From the Pulpit

While there are many ways to get to know another person, the best way is to listen to them when they speak, to hear them describe their sense of right and wrong, their memories of the past, their desires for the present, and their goals for the future. Indeed, it’s near impossible to experience relational intimacy with anyone apart from deliberate attentiveness to what they reveal about themselves...

The Bible teaches us to obey authorities and governments. The Bible also teaches us that God is in control of any earthly government. In the book of Daniel we see Kingdoms rise and fall, on God’s authority. And it’s that same authority that will one day bring in a final and eternal kingdom, when God reigns.

Disunity, complacency, apathy, immorality, immaturity, lethargy, idolatry, insecurity, adversity, and apostasy. There are so many spiritual diseases that can plague God’s people, sin-wrought infections that hinder us from growing and serving and enjoying and worshipping and witnessing as we ought to do. And yet, as various as these sicknesses present, as contagious as these infections can be, and...

While all Scripture is equally inspired and equally authoritative , we can admit that not all Scripture is equally urgent . Not every passage of the Bible uniformly challenges its hearers and readers with a sin-confronting, reality-defining, life-shaping, soul-saving, and response-demanding set of truths. Ephesians 2:1–10, however, certainly does. Sometimes considered a condensation of Paul’s expl...

This message focuses on the fact that human beings have a deep sense that things could be a whole lot better than what they are. They know that because as Solomon says – we have eternity written in our hearts. It is part of our spiritual DNA. And, in a very real sense we are on a journey – an Exodus. Moses was on an Exodus. Jesus too was on an Exodus. We as believer’s are on an Exodus. The first c...

The present conditions of our world lead many Christians to believe that the Lord might come and come very soon. For sure, throughout history there have many predictions of the return of Jesus. But in reality – our focus should not be “when” Christ is coming. The real question is will we be ready when Jesus returns? Jesus himself emphasizes this when he says numerous times “no one knows the day or...

In the Psalms we find a reflection of life in a fallen world—years stippled with uncontainable joy and unspeakable sorrow, seasons of holistic prosperity and times of total poverty. In this collection of inspired poetry we hear the ancient but relatable cries of God’s people as they too sought to obey the Lord faithfully, avoid sin desperately, live life wisely, endure the world victoriously, and...

This sermon is to show the importance of evangelism and Jesus shows us 5 things he left us in order to do that task, that mission. 1. He left us an unfinished mission - we can see this in the world around us, that we are not doing our job the way we should be. 2. He left us an unchallenged message - Acts 1:3 3. He left us the power to accomplish the Mission and share the message - the Holy Spirit...

There are many reasons to love the Psalms. They are beautiful , expressing eternal truth in elegant language. They are rich , offering more and more treasure the deeper one mines. And, perhaps most basically, they are emotional , showcasing that what we feel in this life the psalmists felt in theirs—lament and grief, fear and vulnerability, thanksgiving and anticipation, celebration and praise, wo...

Sometimes it’s hard to say “thank you.” Perhaps it’s because we’re embarrassed to admit our dependance and neediness. Maybe we simply get distracted and forget to express the appropriate appreciation. It could be that we don’t say “thank you” because we fail to understand the effort that was involved in the care we received. Maybe we assume that saying it too much dampens the authenticity of our t...

Our world is not at peace. Over one hundred wars are currently being fought around the globe with thousands of casualties in dozens of countries. There is tension within our own country around immigration and taxation, ideology and poverty, politics and economics. Many homes are battlefields characterized by abuse, neglect, betrayal, debt, selfishness, and neediness. And then there are personal fi...

The Gospel writer, Luke, concludes his account of the discovery of Jesus’s empty tomb with these words: “Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marvelling at what had happened” (24:12). This disciple was amazed, befuddled, and overwhelmed. His head was doubtlessly spinning with questions about what had just happened...

This morning we have walked with the Lord Jesus up to Calvary’s mount. Beginning with the prophets who predicted the coming of one who would endure agony in the place of those who actually deserve it, we then followed this Suffering Servant into the Upper Room where his inevitable death was commemorated in a meal, one which we then shared in remembrance of his sacrifice. We then followed Jesus fro...

The Bible exhorts us to strive for peace, so far it depends on us (Romans 12,18). Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we offended, hurt or willfully sinned against someone else, where we need to apologize. Both apologies and forgiveness start in the hart, where a change of heart is needed for the offender, and the heart of the offended needs to be moved (that is what compassion is). Y...

Psalm 119 is a celebration of God’s word, its nature and purpose, its power and perfection, its necessity, sufficiency, reliability, and veracity. The Hebrew word for law, torah , is used thirty-six times in the Psalms, twenty-five of which are found in this particular Psalm. Add to that the many synonyms the author employs—God’s word, ways , testimonies , precepts , statutes , commandments , and...

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a theologian who grew up during WWI. His older brother was killed in battle and his mother was irreparably shocked by the loss. Fear and morbidity filled their home. To cope with those years, Dietrich, along with his twin sister, Sabine, would put themselves to sleep each night thinking about heaven, repeating into the darkness a single word: eternity . They wanted to make...

Every good and effective government must provide both laws to govern its citizenry and courts to represent its citizenry. If laws are absent, unarticulated, or unenforced, there is anarchy. If courts are corrupt, powerless, or inaccessible, there is tyranny. God’s government promises both infallible regulation and unending representation for the good of its people. Foreshadowing this reality in th...

Worship is a central tenet, activity, posture, and goal for all believers. As one author has suggested, “Christian worship is the response of God’s redeemed people to his self-revelation that exalts God’s glory in Christ in our minds, affections, and wills, in the power of the Holy Spirit.”  However we define and articulate this important concept, one thing must be clear: ultimately, worship is no...

It’s hard to grow, improve, or mature without first being honest about the  need  for growth, the  room  for improvement, and the areas of  im maturity.  Being realistic is important for those who want to progress and, as a church family, that is exactly what we desire. We want to become a congregation that is used by God to lead more and more people from darkness into light. We want to be a peopl...

The psalms are songs about life, sacred songs, but commentaries on life. The ups and downs, the good and the bad, the joys and sorrows. They afford so much wisdom about life as it was meant to be lived. They tug at our hearts, they challenge our ways, and they teach us good and godly things. Many of them were written by David, the king of Israel, as is Psalm 34. In it, he speaks of several godly h...

After the predictably horrible reign of Saul, God hand-picked David to succeed him as king of Israel (1 Samuel 13:14). And David loved God, worshipped God, served God, and represented God. By all earthly measurements, David was a  great  man. But, as 2 Samuel 11:1–12:12 demonstrates, even the greatest of people still sin, sometimes dramatically. No one—no matter how mature they are  in  the Lord,...

Weddings can be beautiful and meaningful events. Friends and family are gathered, happiness and love are expressed, promises and prayers are offered. Even on the surface, these events are celebratory and significant. But the beauty and meaning of a wedding runs far deeper than many people understand. From a biblical perspective, a wedding (and the marriage that ultimately follows the wedding) is h...

The Scottish novelist, Robert Louis Stevenson, once said, “The person who has stopped being thankful has fallen asleep in life.” In other words, even in the darkest moments of life there is always something for which people can be grateful and to not recognize that is to be knowingly or ignorantly unconscious.  Now, if that’s true in general, how much more for God’s people in particular? Are we no...

“He loves me, he loves me not. She loves me, she loves me not.” It’s a familiar and simple game. By alternating those statements while plucking pedals from a flower one-by-one, an individual seeks to discover whether their affection for someone  is , or  will be , reciprocated. Ultimately, it’s an exercise in hopefulness and powerlessness.  Following the Lord through the ups and downs of life can...

Bad things happen to good people, even to  God’s  people. Belonging to Jesus Christ does not inoculate us from sadness, loneliness, and stress. Following the Lord does not ward off financial insecurity, relational hostility, emotional misery, and physical injury. The gift of eternal life in the ever after does not guarantee a long life in the here and now. Many of us know  biblically —and all of u...