The Blazing Center

No Plan B

5 May 2010

44917 CommentsNo+Plan+B2010-05-05+10%3A00%3A49Mark+Altrogge

Could there be a better plan for your life? Have you ever wondered why you have to go through the things you’re going through? Why you have the husband, wife, child, boss, or neighbor you have? Why you must battle the trials or temptations you face? “God is not only all-knowing but also all-wise. This [...]

The Miracle of Marriage

30 April 2010

44894 CommentsThe+Miracle+of+Marriage2010-04-30+13%3A19%3A13Stephen+Altrogge

Every man should share the astonishment of Martin Luther, who wrote to a friend just before getting married: I am going to get married. God likes to work miracles and to make a fool of the world. You must come to the wedding. Men, it’s a miracle that you got married. Rejoice in the miracle [...]

Shine A Little Light On Me

24 March 2010

429812 CommentsShine+A+Little+Light+On+Me2010-03-24+10%3A00%3A19Mark+Altrogge

How do we shine the light of Christ into the darkness? Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (PHP 2.14-15) We shine a light into [...]

David’s First Order Of Business

28 October 2009

33734 CommentsDavid%27s+First+Order+Of+Business2009-10-28+10%3A00%3A28Mark+Altrogge

1 CH 16.7 Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers. David’s first order of business after bringing the ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, was to get the worship team singing thanks. This agrees with Psalm 100: Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and [...]

Thanks Mr. Car Repair Man

19 February 2009

19179 CommentsThanks+Mr.+Car+Repair+Man2009-02-19+10%3A00%3A22Stephen+Altrogge

Most of you are probably not aware of this, but today is “I Sure Am Grateful For…” day. On this holiday (which is celebrated in rural Pennsylvania and Central Mexico) we honor those who make our lives livable – those people that regularly spare us from death and/or homelessness. Today I’m honoring Karl. Karl is [...]

What’s Your Guilty Pleasure?

25 July 2008

61410 CommentsWhat%27s+Your+Guilty+Pleasure%3F2008-07-25+10%3A00%3A37Stephen+Altrogge

One of the glories of the gospel is that it transforms ‘guilty pleasures’ into grateful pleasures. In other words, things that you once did without gratefulness to God or self-control (e.g. eat ice cream, go cycling, watch movies), you can now do with joy in your heart and in a way that pleases God. So [...]

Do You Love Nasal Spray?

11 July 2008

58320 CommentsDo+You+Love+Nasal+Spray%3F2008-07-11+10%3A00%3A44Stephen+Altrogge

I must confess, I absolutely love nasal spray. Before you abandon this blog as the ravings of a congested madman, let me explain. I’ve had a cold for the last week, and during this time my nose has been jammed to the rafters. Breathing through my nose has been difficult if not impossible. I’m sure [...]

The Easiest Way To Glorify God

10 July 2008

5819 CommentsThe+Easiest+Way+To+Glorify+God2008-07-10+10%3A00%3A52Mark+Altrogge

Fanny Crosby wrote over 8,000 hymns, including “Praise Him, Praise Him” and “To God be the Glory”. Before he was 20, Charles Spurgeon had preached over 600 times. He read 6 books per week and could recall what he had read and locate it, even years later. He started a pastors’ college that trained nearly [...]

Official Gratefulness Day

13 June 2008

5199 CommentsOfficial+Gratefulness+Day2008-06-13+10%3A00%3A50Stephen+Altrogge

Sometimes blogging can be like passing a kidney stone. Not really. I’ve never had a kidney stone, but from what I hear, they’re pretty high on the pain spectrum. So blogging is nothing like passing a kidney stone. I just wanted to throw that line out there. But blogging does have its challenges. For example, [...]

What to Do With a Crust of Bread

3 March 2008

2864 CommentsWhat+to+Do+With+a+Crust+of+Bread2008-03-03+13%3A00%3A00Mark+Altrogge

It doesn’t take much to expose my wicked heart. God doesn’t need to toss me into prison or break my fibula to reveal the discontentment that lurks in my inner recesses. Sometimes all it takes is my wife Kristi telling me what’s for dinner when I get home from work. “I thought we’d have leftovers [...]