1 Thing Matters

No one would doubt that technology has provided us with many blessings. However, many of those blessings can also double as doorways by which we tune out the world. When such things serve as an escape to avoid adversity or ignore responsibility, they become part of the problem, not the solution. If entertainment becomes our escape, we’re not only missing out on the greatest invitation ever offered...

Inside each of us is the desire to be known and appreciated. We seek significance. If we’re not careful, that can drive us to value our self-worth heavily on the basis of what others think of us. We can quickly become infatuated with status and success, and the endless pursuit of such desires can become an unhealthy escape. How do we avoid that unhealthy endless hamster wheel? We look to the One w...

Once a gift is received, there isn’t really any guarantee that gift will be used the way the giver intended. It is now up to the recipient to determine how or if he wants to use that gift. This is too often the sad reality of God’s gift of sex. He both gives it and has provided us with clear guidance on how to make the absolute most of this special gift, but we end up using it however we wish. The...

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…” (James 1:17). God has indeed lavished us with gifts! However, what happens when we allow those very gifts - our possessions - to serve as our go-to escape, when we turn to stuff for relief instead of to the One who gifted it to us in the first place? It is our possessions that end up owning us. No matt...

You don't have to be an alcoholic. You don't have to be an addict. The truth is, any one of us can have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol or drugs (whether legal or not). But how can we tell? How does one avoid crossing the line from moderation into excess? How does one determine when a permissible thing has become a necessary thing that we can't live without, and more importantly, which then...

Achievement and success so easily become “ours,” don’t they? The more hard work and effort we put into something, the more natural it is for us to overlook the true source of our success: the Lord and his strength. May we grow in our ability to humbly give credit where it is due, and always remember to thank God for the strength he provides to accomplish even the smallest good through us. Sermon I...

The same individual or group who previously dismissed you or rejected you now needs you. Do you help? Do you come to their aid? Jephthah was in a similar situation. He wasn’t the only one. So was Jesus. We know how Jesus responded and are eternally grateful for it. How did Jephthah respond? How would you respond? Sermon Info: " JUDGES - Rebellion → Regret → Rescue: (Jephthah) ”  •  Judge...

We all make plans - some better than others. Sometimes we formulate and carry out our plans to near perfection and other times things seem to start to unravel right out of the gates. While some plans are better than others and sometimes we may forget certain details, may we never forget to include God in our plans. Yet even when we do, may we rejoice all the more that he hasn’t forgotten to includ...

You may not feel particularly special. You may have convinced yourself that God is very selective with the people in whose lives he chooses to operate and make an impact. You think that God only makes a difference for people who have their act together and have everything going for them. Well, that’s not the God who chose to raise up an ordinary Gideon for an extraordinary rescue mission. That God...

Maybe it’s only been recently. Maybe it’s been your whole life. We get spiritually stuck. Progress suddenly slows or comes to a complete stop. Perhaps we backslide or stumble mightily in sin. Then we turn to the Lord and start all over again. How do we break the cycle? How do we get unstuck so that we see less of the pattern of rebellion, regret, and rescue in our lives? We’ll look at the book of...

If you’re a #dad, Father’s Day might be a mixed bag. Your wife and children might do something special to express their appreciation. At the same time, a day set apart to recognize your role as a dad might also serve as a sober reminder of past failings as a #father. God has good news for you today: he specializes in making faithful fathers from deficient dads.   Sermon Info: "God Calls Me a...

If God is so great, then why does he need us to #glorify him? Is he that full of himself? Does he actually struggle with insecurity? Truthfully, God does not need us to give him #glory. He doesn’t call us to glorify him for HIS benefit, but for ours. Sermon Info: "God Calls Me to Glorify Him”  •  Colossians 3:15-17 •  Summer Vocation series

“All the church cares about is #money.” Maybe you’ve heard it. Maybe you believe it. Financial giving is a struggle for many. Why are some able to give so generously while others struggle to give at all? The difference is found in realizing who is really doing the #giving. Spoiler alert: it’s not us.   Sermon Info: "God Calls Me to Manage His Gifts Faithfully”  •  1 Corinthians 8:1-...

Jesus described characteristics that apply to his #disciples. They will hold to his teachings, love others, and bear fruit, to name a few. But as challenging as any of them is Jesus’ call to bear our #cross. What makes it so hard? The better question is, what makes it so worth it? Sermon Info: "God Calls Me to Bear My Cross”  •  Luke 9:21-26 •   Summer Vocation series

When God called you to faith in Jesus, he made you a part of something big: his body, the #Church. As a member of the body, each part is uniquely #gifted. That means YOU are uniquely gifted. And what are we to do with gifts? We use them. Sermon Info: "God Calls Me to Use My Unique Gifts"  •  1 Corinthians 12:12-27  •   Summer Vocation series

#Violence is everywhere. #Conflict and war, shootings, assaults, oppression - these all flood our newsfeed daily. What is wrong with our world? Has the #GoldenRule become outdated? When will we #heal? How do we heal? We realize that “we” starts with “me.” God has called you to #love and serve your #neighbor. What are you waiting for? (Summer Vocation series: "God Calls Me to Love and Serve My Neig...

God calls everyone to various roles in life. As a matter of fact, everyone from young to old has multiple roles. He gifts us in unique ways to carry out those roles. In each of these roles he connects us to other unique people we can love and serve. So, who are you? Who are the people God has placed in your life? How can you glorify God as you carry out your unique role - caring for others even as...

Fear, shame, and sadness. Those are just a few of the emotions and thoughts that were going through the hearts and minds of the disciples after Jesus was crucified. 2000 years later, these are still feelings we experience when we don't understand why life happens the way it does. When Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples multiple times, he opened their eyes to the reality of his...

Fear, shame, and sadness. Those are just a few of the emotions and thoughts that were going through the hearts and minds of the disciples after Jesus was crucified. 2000 years later, these are still feelings we experience when we don't understand why life happens the way it does. When Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples multiple times, he opened their eyes to the reality of his...

Fear, shame, and sadness. Those are just a few of the emotions and thoughts that were going through the hearts and minds of the disciples after Jesus was crucified. 2000 years later, these are still feelings we experience when we don't understand why life happens the way it does. When Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples multiple times, he opened their eyes to the reality of his...

Fear, shame, and sadness. Those are just a few of the emotions and thoughts that were going through the hearts and minds of the disciples after Jesus was crucified. 2000 years later, these are still feelings we experience when we don't understand why life happens the way it does. When Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples multiple times, he opened their eyes to the reality of his...

Fear, shame, and sadness. Those are just a few of the emotions and thoughts that were going through the hearts and minds of the disciples after Jesus was crucified. 2000 years later, these are still feelings we experience when we don't understand why life happens the way it does. When Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples multiple times, he opened their eyes to the reality of his...

“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow” (James Clear, Atomic Habits ). Habits are powerful. When those habits are filled with and fueled by grace, their impact can be profound. Jesus does not merely model these habits for us, but...

“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow” (James Clear, Atomic Habits ). Habits are powerful. When those habits are filled with and fueled by grace, their impact can be profound. Jesus does not merely model these habits for us, but...

“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow” (James Clear, Atomic Habits ). Habits are powerful. When those habits are filled with and fueled by grace, their impact can be profound. Jesus does not merely model these habits for us, but...