What do we know? We know that we have each other, a church body that cares for us and misses us. We know that Jesus, the true Son of God, is a light that shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overwhelm us. We know that our God has promised to walk with us through the valley of dark shadows, so we fear no evil. We know that Jesus was raised from the dead, so we have the hope of life eternal....
This world is not what we expect it to be. Sometimes we do everything right, but still get run over. Jesus knew that was coming. He lived a perfect life, and got run over worse than any of us. But that is not the end of the story. He overcame the world. His victory gives us hope. ...
A prayer for parents to pray on the first day of school. ...
When our faith is only lived out in front of others, then the respect and love of others is all we get for it....
Join us for the next four weeks as we take the journey every church must travel. We will study death, the judgment, heaven and hell. We will answer our questions, feel our fears, and emerge more ready to enjoy life than ever. ...
Lent reminds us that suffering is not pointless, that there must be a death in order to be a resurrection....
Your sin is no match for God’s love. He has overwhelmed and forgiven it. ...
According to Harold Best, God created worshippers. We were created pouring out worship. Each member of the Trinity continually worships the others. God created us in his image. We were created to pour out worship upon the Trinity, but since we are fallen we worship created things rather than the creator....
Awakenings occur within the church. People who have continued to come to church for years realize that they have never known Jesus, never felt his love, never hated their sin, never really believed. ...
The last week of March, starting on Palm Sunday, March 25th, and culminating on Easter Sunday, April 1st, is known as ‘Holy Week.’ Some consider this week the most important week in the entire church year. During this week, we follow the timeline of Jesus’ last week before His resurrection. You can read about this ‘final week’ in all four of the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, with each gospel writer giving slightly different perspectives on the events of the week....
According to Harold Best, God created worshippers. We were created pouring out worship. Each member of the Trinity continually worships the others. God created us in his image. We were created to pour out worship upon the Trinity, but since we are fallen we worship created things rather than the creator....
Keep ReadingLast week, June 21st-23rd, the General Assembly of our denomination met in Mobile, AL. The most significant issue was an overture confessing specific sins of our denomination during the Civil Rights Era. ...
Keep ReadingLet the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16, ESV)...
Keep ReadingKate Kessler is moving to Uganda on Monday to work with missionaries there. She wanted to share this letter with her church family. ...
Keep ReadingSometimes the people who should love and protect us the most end up hurting us the deepest. In those cases, God gives us church where we can find love and heal. ...
Keep ReadingAs we approach Good Friday and Easter, I want to remind you that God specializes in bringing light out of darkness. As a matter of fact, “Let there be light” are his first recorded words (Genesis 1:3). If you are in despair, do not be afraid to ask him for that ray of light. We will watch for that light together. ...
Keep ReadingIf you do not have a pastor, then you have no one to guide you through the difficult decisions of life. You can only take abstract comments made by pastors who don't know you and do your best to apply them to your situaty...
Keep ReadingLet's assume that God is good and still directing what happens to His church. Why then would he allow denominations? Because denominations provide the best way for the church to reach the world. ...
Keep Reading2014 was a year of growth, goodbyes, new ministries, and consistency. God has given us every reason to look forward to next year. ...
Keep ReadingMany people want to celebrate a family tradition around Christmas. I recommend Santa Claus; he gives presents and makes everyone happy. Whatever you do, please do not mistake the incarnation of the Son of God as a mere tradition. If the incarnation is true, then it challenges and changes your entire life. I encourage you to examine the incarnation and either reject it or b...
Keep ReadingThe truths of the gospel do not shield us from the harsh truths of the broken world we live in. However, they do give us a framework for accepting them and grieving them while maintaining our hope. ...
Keep ReadingA friend helped me put this list together. A non-depressed person does not understand what depression feels like, so it can be very hard to help. Sometimes when we try to help we only make matters worse. Here are a few tips to help you love someone struggling with depression or anxiety. ...
Keep ReadingMany couples assume conflict means they have marital problems. It is truer to say conflict means a marriage exists. By pressing into conflict we learn how to love each other better and move toward the goal of marriage: oneness. ...
Keep ReadingWe long for the old days when life seemed simple. But we find no joy in looking back. True joy comes from the promise of Easter. The promise of a future day when love will never again lead to heartbreak. ...
Keep ReadingDespite our best efforts, sometimes our children shock us by rejecting our faith. How do good Christians raise atheists? What should they do after they have? ...
Keep ReadingLent does not lend itself to commercialism or emotion. Instead it calls for a long, self-reflective, obedience best practiced in community. ...
Keep ReadingWe think of a member as someone who comes to meetings and pays dues. But the bible talks about membership as being a part of the body. If I were to cut off your finger, I would have dismembered you. A church member is a connected part of Christ's body. No honor could possibly be sweeter than that. ...
Keep ReadingChristians struggle to describe heaven. We do not really understand what God is calling us toward, therefore we don't really understand what we need to be doing now to get there. Jesus calls us to enter his joy. The joy of losing ourselves in the activity of making someone else happy. In heaven, we will be in Christ bringing joy to the Father and the Son. By making the...
Keep ReadingGod powerfully blessed our baptism service yesterday. Maybe He blessed it because the service required a couple of rather huge compromises. Or maybe God moved two men to make huge compromises because he wanted to bless a service. Either way, when God shows up you are glad. ...
Keep ReadingWhen we accomplish some goals and conquer some bad habits we feel a healthy sense of joy. How do we keep pride from ruining those accomplishments?...
Keep ReadingIn 2014 we will have four Sermon Series plus our Easter and Christmas celebrations: Christianity Works, Unsearchable Wisdom, By Request, and The King and Kingdom. ...
Keep ReadingWe have moved buildings 4 times now. We have done this to have room to grow, and in doing so have taken on a greater financial burden each time. And, 2 of those times we have decided to also plant another church. So, when we moved to a bigger space, we decided to also take a portion of our congregation and move them to another church. I am not sure how that math works ...
Keep ReadingThough many of the issues are different, the question is always the same: “Can a Christian can possibly feel the way I do?†If I knew you well enough, I would put my arms around you and whisper these words: “It is okay to struggle, that is what Jesus is for.†...
Keep ReadingNow Paul comes to the command part of being a husband. He commands husbands to love their wives as their own flesh by nourishing them and cherishing them. He tells us to love our wives as our own bodies. I know two things about you: you know your body and you are attentive to your body. ...
Keep ReadingWhat does it mean to lead your wife? In a generation of redefined and lost manhood, when divorce is more prevalent than family prayer, this question comes up daily. Let’s look at the Bible’s teaching, and see what we find. ...
Keep ReadingSo how are we doing as a church? Often we have friends move away, and twice now we have sent out core groups to plant daughter churches. Sometimes you may wonder if we are growing at all. So I thought you might like to see a little growth chart so you can notice God at work....
Keep ReadingWhen it comes to the deepest questions of theology, only 5th graders have the nerve to ask the questions. And only love can answer them. ...
Keep ReadingNot many people my age have much experience at funerals. Here are some tips....
Keep ReadingIf I work for anyone's approval other than God's, I will burn myself out, or become an arrogant jerk trying. ...
Keep ReadingWhat does it mean to be presbyterian? More specifically, what is a presbytery and what does it do?...
Keep ReadingThe primary question to ask yourself when deciding whether or not to marry the one you are dating is this: If you become more like him, is that a good thing? Simply put, do you respect him?...
Keep ReadingLance, I was not a good person who cheated and lied to cover it up. I was a liar and cheat pretending to be a good person. By facing the truth, I have been changed. God is now making me into a better person, an honest person. He is making me into the man I thought was. ...
Keep ReadingClick Here to find out about our Fall community groups, bible studies, and Sunday School classes....
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