A Happy New Year Greeting!

The LOVE of Jesus is INCLUSIVE!

Would you LIKE to go on an ECO Tour? …Come on, why not?

Just because He’s SUBTLE doesn’t mean we should ignore him

Come along on a JOURNEY with us

The Dr. Seuss-Style ending to the Christmas service

We can HANDLE what LIFE dishes out today!

Jesus doesn't want to drive your Maserati!

Avoiding those who want to COMPLICATE life

Knowing that we have ETERNAL life

You're not hopelessly out of touch!

Finley is our little Escape Artist!

A TROPICAL Getaway in Chicago, in December

My scenic view

This is my very scenic view most Friday nights when the Worship Team is rehearsing for the Sunday morning services.

We have some terrific music planned for this Sunday, December 9^th. Really! I think you’re definitely going to want to check it out.

Inspiration. Challenge. Praising God. Teaching from the Word. Encouragement.

…All of the above will be happening on Sunday.

(…We will even have some fun. Oh I know that’s not supposed to be legal at church but we have fun, anyhow. By the way, you should probably keep that on the down low. Grumpy people get mad when they find out about it.)

If you’re in the area I invite you to join us!

First Church of God

4600 W. 111^th Street

Oak Lawn, IL

Service times: Sunday 9am and 11am

A lot that we DON'T understand

God can use whatever He needs to use to draw people to Himself

Offended by God?

Jeremiah was a prophet…he was also a bullfrog

What we are seeking lies outside of the noise and the busyness.

When someone dies at a young age we cry different tears.

Snow blower!?!? …GET OUT of here!!! I can do it MUCH faster!

God is omnipresent. And in other news, my head may explode.

What is God trying to teach you… about yourself?

I hope you have a WONDERFUL, joyful Thanksgiving Day!

****BREAKING NEWS!**** Chili Cook-Off winner offers baffling answer to question

You can’t please everyone so be concerned with PLEASING GOD

God's way is NOT impractical Sunday School SPECULATION!

Christianity is not irrelevant...it is too relevant!

By this time on Friday night, to be fair, it had been a long day

Check out the CONNECT Ministry!

It is important for the church to PHYSICALLY meet together!

Where is GOD? He's right HERE.

Here's the secret: DON'T QUIT

Nobody's really INTERESTED in the "GOD of LOWER STANDARDS!"

It is a PRIVILEGE to be an AMBASSADOR for our KING

What does it mean to say that JESUS is the LIGHT?

Wisdom regarding the people in our lives

Checking out "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" plus... REVIEW OF MOVIE

Heart change is God's domain

What happens politically is not what is most important in our lives

Speaking positively into people's lives

It would be helpful to ignore a lot of it

A trip to Sioux Falls to honor Curt

Respect, honor and love

You haven't run out of chances with God

                                 Click here for podcast!

God Stuff Podcast
Series: Don't Believe These Lies... God Is Dead

Don't just avoid the bad, embrace the good!

Will you acknowledge the truth, even when it is difficult?

When the chips are down...people believe in God

I apologize for saying something so obvious

We will make it through the storms

God Stuff Podcast 212

                                   Click here for podcast!

Dan, Stephanie and Lisa talk about unusual worship team rehearsals. Then they talk about dealing with fear in our lives.

Will you make time for God?

Is it possible that we love too much?

If we are willing, there is a way out of the temptations we face.

#PleaseShare

Don't just talk it. Live it!

Let's not contribute to the darkness. Let's contribute to the light!

Real leaders are probably not that common... based on Jesus' description of leadership

What if God interrupts us?

Encountering baby piglets and a skeleton in an outhouse

Who’s ready for a new, glorified body?

An unusual visitor at the worship team rehearsal

Nadia's most excellent birthday surprise!

If God is for us...

Be careful, your strengths could lead to a fall

God wants you to experience peace.

Continue to stand with Jesus, anyhow!

Dive into the aquarium with us!

The story of David and Goliath in less than 2 and a half minutes

This is Finley!

What is possible? A lesson from David

Never be embarrassed about Jesus

The wrong approach and the right approach

How much stuff does it take?

Humbly and gently help the person

Mirth and mischief at Lake Sara

People who don't like people

Spiritual things are spiritually discerned

You and I are unique. God made us that way!

Count your blessings! …It works!

What happened on the flight home?

Are you hurting? Don’t withdraw. Reach out and connect.

Don't let material things own you.

Does God expect us to respect authority?

Are you just surviving? ...Or fully living?

Treating others the way we want to be treated

Will our pets be in heaven?

Did you do something wrong? Admit it!

A trip to the Quincy farm.

Our faith is based on Jesus, not on people.

Be cautious about freedom?

Let's not put limits on what we imagine God could do!

We don't need the virtue signaling!

Jesus does not condemn her.

Keep the small things small... And be joyful!

Get out of your own way!

Make the most of every opportunity!

I'm glad you're here. We need you!

A surprisingly simple but important truth. Give it a shot!

Do we really trust God? (Do I really trust God?)

God is always the initiator of good!

God is with us...so we can be strong and courageous!

God's transforming work in us, for our good!

We can ALWAYS be honest with God!

A ride on the jet ski? ...I say sure, come on, let's go!

People like me need to be careful to avoid pride.

Phone is working again

My phone is repaired and I got it back last night just in time to take this photo. The Master Artist was at it again.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”Psalm 19:1

God is good because it is His nature

Do you love someone? Give him or her a gift: ...Your full attention!

Let's see what's happening at the beach.

Learning lessons from embarrassment.

Is it time for reconciliation?

High expectations are a compliment.

Someone needs to hear this today: With God there is ALWAYS hope!

An unforgettable trip to the Shell Factory!

Practicing the virtue of patience.

Love reveals itself in actions and behaviors

Two Christian brothers... politics and prayer

While walking along the Riverwalk pathway in Punta Gorda, this morning, I coincidentally happened upon a voter registration drive/rally. The relatively small rally (maybe 100 people, along with some local media) involved one of the most divisive hot button issues in our country.

Just before the event got underway I spotted a man setting up a banner nearby to establish a prayer area. The fellow who set up the “Prayer Stop” is Al, the person in the photo with me.

I approached Al and said to him, “I just texted my wife to tell her about this rally and she told me she was praying. And then I saw your prayer area here. Would it be possible for me to pray with you?”

Al very enthusiastically replied, “Yes, of course. Praise God!”

So, we put our arms around each other’s shoulders and prayed that the event would be peaceful and that God’s love, grace, patience and kindness would prevail in spite of the strong feelings that would surely be stirred.

I do not know Al’s political leanings. I did not ask him and I do not care. That’s not what is most important to me. And he did not ask mine. We were two brothers in Christ praying for a peaceful, respectful, non-violent event to transpire.

About 20 seconds after I walked away from my discussion and prayer time with Al someone walked past him and hurled the “F” word at him.

I guess this is how people who are short on substantive ideas exercise freedom of speech.

I stayed, watched and talked with some folks for a while but left before the event completely wrapped up. While I was there some very minor agitation occurred but, thankfully, no violence.

P.S. I am not interested in divisive political commentary on this post. That’s not why I am sharing it. I’m telling this story because of the Christian camaraderie and brotherhood that was experienced. Politically divisive comments will be deleted.

We were made for community

Being intentional about our thoughts

God Stuff Podcast - 210

Listen online or download and listen on the go!

                              Click here for audio podcast!

.

Dan, Lisa and Stephanie talk about ideal jobs and about the biblical instruction to not get tired of doing good

We can approach God boldly!

The events of our lives have a purpose

Be careful what you pray for!

Living life right now...God's gift to us.

Choose to stand with God

Be cautious about fame and celebrity

Our difficult lessons can help others

Don't be jealous. Live your life!

Want some helpful advice? Watch your tongue!

God Stuff Podcast - 209

Audio podcast. Listen online or download and listen on your mobile. 
Being authentic can be powerful!

                                       Click here to listen!

If God has called you...you can do it!

Stop re-living the past. Move forward!

Fun antics from Monday night softball

Be careful not to go too fast! Savor the moments.

Is that how you want to be treated?

It won’t always be the easiest way but God wants what’s best for us.

A person of character and maturity can rejoice with those who rejoice.

To trust in the Lord is not a burden…it’s a gift!

:

Hey! Take a river walk with us

Be obedient to God and let Him handle the outcomes

How to resist cynicism

Might be something...might be nothing

I was just jamming around on the guitar a bit. I don't know, this might be something or it might be nothing.

God Stuff Podcast - 208

Dan, Lisa and Stephanie talk about summer break and stepping out of your comfort zone.
Listen online or download and listen on the go!

Audio podcast, it's fun, inspirational and encouraging!

                                         Click here to listen!

                                 Click here to check it out!

I can't get away from me

Might be embarrassed? That's okay...try anyhow!

Schedule a royal wedding every other Saturday

I was flipping through the television stations this morning, watching coverage from the royal wedding on a number of different channels…most of them news channels. After about 10 minutes it occurred to me I was really enjoying the fact that for a brief window of time, on a Saturday morning, they were all talking about something other than politics.

I’m thinking it might be nice to schedule a royal wedding every other Saturday, or something like that.

#RoyalWedding

You can tell your story!

Tripped up by pride?

Joyful living and the assurance we have

What if I'm tempted?

Is life always fair?

Don't be discouraged, but it is helpful to come to grips with the truth that life is not always fair.

Don’t forget the God factor. With God all things are possible!

Are you okay not knowing everything?

Are you talking butterfly language to caterpillar people?

Time to take our springtime trip to the zoo!

Recognizing the Authority, Supremacy and Lordship...!

Hanging out with Jasper and Lucy

National Day of Prayer 2018 - Unity

Is it time for you to take action?

Does the Bible apply to all of life?

God Stuff Podcast 207

Listen online or download and listen on the go!
It's fun, interesting and challenging.


                                   Click here for podcast!

Does he cave in to peer pressure and go along with the crowd?

Be careful not to get the approach backward

Why should I do the right then when no one else does?

To make progress...we have to own up

Are you ready for a quick trip to Chinatown? ...Let's go!

Faithful to God even when it's not easy.

What do you mean...IF I can?

Go ahead and step out

Is Christianity offensive?

Hmm... should we cut-over to air conditioning during a snow storm?

The man who so capably handles our heating and air conditioning needs at the church is here doing some of the preliminary work in preparation for the cutover to air conditioning.

(Hold on! Wait!!! Don’t get nervous! He’s not doing the cutover to air conditioning YET! He’s just doing some of the prep. We will still have heat in the building this weekend!)

In the meantime, I’m sitting here laughing—okay, I’m partially crying, too—about weather in Chicago because we are expecting snow today. Yep, no kidding… SNOW! So, we are preparing to change the system over to air conditioning and we’ll probably be getting about 20 or 30 inches of snow today. (Or, perhaps, a little less than that.)

Does anybody have a spare ticket to Fort Myers they could lend me?

Religion is not what we are seeking

Gratitude is a necessary part of happiness

Yes, I'm transparent...but not THAT transparent

Rehearsal...making things "perfect" for Sunday

I had to learn it the hard way

Moral failures. Be careful about becoming too isolated.

Talking some more about my friend Stan Williams

Hey...check out C2E2 with me!

We don't want what we deserve

Stan's talk at Anderson University

Stan Williams, one of my beloved roommates from college, spoke at our alma mater,

Anderson University today. Stan has ALS. He spoke candidly, without being sad or depressing, about what that means for him, including the fact that his remaining time has been considerably cut short.

Stan's talk was interesting, fun, wise, challenging, spiritually profound, insightful and, like Stan, witty. (Although, I thought it was in somewhat poor taste for him to take up two offerings.)

I am so proud of this man. He is living well and--this is important--he is thoughtfully, purposefully, meaningfully helping others, while he demonstrates to us--with God's help--how to end well.

[Note: I also appreciated the fact that Stan waited until after the big public talk to reminisce with other college friends, Debba and Jordan, about some of the more regrettable hijinx we engaged in during those fun-filled times a hundred, or so, years ago. Lol!]

When love is tremendously challenging

Jesus is the one who couldn't be found at a tomb

Preparing for Easter Weekend 2018

What a terrific group of Christ followers. I love them!

These folks have been diligently, joyfully rehearsing and preparing so that we can honor Jesus this weekend. Some of you would be surprised if you knew how many volunteer hours these folks give to serving God’s kingdom. It is a tremendous blessing to my heart.

(If you’re thinking, “How is this Marler guy this fortunate to have wonderful folks like this at his church?!?” …Believe me, I feel the same way! It’s puzzling, lol! I guess God must like me.)

I’m already excited and rejoicing… and the services haven’t even begun, yet! It’s going to be fantastic!

First Church of God

4600 W. 111^th Street

Oak Lawn, IL

Good Friday Service, 7pm

Easter Services: 
Saturday, 5pm

     Sunday, 9am and 11am

Critics aren't going to stop us...right?

Are you searching for God?

Eating celery at Baskin Robbins

I'm at a local ice cream parlor with Rachel. Since it is Sunday you can probably guess what I'm having, right?

Yep! You nailed it... I'm having celery, once again. A big, crisp stalk of celery. Oh man it is a tasty treat! It's weird because a lot of people didn't even know that they offer celery at Baskin-Robbins.

(By the way... pay no attention to the ice cream cone you see in the photo.)

There are some lessons that can only be learned from falling down

Christian leaders haven't always handled power well

Spiritual growth and maturity take time! Here's why...

Let go of unfair expectations

God Stuff Podcast 205

                                      Click here for podcast!

                                          Click here to listen!

Dan, Lisa and Stephanie talk about some of the early contemporary Christian songs that have had an impact on their lives and factors that have been significant in regard to their spiritual growth.

Listen online or download and listen on the go!
Fun and inspirational! 

Someday it will all be put right

Nadia and Rachel are taking a trip

Nadia and Rachel are taking a quick trip for Florida for a few days to visit Nadia’s mom. Just before we left to drop them at the airport, however, a little snag was discovered that resulted in some uncertainty as to whether Rachel would be able to board the jet. So after I dropped them at the airport departure area I had to drive around and hang near the airport for about 25 minutes just in case she was not able to go on the trip.

Fortunately, the difficulty was resolved and everything is fine. Nadia and Rachel are on their way!

In the meantime, Taylor, Jasper, Lucy and I are admirably holding down the fort here in Oak Lawn! (Although, they’ve only been gone about 3 hours.)

McDonalds, Taco Bell, Burger King, Wendy’s and all local pizzerias have been notified and cautioned to expect a sharp increase in sales over the next few days.

(By the way, Nadia’s parents live in Port Charlotte. So, should I be concerned that the destination on their tickets is marked as “Daytona Beach” on the week that spring begins? …Hmm, just wondering.)