Posts with the tag “pastor-charles-specht”

Do you remember your wedding vows? I hope you do. Those vows are so, so important!As a pastor, I’ve certainly conducted more funerals than I have weddings, but my favorite part of the wedding ceremony...  Read More

I didn’t grow up in a family that had a lot of money. We definitely were not rich, but we weren’t exactly destitute, either. We just didn’t have much and there was rarely a time when we had anything t...  Read More

Do you know love?Do you know what love is?Do you know what love looks like or feels like and does?Love does.Love does things for us.Love does things for you.Love has a name.Do you know His name?Do you...  Read More

Each day this week we are releasing a video devotional from one of our pastors related to the Passion Experience - an online, interactive experience designed to help you meditate on the events of Jesu...  Read More

You have big plans, I know. We all do. You do, I do, we do.We expect BIG things for the future.We work hard. We play hard. We guess and plan and hope and prepare and pray.We trust God. We trust that G...  Read More

I often need to be reminded of God’s love for me. Don’t you?God loves you.God became incarnate for you.God lived for you.God died for you.God rose for you.God is glorified for you.God is exalted for y...  Read More

Personally, I don’t like skipping my daily meals. Not at all.I’ll usually have water and/or coffee in the morning, a very light breakfast or no breakfast at all, a hearty lunch, another coffee in the ...  Read More

(Before you read on, please know that I am speaking to myself here as much as I am to you.)There is a lowercase ‘g’ in that verse for a reason. There are not gods, as in many. There is only one God, a...  Read More

We ask God for many things in this life.We want cars and money and health and security and a husband or a wife and comfort and happiness and children and politicians and a career and…Those are not bad...  Read More

God is still seated on the throne.It doesn’t matter who is in the Oval Office because God is still seated on the throne.Some people vote while others choose not to, and after all is said and done it d...  Read More

I wonder if God grades on a curve.I wonder if the Lord is more interested in our efforts than he is in seeing our monthly results.Yes, I wonder…Human beings are drowning in numbers and stats and quart...  Read More

I don’t ever want to be crucified. I don’t want to die that way. I can’t think of a more exCRUCiating way to die than that.I don’t want to be burned in a fire or drown in water, either. No thank you. ...  Read More

This last Sunday I preached from 2 Timothy 1:3-7, reminding us all about: “Rekindling Your Fire for Ministry.”The second half of the message spent a lot of time on spiritual leadership with regards to...  Read More

These are exciting times and what a blessed opportunity we have now that the college students have begun moving in next door at the Topanga Ridge student housing complex!...  Read More

Jesus is coming back soon.Yes, I know, the world is falling apart.Jesus is coming back soon.Yes, I know that you’re scared and nervous and frightened.Jesus is coming back soon.Yes, I know that everyth...  Read More

I keep waking up at 4:00am. (Don’t you hate when that happens? Ugh!) Around 4:00am is when I get hot at night, I wake up in a sweat, and soon turn the air conditioning lower. Then, I struggle falling ...  Read More

When I was in seminary I had an interesting side job to help me pay the bills. I worked for a company called Senior Felix and…among other things…they made what I still think is the best 7-layer dip on...  Read More

My youngest son, Luke, is completely blind. He has eyes, but they do not see. However, he’s just like any other kid who loves to laugh, play, and do fun things.A few months back our family began going...  Read More

Do you ever do things because it’s the right thing to do, but your heart really isn’t in it? Do you ever go through “spiritual Christian exercises" because it’s what Christians are supposed to do, but...  Read More

Joy! O, sweet blessed joy! I need more joy in my life, don’t you? Of course you do! We all want more joy, need more joy, desire to be more joyful, etc. So, the question then is why don’t we…as God’s c...  Read More

I absolutely love, love, love reading the Book of Leviticus! To me, Leviticus is one of the most fascinating books in the Bible. It provides us with such detailed instruction about what God had given ...  Read More

Question: Have you misplaced your joy in the Lord? Here’s what I mean.I absolutely love Psalm 51. For me, it seems to speak everything into my mind and heart that is ever needed for godliness in this ...  Read More

The Lord saved me while I was a senior in college. I was preparing to graduate and then immediately go on to earn my Master’s and then a Doctorate in clinical psychology. I had it all planned out. I w...  Read More

Do you sometimes get depressed easily, or even slip into moments of spiritual depression?Unfortunately, I do. It happens way more often than I’m comfortable admitting to, and I find that it tends to c...  Read More

Do you remember a few months back when each of our pastors shared their personal testimonies at church in our “Pastoral Callings” series? I likewise shared my personal testimony and my three main poin...  Read More

Do you ever experience “fear” in your life, even though — as a Christian — there’s no reason to fear? I know that I do that at times. When I do become fearful, I recite 2 Timothy 1:7 in my head, over ...  Read More