Evident Church

   We tend to think that when we give our lives to Christ that there will be no more messes in our lives. That God comes down and takes all the crap away. We no longer must fight or be intentional. We are suddenly free from temptation and the power of sin. But, the truth is, temptations usually become worse. James 1:12-16 (NASB) Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God, cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.         James said I’m going to have trials, storms, and temptations. Jesus even sai...

JOHN 21: Jesus has already died and risen. Afterward, Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So, they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” (I would have said, “Hey, dude, we’ve been out all night. Don’t you think we’ve tried everything?” They didn’t know. But they did as He said.) When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.  Then the disciple (John) whom Jesus ...

In this Q&A, Max Lucado (@MaxLucado) talks about his book, Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World (Thomas Nelson, 2017). “POWERFUL” -Pastor Gregg, Next Steps Ministries Max Lucado: Anxiety disorders in the United States are the number one mental health problem among women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men. Some say the United States is now the most anxious nation in the world. The land of the Stars and Stripes has become the country of stress and strife. This is a costly achievement. Stress-related ailments cost the nation $300 billion every year in medical bills and lost productivity, while our usage of sedative drugs keeps skyrocketing; just between 1997 and 2004, Americans more than doubled their spending on anti-anxiety medications like Xanax and Valium, from $900 million to $2.1 billion. The Journal of the American Medical Association cited a study that indicates an exponential increase in depression. People of each generation in ...

It’s Not My Fault! I Blame? Pastor Gregg Crisp September 17, 2017 I leave Cheyenne at about 2pm for Denver. I have a court date for a D.U.I. charge early the next morning. My Jeep wouldn’t start so I borrowed my mom’s van. With a full tank of gas, a 12 pack of Bud, and the music blaring as I am cruising south on I-25. The next thing I remember is sitting on some lady’s tailgate, on the shoulder of I-25, her giving me water, and me saying “I’m going to jail” Long-story-short, I did not go to jail. I went to the hospital instead and my family posted bail. Later that night I knew I had to call my mom and TRY to tell her what happened. But I wasn’t sure. I knew I wrecked. I knew that my mom’s van was totaled. I knew that I went to the hospital, was arrested, let go, and was at my grandma’s in Denver. But I didn’t remember a thing about the wreck. So, as I sat there with the phone in hand, I began to find excuses. I began to Justify, Rationalize and Blame. As my mom answer...