October 4, 2016
Be holy as I am holy- that’s what God tells His people. But what if the church becomes infected by the culture around them? That’s what we have the letter to Pergamum for… here is a church that was in a culture much like ours and they responded like we sometimes do- by getting comfortable in a world that isn’t our home. We look at Revelation 2:12-17 to hear what Christ has to say to them and to us as well.
September 27, 2016
Suffering isn’t an easy subject to talk about, nor is it something we want to encounter… but suffering has value, and Christ uses it to shape and form His church. The church in Smyrna is an example and an encouragement to us in this.
September 20, 2016
This letter was written to a church on the other side of the world, that existed almost 2,000 years ago. But while we might look for how this has nothing to do with us, we find that it still speaks today. In fact, the message to the church in Ephesus- continue in faith, hope, and love- is a message we still need to hear.
September 13, 2016
Matthew 24 is a favorite go-to text for a discussion on the end times. Unfortunately, a number of people have mangled what Jesus has said on the subject. We look into this text to listen and learn what Jesus said about how no one knows when He will return, and when He does, it will be sudden… so be ready!
September 6, 2016
One of the more dreaded questions a child may ask is “What happens when we die?” While many people have made attempts at answering that question, there is really only one person with the qualifications and authority to speak with certainty on the subject. Matthew 22:23-33 gives us Jesus’ answer to this question.
August 25, 2016
I know that divorce is a painful and intricate subject, and I believe that is why Jesus, our maker and sustainer, addresses it in Matthew 19:1-12. My hope is that this message echoes Jesus’ grace and truth.
August 16, 2016
Chaotic. That’s what John 12 feels like to me. The crowd is trying to make Jesus into something that He already is, but through means that are contrary to Him… and into the middle of all of this the shadow of the cross extends. John 12 gives us a glimpse into what Jesus teaches about His cross.
August 10, 2016
While we often want to see ourselves in the parables of Jesus, we don’t want to see ourselves here, at least, not in this part. The elder son in Luke 15 is just as lost as his brother once was, and what is keeping him apart from his father is his own self-righteousness.
August 2, 2016
Luke 15 contains 3 parables told in rapid fire succession. The parable of the prodigal son, the last in this trio, help us to see two things- that we all have at least part of this story in our biography, and that God is searching out those who are lost.
July 28, 2016
You probably wouldn’t think of worry, or fear, or anxiety, as sin- at least not like the “really big” sins- but it is. Not just because Jesus said not to do it (3 times in Luke 12:22ff), but also because of what worry does… Worry, which does not produce anything, will actually erode at our faith’s foundation. This message tackles worry, and what we should do instead.
