All Things New with Jeff Ackenback

When it comes to dating, it feels like we always have to be with "someone."  However, there's nothing wrong with being single. In fact, it helps you to prepare yourself and what you want in a partner, to be sure you're both looking for the same things and have the same values.  You are enough, no matter when or if you date.

Always be friendly, loving, and understanding...but also make sure your closest friendships are trustworthy, loyal, and built on the same faith you have.  

Often, both with people and the news, the temptation is to build the facts around the story, instead of building a story around the facts.  It's hard to know anyone or anything's full story, but it's up to us to do our best to try to understand, to try to look for more, to show Jesus in how we live, in how we treat others, and in what we do.

It's easy to assume that people fall on hard times by their own actions and decisions, but sometimes it's because of circumstances beyond their control.  Even if those are the reasons, though, it is vital to remember that everyone has worth....to treat others as we'd want to be treated in situations where we truly need help.

No Christian would say "I hate...(insert name here)," yet with politics, with social media, even with personal interactions, so many cross the line into anger and hatred without realizing it.  It is a very thin line between stereotypes, anger, dislike....and actual hatred.  Always try to see the perspective of others, always ask, "is it right that I'm angry about this?"

The Prodigal Son is one of the more well-known parables in the Bible, but if you were to stop it at various points...the meaning would change dramatically from the endpoint.  Our life is the same.  Everyone has periods of good, of bad...of joy, of sadness...but to be defined by just one "paragraph" is not how we would want to be treated, so it can't be how we treat others.

This is a standalone recorded from the 9:00 Christmas Eve service.  I'll be posting a non-sermon episode between now and the New Year.

When it comes to the Christmas Story, Jesus is (rightfully so) the first person thought of, followed by Mary, then maybe the wise men, shepherds...a few donkeys, and a cow.  Joseph is often completely lost in the shuffle, yet he still did his best for God, which is all any of us can do.  Regardless of whether or not people notice, we are here to do our best, to serve, and to be like Him.

Mary was a young girl, between the ages of 12-14, so when she was visited by an angel and told what her life would be, it is incredibly amazing that she continued to stand there and listen.  She faced her fears, her worries, the things people would and did say about her, and she said simply, "I am a servant of the Lord."  It didn't mean she wasn't scared, quite the opposite actually, but through h...

Sometimes it can be hard to feel like you can make a difference or even help someone.  However, you may be in just the right place and be just the right person to have the greatest impact.  Be kind, be helpful, be compassionate, not just when it's easy....but always, no matter what everyone else around you is doing and saying.

One of the most famous parables in the Bible is that of the good Samaritan.  It's not just about the fact that he stopped to help someone in need, though, but the more important part is that he stopped to help someone who probably hated him.  Instead of defining who you're neighbor isn't, we should all do our best to treat everyone as a neighbor.

Thanksgiving is about more than food, more than family...even more than Black Friday.  Regardless of your feelings on the holiday itself, it's important for us to do our best to seek to understand others, where they come from...to think about their stories.  All year, we should do our best to show compassion, empathy...to treat others like we want to be treated.

When it comes to giving, things can get tricky.  There's so much that goes into it, but the most important thing is to have a generous heart, whether it's with your money, your time, your talents...anything you can give to help others.

A big part of being a disciple is setting the right priorities.  Most things in life will fall away, but a life with God at the center will always have at least a strong foundation.

Often, when we see a need for help, we want to go and do things in the way we want, to make others exactly like us...but that's not the example Jesus set for us.  When he washed the disciples' feet, Judas, who would betray him, was there, and Jesus treated him in the exact same way.  He helped others, teaching us to treat others as we'd want to be treated, and also to be willing to accept help our...

When it comes to being a witness, the best way is to always live your life as an example.  The way you treat others, the way you live your life, the way you act daily...are all far more powerful than your words, which will come in time.

Everything in life has a beginning, and for our faith, everything starts with prayer.  We pray when things are good, when things are bad...we pray for forgiveness, for help.  We pray for those we love, for those we don't even like...and for those who hate us.  Because through prayer, we grow closer to Jesus, closer to being his disciple.

Often, we don't feel like we have much to offer.  It's easy to feel like you don't have enough talent, enough money, enough fame...enough anything...but through Him we have unlimited potential, and even the smallest of gifts can be multiplied in amazing, miraculous...supernatural ways.

There are times that the best option for you and for those in your life, those you may not even know, is for you to stand up for what you believe in, for what you think is right.  In those times, you may be applauded, you may be hated...but the mos important thing is to do it because of what's right, not because you want to tear someone down or judge them.  Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego had str...

After being freed from slavery in Egypt, it didn't take long for the Israelites to forget that God was there.  It's something we all tend to do when faced with troubles all around.  However, God didn't fail them, as he literally parted the Red Sea to provide them a way out.   When we run into something difficult, we often want to just charge through with no thought.  However, if we just stop and p...

Being smart has nothing to do with being wise, and without good judgment, wisdom doesn't matter a great deal either.  There are times in our lives where everything is awful, sometimes almost beyond the ability to handle.  In those times, it's important to reach out for and accept help, to remember that as long as there is life...there is hope.

Many of you have heard of David (as in David vs. Goliath) and know a little about his life.  Something that is sometimes overlooked, though, is that once he was king, David messed up royally.  He stole the wife of another man...who was fighting a war in David's army...then conspired to kill that man, in order to cover up his crime and keep the wife for himself.  Doesn't match up too well with the...

One of the most well known passages in the entire Bible is Psalm 23.  Many, even those who have never been to church, can quote parts of it...or at least recognize it when they hear it.  It's about more than recognition, though, it's about looking within and learning from what you're going through, especially when it's scary.  No matter what you face, there's still a path through it...and no matte...

Being stuck where you are is one of the worst feelings, but it's something that all of us have at one point or another.  It's easy to allow that feeling, whether it's literal...like not having enough money or time to get away...or figurative, in the sense that we feel like we're in a rut, to break us down into despair.  However, even stuck, there are always ways to make a difference, to help...to...

Whenever I go somewhere, I have two goals: 1. To get there the quickest and shortest way possible. 2. To beat the projected time on the GPS.  One of the worst things on a trip is when I see that dreaded "recalculating" pop up, especially if I'm in unfamiliar territory.  Sometimes it's important to change course, though.  Whether it's road construction, bad traffic, or a realization that the life y...