Powell Butte Christian Church

 "I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth." - 1 Tim. 3:14b-15 Last week we saw that one of the main reasons Paul writes this letter to Timothy is that there are false teachers who have crept in among the various home...

Welcome to a new sermon series that will take us up through the Advent season in December. It's 1 Timothy - a book that is both challenging and empowering. It's a great blueprint on how God's House has been built and how it's to be maintained. We will look at LIFE and LEADERSHIP in the Church, and I know it will help sharpen our focus on what God wants of Powell Butte Christian...

If we’re honest, most of us probably don’t think of ourselves as missionaries. We tend to think that term is reserved for those like the ones we’ve been hearing from in our GO Moments this month - usually people involved in reaching past their own culture, be it overseas or intergenerational or just cross-culturally in our country. But reality is: Scripture calls those who are under the New Covena...

One of the saddest realities about our world today, I believe, is the loss of integrity. We live in a society where someone’s word is no longer their bond. Years ago - and actually as is the case today in this area of the State, I have found - a handshake and one's word was enough. And that was the case throughout the country a long time ago for a long time. But today? Not so much. Promises a...

A New York family bought a ranch out West where they intended to raise cattle. Friends visited and asked if the ranch had a name. "Well," said the would-be cattleman, "I wanted to name it the Bar-J. My wife favored Suzy-Q, one son like the Flying-W, and the other wanted the Lazy-Y. So we're calling it the Bar-J-Suzy-Q-Flying-W-Lazy-Y." "But where are all your cattle?&...

How good are you at receiving and following advice? If you're like me, it’s a struggle at times for sure. I'm amazed at the times my stupid pride has kicked in and I know what I want and I know how it should be done. And there have been too many times when I ignored what turned out to be some REALLY GOOD advice, and of course I end up regretting being so stubborn. But none of you know wh...

As we dive through Exodus, we're going to look at this overarching narrative but we're going to look today at a section that turns out to be a very frustrating time for Moses and Aaron. Now, because we are looking BACK at the story, it's obvious to us that God is at work. But, you must bear in mind that Moses and Aaron are LIVING this thing out in REAL TIME. They DON'T know the...

Alright, now as Chapter 3 begins, Moses is living his new life in Midian, married, caring for his father-in-law's flock of sheep, and safely out of the reach of Pharaoh. He is not, however, safely out of the reach of God. When the king of Egypt dies, God is not only full of compassion for the enslaved Israelites but He is now ready to act. We meet Moses as he is out tending to his father&apos...

My wife, Jenny, has certain shows she absolutely loves to watch. And now that we got rid of our satellite service and are just doing streaming and what we get from our external antenna, she can watch these things whenever she likes. Most often it's after a long day of running around, working, getting stuff around the house done, etc. So when I get home, these shows like Survivor or The Amazin...

There’s a story of a man who worked with Mother Teresa for a period of time. Every night he would go out with the Sisters of Mercy into the streets of Calcutta and pick up men and women who were on death’s door. They would then take these individuals to a hospice home called Kalighat, where these people who were actively dying would be cared for in their last days. A friend of a friend had gone ou...

You may have observed in the time you have known me that I don't have a great sense of balance.  Therefore when I navigate through uneven terrain, I must be very careful. Balance is one of those things that is necessary when you have to go through rough terrain.  Today is going to be about finding balance. And whether you are talking about whole body balance, or whether you are talking about...

There have been times, I must admit, and I would imagine so must you, when poor planning has brought about some serious problems in my life. And there have been times when I could have sworn that I DID plan things — it was just a lousy plan. I didn't take things into account; I didn't foresee real issues that could possibly (and often DID) pop up. It's good to plan, for sure. If you...

This last week in our Staff Meeting, I said some things out loud. And they weren't horribly critical. I think that they were just funny observations (at least in MY mind). And the staff basically told me how awkward it was to hear them. I told them that's what popped into my mind. And that's when Ethan said, they pop into our minds, too, Trey - but those tend to be INTERNAL conversa...

Several years ago Barbara Walters interviewed General Norman Schwartzkopf, one time commander of Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf. When asked about the cost of the war in terms of human life the general began to cry. Walters rather bluntly inquired, "General, aren't you afraid to cry...?"  To which the general replied, "Barbara, I'm afraid of a man who can't...

Draw near to God. And guess what? He will draw near to you. That's where we ended last week, if you'll recall. What this means is that some of us have to quit thinking that God is so far away, playing some sort of cosmic hide-and-seek game with you. James is clear: make connection with God your destination and you'll find Him coming towards you the same way! Last week we looked at t...

Who needs grace today? Who really wants grace? Grace awaits - but notice to whom God gives grace… to the deserving? to the famous? No. It's very likely that those people miss the fact that they have NEED of grace. After all, why receive grace if you haven't done anything wrong? So then, God gives grace to…the low-down dirty rotten scoundrels of this life? Be careful before you give the c...

I want you to think back on a recent argument or conflict you had with someone. Could be your spouse, parents, kid, or somebody at work. What was the argument over? What was it about? Money, chores, politics, or something else. Regardless of the issue, what caused that argument? That is the question that James wants us to deal with because the answer gives us deeper insight into why we have confli...

 If you had just ONE wish, what would it be? Obviously this scenario is one that reveals what is at your core. If it's to win the lottery, I suppose people could conclude that financial security is most important to you. If it's to live to a ripe old age, perhaps family relationships are top priority for you. If it's to possess a certain ability, again, that would demonstrate what m...

Associate Pastor Brian Hall