Jesus Our Provider
by Derek Dickinson on March 15th, 2024
      In all four gospels we are told the story of Jesus miraculously feeding the 5,000.  In actuality, since they only counted the men, the crowd could easily have been as high as 15,000 to 20,000.  Jesus asked the apostle who grew up nearby where they could buy food for everyone.  This question was to test him.  Philip did not respond with faith but with a practical answer that did not factor in...  Read More
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Effective Service
by Derek Dickinson on March 8th, 2024
     Each of us has been designed by God to make a contribution.  A key part of human flourishing is living out God’s purposes in our lives.  Every Christian is called to love God, love others, and make disciples of all nations, all three combining to bring God glory with our lives.  But how that plays out is very individual.  A public school teacher walks that out differently than a politician or...  Read More
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Identity Matters
by Derek Dickinson on February 23rd, 2024
      In so many places we are required to prove our identity.  If I travel to another country, I’d better have a passport showing who I am.  If I vote in Alaska, I have to show my driver’s license.  If I go to my bank to withdraw money from my account, I need to have ID with me.  Over a third of humanity claim to be followers of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Millions more view him as a social...  Read More
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Celebrating Sacrificial Love
by Derek Dickinson on February 16th, 2024
       Several years ago Bridger Walker, age 6, and his 4 year old sister were playing at a friend’s house in Wyoming when a German Shepherd attacked them.  Bridger jumped in front of his sister and yelled for her to run as he fought and was mauled by the dog.  She was not injured.  He received 90 stitches for the injuries, mostly to his face. He later told someone, “If someone had to die, I thoug...  Read More
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Effective Leadership
by Derek Dickinson on January 24th, 2024
     John Maxwell once said, “everything rises or falls on leadership” (Leadershift, 12).  I think you can see this truth whether you are working in a business, non-profit, union or school.  But what are some keys to compelling leadership?  How can we lead effectively?     Follow first.  The best leaders are followers first.  They learn to lead by picking excellent leaders to learn from.  As a Chr...  Read More
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Hope-Fueled Change
by Derek Dickinson on January 7th, 2024
      As the new year has begun millions spend time striving to pivot to a better life.  For many 2023 was a tough year and they hope 2024 will be different.  I have been reading Ezekiel lately.  Much of the book is dark, even strange.  So dark that some rabbis said no one should read the book unless they were thirty years old.  Ezekiel wrote at a devasting time in the history of Israel.  Most of ...  Read More
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Emmanuel--God with Us
by Derek Dickinson on December 22nd, 2023
      Jesus has many names or titles.  Author Warren Wiersbe says that “every name he bears is a blessing he shares.”  One of my favorite names of Jesus is Emmanuel, which means “God with us.”  We see this name given to Jesus prophetically in Isaiah 7:14 and then affirmed in the New Testament (Matthew 1:23).  What are some of the blessings being given to us in the name of Emmanuel?        First, w...  Read More
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Joy
by Derek Dickinson on December 6th, 2023
       Christmas is coming soon.  Many of us have our Christmas trees up and presents start to appear under the tree.  Some presents are complex and have many parts to them.  For example, maybe you get your little girl a dollhouse and spend several hours putting all the parts together.  She’s thrilled with this complex gift.  This Christmas, God intends to give you and me the gift of joy; we see i...  Read More
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Prepare the Way for the Lord
by Derek Dickinson on December 4th, 2023
       One of the most intriguing characters of the New Testament is John the Baptist.  He is the cousin of Jesus, himself the result of a miraculous birth to a couple in their old age.  He was unique: with a ministry out in the wilderness, wore rough clothes made of camel’s hair and ate a surprising diet of locusts and wild honey.  In the popular series, “The Chosen,” the apostle Peter refers to ...  Read More
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Radical Gratitude
by Derek Dickinson on November 19th, 2023
RADICAL GRATITUDE Thanksgiving is coming. This Thursday most of us will hit pause from work, gather with family, eat too much and express gratitude to God for the many blessings in our lives. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It is a great annual attitude adjustment. It seems for many, complaint is their native tongue. I know I can slip into it easily. But instead, I want to look at lif...  Read More
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Ending Envy
by Derek Dickinson on November 7th, 2023
ENDING ENVY     You might remember the classic film, Toy Story.  In it we see Woody, Andy’s favorite toy, struggling with envy because the new Buzz Lightyear action figure removes him from the top spot among the toys.  Woody even resorts to trying to hurt Buzz.  While most of us would not go that far, we do tend to struggle with envy, jealousy and coveting what others have.  It could look more lik...  Read More
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Building Character: Self-Control
by Derek Dickinson on October 29th, 2023
BUILDING CHARACTER: SELF CONTROLIn Galatians 5 the Apostle Paul lists for us the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. When I make individual spiritual plans with people, I often ask which of these virtues are you struggling to live out? The number one answer is self-control, that is certainly my struggle as well. The word means to have dominion over one’s impulses, cravings or desires. One of my favori...  Read More
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