Bret Hammond

What happens when we really start believing in a God that answers prayer?

Thanksgiving is more than just a holiday--it's supposed to abound in our lives. What does it take for us to experience that kind of gratitude?

We celebrate Thanksgiving as a holiday and recite lists of things we're thankful for as an encouragement, but the Bible says we are to be ABOUNDING in thanksgiving. That's a very different thing. What does that look like and where does it come from?

Statistics tell us that sixteen percent of all Christians have had thoughts of suicide. That’s a lot of people with lives built on the greatest foundation of hope who still find themselves feeling very hopeless. And it leaves a lot more of us hurt, confused and wondering what we could have done. In this message I have a few very personal thoughts to share about suicide. Also, as we wrap up our ser...

Solomon in his book of Ecclesiastes identifies the seasons of our lives. Some are painful, like “a time to weep.” Others are filled with such joy that they can only be called “a time to dance.” Solomon doesn’t say we get to pick which seasons we want, though. They just come and go. How we live through them is what makes the difference.

Paul looks ahead to his own death and uses several euphemisms to express the truth of his own earthly end. What do these phrases teach us as we consider our own deaths? This sermon begins with a short talk on the importance of funeral pre-planning from Jerrald Bennett.

This week we start off a series of messages on death. In addition to the sermon we also have a practical presentation on the importance of Power of Attorney for Health Care and Living Wills presented by Maryetta Webb.

I had the honor of offering the funeral message for our local chief of police, Gary Cash.

Every week we remember the sacrifice Jesus made as we come around the table for communion. But we need to ask ourselves, "Is it just about the cup and loaf or is there something more I need to bring to this table?"

When we ask the question, "Why do we do it like that" we realize we must ask about baptism. Why do we put such emphasis on this defining act of God's grace?

Times are changing, morality is changing, people are changing. People come to me who are genuinely concerned about whether or not the Church can survive the changes happening in society today. Today I want to tell you why I have nothing but hope for the church today!

When churches like ours began we were often referred to as "People of the Word" due to our single-minded devotion to the Bible as our only guide. Today we're going to take another look at this book that still stands at the center of how we answer the question, "Why do we do it like that?"

“Why do we do it like that?” It’s a question we’ve all asked at one time or another. How did all get started doing all those things that make our church distinct and different? We find the answers in the Bible, of course, but it would be wrong to overlook the very rich history that brought us together. We’re going to look at that history today as we kick off a new sermon series, “Why Do We Do It L...

I was face down on the ground in an epic battle against a hulk named Randy. Seconds away from being pinned I reached for my handy pocket New Testament and read the words that I knew would fill me with power from on high. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me!” I jumped back into the fray and easily defeated my opponent. Ok, so maybe I didn’t defeat my opponent. Maybe I didn’t triumph...

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11 Gods plan for the people who first received that word was 70 years in exile, 500 miles from their homes and families. I’m not sure that’s the kind of thing that comes to mind when we quote that verse to someone in need of encouragement. Today we’...

People who are going through difficult times are often told by others not to worry because, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” The words are said with the best of intentions but unfortunately no such promise exists in the Bible. We have no promise a pain free life or that God will go easy on us. So what does God promise us?

“Forgive and forget.” Those words roll off our tongues with ease, but if we’re honest they don’t roll out of our hearts with ease. Forgiveness is a challenge and forgetting is downright impossible. Grace calls us to remember. We remember so we can tell a greater story than just the story of our hurts. We remember so we can become a part of the story of grace.

“Judge not, that you be not judged.” If people know anything about the Bible they know that it teaches that you’re not supposed to judge other. The problem, of course, is that we do judge others. We judge them every day in a myriad of ways. What are we to do about that?

My friends are important to me. What amazes me, though, is I seem to be important to them too. They not only enjoy being around me but they support me, defend me and bless me in amazing ways. They do all this despite not all of them being believers. There are Christians who actually teach that we should “Have nothing to do with non-believers.” But what does the Bible say? What did Jesus actually d...

“Charity begins at home” is one of those phrases that sounds like it’s from the Bible but when we dig in we find neither the words nor the concept within God’s word. So what did God actually say?

Did God say "money is the root of all evil?" Not quite. This verse is often misquoted. In reality it's not even about money.

It’s been called the most well-known verse in the Bible, “God helps those who help themselves.” The problem is it’s not in the Bible. The bigger problem is, you can’t actually help yourself. So what does the Bible actually say?

This summer we're going to look at a few misconceptions and misunderstandings about the word of God and dive into His amazing truth. It all begins in the beginning with God's simple message and a horrible temptation that still plagues us.

When a young man in our high school took his own life our whole whole community was devastated. The message I preached at his funeral was the result of years of working through a tragic suicide in my own family.

It's been a difficult weekend for our community. One of our high school students took his own life on Saturday. This is the message I shared the following day. Is your God too small?