By Pastor RAUL GRANILLO

Having four kids of my own, I instantly know the cries of a child who has just had a nightmare. My response is instinctive—I don’t even have to think about it. I instantly jump out of bed and run to comfort my child. 

Each one of my kids has had that night when they swear there was a monster under the bed. That feeling of terror is one that I myself have not forgotten from my own childhood. I wonder if anyone can ever really forget what it’s like to be absolutely scared of something that may or may not exist.

Even as an adult, my monsters haven’t disappeared, they’ve just Read More

By Pastor RAUL GRANILLO

Who are you? Who do you most resemble? Your mom? Your dad? Your best friend? Who influences your life?

I remember rolling my eyes when my mom would try to tell me that “so and so” was a bad influence. I couldn’t understand why she had so little faith in my own judgement and character that she thought I could be influenced. Chalk that up to another one of those things mom was right about—that column on my chalkboard is getting full!

Most parents today realize that their kids are influenced by others, and that who they hang out with really matters. Even as adults, we are influenced Read More

By Pastor RAUL GRANILLO

There are too many people in this world today who have been so hurt, so violated, or so unjustly treated that there doesn’t seem to be any justice possible for them. And if you tell these victims that they should forgive their assailant in order to begin healing they might misinterpret what you are saying.

For the victim this may seem to imply that the crimes committed against them were not as bad as they made them out to be, that perhaps they weren’t as innocent as they claimed; or that the damage was insignificant; or that the offender does not deserve to be hated for Read More

By Pastor Raul Granillo

Words Matter

My mother has washed my mouth out with soap on more than one occasion. Of course my parents came from a time when this was acceptable and they believed that what came out of your mouth mattered.

Today this practice is probably less common, and maybe even frowned upon, but I would argue that what comes out of your mouth still matters. What each one of us says or does makes a difference—whether good or bad.

In Mark 7:14-15 (NIV), Jesus told the crowd around Him, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going Read More

By Pastor RAUL GRANILLO

The Cross

One might argue that the universal symbol for Christianity is the cross. When we see one on a building we might think it’s a church, when we see someone wearing a cross on a necklace we might think it represents their faith, and when we see one on the side of a highway we might think that it somehow brings comfort in a time of loss.

The cross is likely to be the universal symbol for Christianity and yet there are so many who are offended by its presence.

The removal of Christian symbols such as the cross (like the one created in the rubble of Ground Zero), or a monument Read More

By Pastor RAUL GRANILLO

Hard Things

I ran into an old high school friend who I hadn’t seen in 20 years. We reminisced about another mutual friend, Mike, who died far too young.

We talked about how everything seemed easy for Mike: getting great grades, learning music, wrestling, socializing, and even getting into the Air Force Academy. It turns out we both felt a bit jealous of him even though the three of us were pretty close.

Looking back I realize that it wasn’t that things were easy for Mike, he just approached things differently than most people. Mike aimed well above normal or average Read More