By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, a thorn in the flesh was given to me: a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively. Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Most gladly...

Training Wheels from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about the journey of becoming more like Jesus, and it is a journey. I will be talking mostly about the life of the Apostle Peter, but I want to begin with something Jesus said to all of His disciples in Luke 6:40: A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. Luke...

let's hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful. Let's consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23 WEBMy home state of South Carolina carries this inscription on the state seal:...

Bible Study, Acts Chapter 28 from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Transcript: Today we are going to study Acts chapter 28 verse by verse, and you can follow along in your own Bible if you like. I will be reading from the World English Bible because it is currently the only modern English translation that is copyright free, and I can read the entire Bible on video without any legal drama or...

Flow Through Me from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about something that is at the very core of knowing Jesus: the Holy Spirit. This is fundamental stuff, but sometimes we build our doctrines so high that we can no longer see the foundation, yet it is very important that it is still there. Please keep a teachable spirit and don’t shut me out automatically if I happen...

Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that Yahweh will work for us; for there is no restraint to Yahweh to save by many or by few.' 1 Samuel 14:6 WEBGreatly outnumbered, Saul and about 600 Israelites were cowering in fear from the Philistines who had come against them. Only king Saul and his son Jonathan had a sword...

Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men. The angel answered the women, 'Don't be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified. He is not here, for...

The Fixer Upper from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When I young, it was common for a church to wet you, set you, and forget you. Basically once you were saved and baptized, they didn’t know what else to do with you. Oh, they would teach on tithing, let’s not forget that one, but it was a common belief that you got everything...

Therefore don't be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?', 'What will we drink?' or, 'With what will we be clothed?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God's Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore don't be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for...

The Wind from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about the Wind. We cannot see the wind blowing, but we can see the effects of it and we can feel the air movement on our skin. For example you can see someone’s hair blowing in the wind, but you can’t see the wind itself that is moving it. I want to begin in Acts chapter 2: When the Day of Pentecost had fully come,...

They heard Yahweh God's voice walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, 'Where are you?' Genesis 3:8 WEBAdam walked with God in the garden of eden. Then the serpent talked Eve into disobeying the command of God so that she could have the knowledge...

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram. Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon...

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and Yahweh's glory has risen on you. For, behold, darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but Yahweh will arise on you, and his glory shall be seen on you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1 WEBNightfall came faster than I was anticipating and it was black night as I made my way through...

But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe. Acts 14:19 WEBAfter Paul and Barnabas healed a crippled man and preached the good news in the city of Lystra,...

The Lack of Knowledge from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today, I want to talk about the lack of knowledge. Specifically, the lack of knowledge of God and His word. There has always been far too much hearsay in the church, people repeating what they have heard well-meaning preachers tell them. Let’s begin in Hosea chapter 4 verse 6: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because...

Elijah said to her, 'Don't be afraid. Go and do as you have said; but make me a little cake from it first, and bring it out to me, and afterward make some for you and for your son. For Yahweh, the God of Israel says, 'The jar of meal will not run out, and the jar of oil will not fail, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the earth.' She went and did according to the saying of Elijah; and she, and...

Do Not Be Dismayed from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about becoming “Dismayed.” To be dismayed means “to be downcast, disappointed, disheartened, filled with terror.” It replaces hope and will lead you to a dark place. We become ineffective and paralyzed. The joy of the Lord is our strength (Neh. 8:10) and it is hard to be joyful when you are...

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2 WEBMy Dad was born during the great depression in the early 1930s. They had no electricity or running water in the rural areas where he grew up. There was no refrigeration,...

For there is no distinction, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:22 WEBIt is so easy for us to become used to having positions, titles, and levels in the workplace during our life and then carry those ideas over into the church. After we have been around a while, we can begin to feel that...

Walking on Water from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about the importance of believing the Lord, of shaking off the naysayers and continuing on your own journey. People have a tendency to not want you to go where they have not been. Leaders cannot lead you, where they have not been. Let’s examine a moment in the life of Peter, beginning in Matthew 14:25: Now in...

Broken from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about being broken in Spirit, for the Lord will not be able to use you until you are. Let’s look at Matthew 11:29: Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:29–30 NKJV The yoke that...

Then Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made himself a booth, and sat under it in the shade, until he might see what would become of the city. Yahweh God prepared a vine, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the vine. But God prepared a worm at...

Answered Prayers from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about Answered Prayers and how they come about. We hear a lot about “unanswered prayers” and I think those are great, but for me, I love the answered ones. I want to take a complex, multi-layered subject and try to make it as simple as possible. Picture in your mind the army of God, with Jesus being the...

One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, 'If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!' But the other answered, and rebuking him said, 'Don't you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? Luke 23:39 WEBThree men were crucified together at a place called Golgotha. The One in the center was Jesus, the Son of God. There was a convicted criminal on His left, and another...

Rest from Stress from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about resting from stress. Jesus Christ, who lived on Earth as our example, lived a simple life of trust and peace. When He and the disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee on their fishing boat and a great storm came, Jesus slept soundly in the bottom of the boat. That is what I call resting from stress. Let’s read...

Thank You from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about the importance of being thankful. Jesus lived on Earth as our example, and He was so thankful and full of praise. No matter what you have been through, there are still some things that you can be thankful about. An important one is that you woke up today.  For some people, yesterday was their last day on Earth. I...

Drive My Car from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to tell you a story about how I felt when I let someone drive our car for the first time. One year we visited some family members for Christmas, and then all of us traveled together to a tournament in Las Vegas. Since Sylvia and I had brought an SUV along that was big enough for all of us, we decided to ride together. They had made...

You therefore put your belt on your waist, arise, and say to them all that I command you. Don't be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them. For, behold, I have made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they...

The Crazy Ones from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about the crazy ones, the saints of old who followed God through thick and thin while the rest of the people in the world thought they were, crazy. As you grow closer to God, He will begin to change you, and tweak your wants and desires. You begin to think differently. Expect a time to come when you no longer fit in as...

Soul Anchor from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about Hope, the anchor of our soul, the protector of our mind. Hope is so important in our daily lives and overcoming the storms that we all face. Everyone that has committed suicide, first lost all hope. Hopelessness is a very dark place to be. The South Carolina motto here is “While I breathe, I hope.” I want...