Can Verses become “too familiar”?
Posted by info in chris ritter on 13. Oct, 2009 | No Comments
I’ve been thinking lately about some of the most well known verses in the Bible, and wondering whether or not some of them become too familiar to us and therefore lose significance. Many verses could be mentioned, but the one that comes to mind is Proverbs 3:5-6. In case you don’t have it memorized (shame [...]
The Two Men of James 1:12-15
Posted by info in chris ritter on 06. Oct, 2009 | No Comments
James 1:12-15: 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted [...]
Wednesday Review
Posted by info in chris ritter on 25. Sep, 2009 | Comments Off
Lately I’ve been sending out a Wednesday review to recap things we talked about as a youth group, and maybe mention a couple of things I wish we would have gotten to but didn’t. If you’re interested in knowing some of what goes down on Wednesday nights, here ya go… We asked some difficult questions, [...]
Martha, Martha
Posted by info in chris ritter on 24. Sep, 2009 | No Comments
I wrote the other day about the spiritual funk that I’ve been in for a little while now. Funny how just after I acknowledge I’m in a funk and ask God to change whatever needs changing in my heart, he brought me to Luke 10:38-42. It’s the story of two sisters, Mary and Martha. Jesus [...]
Money and Christianity
Posted by info in chris ritter on 15. Sep, 2009 | No Comments
My wife and I have been taking part in a very interesting 13 week seminar by a man named Dave Ramsey. Dave is a well known author and speaker, and is a Christian man. The seminar is called “Financial Peace University” and is set up so that a group of people get together once a [...]
Wednesday Review – Disciples as worshipers
Posted by info in chris ritter on 03. Sep, 2009 | No Comments
I’m going to try and get in the habit of writing a blog each Thursday about what we talked about as a youth group the night before. We have just started a new format in which every student is actually reading the Bible and discussing it. There is a main topic and text each week [...]
Tough verses in the Bible
Posted by info in chris ritter on 01. Sep, 2009 | No Comments
I love the Bible. I haven’t always loved it, but I really do love it now. For much of my growing up years, reading the Bible was a duty-filled process, a guilt laden thing that I “needed” to do. It was not the source of great life and joy for me, nor did I really [...]
Getting Rid of Idols
Posted by info in chris ritter on 25. Aug, 2009 | No Comments
I preached on Sunday morning on worship and idolatry. To summarize, worship is the sum and total of what you and I are doing every day of our lives. Worship, as I put it on Sunday, is “giving our utmost devotion to something, it is setting our affection on something in such a way that [...]
9 years ago today…
Posted by info in chris ritter on 14. Aug, 2009 | No Comments
My mother passed away 9 years ago today. She battled cancer long and hard, for the better part of 6 years with just about 2 years of relapse in between. I remember the day vivdly: I was working at Scandia Family Fun Center, in the arcade snack bar (ridiculously loud children and noises for what [...]
Seasons in Life
Posted by info in chris ritter on 10. Aug, 2009 | No Comments
It doesn’t take long for anyone paying attention to realize that life has many seasons. Life’s seasons aren’t nearly as easy to mark out as the four seasons of our calendar year – they’re not marked by specific dates and not always marked by rapid changes in things like temperature, color change, and leaves coming [...]