tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52901144519319035342011-09-04T07:05:23.949-07:00Help for following Jesus every day.R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.comBlogger1021100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-24733164599228571162010-12-07T14:59:00.000-08:002010-12-07T14:59:19.407-08:00

My mother died from cancer eighteen years ago at the age of 51. I remember the last time I was with her alive. It was Mother’s Day 1992. We had driven from Kansas City back home to Pueblo, Colorado to see her and my dad. She was very sick; yellow from the jaundice because her liver and kidneys were shutting down; almost too weak to get out of bed. We sat with her, read scripture together, sang

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-87671939176826048892010-12-06T15:17:00.001-08:002010-12-06T15:17:30.349-08:00

Long ago two boys on the bank of the Mississippi River watched a mighty paddle wheeler majestically move down the river. As it drew near, one boy laid down his fishing pole and began to wave frantically and yell. The other lad laughed at the effort of his friend to get the attention of the paddle wheeler, but suddenly the giant vessel began to slow down and then turned toward the bank. In

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-88919555230087033062010-12-03T06:44:00.000-08:002010-12-03T06:44:30.395-08:00

I don’t know what you are facing today—maybe the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, or the loss of health yourself or from someone you love. Afflictions and trials hit all of us. No one is immune from trouble, it is part of life on this sinful world. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." For the child of God, afflictions can

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-71157306725427698582010-12-02T14:16:00.001-08:002010-12-02T14:19:36.668-08:00

Afflictions come in all shapes and sizes. An affliction can be as small as an aggravating head cold or as large as a major illness, the loss of a job, public persecution, or rumors spread by your enemies. Or an affliction could be the sort of cosmic suffering Job experienced. Some affliction is self-induced, sometimes others bring affliction to us, sometimes affliction is just the result of

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-45632457667244507972010-11-16T12:58:00.000-08:002010-11-16T12:58:25.926-08:00

When the British and French were fighting in Canada in Octorber of 1690, Sir William Phips of Massachusetts, commander of the British fleet, was to anchor outside Quebec. He was to wait for the British land forces to arrive, and then support them when they attacked the city. Contrary to the plan Phipps’ navy arrived early. As Phips waited, he became annoyed by the statues of the saints that

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-29068661976105004172010-11-15T11:30:00.000-08:002010-11-15T11:30:53.323-08:00

In my last post I looked at Luke 9:49-50 to see what it teaches us about people who serve Jesus who are not a part of my group. The passage reads:49  Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."50  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."From this I

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-43375115857140088522010-11-11T11:05:00.000-08:002010-11-11T11:05:09.053-08:00

How do I interact with followers of Jesus who are not like me? What if they being to a different group? What if their worship style is different than ours? What if they spread the gospel using a different method than my church? What if they have a different emphasis in the community?Here is a truth I learned from Luke 9:49-50: Jesus has many servants and most do not look like me.49  Now John

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-55167445511994828162010-11-09T07:07:00.000-08:002010-11-10T06:17:12.703-08:00

I don’t sleep as soundly or as long as I used to. I am not really sure why. Maybe it’s just another one of those annoying things that happen as we grow older—like the hair that grows everywhere except the top of my head; or the furrows in my forehead that appear to have been pulled by a deep eight-bottom plow; or my inability to tolerate loud music anymore.So when I wake up now—at midnight, at

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-54591299687719474912010-11-08T10:15:00.000-08:002010-11-08T10:15:27.725-08:00

“Say okay and do it right away.” I have heard my wife say that little rhyme to our kids many times over the years. I was reminded of it again as I studied Psalm 119 this week. Psalm 119:57-64 is really a prayer to the all sufficient God. God is sufficient as my portion—He is what I really need and want. In these next verses I see God is sufficient as my Lord and Master. (Psalm 119:59-61)59  I

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-14482644497556754462010-11-05T07:28:00.000-07:002010-11-08T05:48:01.072-08:00

"Jesus … He is all we need and all we want. We are shipwrecked on God and stranded on omnipotence!" — Vance HavnerPsalm 119:57-64 is really a prayer to the all sufficient God. The writer of Psalm 119 has already said that he loves God’s Word, longs for the Word, aches for a deeper desire, and he desperately prays for more eye-opening, treasure-discovering, soul-satisfying delight in the Word of

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-7840892784326764332010-11-04T16:09:00.000-07:002010-11-04T16:09:57.954-07:00

Psalm 11957  You are my portion, O LORD; I have said that I would keep Your words.58  I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word.59  I thought about my ways, And turned my feet to Your testimonies.60  I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments.61  The cords of the wicked have bound me, But I have not forgotten Your law.62  At midnight I

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-8509224045490951722010-10-13T09:12:00.000-07:002010-10-13T09:12:25.649-07:00

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3.Don Graham writes about a young woman named Linda who was traveling alone up the rutted and rugged highway from Alberta to the Yukon in the fall of the year. Linda didn't know you don't travel to Whitehorse alone in a

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-7995313420919862752010-10-12T15:06:00.001-07:002010-10-12T15:06:51.179-07:00

When’s the last time you invited someone to come home with you for dinner after a Sunday worship service? I remember my first Sunday in Lompoc, California in 1984. I was a new second lieutenant in the USAF reporting at Vandenberg AFB on Monday.  I looked in the yellow pages (yes this was before the internet!) for a place to worship, and was able to find it just a couple blocks off the main street

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-82912354708053710102010-10-07T10:09:00.000-07:002010-10-07T10:12:36.226-07:00

Psalm 119:49-56Request from the Afflicted: Remember (Psalm 119:49-50) “Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope.” When we pray, especially when we are afflicted, it is always good to pray for God to remember (or to act upon) His promises in His word. When Nehemiah prayed he said, "Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses,” (Neh. 1:8).  When

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-42331922659360299222010-10-05T10:12:00.000-07:002010-10-05T10:12:02.342-07:00

This week I met some of the parents whose kids are in marching band with my son at the local high school. As I was talking with one man I sensed the urging of the Holy Spirit to share with him about my relationship with Jesus Christ. At the same instance I also felt a great fear well up in the pit of my stomach. I knew God wanted me to say something, but at the same time I felt like I couldn’t do

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-88681262678301986482010-10-01T06:20:00.000-07:002010-10-01T06:27:59.329-07:00

General Oglethorpe once said to John Wesley: “I never forgive and I never forget.” To which Wesley replied: “Then, sir, I hope that you never sin.”In my last two posts I wrote about what Jesus said about forgiveness in Matthew 18. Peter asked Jesus, “How often should I forgive my brother, seven times?" (Verse 21). And Jesus answered, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-25430045290087252532010-09-30T07:06:00.000-07:002010-09-30T07:06:29.333-07:00

In my last post I wrote about what Jesus said about forgiveness in Matthew 18. Peter asked Jesus, “How often should I forgive my brother, seven times?" (Verse 21). And Jesus answered, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”Then, as He often does, Jesus tells a story. It goes something like this: There was a slave who owed the king 10,000 talents. (Now if a talent

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-41004362444666433722010-09-29T11:47:00.000-07:002010-09-29T11:47:00.405-07:00

The mother ran into the bedroom when she heard her seven-year-old son scream. She found his two-year-old sister pulling his hair. She gently released the little girl’s grip and said comfortingly to the boy, "There, there. She didn’t mean it. She doesn’t know that hurts." He nodded his acknowledgement, and she left the room.As she started down the hall she heard the little girl scream. Rushing

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-19801468494184887972010-09-28T05:41:00.000-07:002010-09-28T18:42:06.958-07:00

I was watching the NASCAR race last Sunday at New Hampshire (No, unfortunately I wasn’t at the race. I watched it from my living room). Tony Stewart was leading the race with one lap to go when his car ran out of gas. Rather than win the race he finished 24th. The guy who won the race, Clint Bowyer, later had problems of his own. Even though he won the race on Sunday, the car failed a post race

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-40147401665527139542010-09-23T05:02:00.000-07:002010-09-23T05:02:59.008-07:00

Psalm 119:25-32Last week I began to write about personal revival from Psalm 119:25-32. Many Christians would love to see a true revival in our nation and world. I would too. But revival begins with the individual. Personal spiritual revival must precede any corporate revival. As we saw in Psalm 119:25, the real prayer we need to pray is, “Revive me!”  What does revival according to God’s Word

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-79756936603424671132010-09-21T07:23:00.000-07:002010-09-28T05:04:04.553-07:00

Psalm 119:25-32“An awakening is ready to burst on the dismal scene when Christians have a deep, profound Spirit of prayer for an awakening.” - Lewis Drummond.Last week I began to write about personal revival from Psalm 119:25-32. Many Christians would love to see a true revival in our nation and world. I would too. But revival begins with the individual. Personal spiritual revival must precede

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-77822778206567297612010-09-20T07:38:00.001-07:002010-09-28T05:04:32.181-07:00

Psalm 119:25-32“Revival awakens in our hearts an increased awareness of the presence of God, a new love for God, a new hatred for sin, and a hunger for His Word.” - Del Fehsenfeld Jr.Last week I began to write about personal revival from Psalm 119:25-32. Many Christians would love to see a true revival in our nation and world. I would too. But revival begins with the individual. Personal

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-75494689736535769092010-09-17T10:46:00.000-07:002010-09-28T05:04:59.504-07:00

Psalm 119:25-32“We cannot organize revival, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from Heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again.” - G. Campbell Morgan.Yesterday I began to write about revival. Many Christians would love to see a true revival in our nation and world. I would too. But as I wrote in my last post, revival begins with the individual. Personal spiritual revival

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-54694057439664591052010-09-16T07:42:00.000-07:002010-09-28T05:05:26.734-07:00

Psalm 119:25-32All of us are painfully aware of the economic downturn in our country. Major banking institutions have failed. Millions of people are without jobs. Families are hurting. The government seems powerless to change it. The recession is fast turning into a depression. But I believe that the bigger problem in our world today is not financial, but spiritual. Many in our world, and maybe

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-72139902265635043342010-09-13T07:16:00.000-07:002010-09-13T07:40:08.259-07:00

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."    (Josh 1:9 NKJV).Courage is not the absence of fear. It takes no courage to face that which you are not afraid of. Courage is moving ahead despite your fears. I like what John Wayne said about courage: "Courage is being scared to death and saddling up

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-3487774366354930822010-09-10T12:13:00.000-07:002010-09-10T12:15:56.235-07:00

Horatio G. Spafford, a forty-three-year-old Chicago businessman, suffered financial disaster in the Great Chicago fire of 1871.  Having lost in a fire virtually everything they owned, the Spafford family made new plans, including a trip from Chicago to Europe. Knowing that their friend, evangelist Dwight L. Moody, was going to be preaching in England that fall Spafford planned to take his entire

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-79404907314560574142010-09-09T14:28:00.000-07:002010-09-10T04:44:28.059-07:00

There are times when I study the Bible that the very words seem to jump off the page and breath life into my weary soul. I rejoice at every verse, each story, and devour chapter upon chapter. God feeds my soul and revives my spirit. But every now and then there are times when the Bible seems as inspiring as the New York City Area phone book. Every Christian has experienced them – dry times in

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-89007261853175429552010-09-08T06:37:00.000-07:002010-09-08T06:37:07.406-07:00

What would you do if you saw Jesus today? I read some true news stories about people who claimed to see images of the Lord:A few years ago a woman in New Mexico was frying tortillas. One of the tortillas burned and the result was an image that looked like a face; she thought it looked like Jesus. She took the tortilla to her priest and he agreed it looked like Jesus, so he blessed it. The woman

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-81386156135598639212010-09-07T06:10:00.000-07:002010-09-07T06:10:25.411-07:00

I have been studying Psalm 119 over the last few days. The BIG IDEA in this psalm is that God blesses us when we are devoted to Him and His word. At the end of the first section in verse 8, the psalmist makes the bold promise, “I will keep your statutes.”Next he asks the obvious question, “How can I do that?”In verse 9 he asks, “How can a young man cleanse his way?” He wants to know: How can I

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-68489216885174462962010-09-04T08:32:00.000-07:002010-09-04T09:07:18.185-07:00

Below are some things I have read this week that caught my eye, my ear, or my heart. Give a click and maybe they will yours also.Kevin Weatherby, my cowboy pastor friend, takes a look at what would happen if the entire church institution became cowboys on a ranch to see how they would handle the day to day operations. “Don’t be fooled into thinking that this was written for someone else. It was

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-63513093091006739132010-09-03T08:56:00.000-07:002010-09-03T08:56:32.859-07:00

There are at least five different levels of spiritual commitment. Take a look and see where you might fit.Are you:1. Uninterested?  This would be a person who is not a Christian, someone who has no desire to know God. They are so controlled by Self and sin they don’t really want to follow Jesus. Some may be hostile to Christianity, others my just be indifferent. This person sees no need for Jesus

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-7157647598081750702010-09-02T07:11:00.000-07:002010-09-02T11:01:51.077-07:00

George had attended church since he was a boy and now he was 60 years old. Everyone knew who George was, there wasn’t a Sunday that went by that George wasn’t in church. The truth however is no one really knew George at all. George had difficulty loving his wife. His children could not speak freely with him and felt no affection for him. George was not concerned about the poor and had little

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-78082658080187312062010-09-01T06:43:00.000-07:002010-09-28T05:06:28.757-07:00

“Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! … I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands." (Psalm 119:2,10). Seek the Lord with my whole heart. Now what exactly does that mean? Does it mean going to church every Sunday? Does it mean putting some money in the offering plate? Is that what being a Christian is all about?Some people would

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-72574700494214659522010-08-31T12:24:00.001-07:002010-08-31T15:01:27.045-07:00

Many of you recall the movie Chariots of Fire. It was about Scotsman Eric Liddell running in the 1924 Olympics in Paris. Liddell was a committed Christian and refused to run on Sunday (which he felt was the Christian Sabbath). The consequence was that he was forced to withdraw from the 100 meters race, his best event. Instead he entered the 400 meter race. The day of the race as Liddell went

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-36834934833418065082010-08-30T07:16:00.001-07:002010-08-30T07:16:39.329-07:00

Over the last few posts I have written about being a disciple as we focused on Jesus’ challenge to His disciples in Luke 9. After telling His disciples what it meant for Him to be the Messiah, He told them what it meant for them to be His disciples. Jesus has said that if we would come after him (be His disciple), we must deny self, take up our cross daily, and follow Him.Jesus said, “If anyone

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-51683375047075852432010-08-28T06:01:00.000-07:002010-08-28T06:01:10.258-07:00

Some Things Worth Checking Out 2Below are some things I have read this week that caught my eye, my ear, or my heart. Give a click and maybe they will yours also.Kevin Weatherby, my cowboy pastor friend says, “There is nothing wrong with just being a cowboy for Christ. I don’t have to be a rancher for Christ to be someone important to God. The Lord has put you in a place for a

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-6765784259908595142010-08-27T09:42:00.000-07:002010-08-27T09:42:44.139-07:00

Jim Elliot is one of my spiritual heroes. On January 8, 1956, he and three other men were attacked and killed by the Auca Indians in the jungles of Ecuador. Elliot and a few others went to take the gospel to these primitive people. The story about their deaths captivated the nation because of a story in Life Magazine. Jim’s wife, Elizabeth Elliot, wrote about the event in her book, Through Gates

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-22824919683956792452010-08-26T07:11:00.000-07:002010-08-26T07:11:40.151-07:00

Luke 9:23 is one of the most important verses in the New Testament because it contains the essence of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Jesus said you can never be a disciple unless you “deny yourself.” That doesn’t simply mean you have to deny yourself something like sweets, sleep or

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-83904342180555425082010-08-25T06:38:00.000-07:002010-08-25T06:38:59.981-07:00

Yesterday in my post, Jesus on the Buffet, I wrote about the most important question in the world: Who do you say Jesus is? Jesus had asked this question of His disciples. And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” (Luke 9:20). Peter was correct in his confession. But he was incomplete in his understanding. He knew Jesus was the Messiah, but he did not know what it meant for Jesus to be the Messiah

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-58117600901285742232010-08-24T07:03:00.000-07:002010-08-24T07:03:55.123-07:00

Twice a month after Sunday morning worship our church shares a fellowship meal together. Many of us bring food and we lay it all out on the table buffet style. Don’t you just love buffets? You can pick and choose between many scrumptious dishes. Some restaurants like the Golden Corral or Ryan’s have that kind of set up. If you go with a group of people everyone can get what they want. They can go

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-57545230173126082162010-08-23T07:17:00.000-07:002010-08-23T07:17:13.036-07:00

Jesus took five small barley loafs and two little fish. He looked up to heaven. He blessed them. He broke them and gave to His disciples. They fed five thousand people so everyone had enough. They picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. Seems impossible doesn’t it?The story is found in all four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. It’s the only miracle besides Jesus’ resurrection that is recorded

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-64377428348360990652010-08-21T07:31:00.000-07:002010-08-21T07:31:06.332-07:00

On Saturday this week I thought I would share some things I have read this week that caught my eye, my ear, or my heart. Maybe they will yours also.Kevin Weatherby, my cowboy pastor friend, posted a Letter from Jesus, a Letter from the Holy Spirit, and a Letter from God. Kevin’s warm conversational style captures God’s love and sends it home to us. These might be

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-18999075880327058012010-08-20T05:46:00.000-07:002010-08-20T05:46:36.317-07:00

Would God ever put you in an impossible situation? I’ve heard people say, “God will never ask me to do something I can’t do.” But I have seen that God allows His people to be in situations that are impossible so that we will learn to trust Him, to believe Him, to have faith in Him, to make Him known.In Luke 9, as Jesus was teaching and healing, the disciples began to get nervous because they saw

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-9490707192005626952010-08-19T08:07:00.001-07:002010-08-19T08:07:57.775-07:00

“The trouble with many men is that they have got just enough religion to make them miserable. If there is not joy in religion, you have got a leak in your religion.”-- Billy Sunday.Followers of Jesus ought to be people characterized by joy. Yesterday I was reading Psalm 16. It is a psalm of delight. David uses the words "delight," "pleasant," "glad," “rejoice,” and "joy" in this Psalm. Although

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-49069214538919443522010-08-17T05:53:00.000-07:002010-08-17T05:54:17.766-07:00

Thomas Edison once worked for months to find a filament that would burn for more than a few seconds for his incandescent light bulb. He tried over 700 filaments and each one was a failure. One reporter interviewed Edison and said, “It must be frustrating to work so hard and see no results.” Edison replied, “Oh, I have lots of results. I know 700 things that won’t work!”A SIMPLE ACT TO DEAL WITH

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-3007095815351199542010-08-16T06:37:00.000-07:002010-08-16T06:38:42.713-07:00

Chuck Swindoll tells the story of a friend who, in mid-career, was called into the ministry. In fact, God ultimately led him overseas. At that point he found it necessary to move all his family and as many of their possessions as possible beyond these shores, all the way to the island of Okinawa. He said, "We put all of our possessions that were a part of our trip into our station wagon.

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-28176759997658423982010-08-13T06:14:00.000-07:002010-08-13T06:14:18.364-07:00

Jeffrey Collins shares the following story in the Christian Reader (Mar/Apr 1998):It had been a trying week at our Love & Action office. At five o'clock on a Friday, I was looking forward to having a quiet dinner with friends. Then the phone rang."Jeff! It's Jimmy!" I heard a quivering voice say.Jimmy, who suffered from several AIDS-related illnesses, was one of our regular clients. "I'm really

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-70719508347652259622010-08-12T06:52:00.000-07:002010-08-12T06:54:36.208-07:00

(This post is second in a series called SIMPLIFY. Some of the ideas I’m sharing in this series came from a message called “Packing Light for the Journey of Life” by Pastor David Dykes in Texas.). Today’s post starts with a BULL story: A government surveyor asked a farmer for permission to go into one of his fields and take some readings. The farmer objected, fearing that the survey would

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-84021997983903238452010-08-11T06:18:00.000-07:002010-08-11T09:57:06.674-07:00

(Some of the ideas I’m sharing in this series came from a message called “Packing Light for the Journey of Life” by Pastor David Dykes in Texas).I think that one of the greatest television shows ever produced was the Andy Griffith Show. One of my favorite episodes is called “What’s Your Hurry?” about the folks of Mayberry going to church. This particular Sunday, Aunt Bea was excited about hearing

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-31040709538196649362010-08-10T07:14:00.000-07:002010-08-10T07:14:13.093-07:00

Why Do Some People Not Believe?Today’s post is fifth in a series from John 6 on why some people believe and others do not. Read Do You Believe the Impossible? to set the stage for today’s topic. The first reason why some do not believe was The Spiritual Nature of Jesus' Mission. The second was The Gracious Nature of Jesus' Offer. The third was The Demands on Jesus for a Sign. The fourth was The

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-80223217029944745672010-07-22T07:18:00.000-07:002010-07-22T07:18:01.972-07:00

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises…” (2 Peter 1:4).My writing may be a little sparse this week. Monday and Tuesday my son and I drove 1600 miles from Grand Junction, CO to San Antonio, TX. My wife, Kathy, had already been there for three weeks. We went to visit her Dad and Mom who live in the Air Force Retirement Village. Kathy’s Dad has been battling cancer for

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-40221881976427026972010-07-16T06:48:00.000-07:002010-07-16T20:04:04.466-07:00

A few weeks ago as part of a 31 Days to Be a Better Blogger project I set up several Google Alerts to track subjects related to my blog. Google Alerts searches the web for occurrences of the words or phrases you want to check, then generates a report on them for you. It is a useful tool.One of the alerts that I set up was for my name, “Richard Sipes”. Now, I do not have the most common name in

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-90949533828933129062010-07-15T12:29:00.000-07:002010-07-15T12:29:03.954-07:00

Why Do Some People Not Believe?Today’s post is fourth in a series from John 6 on why some people believe and others do not. Read Do You Believe the Impossible? to set the stage for today’s topic. The first reason why some do not believe was The Spiritual Nature of Jesus' Mission. The second was The Gracious Nature of Jesus' Offer. The third was The Demands on Jesus for a Sign.Part 4: The

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-42107027176450756522010-07-14T12:40:00.000-07:002010-07-14T12:40:51.223-07:00

I like Blue Collar Comedy. One of my favorites is Bill Engvall. What Engvall is most famous for is his catch phrase “Here’s your sign”. His explanation of this: “I just hate stupid people. They should have to wear signs that say, ‘I’m Stupid’. That way you wouldn’t rely on them, and you wouldn’t ask them for nothing.” Here are some of his best:(In a hallway waiting for an elevator) A stranger

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-21029938466101274132010-07-13T12:49:00.000-07:002010-07-13T12:55:43.954-07:00

Today’s post is third in a series from John 6 on why some people believe and others do not. Read Do You Believe the Impossible? to set the stage for today’s topic. The first reason why some do not believe was The Spiritual Nature of Jesus' Mission. This post discusses the second reason:  The Gracious Nature of Jesus' OfferA church had a yard sale. Well, it was actually a storage room giveaway.

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-42596856218563208512010-07-09T05:41:00.000-07:002010-07-13T12:41:22.399-07:00

Today’s post is second in a series on why some people believe and others do not. See yesterday’s Do You Believe the Impossible? to set the stage for today’s topic.Part 1: The Spiritual Nature of Jesus' Mission.At the end of John 6, Jesus speaks some words that show the insight He had into the minds and hearts of His hearers. He says, "But there are some of you who do not believe." And John adds

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-40807135792695436372010-07-08T05:38:00.000-07:002010-07-08T05:38:14.818-07:00

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1).“Let's consider your age to begin with - how old are you?”“I'm seven and a half exactly.”“You needn't say ‘exactly’,” the queen remarked: “I can believe it without that. Now I'll give you something to believe. I'm just one hundred and one, five months and a day.”“I can't believe that!” said Alice.“

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-58508519115429968572010-07-07T06:35:00.000-07:002010-07-07T06:40:17.961-07:00

Have you heard Christians get up and testify along this line? They say, "I used to do drugs and steal and hurt people and all these terrible things. But I don't do any of them any more. I believe in the Lord. I've stopped all these things." They leave the impression that it ought to make everyone become a Christian, to see such a tremendous change. But what I have discovered is that people are

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-26067998973845476172010-07-06T06:46:00.000-07:002010-07-06T06:46:34.160-07:00

The late Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s hamburger chain was known for his humble service within the multi-billion dollar empire he founded. When asked what made him so successful; he replied, "my MBA." But he didn’t mean a graduate degree in business administration, he meant "a mop- and-bucket attitude." In other words, no work task was too insignificant for him to tackle; he simply jumped in

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-84143422216648607872010-07-05T07:26:00.000-07:002010-07-05T15:48:58.648-07:00

I had a great time last Friday. I went fishing. Now I am not the best or most experienced fisherman around. But I do enjoy being in the great outdoors. And in this case I also greatly enjoyed the company. I was invited to go fishing by the husband of one of my church members. Although he had been active in church years ago, he had only been to church with his wife once in the year I have been at

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-56114608438355971702010-06-30T07:38:00.000-07:002010-06-30T07:38:22.170-07:00

Yesterday I wrote about the danger of getting complacent in your spiritual life (see “Been there, done that, got the T-shirt”). Larry Westfall commented, “I find that this is prevalent in older Christians. I have heard more times than I care to recall ‘I have served my time, now it's time for someone else to do it.’”I have met a few Christians with that attitude as well, and not just “old”

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-77460043365483671582010-06-28T19:57:00.000-07:002010-06-28T19:58:41.767-07:00

I should have bought stock in the T-shirt industry. It seems of the making of souvenir T-shirts there is no end. People are using T-shirts to send all sorts of messages. T-shirts advertise products, identify work places, and make political statements. Other T-shirts reward people for their participation. Run a 10K marathon in the sweltering heat, pounding the pavement, crossing the bridges, up

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-81228095327766440172010-06-24T06:02:00.000-07:002010-06-24T06:04:25.399-07:00

We are having Vacation Bible School this week. I love kids. They are so real. Have you ever noticed that little kids are very transparent? They don’t usually hide their feelings. If they are happy their face is beaming and they are bouncing around. When they are sad they frown, pout, or hide away. It’s only as we get older that we learn to mask who we are and how we feel.A man was asked by a

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-67806754755104453042010-06-22T06:27:00.000-07:002010-06-22T06:27:21.327-07:00

Vacation Bible School started yesterday at our church. We had been praying and planning for weeks. We had put in hours of preparation, decorating the building, studying the lessons, learning the music, inviting families, praying that God would bring the children. Our small church does not have a lot of children that come every week. Some Sundays we only have a handful of kids in Sunday School (

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-83558353423685517792010-06-21T16:34:00.000-07:002010-06-22T05:31:41.524-07:00

When I was growing up on a small family farm in Colorado our family grew vegetables and sold them at a stand at our home. When we were old enough Dad planted a couple rows on the farm just for each of us kids. We could choose what to plant and Dad would plant it for us. It would then be our job to make sure that it got irrigated and weeded. We would have to do all the work of picking what we grew

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-72625365846787800732010-06-18T10:16:00.001-07:002010-06-18T10:16:24.566-07:00

Several years ago, on a rainy August day, two young climbers decided to scale the highest summit within Switzerland —Mount Dom. Though they were young and relatively inexperienced, the two men felt confident in their mountain climbing abilities. Too confident, in fact. For despite deteriorating weather, they boldly went forth from the tiny village of Randa at the base of Mount Dom. Their goal—a

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-36162409883515044232010-06-17T13:32:00.001-07:002010-06-17T13:32:59.568-07:00

Making choices is a part of life, we make choices everyday. Some of the choices that we make are really not that big of a deal, things like: what color socks should I wear today? What should we do for dinner? Or, Do I want to buy Crest or Colgate?Other choices that we make are of a more important nature: where do I want to go to college? Who should I marry? Or, Is this really the home that we

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-49737500553477405802010-06-16T11:52:00.000-07:002010-06-16T15:09:53.186-07:00

I was reading Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the weeds today from Matthew 13. The story is about how the sons of the kingdom grow up alongside the sons of the evil one in the world. Jesus says, ”Let both grow together until the harvest.”Jesus’ concern at this time is not to separate the wheat from the weeds, but rather than none of the wheat be lost. The Lord allows us to live in this world of

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-20248627372281912342010-06-15T06:49:00.001-07:002010-06-15T06:49:46.408-07:00

Yesterday Larry Westfall had a great post called, “How Does A Child Spell Love?”. He prays, “Lord, help us to not view our children as a distraction.  But instead help us to give them our time as an expression of love.”Most of us men have all kinds of important things to do. We have significant responsibilities at work, at church, in the community, etc. Often by the time we get done with a day of

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-11895352332038219162010-06-14T06:49:00.000-07:002010-06-14T06:49:24.764-07:00

The New York City Transit Company was missing a bus and a driver some years ago. For over a week, authorities searched for the man but couldn’t find him. Finally, ten days later after the man had disappeared, he was found, bus included. In Miami, Florida!The driver said, "I’d had it with the cold weather, the passengers, and my family! One day after I got off work, I thought, ‘I wonder what would

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-32521992036312081132010-06-11T12:41:00.000-07:002010-06-11T12:47:19.439-07:00

At our church right now we are preparing for Vacation Bible School. I love VBS because I love children and working with children. Nothing blesses my heart more than to kneel down and to hug a child, to hold a baby in my arms, or to hear a child pray.  Not that I am the most skilled at teaching children. The first year I taught VBS I lead the first and second grade class. I was okay at teaching

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-72886719028956458272010-06-10T07:13:00.000-07:002010-06-10T07:13:29.556-07:00

Thirty-three year-old truck driver Larry Walters was one day sitting in a lawn chair in his backyard wishing he could fly. For as long as he could remember he had wanted to fly but never had the time nor money nor opportunity to be a pilot. So he spent a lot of summer afternoons sitting in his backyard in his ordinary old aluminum lawn chair. He came up with what he thought was a good idea. He

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-10963979583101384402010-06-09T12:32:00.000-07:002010-06-09T12:32:36.547-07:00

Yesterday Kevin Weatherby wrote in his post “What is all this Christianity stuff about?” Christianity is a person. God gave all his power and authority and everything in between to his Son. Christianity is ONLY Christ Jesus. Jesus said, “If you knew me, you would know my Father.”His statement really resonated with me and what God has been teaching me lately. I commented on his post by saying, I

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-49619344687707352792010-06-08T08:21:00.000-07:002010-06-08T08:32:24.560-07:00

Baseball is a big deal for many in Grand Junction. Each year the Junior College World Series is held here. And of course MLB is in full swing. Many here are Rockies fans although my music director is a die hard Cardinal.There are a lot of baseball stories out there. Many of you have probably not heard this one:Back in 1905, there was baseball game at Salt Lake City, Utah. The Rhyolites were

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-80804593216969411612010-06-07T07:06:00.000-07:002010-06-07T07:06:37.363-07:00

Last week we took a trip from our home in Grand Junction, Colorado to visit our daughters in Olathe, Kansas. Long drive (13-14 hours), short visit (about 3 days). But it was good to see my girls. Of course when you go on a trip you always have to leave behind some things that need tending to. This time we didn’t have to ask someone to watch the dog since he got to go with us (he actually travels

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-21160896895490933902010-06-04T06:35:00.000-07:002010-06-04T06:37:03.714-07:00

When I first came into a relationship with Jesus Christ I was a third-class cadet at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Although I had gone to church most of my growing up years and even been confirmed in the church, it was not until I was 20 years old that the Lord and the Bible became real to me.The Bible I had at that time was the Children’s Living Bible.  I  began to read it like it

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-37288070665183446782010-06-03T07:20:00.000-07:002010-06-03T07:43:37.805-07:00

My favorite magazine has always been Reader’s Digest. If you read it as often as I do you will recognize RD’s monthly column titles in the title to this post. I usually read RD cover-to-cover each month, that is, when I can get it away from my wife and our grown daughters. Even my 15 year old son picks it up and thumbs through to read all the humor articles.I like testing my word power, reading

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-68556128914834998052010-06-01T19:14:00.000-07:002010-06-02T06:34:58.082-07:00

Driving across Colorado and Kansas  this last weekend I saw herds and herds of cattle. There were all different breeds, colors, sizes and ages. It reminded me of a story I once heard: Once there was a dairy farmer who went to buy a new pickup truck. He had seen an ad in the paper about discounts and factory rebates, so he decided to trade in his old clunker. He chose a new model and was ready to

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-56183333316476157222010-05-27T06:36:00.000-07:002010-05-27T06:36:12.738-07:00

I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. It is the authority for faith and practice in the Christian life. Now you might say—“Okay Richard, I agree that the Bible has been important to Christians, but why should I believe it is more divinely inspired than any other book?”  Good question!Here are some reasons I believe the Bible is the very word of God:The Bible claims to be inspired by

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-74567121429165344532010-05-26T07:06:00.000-07:002010-05-26T07:06:35.590-07:00

For 17 years I worked part-time at UPS in addition to being pastor of a small church in Kansas. I would get up at 3:00am and be to work by 4:00am. The work was physically and mentally challenging. The schedule was tight every morning. Within a span of three and a half to four hours our team had to unload, scan, label, sort, and sequentially load about 40,000 packages. Tempers often flared under

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-26422424549447053562010-05-25T06:39:00.000-07:002010-05-25T12:23:12.825-07:00

Gardening. I am trying my hand at vegetable gardening this year. Although I grew up on a small farm where we grew vegetables for our family and also sold some, as an adult I have not grown much of anything. The last time I tried to grow a vegetable garden we lived in an old farm house outside of Gardner, Kansas. That was 16 years ago. That garden produced very little results. What the rabbits

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-71880855164871795482010-05-23T15:52:00.000-07:002010-05-23T15:53:53.156-07:00

On April 17, 2010 Hindu extremists attacked a group of Christians at a prayer meeting in Madhya Pradesh, India, causing the death of a 25-year-old man and severely injuring three other believers, according to The Voice of the Martyrs. Hindu radicals disrupted the meeting of more than 400 Christians and began destroying Bibles and other property. They attacked the Christians with sticks and iron

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-10648714855383665182010-05-21T07:52:00.000-07:002010-05-21T07:52:40.246-07:00

A riot raged in the La Mesa Prison in Tijuana, Mexico. Thousands of inmates battled the guards with bottles and rocks, while the guards shot back with machine guns—until a small American woman in her 70s walked into the middle of the war, raised her hands, and signaled for quiet. Remarkably, calm fell on the prison.That woman was Mary Brenner, who was raised in Beverly Hills. There she lived

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-41744136207764269282010-05-20T08:19:00.000-07:002010-05-20T08:19:44.928-07:00

Martin Lloyd-Jones tells the story of a Hindu trader in India who once asked a missionary, "What do you put on your face to make it shine?" With surprise the man of God answered, "I don't put anything on it!" His questioner began to lose patience and said emphatically, "Yes, you do! All of you who believe in Jesus seem to have it. I've seen it in the towns of Agra and Surat, and even in the city

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-5673572402205877112010-05-19T07:10:00.000-07:002010-05-19T11:31:57.586-07:00

On the morning of October 2, 2006, a troubled milkman named Charles Carl Roberts barricaded himself inside the West Nickel Mine Amish School, ultimately murdering five young girls and wounding six others. Roberts committed suicide when police arrived on the scene. It was a dark day for the Amish community of West Nickel Mines, but it was also a dark day for Marie Roberts—the wife of the

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-11117825767749138852010-05-17T21:13:00.000-07:002010-05-17T21:30:55.888-07:00

Welcome, 31DBBB bloggers! Today I am asking for feedback on my blog. Please feel free to give any suggestions you think would be helpful on this site. Here’s a little bit about me and my blog: I am a pastor of a small church in Grand Junction, CO. If you are interested in my personal story, it’s the first post on this blog. I have been blogging occasionally since I set up our church web site on

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-58440313940037062442010-05-17T07:53:00.000-07:002010-05-17T07:53:29.448-07:00

I’ve never experienced real starvation. Oh, I’ve been hungry at times. When I was in the Air Force I had to go through S.E.R.E. (Survival Evasion Resistance & Escape) training. For part of this training we had to survive out in the Colorado mountain wilderness for over a week with just a package of K-rations. I don’t know what those survival rations are like today, maybe they’ve improved them in

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-31982481093616216492010-05-14T06:37:00.000-07:002010-05-15T05:41:05.892-07:00

Richard Weaver was a semi-professional boxer in his younger days. Fighting, after drinking, just came natural to him. After his conversion to Jesus Christ he tried to live out this different life that Christ had given him, but one night he fell in to his old ways. He beat up a man who had insulted a girl. Feeling that having once fallen, he might as well be guilty of more sin than less, he got

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-9474878927475338882010-05-13T06:58:00.000-07:002010-05-13T06:58:22.432-07:00

Have you noticed that we live in a culture that embraces entertainment and pursues pleasure at all costs? For many people, life is spent avoiding sorrow and pain. The mantra of many today is something like this: “Blessed are those who laugh their way through life.” Some of us will do almost anything to stifle our sadness and turn away from tears. In one of the most profound, and paradoxical texts

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-16055084226267481672010-05-12T05:49:00.000-07:002010-05-12T11:26:17.732-07:00

What if I told you that those who have nothing, and know they have nothing are the happiest people in the world? Jesus said something like that.Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”    (Matthew 5:3 NKJV)The word “poor” comes from a word meaning to shrink, cower, or cringe. It pictures the destitute beggar who has one hand out begging while the other

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-52042360552868300072010-05-11T07:23:00.000-07:002010-05-11T07:23:18.782-07:00

Name eight things that would make you happy. If God said to you today, "Choose eight things that you feel would make your life happy and I will give them to you," what would you choose? Would it be to win the lottery or to be wealthy? Would you ask for healing and good health for you or your loved ones? Would you ask for that job or that promotion you’ve been wanting? What eight things would you

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-18149167551125435562010-05-10T08:14:00.000-07:002010-05-10T08:14:08.109-07:00

Can you remember being asked what you wanted to be when you grow up? My son wanted to be a farmer so he could drive the big tractors and combines. I heard of one little boy who wanted to be a car mechanic or a garbage collector. When asked why he replied, "So's I can get dirty!" Imagine asking Jesus what He would have us be when we grow up. We might be surprised at the answer. Jesus told His

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-67866696164670145702010-05-07T10:05:00.000-07:002010-05-07T10:05:23.010-07:00

Lying is a problem, and that’s the truth.Untruthfulness is very common as seen in the following statistics from the 1991 book The Day America Told the Truth by James Patterson and Peter Kim:•     91% of people lie routinely about matters they consider trivial•     36% lie about important matters•     86% lie regularly to their parents•     75% lie regularly to their friends•     73% lie regularly

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-65039654444219588942010-05-06T07:37:00.000-07:002010-05-06T07:43:05.315-07:00

Did you go to church last Sunday? Perhaps that word, “church” turns you off. Maybe this is a better question for those reading this on the internet: Do you have a faith community you regularly attend? Call it what you will, I still love church. Most of what I know about the Lord and about real Christians I have learned in the local church.  It was in the church that I learned the importance of

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-68378527792768956742010-05-05T12:02:00.000-07:002010-05-05T12:02:30.725-07:00

This last summer I got a call on the church phone from “Simon.” I had never met him before. Simon had just gotten out of jail on bond after spending a month behind bars. While in the county lock-up he had been given a Bible. He read through the whole Gospel of Matthew. He called me because he wanted to be baptized.I gladly met with Simon and explained the gospel message to him more clearly. He

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-65463192366067663002010-05-04T07:22:00.000-07:002010-05-04T17:34:36.167-07:00

Today’s post will be slightly off-topic. I usually write about developing disciplines that will help us to follow Jesus daily. But I am currently participating in the 31 Days to Be a Better Blogger. hosted by http://blog.ourchurch.com/ . Today’s assignment is to write a list post. So here’s a list of helpful blogs that I read nearly every day. 1. Christian Web Trends is the blog by Paul

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-12599325644348186052010-05-03T09:51:00.000-07:002010-05-03T09:51:46.836-07:00

When is the last time you went to the doctor for a check-up? How about going to God for a spiritual check-up? Psalm 26 is a great passage of scripture that we can use as a spiritual health exam. David writes in verse 2, “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart” (Ps. 26:2 NKJV). Today’s test: God’s Word— Do I Walk in the Truth? In verse 3 David writes, “…I have walked in Your

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-34265651564484160102010-04-30T12:40:00.000-07:002010-04-30T12:43:13.519-07:00

How many of us could honestly say these words are true of us: “Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering” (Psalm 26:1 NIV)? How many of us would like for them to be true? Just as it is good to get periodic health exams from the doctor, we also need periodic spiritual health exams from the Lord. Psalm 26 is a great passage of scripture that

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-8557152610602259852010-04-29T06:52:00.000-07:002010-04-29T07:47:47.526-07:00

What should be the attitude of my daily quiet time with God? Romans 12:1-2 says we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God in an act of worship and service to Him. As I meditated on that scripture, I began thinking about giving an offering of myself to God. And this thought occurred to me: being a living sacrifice means that I am continually on the altar. I did some research on the

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-31850041685238314402010-04-28T04:49:00.000-07:002010-04-28T04:51:40.777-07:00

Worshipping together as the family of God is important. We gather on Sundays to worship God corporately (as the body of Christ). Scripture teaches the importance of worship in community. But all worship does not have to be with a group. The Bible also emphasizes our need for private worship. We can and must worship alone. “How?” you ask. “Don’t I have to go to church and let a minister lead in

R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0