Pastor Dave Koop

Thanksgiving is a powerful way to live!Thanksgiving, like many of our holidays, has slowly lost its original meaning. When we truly understand what is behind living a life of thanksgiving there is a power released for us to enjoy.

The Good Samaritan story has so impacted the world that it has become part of our everyday vernacular to describe someone who helps a person in need. Although a lot of Christian symbols and expressions are being suppressed today, you can still say someone is a “Good Samaritan” without it being seen as a Christian bias.

In the book of Romans, Paul takes the first eleven chapters to explain God’s plan for us, and how we are to love God. In chapter twelve he shifts from a vertical perspective to a horizontal one. Verse nine reads:Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Romans 12:9 (NIV)

Good stories move people. A well told story draws us in, drags us through the mud, puts us through the fire and takes us to higher places. Jesus told stories with classic storytelling techniques that included:1. We are hooked by struggle.