Whispering Pines Church

“What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” – James 4:14b One of the dangers of leading lives that are so often influenced by the hustle and bustle of day-to-day necessities is that we can fail to look at the big picture. James demands of us, “What is your life?” What is the direction of it? What are you chasing? What are you after? Jesus tells us in John...

In addition to claiming to be “The Way,” Jesus also claimed to be “The Truth.” As with all three claims that Jesus makes in John 14:6, this claim is definitive. Jesus is not merely claiming to know truth or have access to truth, but to in a sense, “be” truth. Psalm 85:10 is a helpful verse to understand what is meant by this. It tells us that in God, “Kindness and truth have met. Righteousness and...

This Sunday we will explore how Matthew came to see Jesus’ ministry as the fulfillment of the words of the prophets. Jesus’ message is a light in dark places but maybe not in the way wed expect.” -Daniel Martinez

As we make the turn into the New Year and prepare to study the prophets of the Old Testament this Spring, I find it important to make a pit-stop at the foundational teachings of Jesus. In John 14, Jesus is comforting His disciples as He prepares them for His crucifixion and death. Thomas, ever curious, asks of Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answ...

Please join us for our Christmas Eve Candlelight service. In this intimate service, we will reflect on the coming of Emmanuel – God with us. The birth of Christ was good news, not just for the powerful, but “for all people.” Join us as we celebrate this great and glorious gift of God.

“What should I return to the Lord for all His goodness to me?” -Psalm 116:12 When we receive a gift from someone who loves us, our response should always be the same. We long to return the favor. To give as we have been given. The ultimate response from followers of Christ to what God has done at Christmas is to look to give back. Obviously, God has no need of anything we have to give. What do we...

As we wait in expectation, asking God to do what only God can do – we are not removed or separate from what God is doing at Christmas. God desires us, draws us, to change. Those who witnessed the birth of Christ, the shepherds, the wise men – they were never the same again. As witnesses of God in this world – we see His great love, His forgiveness, His mercy – we also, can never be the same again....

As we prepare room for God in our lives, we move from expectation to request. Scripture is full of instances where people cried out to God because of their great needs. This week we’ll explore several texts where people voiced their requests to God as they awaited a Messiah. When do we ask of God? In the worst of times? When we’ve exhausted all other options? Or do we live in relationship with God...

This year our theme for advent will be, “Prepare Him Room.” Of course, this line is taken from the ever-popular song, “Joy to the World!” “Joy to the world the Lord is come Let earth receive her king Let every heart prepare Him room…“ What does it mean to prepare Him room? This concept comes to us from Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, where he was born in a stable and laid in a manger because there si...

Here in this concluding section of his letter to the Philippians, Paul does all that he can to propel this little church forward. By his talk and by his walk, Paul has shown that we can have joy in the midst of suffering and trials. For those who have been compelled by Christ, it is our pleasure, our most sincere desire – to follow after Christ in joy. As we wrap up this letter and spend some time...

Please join us this Sunday for our Community Thanksgiving Service! We will begin with a time of worship, prayer, and reflection on God’s Word, and then enjoy a time of food and fellowship together. This Sunday, we will be taking a look at what Scripture tells us about choosing to have a grateful heart. What is at the core of thankfulness? What allows for joy and growth in difficult seasons? Join u...

In this passage of Philippians from the middle of chapter three to the middle of chapter four, Paul describes in plain language the motivation and behavior of those who claim citizenship in heaven, and those who “live as enemies of the cross of Christ.” Paul speaks boldly about what we need to look out for, but then turns to address our own behavior. What we are called to in this passage is, in a...

The first half of Philippians chapter 3 highlights a couple of important ideas. The first is that nothing that nothing about us – what we have, what we do, and what other people say about us – is worth having confidence in. Paul, of all the Jews of his time, had reason to be confident in who he was. He was highly educated, well-respected, from the best tribe and family. But none of that counted fo...

As human beings we are often drawn to formulas. What is the best recipe for a good chili? What is the formula for the perfect day off? What is the best way to raise a child? How many books have been sold: recipe books, self-help books, etc. that are meant to teach us these formulas? But life is often more complex than that. There is not often one formula that will solve the problem for us. And the...

This week, in one of the most familiar passages of the book of Philippians, Paul makes a further plea for the Christians of Philippi to concern themselves with their witness to the world. The beginning of Philippians two is one of the strongest arguments for humility and a gospel-centered life found within Scripture, and this week we’ll dive into the context of this passage. Paul does not base his...

This week, as we move beyond Paul’s introduction to the Philippians, we come to the main portion of his letter. The first century, while certainly different from our own time, left Christians facing many of the same challenges that we do today. There were so many potential battles to be fought, causes to stand for or against, issues to be raised among people who genuinely wanted to follow Christ a...

This week we begin our new study of Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi. We will spend some time this week digging into the historical context of this letter. Why was it written? What was happening in Philippi at the time? What we’ll find is a thoughtful and caring letter sent to a church that was suffering - from an author who was also going through his own struggles. This week, as we explore...

What is it that Jesus is inviting you to not lose heart over in your life, as you trust God for His timing, especially in anticipation of His return? Join us as we explore Jesus' words to us from Luke 18:1-8 this Sunday. - Barry Vegter

What does it look like to trust God? Is it just saying the words? I believe that one of the complicating factors to the act of trusting in God is that we hear of it so often, ourselves declare it so often, that we can believe it is actually happening when little evidence exists that it actually is. To trust God is a holistic act. It would be foolish to say that one entrusts God with their soul, bu...

The goal of Women’s Bean Project is Supporting and Inspiring women through Social Enterprise. The Women’s Bean Project provides job training and employment to women facing significant barriers to work, selling high-quality food products made by these women to support their mission. Women’s Bean Project is a nonprofit social enterprise. We have a food manufacturing business tied directly to our tra...

This week we turn to the only parable ever offered by Jesus that names any of its characters. We find in Luke 16, a named beggar – poor and desperate, and an unnamed (and therefore representative) rich man. This story is interesting, even captivating as Jesus does not tell another story quite like this one. This parable has been used to draw conclusions about the afterlife, and salvation itself. B...

The three main points of the sermon are: 1. This promise applies to believers in Christ, those that have trusted in His redemptive act on the cross, that rely on His sacrifice to pay for their sins. 2. This promise is fully available to those of us that meet the conditions of the first point, to those of us that are believers. 3. We willingly give up this promise on a regular basis. The basic prem...

Most things have a cost to them – burgers, gym memberships, a new car. We know that salvation does not have a price tag attached to it. Romans 6:23 tells us that eternal life with Jesus Christ is “the gift of God.” But what is the cost, is there a cost, to follow Christ? What should our expectations be? In Luke 14 – placed thoughtfully between a number of other parables that tell us of God’s kindn...

If you’ve ever been to the zoo, then you’ve probably met a strange creature that I would call a “mopey zoo lion.” Mopey zoo lions are strange creatures because they are at the same time, the king of the jungle and a lazy and disinterested creature - an animal having an existential crisis. Mopey Zoo Lion Christianity ™ - a term I’m attempting to coin and get into widespread use, is a very real conc...

Have you ever wondered why Jesus does what He does? Join us this Sunday as we explore the common thread in all that Jesus does. Jesus’ intention in acts of kindness, in forgiveness, in his confrontations with various people, always seems to be the same. Come and join us as we look at passages from John 8, Luke 9, and Luke 19 to see the heart of Jesus and what it was that consistently led him to be...