Pastor Lonnie

Temptations will come. They will always show us the barren wildernesses in our lives where love is thin or perhaps non-existent. The wilderness will always ask us to face reality and make our response. Often, the process will feel evil to us. It will seem that way because the choice between our preferences and the possibility of grace is so plain.

In this talk, Pastor Lonnie shows how the body of Christ is dynamic, unified, and organic and how these attributes empower the church to make a positive difference in the world.

This is the night when God sent out a love letter of cosmic proportions. It was a night that changed everything. You could say Christmas is the beginning of a classic love story with all the right ingredients: infatuation, pursuit, risk, and relationship. In all relations of love, there does have to be the first meeting, doesn't there? A crossing of paths where we find the Christ of God intersecti...

When a deep disappointment comes your way, remember how Joseph handled Mary's news that she was pregnant. Joseph took his hurt to God and allowed his walk with God to lead him to understand what was happening. Whatever it is that has your heart tied in knots; it is possible that this very trial could strengthen your faith so that God could use you for a more significant part in the redemptive stor...

God acts through ordinary human beings like you and me, ordinary people that trust God enough to undertake extraordinary missions beyond their capabilities or imaginings. The Virgin Mary is a model and reminder that Christmas is a time to prepare for the Holy Child to be born in you.

God is hidden in the ordinary routine events of life – our practice of giving thanks will bring God into the center of our being and in so doing, bring to others and ourselves a better world.

When I’m searching for answers to the tough questions of how to give and whether my extra effort of giving will make a difference in this world, it always comes back to just this: I think of how grateful I am that this church is here. I’m grateful to be able to come here and renew myself in faith, to embrace God’s presence and guidance in my life. I’m grateful that the church is here for my family...

Life is not about possessions; it is about relationships. It doesn’t consist of what we have but who we are and what we have given to God and others.

Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be, also." notice that your heart follows your treasure, not the other way around. What we do with our money not only reveals the condition of our heart, it determines the condition of our heart. That's why this is such an important issue in the life of the Christ-follower. It's not just about money; it's about our hearts. Malachi offers a...

We can live authentic lives of faith as sinners saved by grace. We can pray for others, dialogue about tough questions, and find ways to serve the people around us. When we do, we open the door to God’s unexpected adventures and the opportunities he orchestrates for us to be sacred salt and light to others. Our role is this: to be ready and willing—because God is always able. After all, we’re mere...

Have you ever felt far from God or feel you’ve walked away from God emotionally? Some people have a strong sense of urgency that they desperately need to get back to God, but they’re not sure how to do it. In this podcast, Returning Home, we will see that coming to God is like receiving a gift while treasuring the price that was paid for that gift.

The question of whether or not Jesus rose from the dead is the lynchpin of Christianity. If the evidence for the resurrection stands, then the Christian faith stands; but if the evidence falls, then so does Christianity. The evidence for the resurrection of Jesus will be explored in this podcast.

Are there any facts to back up our faith? Can the Bible be trusted, or is it possible that the resurrection was only a myth, and the stories of the life of Jesus are filled with legends and tall-tales? This series takes a look at the evidence for the Christian faith. Following Jesus is not a leap into the dark; it's a leap into the light!

Invite! Showing people that we care about them is the most effective way to reach them for Christ and grow His church. There is no record of Jesus walking up to someone and announcing: I am the messiah and then beginning to show his care for them. He showed his care first and then he revealed himself to them. Be relevant. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care and yo...

Is God fair? If so, what leads you to believe God is? If not, why? Could God be about something other than fairness? Pastor Lonnie explores this vital question in this podcast.

Pastor Lonnie continue his series of messages on the relevant and vital church in today’s challenging landscape. This message will reveal what research shows that draws people to church and keeps them there.

Pastor Lonnie will begin a series of messages for the church that wants to be relevant and vital in today’s challenging landscape. The first message is a snapshot on the Christian church in America. Who is and is not attending and why. The second message, on August 25 will be what research is showing us that draws people to church and keeps them there. The final message on September 8, Pastor Lonn...

Dealing with anger is tough work. Sometimes the right thing to do with our anger is to speak it and name what's wrong so it comes to light. Sometimes the right thing to do is to channel it into a positive and productive response to what's wrong. Sometimes the right thing to do with our anger is to release it, by forgiving whoever has wronged us. That last one can be the hardest, but sometimes it's...

It's amazing the long-term impact small things can make in our lives. Jesus used the mustard seed to illustrate how a little amount of faith can make a big difference. Small things, like a kind word to a friend, a helpful attitude with a colleague, a quick prayer for a neighbor, playing a game with the kids...they are all being used by God to make a difference and to spread God’s love. I want to e...

As Christians, we are to relate to people of other faiths as Jesus related to them: with respect and love, knowing that they are beloved children of God. From what I've seen, most people do not believe in Jesus, not because they think Jesus is a fraud, but rather because they see so little of Jesus in the lives of those of us who profess to be following him! Consider the question: How does my life...

Jabez was a living testimony to the goodness of God despite his birth and circumstances. His life contradicted his name. God heard the cry of this lone outcast and granted his prayers. His destiny was changed, his heart healed, and he stands as a memorial to the grace and mercy of the God who hears the cries of the brokenhearted.

We tend to think of the church as an institution instead of a mother. That's because we don't take our teaching on baptism seriously enough. If baptism represents a new and heavenly birth, then in baptism we have God as our father and the church as our mother. The church is the womb in which we are conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the water of holy baptism. The church nurses infant faith w...

In the church we all are parenting. Each time a child is baptized, the church promises to nurture that child. We promise to surround them with a community of love and forgiveness that they may grow in service and love to God and others. Where we take our children...where does the adventure ultimately go? Consider this: The only thing we take to heaven is our children!. Will you take them there?

If you should find yourself in a tough place right now, have the courage and honesty to stay in that place and invite Christ to meet you there. If you should know someone in such a place right now, someone who’s dealing with pain, disappointment, or loss—share hope with them. Ask them how they’re doing. Listen to them. Be with them. Pray for them. And when the time is right, point them toward Jesu...

There is another city. It is a city we tend to think of as within us. It is the city of our inherited patterns and ways of doing things. It is the dead weight of our habits, of our unreflective living; of our assumption that life is the way we see it and nothing else. Here, is a city within that cries for deliverance. Do we dare to enter this city as Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem on Palm Sun...