Expounding the Word

Balancing on one leg isn’t easy. After a few seconds, your muscles start to shake and strain under the pressure. But with practice, you build strength and stability, learning to endure the tension. Today, Pastor Chris reminds you that living as a Christian in a broken, dark world is also a balance. You can grow stronger and steadier over time, but that doesn’t mean it will ever feel easy. Faithful...

We all wear many hats—spouse, parent, colleague, friend—and it’s easy to let those roles define who we are. They shift constantly depending on where we are and who we’re with. But today, Pastor Chris reminds you that if you’re a Christian, one identity rises above them all. You are a beloved member of God’s family. That truth isn’t temporary or situational—it’s foundational. The real question is:...

“If only…(sigh).” It’s easy to get stuck in wishful thinking, longing for different circumstances. But as the saying goes, if ifs and buts were fruits and nuts, every day would be a Merry Christmas. Today, Pastor Chris reminds you that while you may not be able to change your life situation, you can choose your attitude. And that attitude is simple: wherever you are, as a Christian, you are called...

We live in a throwaway culture. When something breaks, we toss it in the garbage and buy a new one. But today, Pastor Chris reminds you that God doesn’t treat people that way. You may carry wounds from the past, hidden struggles, or painful memories, but that doesn’t make you damaged goods. To God, you’re not disposable. He sees you, loves you, and can heal what is broken in your life. And one day...

If you slow down for a moment, you’ll notice the many good things God places in your life—the warmth of the sun, a quiet moment of beauty in a budding flower, the blessings of work, family, and healthy relationships. But today, Pastor Chris offers a grave reminder: there is also unseen evil that wants to destroy those gifts God gives you. Don’t ignore the danger. Remember who God has made you and...

Usually, going to extremes doesn’t end well. Ignoring all your homework and then pulling an all-nighter rarely works. Living on junk food and then trying to cut it out overnight often leads to splurging later. But today, Pastor Chris says there’s one area where radical action is necessary—sin. Instead of tolerating it or managing it, you must deal with it decisively. If something is causing you to...

Today, Pastor Chris reminds you that as a Christian, you have real freedom in Jesus Christ. You are free to live in His forgiveness and to enjoy the good things God has created. But that freedom also raises an important question: is it helpful? Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Even good things can begin to control you if you’re not careful. So ask yourself—are you enjoyin...

In today's message, Pastor Chris explains that when two believers fight their case openly before unbelievers, everyone hears it, and no matter who wins the lawsuit, both have already lost. The real loss is the public shame brought to the name of Christ and the poor witness given to the watching world. Paul calls it an utter failure right from the start. The mere fact that you're airing grievances...

Do you ever feel tempted to take a dispute with another believer straight to public courts or social media instead of handling it privately? In today's message, Pastor Chris explains that Paul was shocked and dismayed when believers dragged their conflicts before unbelievers rather than resolving them among the saints. Doing so creates a poor witness and damages the testimony of Jesus, because it...

In today's message, Pastor Chris explains that the call for believers is not to pull away from the world. That approach would actually be harmful because it would keep your light away from those who need it. Jesus Himself prayed for His followers exactly this way: “Father, do not take them out of the world, but keep them in it while protecting them from the evil one.” You are meant to stay right i...

In today's message, Pastor Chris explains that love demands action when you see real danger approaching someone vulnerable. Staying silent or doing nothing would not be love at all. You and your church have a responsibility to stay alert and aware of harmful ideas or influences that could enter your life or community and cause serious damage. Bringing or allowing those destructive philosophies to...

Paul’s heart offers a reflection of the heart of Christ for His followers. It’s the heart of a good shepherd and a loving father. Paul, as a representation of Jesus, isn’t a dictator who demands obedience for his own enrichment or empowerment. As Pastor Chris will point out in today’s message, Paul desires for the Corinthians to live in obedience because he loves them. He doesn’t want them to expe...

We’re highly intelligent as humans. It’s a God-given blessing that has enabled endless innovations that have strongly impacted our lives, for good in some cases, but sometimes, not so good. As Pastor Chris will remind us in today’s message, when we come to Christ, we need to submit our intellect to Him. We don’t just throw reason out the window, but we trust that if Christ is leading, we can follo...

What an appropriate image of the Church. If you’ve ever been in an ancient Cathedral, it’s an awe-inspiring experience. Many of these beautiful monuments have stood for centuries, and took decades or, in many cases, centuries to construct. The Church, as a universal collection of believers, has been under construction since the moment that Christ commissioned it two thousand years ago, and each on...

All of us were babies at one point. Apart from Adam and Eve, every single human who’s ever lived went through the same process of growing up. In today’s message, Pastor Chris will remind us that every believer goes through a “baby” stage as well. Sadly, some struggle to leave that phase. At some point, we need someone like Paul – a loving, but firm and direct leader – to point out our complacency...

A gift of the New Testament, given to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the ability to be in a close relationship with God through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, which dwells within us, is our compass. He guides us in our everyday life through both our victories and struggles, pointing us to the right path. Today, Pastor Chris teaches us that as Christians and believers,...

Have you ever sat among the congregation and felt like a spotlight was hitting you the entire time the pastor was preaching? Feeling like every time you looked up, his eyes met yours, and it was clear that he was speaking to you. Completely wrecked on the inside, you leave the church trying to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions overcoming you. Today, Pastor Chris teaches us how God uses man t...

God doesn’t see earthly position and status. He doesn’t care what our background is, how big our house is, what kind of car we drive, or how much money we make. God puts us all even at the foot of the cross.  When we put our trust and faith in God, He welcomes us as a son or daughter into His home, and He doesn’t have favorites. Today, Pastor Chris teaches us that fancy words and flashy shows are...

The way that Christians put their faith and trust in something they can’t see may seem foolish and unwise to those who don’t believe the story of the cross. God’s word tells us that “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength”. Today, Pastor Chris teaches us that worldly wisdom and knowledge are not the same as spiritual wisdom and kno...

The gift of the new covenant is that of the Holy Spirit dwelling within all who choose to believe, making none of us more spiritual than the other. Too often, we allow our preferences and ideas to cause division among friends, family, and even Churches. In doing this, our pride destroys fellowship. It’s not only silly-it’s sad. Today, Pastor Chris teaches us that Jesus is the only one we are to gi...

It’s just like humanity to overthink everything. To let our minds run wild, picking apart our thoughts until we’re so lost that we can’t differentiate between truth and self-sabotage. The enemy loves to work here, whispering lies,  affirming our excuses and self-righteousness. One of the enemy’s favorite tactics is to cause division, and he’ll jump at the chance to do just that. Today, Pastor Chri...

God has given us everything that we need to live out this messy life with grace and peace through Him. We are not perfect, and no matter how hard we try, we cannot escape the fact that we fall short. How blessed are we to be given such a gift as Jesus Christ, that we may be forgiven in all areas in which we fail. We can’t earn God’s love, and the beautiful part is that we can’t lose it either. Tod...

Light is meant to drive out darkness, not the other way around. As Christians, we are called to be set apart; to let our influence speak Jesus into society. Humans, in their sinful nature, are pulled toward acceptance of those around them. We long for fellowship, all the while forgetting about the perfect fellowship we graciously share with Jesus. Today, Pastor Chris reminds us that we can’t live...

Having biblical knowledge and understanding of who Christ is is so important to knowing God! It isn’t everything; we can obviously get caught up in just knowledge and forget about the relationship. When we know who God is based on what His Word says, we can begin that relationship and know ourselves better! Knowing God’s Word can be the first step to knowing God! In today’s message, Pastor Chris w...

The impact that the Word of God can have on your life, and the lives of others, is so far beyond words! In today’s message, Pastor Chris will challenge you with some hard questions and give you some ideas to ponder. If you only had a couple of minutes or a few verses, how would you explain Jesus? Could you properly share the love of Christ using your current biblical knowledge?! I’ll tell you this...