The Kingdom of Heaven is Like…
What do soil, weeds, a mustard seed, leaven, a hidden treasure, a pearl, and a net all have in common? Jesus spoke about each of these things to help His disciples understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Over the next several weeks Pastor Sherm and I invite you to join us for a new teaching series called “The Kingdom of Heaven is Like…” As we walk through the stories Jesus shared in Matthew 13, our hope is to be a people that value God’s kingdom above all and to discover ways to participate in seeing His kingdom come to earth. To kick off this series let’s start by asking “what is the kingdom of heaven?”, “when does it come?”, “where is it?”, and “why does it matter today?”
An Undivided Heart for the Lord | Fear Not
This Sunday we will take time as a church family to honor our mothers and wrap up our teaching series, Fear Not. Our hope for this series has been to encourage and challenge us to be a people of faith that advances the Kingdom of God in a culture riddled with fear and anxiety. With the book of Joshua as our guide, we’ve discovered that the source of our strength and courage is tied to the promise that God is with us wherever we go. During our final week of this study, we’ll see how Joshua led the Israelites by example when making his personal commitment to God public. When I think of someone like Joshua who lives with an undivided heart for the Lord, I think of my mom. We look forward to seeing you this Mother’s Day!
The Story Behind The Story | Fear Not
I recently came across a book titled, The Story Behind (this is not a book endorsement). The book aims to share the history of some things that we use regularly. I was familiar with many objects like bubble wrap, paper clips, and trampolines, but I was not familiar with the story behind these things, which was fun to read and got me thinking. Many of us are familiar with the story in the Bible when the people marched and the walls of Jericho tumbled down, but few are familiar with the "story behind the story" of the fall of Jericho and why it matters for us today.
Like Uninvited Guests | Fear Not
You know fear is not hard to find. Our world is riddled with it. And although fear is not hard to find, it is hard to keep fear from lingering in our minds and hearts. Like uninvited guests, fear has a tendency to stay too long…way too long. So, as people of faith, how do we fight the fears we face while at the same time advancing the kingdom of God?
Jesus Cleans House | Jesus Unfiltered
Who is Jesus, really? That’s the question we’ve been examining in our current series, Jesus Unfiltered. It is an important question to answer because there are many opinions about who Jesus is. With the Gospel of Mark as our guide, we’ve read stories that highlight unique and unexpected encounters with Jesus. This Sunday, we close out this teaching series with a story that shows a side of Jesus not seen anywhere else in the gospels. Some may find it a bit over the top, but we must not ignore this side of Jesus.
Traditions | Jesus Unfiltered
Traditions. Can you think of traditions that you or your family celebrate? Maybe you watch a favorite movie like Elf or It’s a Wonderful Life during Christmas, or your family goes on vacation to the same beach every summer. Maybe each person in your family gets to pick a favorite meal on their birthday, or every year you read through the Bible from beginning to end. Traditions are memorable and important, so you might be surprised when you see how Jesus responds to a group of leaders who are all about religious tradition. Although shocking, His response can serve as a healthy reminder for us about what matters most…a sort of “wake-up call” to check our motives in our pursuit of living like Jesus.
Who is Jesus, Really? | Jesus Unfiltered
One of the most important questions Jesus posed happened when He asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Now, if we asked culture, “Who is Jesus?” we would likely get a variety of responses. That’s because there’s the hipster Jesus, the feminist Jesus, and the homeboy Jesus. In animated shows like Family Guy, there is the divorced, action hero Jesus who drives a convertible with Chris Tucker riding shotgun. In the Simpsons, there is the Jesus who turns water into a Bloody Mary and occupies heaven with Sponge Bob Square Pants and Buddha. In the popular movie Talladega Nights, there’s tiny, infant Jesus, and there’s the Jesus who was married to Mary Magdalene in Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code. Although the vast majority of adults agree that Jesus was a real person who actually lived, only 48% believe He did not commit sins like other people. So who is Jesus, really?
Serve | Made for This
“And the living takes it to heart.” This phrase came to mind while sitting in a funeral recently. It’s found at the end of Ecclesiastes 7:2:
“It is better to go to a house of mourning
Than to go to a house of feasting,
Because that is the end of every man,
And the living takes it to heart.”
I believe Solomon is saying that it’s better to go to a funeral than a party. That may sound strange, and I’m sure many would disagree with him, but attending the funeral of a family member or close friend makes us give serious thought to how we are living out the rest of our days on earth. If you’re like me, and I imagine you are, don’t you want to make the most of your remaining days? If so, join us to discuss what the Bible says about us being a people passionate about living out God’s love to others.
Worship | Made for This
What if someone told you that you were made for God? Let’s be honest. Would you find yourself feeling joyful and thankful, or maybe unqualified and unworthy, or maybe even indifferent and disinterested? Regardless of how you would feel, I hope you’ll make plans to join us this Sunday either in person or online. We’ll kick off a new sermon series called Made For This that will help us align ourselves with our God-given purpose. Because when you and I DON’T live for the purpose that was intended, everyone misses out. The One who created us doesn’t get what is deserved. You and I struggle to find our true identity. Finally, the ones around us miss out on the numerous blessings that we share as we live the way God desires.
26,000 Steps to Victory
Crossing over into a new year reminds me of the moment God’s people crossed over into a new land – the Promised Land – and stood before the city of Jericho. I would imagine the people were excited and nervous as they waited to see what lay ahead. Many of us know what happened next. The people marched and the walls came tumbling down, but I invite you to join us as we study this familiar story.
