Category Archive

September 13, 2020 // The Problem of Suffering? // Hebrews 4:14-16

Some people may say “Why would God allow the coronavirus to happen if he is a good and loving God.” That question is understandable during times like this, unfortunately there is not easy answer. The situation in our world may cause some people to lose faith, but what we need to understand is that Christians have never believed in a God who doesn’t allow bad things to happen to good people. Christians believe the worst possible thing happened to the best possible person. Join us in week one of the series as we look at why to remain faithful and what we can expect from God during a season like this.

September 20, 2020 // How to Persevere in Tough Times // James 1:1-5, 12

We avoid things we don’t like. But sometimes things come our way that we can’t avoid, like a global pandemic. When our circumstances deteriorate, what do we do when there’s nothing we can do?

August 2 // The Call of Simon the Fisherman // Luke 5:1-11

Peter had no idea what hung in the balance of his decision to go fishing with Jesus. When Peter’s simple act of faith intersected with Jesus’ faithfulness, everything changed. What is your next step in your faith journey with Jesus —coming back, confessing, reconciling, choosing purity, serving, giving? Whatever your next step is, take it. You don’t know what hangs in the balance.

August 9 // Walking with Jesus Through the Storm // Matthew 14:22-34

The disciples were caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee and they were terrified. Jesus walks on water in the midst of the storm and tells the disciples “Be encouraged, It’s me, don’t be afraid.” This story is about something that happened on the Sea of Galilee a long time ago, but it’s recorded in the Gospel because it’s something that happens in our lives all the time if we just realize it. What can we learn about Jesus and what it means to be a disciple from this passage?

August 16 // Bedrock or Stumbling Block // Matthew 16:13-23

Jesus asks the disciples a question that begs an answer from all of us – “who do you say that I am?” In this moment, Peter declares that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus declares that Peter is correct and that he will build his ‘church’ upon the rock (Peter) and nothing will destroy it. Jesus was giving Peter and through him, the church, the authority to do his work in the world.

Jesus makes it clear that if we want to be his disciple it will require self-denial, sacrifice (take up your cross), and following him. We all want a convenient faith, but following Jesus requires an inconvenient faith.

August 23 // I Will Not Deny You // Matthew 26:31-35

During the Last Supper, Jesus predicted that all the disciples would soon abandon him and that Peter would deny knowing him three times. Peter adamantly proclaimed that he would never desert or deny knowing Jesus. However, before the night was over, Peter not only deserted Jesus but he denied knowing him three times. It’s a night that Peter would talk about over and over again. If Peter’s story is our story, what can we learn from Peter’s failure?

August 30 // From Cowardice to Courage // John 21:4-18

Simon Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, but that was not the end of his story. When the disciples find the tomb was empty, they begin to understand that the grave could not hold their Lord. When the Resurrected Jesus calls on Peter, Jesus asks Peter to affirm his love, not once, but three times. What will it mean for Peter to repent and be forgiven? What could repentance and Jesus’s forgiveness mean for you? And how then might Jesus be calling you to demonstrate your love?

September 6 // The Rest of the Story // Acts 3:1-8

After the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, Peter went on to minister for 34 more years. During this period of time, Peter became fearless in his faith, he continued to learn about God, and he left an amazing legacy. The same person who once denied knowing Jesus was crucified for being a follower of Jesus. What can we learn from Peter’s life after Jesus?

July 12 // Solid Food // Hebrews 5:11-13

Feeding ourselves spiritually isn’t intended to be another thing on our “to-do” lists. The reason we feed ourselves isn’t just because of what we find there, but who we find there. It’s a way we encounter more of Jesus. It’s a step we take to lead ourselves into a growing relationship with Jesus that’s marked by closeness.

July 19 // Let’s Get Fit // Philippians 2:12-16

Moving out of the shallow end starts with feeding ourselves spiritually. But if we stop at that first step, we’ll be left spiritually fat rather than spiritually fit. How do we prevent that from happening? The next step involves a spiritual workout that’s unique for each of us.

July 26 // With a Little Help from Our Friends // Hebrews 10:19-25

Many of us have viewed faith as something we do alone. We might have said that it’s private. But there’s a limit to our faith growth when we go it alone. There’s a deepening to our faith that we only experience together. When it comes to consistently growing our faith, “we” is greater than “me.” Who’s spurring on your faith and whose faith are you spurring on?

June 7 // The Jonah in Us // Jonah 1:1-3

What do you do when that still small voice of God calls you to do something you don’t want to do? Like Jonah, many of us run in the opposite direction. But just because you run, doesn’t mean God is through with you.

June 14 // Jonah’s Prayer // Jonah 2:1-10

Do you regularly communicate with God or does it take hitting rock bottom to reach out to God? This week we will examine Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the whale and see what it means for us.

June 21 // Jonah Obeys // Jonah 3:1-10

Have you ever felt like God has given up on you? Sometimes we are ashamed of our actions and think God will never use us again. But what we learn from the story of Jonah is that God is a God of second chances.

June 28 // Jonah’s Anger // Jonah 4:1-10

Like Jonah, sometimes we live in the great contradiction. Jonah knew God intimately, desired his forgiveness but withheld forgiveness from the Ninevites. Do you struggle with extending forgiveness to others?

April 26 // An Age of High Anxiety // Matthew 6:25-27

Let’s face it: there are a lot of circumstances that make us anxious in our world today. So how can we possibly follow Jesus’ teaching to not worry? In this message, we will examine the anatomy of fear and how we can face our fears with courage.

May 3 // Fear of the Other // Matthew 5:43-44

As humans, we tend to fear those who are different from ourselves. Those differences include race, ethnicity, differences in socio-economic status, politics, religion, a person’s sexual orientation and so many more. The differences can make us a bit uncomfortable, and that discomfort fueled by our imagination, our perception of the world, our culture and upbringing, the media, religious leaders and politicians, can lead us to be afraid. In this message, we will look at how to overcome our fear of the other and see people God sees them.

May 10 // Friendless and Alone // Psalm 139:5, 8-10

Loneliness is the feeling of isolation we feel at times, the feeling that we have no real companions with whom to share our life. It’s not the same as solitude. We all need alone time, but though we need alone time, we are also wired as human beings for companionship, for someone to share our lives with, to talk to, to listen to, someone who cares about us and enjoys being with us. In this message, we will look at how to deal with feelings of loneliness.

May 17 // Fear of Failure // Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 3:7, 10; Exodus 4:13; Joshua 1:1, 5, 9; Matthew 28:19-20

When fear of failure really takes over, you begin to avoid taking risks – because every risk includes a possibility that you will fail, that you will lose face, that you will embarrass yourself or people will laugh at you. When this happens, you may miss out on some of the most amazing blessings in your life. What can we do with our fear of failure?

May 24 // Fear of Sickness, Aging and Death // John 11:25-26

Getting sick, growing old, and facing death are the three things most people fear most. Many people fear growing old and becoming obsolete or irrelevant. Many, of course, fret about their health and fear getting sick, and the current pandemic has only exacerbated those fears. What all people fear most is what may happen to them when they face death. In this message, we will explore how to reduce our anxieties around coping with illness and growing old, and how ultimately, Christ has destroyed death itself so we can face even our earthly death without fear.

March 1 // Brewology // John 2:2-11

Beginning with first-century followers of Jesus, trusting in Jesus has been a response to evidence—not simply in hoping something is true. The gospel writer John referred to the miracles of Jesus as signs that give evidence of who Jesus was. The first sign John documents is when Jesus—with a nudge from his mother—attended a wedding and turned water into wine.

March 8 // Not Seeing and Believing // John 4:46-54

In order to demonstrate who he was, Jesus performed a number of miracles—which the apostle John referred to as “signs.” The first of those signs was at a joyous occasion where Jesus turned water into wine. The second sign was in the midst of a heartbreaking circumstance in which a father desperately asks Jesus to heal his dying son.

March 15 // My Father and I // John 5:16-18

Just outside of Jerusalem, Jesus performed a miracle that changed a man’s life forever. For 38 years, this man was unable to walk. But when Jesus said, “Get up,” the man was healed. However, it’s what Jesus said next that made this miracle a clear sign of who Jesus really was.

March 22 // Lessons Over Lunch // John 6:25-27

Perhaps one of the most famous signs performed by Jesus was feeding over 5,000+ people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Those that followed Jesus thought he was finally getting to the point of what he could do for them. They were more enamored with the signs than what the signs were pointing to.

March 29 // Eyes Wide Open // John 9:24-25

There are many products we buy, use, and put our confidence in without having all the information or fully understanding how they work. In the Gospel of John, we see a man begin to follow Jesus based on limited information. This man, who was born blind, said he only knew one main thing—and that one thing was enough to make him curious about who Jesus really was.

April 5 // Why God Why? // John 11:25-27

At different points in our lives, many of us wonder why a good God would allow bad things to happen. And without a clear response, that dilemma could cause us to question God’s existence altogether. The Gospel writer John documented an occasion where Jesus not only brought his friend Lazarus back to life, but demonstrated how God can exist in the midst of a world of evil and suffering.

February 9 // Center of the World // Hebrews 12:1-3

We wonder because our frames of reference don’t provide us with all of the answers. As your frame of reference changes or expands, some mysteries are solved. Some remain mysterious. So, what do you do with the big mysteries in life—the mysteries that won’t resolve no matter how much you explore them? What do you do with your unanswered questions?

February 16 // Show and Tell // John 14:6-7

We wonder because our frames of reference don’t provide us with all of the answers. Every version of religion works for children. But then life happens. We experience challenging circumstances that sow doubt in our childhood faith. Tragedy causes us to question if God is good and loving. Sin leads to guilt and shame. We wonder if God can really love us. Is there such a thing as a frame of reference that can accommodate a grown-up faith?

February 23 // Faith // John 1:4-5

If you wondered, then wandered, here’s something to ponder: there will always be things about faith that make you wonder, but God’s love for you shouldn’t be one of them. Two thousand years ago, light broke through the darkness in the town of Bethlehem. God communicated in no uncertain terms that he loves you.

January 12 // A Different Approach // Nehemiah 1:4-6

Traditionally, the new year is a season of self-absorption. It’s all about what we can do to make ourselves better people. But we tend to forget that the people we respect the most didn’t devote their lives to becoming the best versions of themselves. They devoted their lives to making a difference in the world . . . or in someone’s world. What if we took a different approach to our New Year resolutions.

January 19 // Making a Difference // Mark 8:34-35

This is the time of year when we become painfully aware of where we are not, who we are not, and what we need to do differently. We wonder how to get slimmer, stronger, and smarter. We wonder how to get out of debt. We wonder how to become better people. If you really want to become a better person, do something this year to make the world a better place. But how do you determine what you should do?

January 26 // Faith in Action // 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

To make the world a better place, you don’t have to quit your job, but you may have to quit doing something. You don’t have to become a missionary and leave the country, but you may have to leave your comfort zone. You don’t have to give all of your money, but you may have to give a percentage. That’s because your devotion to God is authenticated by love for others and love for others will cost you some life.

November 3, 2019 // Last Things First // Luke 1:1-4

Most of us know some Bible stories, but very few of us know the story of the Bible. And you may be surprised to discover it’s a story that doesn’t actually begin in the beginning. It begins with the accounts of a few men who sat down to record the death and resurrection of Jesus. It begins with the words of his followers who were compelled to document the events that had changed everything for them – because they knew it could change everything for us.

November 10, 2019 // In the Beginning // Genesis 1:1-5

“In the beginning . . . ” can be a loaded phrase – one that forces us into debate and doubt. But maybe we’re missing the point of Genesis 1:1 – a point Moses made to a world where the violence and injustice of the gods justified and legitimized the violence and injustice of human rulers. Moses introduced a radically different, unparalleled, and untested worldview.

November 17, 2019 // The Old Testament // Isaiah 53:5-11

The Old Testament chronicles God’s redemptive, sequential activity in history. It’s a fabulous, gritty, epic history of the Hebrew people in which, over and over, Israel is reminded that they are a divine means to an end. So, maybe instead of seeing the Old Testament as a spiritual guidebook or a storyline that needs to be tidied up, we should see it as something even better: the history of God preparing the world for a Savior.

November 24, 2019 // For the World // 1 Corinthians 15:1-7

The Bible did not create Christianity. Christianity is the result of an event (the Resurrection) that created a movement (the church) that produced sacred and reliable texts that were collected and bound into a book (the Bible). But how do we approach not being at peace with everything we read in the Bible? Paul—the apostle, Pharisee, author, preacher, and church planter—offers us clarity and confidence to move forward.

October 13, 2019 // The Heart of the Matter // Luke 16:1-13

Does our money add meaning to our lives or is it the meaning of our lives? If you choose to live for yourself, you’ll only have yourself to show for it. This week, we will look at a question that will help us discover how to use our money to add meaning to our lives.

October 20, 2019 // Flip the Script // Matthew 6:22-24

Are you mastering your money or being mastered by it? Maybe it’s time to flip the script. Instead of striving to have enough money to satisfy a me-first appetite, Jesus’ smart money strategy encouraged his listeners to have an others-first approach. When we have an others-first approach with our money, we practice self-control and self-denial. When we do that, we can find ourselves living in sync with our heavenly Father, who wants us to not be mastered by our money.

October 27, 2019 // A Clear Objective // 1 Chronicles 29:10-14

It’s easier to keep track of something than to catch up with it. That’s especially true of our money. If we lose track of our money we lose our peace of mind. Regardless of our income, we should pay close attention to where our money goes. Not because we have to, but because it’s in our best interests to. If we don’t – to borrow a phrase from Jesus – we likely will fall into the rut of storing up for ourselves treasure on earth. And that could very well become a source of embarrassment later. We should all be knowing where our Master’s money is going.