real power because they lost their meaning.

When I had just entered into university at the age of 18, like most people my age, I was still grappling with trying to wrap my head around some of the great mysteries of life. Important questions such as how does my faith in Christ apply to my everyday life, will my life make a difference in this big world and the unanswerable one – why was disco so popular in the 70’s.

On a bright sunny day without a cloud in sight and no wind to speak of, you probably wouldn’t be able to discern any difference between the two. They would both be beautiful homes to live in, to raise a family in, to rest in. Maybe the one built upon sand would be even nicer with it’s proximity to the beach!

Sixty-five years ago the world was introduced to an instant classic by C.S. Lewis with the release of a much beloved book “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” Aslan, the Pevensie children and the land of Narnia have continued to be strongly loved with each generation since and have included six more books in the series by Lewis and various movie adaptations

Weakness. Nobody enjoys feeling it. Society, at best, pities it; at worst, it condemns it. We often try and hide it, afraid what others will think about us if they ever found out about it. When asked about our weaknesses during a job interview we make up something silly like, “I work too hard.” or “As a perfectionist I need to do everything perfectly and on time.“

Imagine I walked up to you on a warm day and offered you a cool glass of fresh sewer water. Would you drink it? Assuming you are not the type to do anything on a dare, the normal response would be to say, “No way! I would never drink that stuff.”

We live in a broken world. You don’t have to look far to see that things are not what God made them to be in the Garden of Eden. It could be a terminal or debilitating illness, loss of loved ones, difficulties with those around you, inability to find a job, or haunted by your past from the sin and failures of yourself or others towards you, we all face troubles and trials in this world.

Who is the most spiritually mature person that you know? Can you picture them in your mind? Now, why did you pick that person? What was the criteria for your selection?

“Why God?” Has there ever been a more asked question than “Why God?” It is a question that is often asked in the wake of a tragedy such as when a loved one dies unexpectedly, a prayer for a miracle to cure a loved one is not fulfilled or when we see the destruction of a natural disaster such as the recent earthquake in Nepal.

There is an abundance of resources available to aid people in the area of evangelism, of how to share your faith in a way that leads others to Christ for salvation. I am sure that they would all agree that the best scenario would be one where the person who is lost asks the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” For this question is from someone that is presumably ready to make a decision for Jesus and simply needs to be taught how.”

When you ask people what they really want in life I expect many people would answer, “To be happy.” This desire has been so central to the western mindset that the founders of America decided that “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” was an “unalienable right.”

Growing up I remember loving the original ‘Karate Kid’ movie. Like most young kids at the time, seeing an awkward kid learn from Mr Miyagi how to fight against bullies and overcome their attacks led me to want to try my own ‘crane kick’ in my backyard.

God does not waste anything. He uses every opportunity to teach and develop within us a greater trust upon Him. That’s because trust is a basic element of every relationship. Take a moment and examine your own relationships.

A well known theologian was once asked what was the most important truth that he had ever learned during his studies. His answer was as simple as it was profound, “Jesus loves me, this I know.”

Some marketing campaigns are based on the premise that if you repeat something enough times it becomes the dominant belief. Sometimes this is used with ill intentions by repeating a mistruth over and over again until people just assume it is the truth. These misinformation campaigns are often seen in political campaigns, whether they are done by special interest groups, lobbyists or the political parties themselves.

Imagine you are hosting a fancy dinner party at your home for some important friends. And wanting to make it a really special night, you decide to go all out and make, from scratch, some super, fancy, extravagant, over the top, “I can’t believe you made that!” dessert from your new Martha Stewart cookbook “Perfect Dinner Party’s by Martha Stewart.”

Beginning in John chapter 13 is the account of what is commonly referred to as the last supper. It includes the final discourse of teaching by Jesus to His disciples before He was crucified. After washing the disciples feet (displaying what it means to love another) and telling them (again) what was about to happen to Him on the cross, Jesus shared some final words. You might think of this a death bed conversation because it was Jesus’ last opportunity to share anything with His disciples before He would be arrested, tried and crucified before them leaving the disciples to dive into a deep pool of fear and anxiety. And with all death bed conversations, the most important things in life are discussed.