“We want to see Jesus.” These words are frequently inscribed on pulpits, sometimes in view of only the preacher. That’s not a bad description of the purpose of preaching: to see Jesus. Yet seeing Jesus is not easy. Very few of the people who encounter Jesus really see him.
How do you feel about yourself? Do you feel like you are God’s handiwork? Do you feel you have within yourself the ability to be heroic? Do you feel you could change the world? Or are you satisfied to just get by? Are you satisfied doing as little as you possibly can to justify your existence?
God created us for more than just getting by.
Do you consider yourself a happy person? On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being not happy at all and 10 being happy and full of joy, how would you rate yourself? The Apostle Paul offers some advice on how we as followers of the Christ can be happy and joy filled Christians.
Frank Sinatra had a hit with the song My Way. Burger King ran a successful series of radio and television commercials during the 1970s with the slogan “Have it your way.” We tend to want to have things our way. Fortunately for us, God wants to make a deal.
What is your first thought when you see a rainbow? For the followers of the Christ the rainbow is so much more than sunlight refracting through water vapor. It is a reminder that no matter how disappointed may become with us, never again will the story of the great flood be repeated. The rainbow is God’s Covenant, a reminder of God’s love!
Have you ever been so tired you can't think straight? Our lives are hectic, to be sure. Our schedules are exhausting. No one’s life was any more hectic than Jesus’s. This Sunday, we will allow Jesus to show us the steps we need to take in caring for ourselves.
The sound of a voice can invoke a variety of emotional responses, from a sense of deep love, trust, peace and comfort to fear, anxiety, confusion, and even anger. What did the voice of Jesus sound like?
This Sunday, January 14, we will begin a two-part series titled “Listening With the Heart.” We will explore several questions over the next two Sundays:
These are just some of the questions we will answer as we reexamine Samuel’s call in 1 Samuel 3: 1-20. I invite you in preparation for this mini-series to reread this familiar text and intentionally listen for the voice of God.
Sunday, December 24th
5:00 Contemporary service led by Leap of Faith
7:30 Traditional service with the Chancel Choir, Clocktower Ringers, brass ensemble, and organist Matt McTeague
A single, combined worship service will be held on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve at 10:00 am.
How will we be judged? Will we be judged on the ‘bad’ things we do, or is it the ‘good’ things we fail to do?
Are you one that is always prepared, or are you a procrastinator? Jesus tells about the necessity of always needing to be prepared through the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids. What does preparation look like through the eyes of Jesus?
As we celebrate All Saints Sunday this week, we will celebrate 16 of God’s saints who have died in the last year. We will look at Matthew’s account of The Sermon On The Mount. Blessed are they who… Modern translations use the word “happy” instead of “blessed.” The sermon title is ‘Happy Are Those Who Mourn?’ We will examine how Christians can use happy and mourn in the same sentence!
If only, what if, I should have, I shouldn’t have… these are some of the saddest words heard at the end of one’s life. What changes must you make so life’s journey, even with all of its twists, turns, and detours, is a life well lived?
Once again, we woke up to the tragic news of yet another mass shooting, the worst in American history. Our faith in a loving, caring God can be threatened when faced with tragedy. This Sunday’s sermon is titled “Hanging On To Our Faith!” Is it enough to just hang on, or does God expect more from us who claim to be followers of the Christ?
What do you think? It is a question we are often asked. Our responses often reveal that we are not of like mind on many issues, including theology. In the parable for this Sunday, Jesus asked the religious elite "What do you think?" He asks us today that very question, "What do you think?" We explore 'what we think' when it comes to our salvation.
You’ve studied, practiced, trained, or rehearsed for hours. You’ve done the best you can do under the circumstances, but there’s always somebody that does better—likely several somebodies. You didn’t get 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. You didn’t even get honorable mention. But hey, here’s a participation trophy.
This coming Sunday, we are confronted with a very alarming parable. I call this parable alarming to forgive. Sometimes, in order to understand what something is, it is beneficial to examine what it isn't. This Sunday, we will explore forgiveness—what it isn't and what it is—and how we can ultimately forgive and the results of forgiveness.
This week, there will be only one service at 10:00 A.M. as we celebrate Rally Day. The sermon title is: "Would You Like to See the Church?" Only Matthew records the story of Jesus's most poignant questions: "Who do people say that I am?" and "Who do you say that I am?" As we ponder these questions, we will look at what it means to be the church. A lunch will follow the worship celebration.
Hate has reared its ugly head. Hate speech swirls around us. In times like this, we need a place to turn for love and peace. We turn to the One who is love incarnate, Jesus. But what do we do when we turn to the Gospels and hear what appears to be hate speech from the mouth of Jesus? This Sunday we will confront this hate speech as voiced by Jesus.
Both Matthew and Mark record the story of Jesus calming the storm, with very different details and very different endings, but they both agree on one important fact, Jesus ordered his disciples into the boat. Surely Jesus knew a storm was approaching! What do we do when Jesus orders us to head directly toward a storm? What storms is Jesus asking the church to face head on?
