Chelten - a church of hope

"Possessed by Possessions: Riches, Greed, and the Call to True Wisdom" Read James 5:1–6 • • • Discussion Questions Why is it challenging to openly discuss struggles with money and greed, and how can we foster a safe environment for these discussions in our community? How does our obsession with money and possessions affect our relationships, and how can we maintain healthy, loving relati...

James 4:13-17

Discussion questions: Reflect on your own life. How can you cultivate a life that reflects wisdom in your actions and cultivates humility? Consider the life of Jesus. How do His life and actions demonstrate the embodiment of wisdom? Reflect on the relationships in your life. How can you actively promote peace and harmony in your relationships and community?

Discussion Questions: What are some signs of an empty faith lacking genuine manifestation in one's life? How does James connect mercy with true faith? How can we become more intentional about practicing acts of mercy to genuinely care for others? What can we learn from the stories of Abraham and Rabab about putting our faith into practice, even when faced with challenging circumstances and uncerta...

"Faith and Favoritism" Sermon by Pastor Jon Shepherd.

 James 1:19-27

Sermon on James 1:1-18 by pastor Jin Lee.

Jesus Rose - Are You Afraid? | Mark 15:40 16:8

Every one of us has experienced rejection. And every one of us, in some way, has rejected someone else. As pastor Jin reflects on the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, many rejecters emerge. But only one is rejected. With unwavering love and forgiveness, his response to rejection transforms us rejecters into acceptors and absorbs our rejection with acceptance.

As followers of Christ, deep in our souls, we want to represent our savior well, to be faithful witnesses. But that’s not so easy, is it? All of us experience trials and moments of weakness when our words and actions deny ever knowing Jesus. In this sermon pastor Shep explains how Jesus’ faithfulness during his trial and moment of voluntary weakness procured for us power to exchange faithlessness...

Does your response to failure, you own and others, make you feel like, well, a failure? In this sermon Jake Fairfield, Chelten’s Director of Youth and Young Adults, explores how understanding and embracing Jesus’ response to our failure empowers and frees us to respond the same way to ourselves and to others. 

As enamored as they are with it, many people resign themselves to the notion that love is probably nothing more than a byproduct of evolution, a social utility void of any intrinsic value or deeper meaning. In this sermon pastor Jin emphatically proposes the polar opposite.

The Temple in Jerusalem was a magnificent building and Jesus’ disciples were quite taken with it. So, when Jesus told them that one day not one of the temple’s stones would be left standing the disciples were shocked and asked Jesus when will this happen and what will be the signs? As pastor Shep examines Jesus’ complicated answer it becomes apparent that he is more interested in how knowledge of...

In this sermon pastor Jin examines the hearts of two people who would say they love God with all their heart, soul and mind. But the response of one and the actions of the other reveal that there’s a noticeable difference in the lives of people who merely love theology and people who wholly love God. 

<h4>DISCUSSION QUESTIONS</h4> When would God’s authority overrule human authority in your life and in our society? Name two ways that your view of your eternal future with God should impact your life now. How do you tend to separate your earthly priorities from your heavenly one?

In this message pastor Jin takes us back to the very first Easter Sunday morning and the very first people to encounter our risen Lord.  Seeing him transformed their lives. Seeing him transforms our lives, too.

In this Palm Sunday sermon pastor Shep reminds us that while this week in history began with celebration, it ended in death. There is no resurrection without death. It was true for Jesus. And, as we read through John 12, it looks like it’s true for us, too.

It was quite a scene. Jesus just stormed into the temple and started flipping merchants’ tables over like he owned the place. Ultimately, the temple authorities wanted to know one thing, what right did Jesus have to do such a thing? In this sermon pastor Bill explores Jesus' answer and what it means for us today.

The story Mark tells in this passage may seem random, disjointed and may seem to portray Jesus as a bit vindictive. But, as pastor Jin walks us through these verses you’ll see that this is not really the case. Jesus has something very important to communicate with his disciples, and to us, about faith, spiritual life, bearing spiritual fruit and being consistent.

Ecstatic their long-expected promised warrior king was right there before their very eyes, the crowd roared with cheers of hope as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. But the salvation they wanted from him was not the salvation Jesus came to bring. In this sermon pastor Jin explores Jesus’ character, our expectations of him, how we respond to unmet expectations and why getting what we need is eternally bet...

The Greatness of Sacrificial Service Mark 10:32–52

Qualifications to Belong Mark 10:13-31

In Mark 10 we find a group of Pharisees attempting to draw Jesus into a debate on divorce and trap him in his words. Jesus responds with a definition of marriage that lays bare the Pharisees’ motives and drills down, through the muck of legalism, to the core of what marriage is really all about.  Here’s pastor Bill to lead us through the passage. 

Pride and Prejudice. A sermon by Dr. Jin Lee.

In our you-can-be-anything-you-want-to-be America, achieving independence (of all sorts) has risen to a similar messianic level. But in Mark 9 it’s not a declaration of independence that impresses Jesus, quite the opposite. Listen as pastor Shep walks us through a life-changing story with power to change yours. You can depend on it.