Anderson Hills

This week we are exploring the worship of a false god – the god of pleasure. In the past, some Christian traditions have taught that pleasure is wrong, but the Bible does not say this. God is not anti-pleasure, but God is against idolatry. Pleasure becomes a problem when it becomes an idol to us. When times get tough, is it God to whom you turn first, or do you turn to your sources of pleasure? Do...

This week we are exploring the worship of a false god – the god of pleasure. In the past, some Christian traditions have taught that pleasure is wrong, but the Bible does not say this. God is not anti-pleasure, but God is against idolatry. Pleasure becomes a problem when it becomes an idol to us. When times get tough, is it God to whom you turn first, or do you turn to your sources of pleasure? Do...

True spiritual awakening, or revival, is the manifest presence of God in our lives. Awakening comes when we go to God prayerfully, in repentance and total surrender to Jesus, making Him Lord of our lives. We are renewed in love for God and love for others through the power of the Holy Spirit. We pray for spiritual awakening within our own hearts so we are empowered to share our testimony of God’s...

True spiritual awakening, or revival, is the manifest presence of God in our lives. Awakening comes when we go to God prayerfully, in repentance and total surrender to Jesus, making Him Lord of our lives. We are renewed in love for God and love for others through the power of the Holy Spirit. We pray for spiritual awakening within our own hearts so we are empowered to share our testimony of God’s...

The Scriptures are filled with powerful signs, wonders and miracles that occurred because of God’s power working in and through people. In the New Testament one main purpose of signs and wonders was to open doors to preach the gospel. These were a means to an end. Jesus didn’t come just to wow people with His power. He came to do the greatest miracle—to save people from their sins. When we pray fo...

The Scriptures are filled with powerful signs, wonders and miracles that occurred because of God’s power working in and through people. In the New Testament one main purpose of signs and wonders was to open doors to preach the gospel. These were a means to an end. Jesus didn’t come just to wow people with His power. He came to do the greatest miracle—to save people from their sins. When we pray fo...

There’s no denying that we’re engaged in spiritual battles every day and, as Christians, we often feel the effects of the enemy’s attacks. However, God will never leave us and we’re not fighting the battles alone. He has armed us with a number of spiritual weapons, and prayer is one of the most powerful weapons we have. Prayer is our battle cry. When we stand together recognizing Jesus as Lord, th...

There’s no denying that we’re engaged in spiritual battles every day and, as Christians, we often feel the effects of the enemy’s attacks. However, God will never leave us and we’re not fighting the battles alone. He has armed us with a number of spiritual weapons, and prayer is one of the most powerful weapons we have. Prayer is our battle cry. When we stand together recognizing Jesus as Lord, th...

“Come to Me, take up My yoke” is a call for stressed and strained souls to find rest in God alone. Jesus calls us to become yoked with Him instead of all the other things we find ourselves burdened with in our daily lives. When two animals are yoked together, their combined strength pulls the load that would have been too much for one animal to pull alone. So it is with Jesus. To take Christ’s yok...

“Come to Me, take up My yoke” is a call for stressed and strained souls to find rest in God alone. Jesus calls us to become yoked with Him instead of all the other things we find ourselves burdened with in our daily lives. When two animals are yoked together, their combined strength pulls the load that would have been too much for one animal to pull alone. So it is with Jesus. To take Christ’s yok...

As Christians, we celebrate Jesus’ birth not because it was when He was created or came into existence, but because our Savior took human form to redeem us from our sins. It is a time when we rejoice in the truth that God loves us so much that He gave us the ultimate gift in His Son, Jesus Christ. And this amazing gift that we celebrate at Christmas stirs us to move from an almost faith to an alto...

As Christians, we celebrate Jesus’ birth not because it was when He was created or came into existence, but because our Savior took human form to redeem us from our sins. It is a time when we rejoice in the truth that God loves us so much that He gave us the ultimate gift in His Son, Jesus Christ. And this amazing gift that we celebrate at Christmas stirs us to move from an almost faith to an alto...

At Christmas, we instinctively know the difference between an “almost joy” and an “altogether joy.” An “almost joy” is the happiness we find in decorations, sharing cookies, and unwrapping presents. But we all know that true joy is something that can blossom alongside frivolity and happiness, or it can flourish alongside sadness and even deep sorrow. Joy is what came at Christmas—the steadfast ass...

At Christmas, we instinctively know the difference between an “almost joy” and an “altogether joy.” An “almost joy” is the happiness we find in decorations, sharing cookies, and unwrapping presents. But we all know that true joy is something that can blossom alongside frivolity and happiness, or it can flourish alongside sadness and even deep sorrow. Joy is what came at Christmas—the steadfast ass...

The primary attribute of God’s character is love. He demonstrated his love for us by coming to this earth to give Himself for us. God loves us no matter who we are or what we have done. We are called to respond to God’s love by loving God with all our heart and by loving others. An altogether love runs deep. It is not shown out of obligation like an almost love. It’s the risky kind of love requiri...

The primary attribute of God’s character is love. He demonstrated his love for us by coming to this earth to give Himself for us. God loves us no matter who we are or what we have done. We are called to respond to God’s love by loving God with all our heart and by loving others. An altogether love runs deep. It is not shown out of obligation like an almost love. It’s the risky kind of love requiri...

While “almost hope” reminds us that there are brighter days ahead, we still have to go through the darkness. Like Mary, many of us find ourselves dealing with unplanned events that can turn our lives upside down. Over two thousand years ago, a baby showed up and Jesus brought us hope for the future — that we will be redeemed. He brought hope for the present — that we are not alone but are loved an...

While “almost hope” reminds us that there are brighter days ahead, we still have to go through the darkness. Like Mary, many of us find ourselves dealing with unplanned events that can turn our lives upside down. Over two thousand years ago, a baby showed up and Jesus brought us hope for the future — that we will be redeemed. He brought hope for the present — that we are not alone but are loved an...

During this time of year, we sing about “peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” But the reality is it seems that we don’t have peace on earth. There are conflicts around the globe, there are broken relationships in our lives, and there is a lack of peace in our hearts. Our “almost” peace seems far away from an “altogether” peace. What we believe about peace directly influences how we seek it. Peace...

During this time of year, we sing about “peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” But the reality is it seems that we don’t have peace on earth. There are conflicts around the globe, there are broken relationships in our lives, and there is a lack of peace in our hearts. Our “almost” peace seems far away from an “altogether” peace. What we believe about peace directly influences how we seek it. Peace...

At His most desperate time, Jesus invited His closest disciples to stay near Him and to pray with Him. And they let him down. As Jesus faced His journey to the cross, although He appeared to stand alone, He was never abandoned by His Father. At times, You too may feel abandoned. Although we work for unity, sometimes others simply refuse to stay at the table, to continue the difficult conversation,...

At His most desperate time, Jesus invited His closest disciples to stay near Him and to pray with Him. And they let him down. As Jesus faced His journey to the cross, although He appeared to stand alone, He was never abandoned by His Father. At times, You too may feel abandoned. Although we work for unity, sometimes others simply refuse to stay at the table, to continue the difficult conversation,...

As Jesus openly embraced us in our sinful state, we must also accept one another. As Christians who are part of the body of Christ, unity is vital. Unity is a hard word and a hard task, but as people who are set apart, we must have the same attitude as Jesus towards one another. We must live our lives the way Jesus wants us to live—in harmony, in unity, in love, in forgiveness. We are all sinners...

As Jesus openly embraced us in our sinful state, we must also accept one another. As Christians who are part of the body of Christ, unity is vital. Unity is a hard word and a hard task, but as people who are set apart, we must have the same attitude as Jesus towards one another. We must live our lives the way Jesus wants us to live—in harmony, in unity, in love, in forgiveness. We are all sinners...

When experiencing the storms of life, there is power in numbers. First and foremost, we need to cling to Jesus. But in rough seas, we also need the encouragement and support of other Christian believers. We all react differently in times of trouble, but the gifts and strengths of others help us get through these times. When we are anchored in Jesus and remain united with each other, we can make it...