Your Spiritual Target

Tim Riter February 13, 2017

If you aim at nothing, you’re bound to hit it. But if you aim at a target, nail it dead center, yet choose the wrong target, you hit the same thing—nothing. Think of the above target, all of it, as faith. What’s the bull’s eye at the center? What’s the core of following Jesus? Some state verbal assent will do it, saying Jesus is Savior. That’s certainly a ring—confessing Jesus. Others proclaim the importance of being a good person. That’s another ring—obedience. Yet more will tell you that believing the right things hits the bull’s eye. That’s another ring—correct doctrine.

But while good, these all miss the core, which Jesus gave...

"Men's Journal"

Tim Riter February 6, 2017

Do you sometimes feel like two totally different, contradictory people? Compassionate at times, inconsiderate at others. Generous and stingy. Spiritual and sinful. And do you wonder which is the real you? Or are both? I share that dilemma. Some anonymous friend, knowing my soul…

Love One, Love All

Tim Riter January 29, 2017

OK, the pic of Trump signing the executive order limiting immigration got your attention. Good. But please don’t view this as a political post, because it examines a foundational principle that undergirds how we stand on a variety of issues, immigration included. And I won’t apologize for deleting any comments on the blog or Facebook that veer onto the political. This topic has too much spiritual importance to become a political weapon, in either direction. So for this blog, I care little ...

Foundations to Code

Tim Riter January 23, 2017

We purchased our three year old Temecula house back in ’88, with a pathetic patio cover put in the back yard by the previous owner. A landscape guy, not a builder. Oh, it looked nice, but the 4x4 posts soon rotted from being in contact with the dirt, and the header and rafters were much too flimsy and far apart to support anything. Insert “hammock” here. So when we replaced it we had a contractor build a covered patio, to code, and I watched how he did it. Our next step—put in a lattice patio cover and pavers for the ground level in the front for evening sunsets. So I checked out ...

A Holy Consumption

Tim Riter January 16, 2017

This shouldn’t happen at 68, but the fresh result of combining existing concepts still amazes me. One word from this week’s sermon and taking the Lord’s Supper combined with my mind’s semi-misuse of a word to amaze me. Here’s what happened. Our pastor used the word “holy,” fairly briefly, that we all should be set apart for God. My mind then transposed that word “holy” into a completely different word, “whole,” which is the meaning of the word “salvation.” Soon after ...

Feasting

Tim Riter January 9, 2017

My dad ate to live. I lean in the opposite direction—I live to eat. So much, I wonder if it’s not my greatest spiritual gift. Logic can support that—I allow those with the gift of hospitality to exercise that gift! My gift, or curse, makes it hard to resist the buffets at our two local casinos (the one above is the best-- the Pala buffet). For just $23.24, you encounter over 200 choices to entice you to commit gluttony. And I do! Shrimp, New York steak, mussels, crab legs, custom omelets, prime rib—if I went on the saliva dripping down my chin would short out my keyboard. To avoid the recurring sin of gluttony, I limit myself to once a year. About time for a return. But a recent message by our pastor...

Appearances Deceive

Tim Riter January 2, 2017

Looking down from 50 feet away, the above hole at McGee Creek looked promising. Deep enough for a nice sized trout, with enough movement of water to bring plenty of food to hungry fish. I carefully worked my way down through the scrub brush and rocks and loose dirt, but at 10 feet away, the hole lost its great appearance. Up close, the shallow water moved too fast and held little promise. Appearances deceive. But ...

grace-and-truth by Red Rocks Baptist Church.jpg

Who Is This Jesus?

Tim Riter December 26, 2016

This last Sunday, we celebrated a baby’s birth. We love the baby, who has a touching story. That’s Christmas, and it’s true. We also love that first aspect of his nature—grace. Forgiveness, healing, restoration, and hope that our pasts won’t be held against us. That also is true. Yet we sometimes struggle with another truth...

Unconventional

Old Faith, New Following