Social Media, the Book of Acts, and the Tendency to Romanticize | ACTS
Social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok tend to show only the “ups” of our lives. That post of the beautiful vacation spot, that picture of the well-defined abs, or that post of the uplifting Bible verse, but rarely do we show the “downs” of our lives on social media. This reminds me of the book of Acts. Many are familiar with the “ups” in the book of Acts. The moment the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, the time Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, or the first time the word “Christian” was used to describe those who followed Jesus. However, like our lives, the story in Acts has its own share of “downs.” As we begin a teaching series on Acts, we will see that even in the midst of the ups and downs, the early church was empowered by the Holy Spirit and emboldened by Jesus’ promise to advance the Gospel. Now it’s our turn!
Transgenderism | Hot Summer Topics 2021
Transgender. Transsexual. Gender identity. Gender dysphoria. This terminology is becoming more common and popularized in today’s culture. As Christians, learning how to process and respond about these issues from a Biblical perspective matters. We will seek to understand what transgenderism is, how the Bible speaks to it, and what our response as followers of Jesus should be.
Mental Health | Hot Summer Topics 2021
With temperatures getting into the 100s this week for the first time this summer, it seems fitting to begin our Hot Summer Topics teaching series. Our aim in this series is to address hotly discussed issues in our culture and to train us how to think about them Biblically. Why is this important? So that we might engage in respectful and loving dialogue in order to promote God’s truth in our lives and circles of influence. We kick off the series this Sunday with the topic of mental health.
What’s Your Story? | His Word, My Story 2021
We have received encouraging feedback from many of you regarding the messages from our pastors around Scriptures that have had a meaningful impact in their personal walks with God. In the same spirit, we will also share a couple of passages this Sunday that have had tremendous significance in the course of our lives. Our hope is that this series encourages you to allow God to write your story according to the truths and help offered in His Word.
Front and Center | The Kingdom of Heaven is Like…
Do you remember the last time you thought about life being eternal? It’s been said that “we are so captivated by the allurements of the world, that eternal life fades from our view.” I don’t know about you, but this happens to me. Like a fish attracted to a shiny fishing lure, I get easily distracted by the world’s attractions and temptations. And so, as we conclude our teaching series on the kingdom of heaven, let’s look together at one final parable where Jesus sets the reality of eternal life front and center.
The Mystery of The Kingdom | The Kingdom of Heaven is Like…
Recently my kids and I have been reading Encyclopedia Brown books. Each chapter of these children’s detective novels involves a mystery that is meant to be solved by the reader. Fortunately, if one is unable to solve the mystery, the “Answers” section in the back of the book reveals it. You might be thinking, “What does this have to do with the kingdom of heaven?” Well, after the disciples hear Jesus tell a parable about the mystery of the kingdom, they ask Him for help in understanding it. I can’t wait to share the parable of the weeds with you. It’s one you may have heard or read before, and while the meaning of the parable may surprise you, it’s the application we must not ignore.
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?
