The Town

God has given us ordinary means to encounter him and be changed in an extraordinary way. His Word, Our Prayer, and His Church are all gracious gifts given to the people of God by God Himself. God graciously speaks to us, listens to us, and relates to us through these means. The church, though imperfect, is one of the most important means God has given us to experience him and be changed.

God has given us ordinary means to have an extraordinary encounter with Him. He has given us His Word, Prayer, and His Church so that we might become more like Jesus every day. When we read the Scriptures, when we spend time in prayer, and when we spend time in fellowship with other believers we put ourselves in the pathway of God's grace and will experience spiritual growth as the God makes us mo...

God has given us ordinary means to know his extraordinary grace more and more every day. The mains means God has given us to know Him is His Word. If we want to be more like Jesus we must encounter Jesus. If we want to encounter Jesus we must encounter his word.

One cannot encounter Jesus and remain the same. Jesus changes us and we have a new identity where we find our purpose and place in his person and work. Paul tells the church that they must not only pursue unity but that they must also pursue holiness. God's grace is not a cheap grace. The grace we have in Jesus leads to a pursuit of Jesus where we will not remain unchanged.

God gifts the church so that they might transform the culture. It is good that w meet together to worship, but our worship must continue throughout the week. We are called to use the gifts that God has given us so that He might transform the community through us. As the church grows in depth and number the community of which they are a part will be transformed.

The unity we have in Christ is multiplied by the diverse and gracious gifts Jesus has given to his Church. A healthy church is a church where every member of the body of Christ is looking to discover their gift, enjoy their gifts, and worship God by using their gifts to serve others and love Jesus.

Jesus prayed that the church might be one as He and the Father are one. Unity is a big deal for Jesus and it is a big deal for the Apostles. Why? Because a church that is united under the Gospel puts the manifold wisdom of God on display for the world to see. We are united under one Savior and our pursuit of the one Savior testifies to his power and glory.

Our calling to follow after Christ is a gift and a privilege. But it is also a life that demands the pursuit of holiness. Jesus, who is our hope, has not called us to follow him and remain the same; his love for us continues as he prunes and sanctifies. The Christian is to take seriously this work, as the unity of the church is greatly affected by our sin. This involves identifying sin patterns, w...

The world has no hope if Christians devalue the means God has ordained to draw the world to Himself.

When we are captured and compelled by God's purpose for our lives we become living sacrifices where we at once die to self and live for others.

Jesus has destroyed the wall of hostility - we are a people under one roof and with one family name.

The Resurrection has changed the reality of the world where death once reigned.

You cannot have the glory of Sunday, without the crucifixion on Friday.

A person captured by the good news of the Gospel is a beacon of good news to others – you are God's workmanship.

It is by grace that God saw us as we were, loved us, and saved us to make us what we are.

The Gospel doesn't erase our past, it transforms our past.

Why does it matter that the church meet together? We exist to tell one another of the past, present, and future spiritual blessing we have in Christ as we take part in the grand plan God has for us. There are so many benefits that come with a body that is united in Christ. We support one another, we give thanks for one another and we pray for one another. But all of this happens as we take part in...

Why does it matter that the church meet together? We exist to tell one another of the past, present, and future spiritual blessing we have in Christ as we take part in the grand plan God has for us. There are so many benefits that come with a body that is united in Christ. We support one another, we give thanks for one another and we pray for one another. But all of this happens as we take part in...

The heart of God is clearly seen in his past faithfulness to His people, the work of Christ on this earth, and the promise of Jesus' return. God has given us the Holy Spirit to remind us that His heart towards us has not changed - He will be our God and we will be His people and this will be accomplished because of his long suffering love for us. Be confident in the fact that God's feeling toward...

God has shown his love for us by sharing his mind with us. What was previously veiled through shadows and signs has been fully revealed to those whom God has chosen and adopted. Christians have received full access to the plan of the gospel: that God sent his Son to secure redemption and forgive transgressions, and that he will one day unite all things in heaven and earth under the headship of Chr...

In Ephesians 1, Paul gives us one reason after another to worship God. And yet, these are God's words to his children. He is like a father shouting from the sidelines to his kids, "o I've had you in mind since before time. I chose you just because I love you. It is my desire to give you all that you could ever need – every blessing imaginable. My love for you has no beginning and it has no end. My...

God has chosen a people for Himself, and this is reason enough for a life of worship.

What does it mean to be "all good"? It is something we all want. It is the desire of the human heart – we want to be in a good place. There are many examples and areas of life that we want to be able to say – "Everything is in order. It's all good." Relationships. Family. Marriage. Job. Children. Retirement. Even when all of these things are "all good" there is always something nagging at us. Beca...

There is a spiritual haze in evangelicalism today. Christians in America are living in a post-Christian culture and we don't always have good answers to the cultural narrative. Our response to change and claims to truth is often a fearful one because we don't know how to respond to the new cultural narrative. How can we not only exist but thrive in a post-Christian culture when the narrative seems...