Expounding the Word

For many believers, ministry is reserved for preachers, worship leaders, or missionaries. The rest of us are just laypeople. As Pastor Chris will explain in today’s message, this isn’t how God views His Children. He sees each one of us as vital to His mission in this world. He could accomplish it without us, but He wants to use each of us. Every believer is a part of this mission and called to a r...

For modern believers, the old, sacrificial system that was required in the Old Covenant is foreign and abstract. But for early believers, especially the Jews, it was very familiar and burdensome. It had been manipulated by certain people to become oppressive. They had lost sight of the heart of God behind it. As Pastor Chris examines the New Covenant that Paul references in his letter to the Corin...

If you’re feeling insecure in your faith, where is that coming from? Are you doubting whether Jesus is really capable of saving you? Or maybe you question if He really wants to. Many of us get caught up in our own performance, and we assume that our frequent blunders make us undesirable to God. God indeed hates sin, but as Pastor Chris will remind us in today’s message, God loves us and sent Jesus...

When someone has hurt you deeply, it can feel good to hold onto hatred towards them. In many cases, it may even be justified to be bitter. They may have taken someone or something from you that you can never get back. What they did was incredibly wrong. But, as we’ll be challenged in today’s message from Pastor Chris, Jesus took our place on the cross and carried the punishment for all of our sin...

Conflict can be scary. It can feel like a big gamble with a relationship. When it’s a strong relationship and a sensitive matter, it can feel much easier just to sweep it under the rug and try to pretend there’s nothing to deal with. As Pastor Chris continues our study of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he’ll draw our attention to the tension in Paul’s heart. He loved these people, and he knew t...

Have you ever had noble intentions, but found that your actions were perceived as being selfish or inconsiderate in some way? That can be really challenging. God is able to see our hearts and knows our motives, but we don’t have that ability. As Pastor Chris will point out in today’s message, while there are cues that can help us discern someone’s motives, we are not God, and we can’t judge their...

Oh, the things that we let get under our skin! We really can be thin-skinned creatures at times. As Pastor Chris will illustrate in today’s message, as ridiculous and petty as some of our disagreements can be, they can quickly escalate into full-scale rifts in our relationships. In the body of Christ, we should deal with these things differently. We’re united in His blood, and that bond is stronge...

That’s so true, isn’t it? If you’ve ever been through a traumatic or extremely challenging situation with someone, you often form a bond that no one else can understand. You’ve been through similar pain, and you can understand that in each other. As Pastor Chris will point out in today’s message, this is part of how we grow in the Church. Of course, no one wants to suffer, but as we walk in a brok...

Far too often, the Church displays some of the worst characteristics of our fallen world. It can even seem worse than what we see in culture, in contrast to what we’re called to. This can turn away some who come expecting something better, just to find broken people hurting each other. As Pastor Chris begins our study of 2nd Corinthians today, he’ll point out that we need to be honest about who we...

It’s important to recognize that the nation of Israel, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, plays a central role in the story of the Bible, and that story has not ended yet! Pastor Chris teaches us today that the world is awaiting the return of its Messiah, Jesus Christ, and so many prophecies surrounding His return hinge on the Israelite population returning to their holy land. The event...

One of the greatest comforts you can have in your home is air conditioning! Instead of being hot and humid in the summer, you can enjoy a cool home. But if your AC goes down, your space will begin to get hot and uncomfortable again! Pastor Chris reminds you today that the Church is the world’s thermostat, because God’s people call out the evil that lurks beneath the surface. But after the Rapture,...

Jesus didn’t tell us exactly when He would return, and that was by design. Think about it: if you have a hard deadline to finish an assignment, how good are you at finishing the work ahead of time? Many of us tend to wait until the last second to do a task, even if it’s very important to our jobs and our lives. Pastor Chris wants us to know today that Jesus knows when He will return, but He doesn’...

You have to be careful when buying jewelry or a nice watch, because scammers will pull out all the stops to create counterfeit products that look like the real thing, but are actually made of inferior materials. And in today’s message, Pastor Chris teaches you that your own good deeds will not make you righteous in the eyes of God, and you will risk facing the sting of death. But when you accept J...

Sometimes, when I’m reading a good thriller novel, I want to skip to the last few pages to get some hints about how the plot is going to resolve. And when I read the Bible, I can do exactly that by skipping to the book of Revelation! But even though I know how the story will end, I don’t know how every single detail will fall into place. Pastor Chris is here today to teach us that God doesn’t give...

People love to imagine what the world will look like in the future. If you watch Back to the Future: Part 2, Meet the Robinsons, or Star Trek, you’ll see visions of what people hope to see in the future, even if it’s not in their lifetimes! But Pastor Chris is here today to tell us about something that we get to look forward to as children of God! When we pass away from this life, we will be given...

Death comes for us all, whether we’re ready for it or not. I’m sure you can think of someone in your life who passed away unexpectedly, and the tragedy and grief that death brought to their family. Well, Pastor Chris is here today with a warning, because while the first death we face is only temporary, there is a second death coming for those who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The sec...

Imagine spending your entire life in darkness, and suddenly a hand reaches out to you… a glimpse of light and a voice calling you toward it. That is what life without Christ is like. This world can feel dark, and many continue in that darkness throughout their lives. But that hand reaching out is Jesus. Even in the midst of it all, He reaches out to you, drawing all who seek Him into His light, al...

It’s safe to say that we’ve all been through struggles. We all have a past that has hurt us because of sin. But that’s why Jesus came to this world. He came to pay the price for our sins, to die in our place, and three days later, He rose again. He did all of this simply because He loves us. So today, Pastor Chris reminds us that we’re not meant to be in this world forever. And what that means is...

There comes a time in our lives when we must realize that we aren’t meant to stay in this world forever. This world brings pain and hardships, all because of sin. But that’s why Jesus died for our sins… to free us from the hurt, the suffering, and the shackles of sin, all because He loves us. So today, Pastor Chris wants you to know that God doesn’t bring pain but promises to deliver us from sin a...

We live in a world where societal views on relationships are constantly changing. But as believers, we are called to look to Scripture for guidance. The Bible teaches that in marriage, husbands are called to lead with love, humility, and sacrifice, while wives are called to support and build up their husbands in a godly way. So today, Pastor Chris encourages husbands to be faithful and loving lead...

We live in a world where people have different opinions- basketball or football, hamburgers or hot dogs, and many other preferences. But even among believers in Christ, there can sometimes be division over spiritual matters, including the use of spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues. But today, Pastor Chris reminds us that in private worship, believers are free to use the gifts God has given th...

Sometimes, as we serve God in this life, we do it on our terms. We go about it our way and really only serve when it’s convenient for ourselves. But in today’s message, Pastor Chris wants us to know that serving God isn’t about self; it’s about God’s people. We shouldn’t serve God on our terms but with the mindset of serving His people for God’s glory, even if it means changing the way we want to...

In this life, we spend our days making decisions. We choose what we eat, how we provide for our families, and even what kind of future we want to build. But there is one thing that matters above all others: do you know what Jesus has done for your life? Jesus, the Son of God, came to this earth, lived a sinless and blameless life, died for our sins, and rose again after conquering the grave… all b...

Isn’t it amazing to know that there will be a day with no more sorrow, pain, or suffering… a day when every hardship will come to an end forever? And there is only one who has promised to make that a reality: Jesus Christ - and His return is closer than you think. In today’s message, Pastor Chris encourages you to give your life to Jesus so that when He returns and fulfills His promises, you will...

An atomic bomb is designed to cause massive destruction in a minimum amount of time—wiping out everything in its path and leaving lasting damage behind. In today’s message, Pastor Chris uses that image to show you what love is not. Love doesn’t explode in anger or tear people down in a moment. It doesn’t leave destruction in its wake. Instead, real love is steady, controlled, and life-giving. It b...