September 12, 2021 by Tom Jackson
Biblical hope is the joyful, confident anticipation and expectation of something that is certain; specifically, the joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation. In other words, God wants us to live with confident certainty that He is going to keep his promise to us. ...
September 12, 2021 by Tom Jackson
The picture of an anchor points to something that gives stability in times of shaking or trouble. To anchor the soul means that our souls – our heart, our minds, our emotions – have a source of stability. And that source of stability is the hope we have. And this is where we get into the content of that hope: it is a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain. ...
September 12, 2021 by Tom Jackson
The ability to keep your eye on the prize and live in JOY through the midst of trials is an indicator of the purity and the quality of your faith. ...
September 12, 2021 by Tom Jackson
Our salvation is not "manufactured by man" but by God. And the same thing is true of the hope we’re talking about. I’m not encouraging you to start thinking optimistic thoughts; I’m inviting you to step into something GOD has created....
September 12, 2021 by Tom Jackson
Another way living hope is described is as a guaranteed future. He points to two dimensions of the guarantee – He keeps an inheritance safe for us, and He protects us so that we can receive the inheritance He has for us....
January 1, 2021 by Tom Jackson
2020 was a hard year. Will 2021 be better? The prophets teach us how to think about the new year. ...
September 9, 2020 by Tom Jackson
Feeling beset by enemies inside and out, David reminds us in Psalm 144 that God is the God of all provision, the God of more than enough, the God who provides everything we need to not only survive - but thrive - and to enjoy his blessing....
September 9, 2020 by Tom Jackson
We live in an unprecedented time of change; in Joshua 1 we learn principles for moving forward in God's purpose even when the future is uncertain....
July 1, 2020 by Tom Jackson
Mary teaches us by example, and Jesus by his words, of the priority of listening to God....
July 1, 2020 by Tom Jackson
It is not a political statement to affirm that there is no room for racism; this is a non-negotiable tenet of God's kingdom....
March 22, 2017 by Tom Jackson | Category: Update | Tags: Gospel, 2012, Ukraine, Europe, curriculum, leadership training
A common response to the question, 'How's it going?' is 'Busy!'. And while it's true that we can be too busy, I often respond by saying, 'Better busy than bored!'. And while that's also true, there is something that's even better than being busy - and that is being blessed. In reflecting on what we've been up to, we've been busy ... but we're blessed!...
Keep ReadingMarch 22, 2017 by Tom Jackson | Tags: holy spirit, Power, hope, March, Wind, Gospel, Europe,
The active presence of the Holy Spirit is not something God intended to be limited to the early church; this is also our inheritance in Christ....
Keep ReadingMarch 22, 2017 by Jim Jackson | Category: Economics | Tags: Gospel, giving, 2012, Jesus, Kingdom, jubilee, thanksgiving, economics, debt, tithe, poor
Jesus came to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, a spiritual jubilee in which we are restored to the happy land of our relationship with God. This positions us for active participation in God's purposes, including gratitude-based generosity. Every time we give, every moment we share with those in need, every week we set aside a tithe and give it to God to fund his wors...
Keep ReadingFebruary 22, 2017 by Tom Jackson | Category: Theology
Recently an episode in Scotland reminded us about the need to be clear: there is only one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ...
Keep ReadingFebruary 22, 2017 by Jim Jackson | Category: Football | Tags: 2012, Jesus, winning, Super Bowl, falcons
I was disappointed in the outcome of the Super Bowl. But the good news is that Jesus never disappoints us....
Keep ReadingFebruary 22, 2017 by Tom Jackson | Category: Ukraine
Who pastors the pastors? I was recently meeting with our pastors in Ukraine, encouraging them in their rewarding but demanding task of gospel ministry in Ukraine....
Keep ReadingJanuary 18, 2017 by Tom Jackson | Category: Mission
As great as the past was, God is calling us forward to the future. But the future God has for us is rooted in what he has already done as described in the Bible....
Keep ReadingJanuary 18, 2017 by Jim Jackson | Category: Victory | Tags: faith, Paul, 2012, Victory, winning, Super Bowl, God's purpose
God's vision for our lives is victory, not survival. But victory is about more than winning personally - it's about God's purposes winning. ...
Keep ReadingDecember 15, 2016 by Tom Jackson | Category: Year End Review | Tags: mission, vision, faith, Scotland, Nations, 2012, Ukraine, Provision, future, 2016, 2017, past, thanks, copenhagen
Imagine a generous husband who gets a big bonus and decides to buy his wife a diamond ring for Christmas. It comes in small package, and when she opens it, she admires it, thanks him, but then sets it to the side. In the midst of all the Christmas-day chaos, the small but valuable diamond ring gets knocked off the end table, covered in Christmas paper, and lost. ...
Keep ReadingDecember 15, 2016 by Tom Jackson | Category: Vision | Tags: vision, faith, 2012, New Year, 2017
As we prepare to enter the New Year, our focus on being faithful with the gospel is more important than ever. I was recently chatting with my dad about the impact CBU has had over the decades since our first conference in 1974. Thousands have been touched, but it has been for a purpose. ...
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