Introduction Ice-breaker question: “Which is harder to deal with—trials or temptations?” The group used personal experience to compare the two and set the stage for studying James 1:12-15. Scripture Reference(s) James 1:12 - 15 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (NIV) ...

Introduction Guest preacher: Ernest Smith, Lead Pastor of Front Range Church (Castle Rock, CO), a Lake Pointe church-plant (2013). Ernest recounts Lake Pointe’s partnership, highlighting the Strategic Launch Network and personal support from Pastors Steve & Josh. Sets the stage by confessing a lifelong struggle with comparison and the cultural pressure to “be successful.” Central tension: God’s definition of success vs. our drive for status, wealth, and control. How God re-defines achievement through Naaman’s healing and our own obedience. ...

Introduction Initial brain-storm: participants named “faith,” “trials,” and practicality as hallmarks of James. Leader highlighted four biblical men named James and identified the letter’s author as “James the Just,” half-brother of Jesus and senior pastor of the Jerusalem church (circa A.D. 40). Purpose of the letter: equip scattered Jewish Christians to live out genuine faith amid persecution. Scripture Reference(s) James 1:1-12 James 2:14-26 Romans 3:28 Ephesians 2:8-9 Acts 12 Acts 14 Luke 23:39-43 Matthew 5–7 Key Points Authorship & Audience ...

Introduction Pastor returns from vacation and 20th-anniversary trip, grateful for church family and fellow pastors who preached in his absence. Launches new series, “Run to Win,” promising some weighty themes. Opens with a lighthearted “St. Peter at the gate” joke to expose common confusion about salvation and judgment. States pastoral priority: preparing believers for eternity above all else. Sets goal for message—clarify exactly what happens the moment after death and at Christ’s return. Scripture Reference(s) Romans 14:10-12 Revelation 20:11-15 2 Corinthians 5:10 Matthew 7:21-23 Romans 1:16 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 1 Corinthians 3:13-14 Matthew 16:27 Revelation 22:12 1 John 1:7 Psalm 51:1 Isaiah 43:25 Habakkuk 1:13 Key Points / Exposition 1. Everyone Faces Two Judgments Scripture shows not one but two distinct judgments. Great White Throne Judgment – “everybody” judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). Judgment Seat (Bema) of Christ – rewards ceremony for believers (2 Corinthians 5:10). Paul warns Christians not to focus on judging others because “we will all stand” before God (Romans 14:10-12). 2. The Great White Throne Judgment – “What Did You Do With Jesus?” Vision: books (plural) and a single “Book of Life.” Books = exhaustive record of every deed—good and bad. Book = only names, no sins. Illustration with permanent marker: our sins are indelibly written; good works or apologies cannot erase them. Only the blood of Jesus can “blot out” transgressions (Psalm 51:1; Isaiah 43:25; 1 John 1:7). Hell is ultimately the place where people choose to pay for their own sin instead of accepting Christ’s payment. Correct answer on Judgment Day: “I gave my life to Jesus—I knew Him.” Warning from Jesus (Matthew 7:21-23): many will rely on religious activity rather than relationship. 3. Personal Testimony – From Religion to Relationship Pastor’s upbringing: constant church attendance, prayed prayer at 8 to avoid hell. At 16, encounter in a charismatic church; Romans 1:16 awakens him to a living relationship with Christ. Distinction between external religion (doll) and internal life (living child): only genuine faith saves. 4. The Judgment Seat of Christ – “What Did You Do With What I Gave You?” Greek “Bema” imagery: Olympic officials rewarding victorious runners. Believers’ works pass through a refining fire (1 Corinthians 3:13-14). Whatever survives receives eternal reward. Jesus is eager to reward (Matthew 16:27; Revelation 22:12). Life resources—time, talents, finances, nationality, era—are stewardship trusts. 5. What Lasts Forever Only one category endures the fire: the souls of people. Believers can’t change the whole world but can change someone’s world by leveraging their resources for eternal impact. 6. Modern Example – Lewis & Casey’s Foster Journey Video testimony: infertility led couple to pray and attend Lake Pointe’s Foster & Adoption Conference. Turned painful past and personal experience with the system into redemptive ministry for children. Demonstrates using life story and resources to make eternal difference in others. Major Lessons & Revelations Death is certain; preparation is optional but essential. Salvation hinges on relationship with Jesus, not religious résumé. Eternal rewards are real and tied to how believers steward God-given resources for people’s salvation and welfare. God delights to erase sin, rename believers, and celebrate their faithful service. Practical Application Examine relationship with Christ—move from knowing about Him to knowing Him. Place faith in Jesus’ finished work; stop trying to self-erase sin. Inventory resources (skills, finances, influence, time) and ask, “How can these reach or serve people for eternity?” Engage in ministries that touch eternal souls—e.g., foster care, missions, evangelism, discipling the next generation. Live daily with the Bema Seat in view—run the faith-race to win imperishable rewards (1 Corinthians 9:24-25). Conclusion & Call to Response Two unavoidable questions await every person: “What did you do with Jesus?” “What did you do with what I gave you?” Pastor urges congregation to settle the first by surrendering to Christ today and to orient life toward the second by investing in people who will last forever. References & Resources Lake Pointe Foster & Adoption Conference – catalyst for Lewis & Casey’s ministry story.

Introduction Ice-breaker: everyone rated their fear of heights (0 - 10). The leader later tied this to “spiritual heights,” safety harnesses, and the assurance God gives in vv. 24-25. Session goal: finish the Jude series (week 5) by exploring vv. 20-25—how believers contend inwardly (vv. 20-21) and outwardly (vv. 22-23), and how God ultimately keeps them (vv. 24-25). Scripture Reference(s) Jude 1:20–25 Romans 8:39 Luke 15:11–32 1 Corinthians 15:33 John 14:15 Key Points Keep Yourselves in God’s Love (vv. 20-21) ...

Introduction Pastor begins by greeting all campuses and online viewers, then poses a penetrating question: “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” Acknowledges common, paralyzing fears—rejection, failure, success, loneliness, financial entrapment, relational stagnation. Sets the stage for Acts 23, continuing Lake Pointe’s series on the life of Paul. Scripture Reference(s) Acts 23 Acts 24 2 Timothy 1:7 Joshua 1:9 Proverbs 6:32 Proverbs 29:25 1 Corinthians 15:55 Key Points / Exposition 1. God Has Not Given a Spirit of Fear Quoting Paul’s prison letter to Timothy, the pastor emphasizes that fear and timidity are not heaven-sent; God gifts power, love, and self-discipline. Healthy instinctual fears (fire, falling, loud noises) differ from the crippling “spirit of fear.” Greek insight: hypostasis—“that which stands under, a foundation.” True confidence rests on a solid spiritual foundation. 2. Paul Before the Sanhedrin (Acts 23) Paul claims a clear conscience, is struck on the mouth by order of the high priest, reacts in frustration, then apologizes—revealing his humanity. Masterful strategy: declares his Pharisee heritage and hope in the resurrection, igniting Pharisee–Sadducee debate and diverting attention. Roman commander extracts Paul for safety; that night Jesus appears: “Take courage… you must testify in Rome.” Lesson: divine encouragement often follows disappointment, assuring us our calling is not over. 3. Personal Testimony: Vegas to Kentucky Pastor recounts leaving a thriving Las Vegas church plant to return to his hometown, knowing conflict awaited. God anchors him with Joshua 1:9; unsolicited cards and emails repeatedly quote the same verse, confirming the call. Insight: Courage is forged in obedience, not circumstance. 4. Courage Defined: Potent + Present vs. Powerless Legitimate fear objects are both potent and present (e.g., a live poisonous snake). Because of Christ’s resurrection, death is present but no longer potent—therefore illegitimate as a fear object (1 Cor 15). Max Lucado quotation: when safety becomes our god, greatness is emasculated. 5. Fear of People: A Dangerous Trap Proverbs 29:25 warns that craving human approval ensnares; trusting the Lord brings safety. Humorous “candy-store prom” story illustrates how people-pleasing alters behavior. Call: let God’s acceptance eclipse public opinion. 6. A Survey of Courage in Acts (Chs 1–23) From Pentecost’s 120 Spirit-filled believers to Stephen, Philip, Ananias, Barnabas, Peter, and Paul—Acts showcases successive courageous acts. Suggestion: reread Acts focusing solely on courage to see a pattern of Spirit-empowered boldness. 7. Everyday Courage: Rapid-Fire Reflections Pastor lists dozens of real-life scenarios—parenting, ministry transition, confronting abuse, entering rehab, teaching middle school, driving in Dallas—each demanding courage. Thread: Courage is mundane and majestic, public and private; all flows from surrender to God. Major Lessons & Revelations Courage springs from living consciously in God’s omnipotent, omnipresent hands. Perfect love (God’s) expels fear; fear flourishes where divine love is doubted. The greatest battlefield is internal—governing one’s spirit surpasses conquering a city. Approval seeking is a subtle idol; reverence for God breeds true wisdom and bravery. God often over-provides protection (470 soldiers for Paul) to remind us He’s got us. Practical Application Daily ask: “What would I attempt today if fear weren’t in charge?” Identify one current fear; bring it under Christ’s authority, replacing negative expectation with faith. Memorize 2 Tim 1:7 and Joshua 1:9; recite them whenever anxiety surfaces. Keep a journal of courage—record moments you obey despite fear, noting God’s faithfulness. Limit approval-seeking behaviors (e.g., social-media validation fast) to break people-pleasing cycles. Reread Acts 1–23 within a week, highlighting every act of courage; pray for similar boldness. Conclusion & Call to Response The congregation is invited to sit quietly, let projected Scriptures wash over them, and ask God: “Lord, what courageous step are You asking of me? Where have I been paralyzed?” Jesus’ whispered assurance—“Take courage, I’m not done with you”—is extended to every listener. ...

Assume we have monorepo at git@github.com/haydenk/monorepo.git ...

Absolutely nothing against Hugo, in fact I love Hugo as a blog framework. I found myself focused too much on having the right look and meddling with themes that I was not producing any posts. This one will be short, I am not a wordy person. I just wanted to get my thoughts down while they were on my mind. I will return to Hugo at some point or maybe something better than Hugo will have come around by the time I am ready to return. In the meantime, I will focus on creating posts within this repository.

When I started, I struggled with what I was going to use. I wanted to use Rails but I couldn’t find much information on how to use Rails with an embedded app in Shopify. That has since been debunked. Before it was debunked, I settled on using Remix because it was in the Shopify developer documentation and made it easy to get started. Really, this turned out to be a huge pain in the ass both in development and with deployment. ...

UPDATE 2025-02-27 Replaced asdf for mise. I had some oddities pop up on the latest asdf update that I didn’t have with mise and mise seems to work nicer. Sometimes I like to wipe my Macbook and start over but I forget some little things that make starting over frustrating. I am not going to give full detail instructions on how I install it. I usually just follow the steps from the project site. I will only include nuances that I may do different or in addition to the normal steps. ...