Come To The Table

 When things get tough in your life, where do you go? Do you go off to a place alone, or do you have a friend you can turn to? Too many people don’t think they have anyone to turn to and they lean on substances or bad habits which, ultimately, only make things worse. You have to be careful who or what you turn to in dark times. In today’s message, Pastor Mark explains how the first person or place...

Have you ever known someone who was part of a group, maybe you worked with them, and they refused to follow rules or guidelines? The only thing that would have done is make the work harder or bring about more problems than you would have already faced. Have you ever been that person who wouldn’t follow rules? In today’s message, Pastor Mark explains that if you choose to not follow God, or choose...

Do you remember a time when someone taught you something new and they finally had to let you go on your own? For many people that can be a very difficult and scary time, some even give up and never learn to move forward on their own. You don’t need someone to hold your hand when you walk, but there was a time when you did. In today’s message, Pastor Mark challenges you to walk on your own when it...

How did you respond the last time someone came to you and they were angry about something you did? If you’re like most people you probably responded with an equal or greater amount of anger, or maybe you used sarcasm instead of anger, that more than likely didn’t provide the best outcome. In today’s message, Pastor Mark challenges you to give a gentle answer when someone questions you aggressively...

Have you ever been invited to participate in a project, and you knew you weren’t needed? In most of those cases, you probably declined to be a part. But what if the project had a massive positive impact on your community? Would that make you more likely to agree to help, or would it not matter? In today’s message, Pastor Mark suggests that God has invited you to be a part of His overall plan. Obvi...

Have you ever been asked to do something that scared you? Did the person that asked you to do it stick around and help? Odds are you were asked to do the scary thing so the other person could walk away. Too many times people in authority ask others to do things they themselves aren’t willing to do. In today’s message, Pastor Mark assures you that if God calls you to do something that scares you, H...

Have you ever known someone who always complained about being miserable and that no one would spend time with them? Are you miserable because you feel left out or alone? You may not even know what is causing you to be miserable. Maybe you need to take some time and look at what you’re doing that may be causing your misery. Many Christians feel like God has abandoned them and stopped blessing their...

When you witness two people or groups having a disagreement, do you stand up for one of the sides? There are many times people don’t stand up in the name of not wanting to get involved, or because they don’t want either side to be mad at them. How about when it’s a topic you care about, do you stand up then? Too many times Christians stand on the sidelines of a moral argument and don’t stand up fo...

Have you ever started cleaning something and realized it was much dirtier than it looked? Most of the time you probably make sure things are clean on the outside that because that is the part that is easily seen. Then when you take the time to dig into the unseen areas, you realize there was much more dirt below the surface. In today’s message, Pastor Mark explains how the Bible is like God’s swor...

Do you know someone who inherited money, but had to work for it a little at a time? Many people’s parents will make sure they have what they need without having to actually do anything. This teaches people to expect others to give them things and do things for them, they never learn to survive on their own. In today’s message, Pastor Mark explains how God doesn’t give you everything you need all a...

Have you ever known someone who made a bad decision, and then complained when the outcome wasn’t positive? Maybe you’ve been that person, maybe you’ve done something that you knew wouldn’t work out well and then complained about it. You’ve probably heard, “You’ve made your bed, now lay in it” from those around you. If you’ve ever complained about the results of your own decisions, you aren’t alone...

Was there ever a time when you were trying to do something but initially thought you couldn’t? Maybe there was a time someone did the hard thing for you, and now you are facing the same thing again and don’t know how to handle it. Even if you fail the first time it is better to keep trying and learning. In today’s message, Pastor Mark explains how God will help you win the battles in your life. So...

Have you ever learned something new that you were so excited about that you committed to it and even spent money on it? Many times when people first start following Christ, for example, they are full of excitement and enthusiasm. Eventually, the newness wears off and they realize it's a lot tougher than they thought. In today’s message, Pastor Mark explains how you are called to carry God’s word t...

Are you a leader or a follower? You may think you are a leader and you don’t follow anyone, but whether you admit it or not, you are following someone. There is more than likely someone you look up to or want to be like in some way, that’s the person you are following. The best thing you can do is admit it to yourself. In today’s message, Pastor Mark explains how if you aren’t serving God, you wil...

How close are you with your friend group? Would you consider yourself part of the inner circle, or are you just on the edge of the circle? Maybe you are just on the edge so you can still be considered part of the group but you aren’t so committed that you have to be vulnerable with them. In today’s message, Pastor Mark explains how those Christians on the outskirts of Christianity may still be a p...

Do you have a special talent that most other people don’t have? Maybe you know someone with a talent that you wish you had. You may become jealous of the talents or financial standing of another person. You may even try to do what they are doing even though you know you don’t have the required talent or finances. Today Pastor Mark urges you to find contentment in the talents and gifts that God has...

Have you ever been to someone’s house, and it was so clean that you felt guilty even sitting on their couch? It’s hard to imagine that someone can actually live somewhere and keep it that clean. Most likely if you showed up unannounced you may find a different scene. Living life is messy and the only way to avoid that is to hide away from it all. As Pastor Mark will challenge us in today’s message...

What a loving and generous God we have! In our sinful rebellion, all we deserved was death and separation from His perfect righteousness. Yet He not only offers us forgiveness and salvation from eternal punishment, but He also offers us life and intimacy with Him in His perfect, eternal Kingdom. As Pastor Mark will illustrate in today’s message, God looks at us through the eyes of a Father. We’re...

Our God is a God of peace and justice. As humans, He’s endowed us with a strong desire for these things in our own lives and the world as a whole. Yet, as we read the Bible, it seems that God is also a God of war. How do these characteristics exist together? War is a byproduct of the sin of man. It wasn’t a part of the perfect design God had for Earth. Pastor Mark will expound on this in today’s m...

All of us approach knowledge as well as spirituality in different ways. Some are very information or evidence-driven while others rely on experience as they form their beliefs about the world. Can both groups experience faith in the same way? As Pastor Mark continues our exploration of the book of Joshua, he’ll examine this question in a Scriptural context. One of the beautiful things about the Bi...

As Pastor Mark will illustrate in today’s message, it’s often more relaxed and lower pressure to be the “number 2” guy. Meaning, when you’re not in charge, it all doesn’t fall on your shoulders if things go the wrong way. As believers, we’re always in that position – our success is not solely dependent on us. So how do we find success as Christians? It’s all on Jesus. He’s already done everything...

It’s hard to run a race if you’re carrying luggage, but that’s what we tend to do in life, don’t we? We’re on a mission for God, running a race, but we have all types of baggage that is hindering our effectiveness. We’re letting sin trip us up, or we’re holding onto a grudge against a brother or sister in Christ. In today’s message, Pastor Mark will ask the question, what is it that’s holding you...

Are you creeped out or comforted by the fact that God knows everything about you? Sometimes it seems like it could go either way, but be comforted. God knows all your sins, mistakes, and imperfections, but He loves you anyway. The Bible says that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That’s reassuring. In his message today, Pastor Mark will encourage you by teaching that God knows every...

God has already won the battle! What an encouraging truth. We often worry about the future, but isn’t it amazing that the future is as sure as the past to God? It’s a done deal. We will have heartache and troubles in this life, but we don’t have to worry. We can be encouraged that God has won the final victory. In today’s message, Pastor Mark will remind you that God has won the battle in your lif...

I’m guessing we guys are pretty thankful we don’t have to go through circumcision as adults like these Israelites. Talk about feeling pain and weakness! Why would God make the Israelites so vulnerable right before a battle? God seems to find so many ways to reinforce the fact that He’s the one fighting the battle. In his message today, Pastor Mark will remind you that God is the one fighting your...