Peace In Aiken

Does Jesus ever short change us? Absolutely not! Even when it feels as if the blessings we are given aren't all that we had hoped for, we are reminded that everything Jesus does, he does to the best of his divine ability. Therefore, everything you have... it's God's best!

When the world demands an answer, are you ready to give one? "Who are you?" Vocations, sins, descriptions flood our minds. When it comes down to giving an answer that can fully define you, we start at the baptismal font. This is where God tells you who you are.

God can bring salvation to the ends of the earth. And he chooses to use us. You get to be a light in this dark world... and you are certainly prepared to do it.

What relationship do you have to obedience to God? In this small insight into the early life of Jesus, we find our motivation to obey God. See as he lives not just as the template for obedience, but as the sacrifice of obedience in our place.

What does it mean that "God is with us?" In our every day lives, it is us living according to the promise Jesus made to his disciples: "I will be with you always to the very end of the age." But in the manger, God shows what Emmanuel truly means. It means having more than a teacher, protector, or friend. It means having a Savior who is truly God and man so that he might save human beings.

Joseph had a mess on his hands. Not a mess created by sin... but a mess nonetheless. He had his imperfect plan to make the best of a bad situation. This is when the Lord comes to him and lets him know that he is actually right in the middle of His own plan. This is how the Lord approaches the mess that is our sin. See his perfect gift!

Mary's Song is one for the ages. It is this beautiful song by a godly young woman who knows that the Lord was in the middle of working something extraordinary through her and for her people. She regards herself as humble. We are humbled regularly in our lives. This Christmas, allow Mary's Song to be your song.

John the Baptist calls the crowds to repentance. They receive a baptism, hear their sins forgiven in the comings Savior... but now what? How do they go forward? What should they do when they leave the Jordan. John gives direction to the crowds: "Bear fruit in keeping with repentance." The message is clear! Live lives of joy knowing that your sins are fully and freely forgiven.

Will you prepare for Jesus like your in-laws are coming over or like the plumber is on his way?

When Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised that he would return again. Today, in our message, we examine what it is the believer is called to do in fulfillment of Jesus command: STAY AWAKE!

NOT GUILTY! The verdict from our God, the righteous judge comes down. He's talking about you. He has declared you not guilty even though you know you were. For anyone else sitting at the throne of God waiting to be judged, this would be terrifying. But, because you know the verdict has been predetermined, you're okay. The question for us to consider: Why is the verdict predetermined?

How can I be generous if I don't have much? It's a good question. If you look around at your life and you don't see too many blessings, it would be difficult to be generous. But when you find yourself contemplating the lavish blessings of forgiveness and the promise of eternal life, you realize that you actually do have quite a bit. In that way, we can be extraordinarily generous with those around...

Our expectations of this world always seem to be to high. We want our lives to look a certain way, but because of sin, they always seem to fall short. What do we do about that? We could try to better our lives here on earth... but I think we all know how that is going to go: temporary relief until dissatisfaction raises its head again. How about a new approach? Instead of trying to make this life...

Is it worth it to take a stand? You ask yourself that question at various moments throughout life. How do we approach those moments when the situation is black and white? God's Word speaks his grace to us... and we take our stand.

What rights would you give up for the gospel? It seems like a weird question. As a Christian, it seems as if we wouldn't HAVE to give up anything. Guess what... you're right. You don't HAVE to give up anything. You make sacrifices because of Jesus' sacrifice for you. He gave you everything, so you don't need anything from anyone. That's freedom!

The most important things in life get most of our time, attention and resources. In fact, the amount of time and money we devote to something can often be an indicator as to how important it is to us. In our reading, Jesus challenges us to give serious thought to our priorities with one question in mind: are GOD'S priorities OUR priorities?

Families are complicated. There are dynamics and methods of communication that are understood only by those within the family. In every family, there are roles, spoken or unspoken, which Mom, Dad, and children make their own. So how do we know if our family is functioning according to God's model? Take a look at Ephesians 5:21-6:4 and see God's template for a loving marriage and healthy family lif...

The angles of God serve a purpose. That purpose is illustrated by the encounter that Elisha had with God's angel army. While God doesn't give us much insight into HOW he uses the angels, he does show us WHY: to protect and defend his church physically and spiritually.

Followers of Jesus are equipped for anything? Jesus has made sure of that. Learn how you can use the truths of God's Word about your life to combat every assault of evil!

His miracle was for one man and one man alone. He brings him to a private place, heals him, and then tells him to tell no one about it. Why was Jesus willing to take the time to make such a narrow impact when he could have made this man well in front of hundreds? Because it wasn’t about the crowd. In this moment, the Savior’s focus was on one man. And Jesus used this moment to bring this man heali...

If we are looking for a good person, we’ve found one. No, she’s not living under our roof, he’s not staring back at you in the mirror. We find one “good person” in our life: Jesus. It is Jesus who knows what perfect obedience is. It is Jesus who knows what perfect love is. Jesus is the only “good person” we know. But he doesn’t keep it to himself. He gives his goodness to us so that we can share i...

In general, when people are faced with an idea that they find offensive, they do one of two things. 1. They turn their back on the idea, the person, or the movement. Or 2. They wrestle to get comfortable with this scandalous thought. In John 6, as Jesus ends his Bread of Life discourse, the disciples wrestle with Jesus' teaching and give us a path forward when we are presented with a section of Go...

Jesus continues his “Bread of Life” discourse as he reminds that disciples that God himself is the one who draws sinners to himself. This is a stark reminder that the wisdom of God is NOTHING like the wisdom of this world.

Tragically, the best meals don’t last forever. Whether it’s the steak that you spent WAY too much money on or it’s that Thanksgiving meal that you fondly remember, we always find ourselves being hungry again. In these beginning verses of Jesus’ conversation about the bread of life, we find him reminding the people that he offers something better. He offers something that is not temporarily satisfy...

What does Jesus mean when he tells us he will be with us? And how is that helpful? When you are going through scary situations or rough patches in life, why does the presence of God matter? In our reading for this Sunday, we are reminded of a simple truth: there is no one we would rather have with us than our Savior.