Drawing from Genesis, we reflect on how the initial beauty and order of creation was disrupted by disobedience, yet God’s plan for renewal was set in motion immediately after the fall.

Scripture shows that God's word has great power to accomplish His purposes, reminding us that when we align ourselves with His will, the impossible becomes possible.

While smartphones and devices help us stay connected and productive, the constant distractions they create often make it harder to find peace or time for spiritual reflection.

The start of a new year often brings pressure to stick to resolutions, but it's important to remember that we all have weaknesses and are not perfect.

Even in the midst of slow progress or uncertain tasks, God's Spirit empowers us to accomplish His purposes, and every small step is significant in His grand plan.

As we step into 2025, it’s comforting to remember that God is both the beginning and the end. From the very start of creation to the final chapter of eternity, He is with us.

Happy New Year from Dean Collins!

As we close this year and step into the next, we are encouraged to trust in God’s unchanging presence, knowing that He will continue to bring comfort, joy, and purpose as we serve Him and others in the coming year.

Eternal life is not just a future promise; it is something we can experience now as we live and love like Jesus, with the confidence that both we and our departed loved ones are alive in Christ.

While calendars and schedules help us manage our lives, they can also distract us from the deeper purpose of Advent and Christmas—to encounter the presence of Jesus in a meaningful way.

While the physical celebrations of Christmas come to an end, the spiritual work of Christ—His finished sacrifice and the ongoing transformation He brings—continues in our lives and hearts.

Merry Christmas from Dean Collins!

In Luke 2, we read that Mary gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manager. Consider this for a moment. God  chose to put on skin and be bound in swaddling clothes.

One of the songs I led was the quirky hit “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night, which became a bridge to deeper worship, connecting silly joy with reverent praise.

When the twins returned, Alice discovered Jesus under the couch, illustrating how, like in life, sometimes we need to seek God intentionally to rediscover His presence.

While scholars have written volumes about the incarnation, my grandson’s enthusiasm for the coming of Jesus brought me back to the essence of Christmas—celebrating the Savior’s birth with simple, childlike joy.

Advent calls us to reflect on God’s faithfulness, just as David reflected on God’s deliverance, and to remember that the reason we wake each day is because God sustains us.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus and await His return, we can relate to the Israelites’ longing for deliverance and the sense of waiting that often makes our hope feel distant, yet we know Jesus will return to restore all things.

After discovering my grandchildren's playful rearranging of nativity figures, I reflected on how even small disruptions can remind us of the enduring presence of Jesus in our lives.

Though we might imagine the angels singing, the Bible tells us they were declaring God's glory and peace, a message we are called to repeat with our words and actions.