Clark's Compelling Catwalk

When we look at the life of King Saul in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel, we see that his reign as king never lived up to its potential. It was held back by Saul's impatience, his running ahead of God, his superstition, and his disobedience. We struggle with the same tendencies today. We can learn how to avoid some of our mistakes today by learning what King Saul did wrong.

The story of the prophet Samuel anointing Saul to be the first king of Israel, show that the three key things we need to lead are Character, Calling, and Courage.

1 Samuel 3 is the story of God's call on Samuel's life. As we read about how God called Samuel, it helps us understand how God might be calling us today.

Religious leaders have not always acted morally, ethically, or appropriately. In today's reading from the book of 1 Samuel in the Old Testament, we see how Eli's sons, who were priests in the temple, were scoundrels. They were guilty of abuse and apathy. It was a sad and tragic time that hurt many people. But, in the seeds of their wrongdoing was the anticipation of a new and better priest...

The book of 1 Samuel begins with the story of Hannah, Samuel's mother. It's a story about her Pain, her Prayer, and her Pledge. It's a story about how God moves her from Heartbreak to Hope.

If you could see our world and your self and your life through the eyes of God, and understand reality from His perspective, how would that change your life?

Often we overlook the importance of gratitude in our lives. We are not born as grateful people. Being thankful is something that is learned as we grow up. People who are thankful have better physical health, better mental health, sleep better at night, are more fulfilled in their careers, volunteer more, and are more involved in churches and other places of worship. Today we look at what the Bible...

There are people today who think that compassion is about weakness. There are people who think that compassion is the opposite of the truth. There are people who think they need to be aggressive and angry and forceful in order to do good things. None of these is true. When we read about the character of God and the life of Jesus in the Bible, we find that compassion is one of the essential foundat...

Every door that open has a couple of hinges on it, that allow it to open and close. We all face some major transition moments in our lives, that are like doors that open and close on us. These transition moments open and close on a few hinges - a few key virtues - that help us respond to them in ways that open us up to the opportunities that God is presenting to us. What are these virtues? And how...

As we wrap up this series on Questions of Faith, we conclude with a series of questions that people asked about death and grief. In this message, we look at what the Bible says and what it doesn't say and how we can imagine our future.

In this message, we respond to questions that people asked about the creation of the world and the power of God in our lives.

As we approach the 4th of July, there are often questions asked about the relationship between the Church and the state. What is the proper connection? What does the Pledge of Allegiance say? The Pledge contains the phrase "under God"? What does this mean? When many people in the United States don't believe in God, does it still make sense for this to be a part of the pledge?

If you want to be a Christian, or if you call yourself a Christian, what do you have to believe? What is it that Christians must believe? What should you believe? If you boil it down to the shortest summary, what are the most important things to believe in as a Christian?

Today we are beginning a series of messages built around questions that people have asked in recent months about God and faith and life. This is our first installment. We kick off this series by looking at some questions about pain, anxiety, and conflict, and looking at what kind of insight, truth, wisdom, direction, and guidance we receive from the Bible about these things.

The story of Corrie Ten Boom is a story of faith, perseverance, and forgiveness. She endured many difficult situations in her life that stretched her faith and gives us an example of how we can live by faith in the face of great difficulties.

People got to know Eric Liddell from the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire, which described how he won the gold medal for Scotland in the 400-meter dash at the 1924 Paris Olympic Games. But, most people don't know about his early life or what he did after the Olympics. Eric became a missionary to China and devoted his life to serving Jesus Christ. His life is a remarkable story that helps us see how...

The story of Mother Teresa is a story of faith. The way that she lived out her life gives us an example of how we might live out our faith in our world today.

The Apostle Paul wrapped up his letter to the Romans with 3 concluding comments - 1)We need to help others, 2)We need healthy relationships, and 3)We need hope in God.

When you have a disagreement with another person, how do you try to resolve the disagreement? When you are a part of a church or a club or an organization, and people see the same issue differently, how do you try to work out your differences? In Romans 14, Paul talks about how we can learn to Deal with our Differences.

What should be the relationship between Church and state? How should Christians respond to what the government does, when we agree with it, and when we don't agree with it?

In Romans 12, Paul talks about 3 ways Easter changes us. 1)Easter brings us into a relationship with God, 2)Easter brings us into the Church, and 3)Easter changes how we live.

Part of the message of Easter Sunday is that the Irreversible has been Reversed.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He disrupted the city and the temple and the religious leaders. He didn't act the way many people wanted Him to. This story is about the Cleansing, the Curing, and the Cursing.

The people of God does not include just one kind of person. This community is not just one language, one culture, one skin color, one educational level, or one economic class. God weaves all kinds of people together from all kinds of backgrounds to live together in a brand new community.

Every so often in history, there is the discovery of some new knowledge that changes the world.  In Romans 10, Paul talks about some transformational knowledge that can change our lives and change our world.