“The Bible seeks to catch our lives up in a grand adventure, a great saga of God’s dealing with humanity – a saga begun in God’s journey with Israel, continued in the surprising call of God even unto Gentiles. The church is the product of that story.” – William Willimon, Shaped by the Bible The […]
10 SIGNS YOU ARE a Chair Two Christians Crazy Love by Francis Chan. In chapter 4 there is a list of the 10 signs you might be lukewarm (half hearted about being Christian). Lukewarm people attend church regularly, because that’s what good Christians do. Lukewarm people give money to charity and church…as […]
We all want to leave a legacy, to do something that will make a significant difference. We all want to know that the time we spent on this plant, the reason for our existence meant something to somebody. We want to leave a legacy. There are three things every legacy speaks to. (1) What is […]
Every one of us will leave a legacy behind when we die. So the question is not “Will I leave a legacy?” But rather, “What kind of legacy will I leave?” Psalm 1 is consider by many to be the gatekeeper or the entry into the psalms in both wisdom and theology. Wisdom comes from […]
Every one of us will leave a legacy behind when we die. So the question is not “Will I leave a legacy?” But rather, “What kind of legacy will I leave?” In his letter to the new pastor, Timothy, Paul shares his experiences and his wisdom as he mentors Timothy in his calling. Read 1 […]
Because there is a little bit of Scrooge in all of us. Christmas Past – You fear too much Are you becoming more the person you wanted to be, more the person God wanted you to be and the kind of person Christmas offers. Is there still a little bit of Bah Humbug in your […]
There is a little bit of Scrooge in all of us. GENEROSITY is the best cure for a Heart-cold It must flow OUTWARDLY: “I will bless you and you will be a blessing to others.” Gen 12 When we bless others, we feel God’s presence flow It must flow FAITHFULLY: Give us today our daily bread. Matthew […]
Every one of us will leave a legacy behind when we die. So the question is not “Will I leave a legacy?” But rather, “What kind of legacy will I leave?” In his letter to the new believers in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul reveals three characteristics that produce a long lasting spiritual legacy: faith, hope […]
When we think about the purpose of Christmas we often fall back on classic hymns, but they can often be misleading. Consider “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” God rest ye merry, gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember, Christ, our Saviour Was born on Christmas day To save us all from Satan’s power When we were gone […]
Sermon Slides: Christmas Eve Service 12.24.14 Charles Dickens published this classic work on December 19, 1848 and it quickly became a best seller. The message is timeless and the journey from miser to benefactor is one every person on earth must travel. This Christmas Eve, we consider the story of the birth of Christ learn how […]
I believe more people are afraid of the reality of grace than not. Grace, as defined in the Bible, is confrontational and deeply troubling. It demands a response and says this is the right way to live and to be human. In the face of grace all our delusions, well crafted excuses and alternative realities […]
Jesus has had without a doubt the greatest influence on world history, social structure, political structures, national boundaries and our understanding of human existence than any other person in history. We still study his teaching, dissect and parse his words, mine his parables and seek to look through the lens of spirituality he reveal as […]
We all go through difficult times in our lives, times when we feel like no body else understands what we’re going through or what we need. We hide behind smiles and tailored suites and dresses secure in our misery of loneliness. If only someone understood, if only someone could share the burden, if only someone […]
The value of any belief, virtue or goal in life is directly proportional to the amount you are willing to risk to achieve it, the obstacles you will face to make it come true and the time that must sacrificed to grow into it. In a world of quick fixes and sound bits, values and virtues […]
I had this discussion with my daughter the other day, is it really possible to be a Christian, believing and serving God, and an Economic Atheist, trusting and serving yourself as your own god of money? I say emphatically, “YES.” I think it happens in church and faith community all the times. There are simply […]
The men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Numbers 13:33 There they are, […]
There comes a moment in everyone’s life when we feel our back’s up against the wall, something has got to be done and God seems silent. We pray, we plead, we promise and we prostrate ourselves in the hopes that God will take away the pressure. The History of the Bible is filled with such […]
When God appears to Moses and to the Hebrews, it is a far cry from what they had expected as it usually is with us as well. We look for God to take care of our problems, solve the predicament we’ve gotten ourselves into, forgive every selfish decision, overlook every grievance and in general bless […]
We all go through seasons of dryness when the joy and excitement of new life seem to be a distant memory. Actually we feel like God has abandoned us and life as we know it has come to an end. If you’ve never felt that way, hang on because it is a basic human experience. […]
We don’t know much about the life of Moses, but we do know it was a life marked by change, disappointment, spectacular challenges and unimaginable encounters with God that would require courage and humility. Yet each of us will go through a season of change and time of become someone different. What can we learn […]
Moses, the great Old Testament Leader, was also deeply wounded by issues of rejection, abandonment and isolation. We can learn to face our own pain and suffering with courage because we know that God did not abandon Moses but worked through his life to build a relationship that is deeply personal and healing. Sermon Notes 08.24.14 […]
Waiting on God: How to Trust in God’s Timing Have you ever been in a situation when you have been waiting on God? Maybe you have been waiting for healing, for a new home, a job, or some other kind of change that you desperately need. We’re all at some time or another in a season […]
We each need our own Aldersgate Experience in which the presence, power and purpose of God are made real and personal. For John Wesley and for his brother Charles, that moment would be the convergence of Failure, Faith and Grace all coming together in one inexplicable moment of spiritual transformation. On May 24, 1738, John […]
Each day we are bombarded with all kinds of advertisements, enticements to be more, have more and look more successful than we feel. In our rush to do everything we’ve got scheduled, to enjoy all that we have amassed and build all that we have in mind to build, we look past a certain group […]
We live in a hyper-competitive world where celebrity and champions are singled out at the highest achievement of success. This means, of course, that 99% of the world’s population are not successful and struggling to reach the top. Is this really the way life was meant to be, struggle all your life, accumulate all you can, […]
“The gospel is not a doctrine of the tongue, but of life. It cannot be grasped by reason and memory only, but it is fully understood when it possesses the whole soul and penetrates to the inner recesses of the heart.”― John Calvin, Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life Jesus says, “To what can I […]
We as a people are defined by what we believe, what we profess and what we act upon. In the United States “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” I would take almost two centuries for us to figure out what that really meant. When we consider what it […]
Holy Communion (or the Lord’s Supper) is a mystery too deep for words. Its meaning and impact will vary for each of us depending upon circumstances in our lives and growing faith in Christ. But three essential meanings are caught up in this proclamation in our Communion service: “Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ […]
The change in the attitudes and actions of the early disciples was evident to everyone who saw and heard them. Some where fishermen who now spoke with a passion and authority few had seen before. Some were peasants who were now willing to give all that they had to the poor even to the point […]
“I was in Prison and you visited me.” Matthew 25:36 The slogan of Kairos: Changing Hearts, Transforming Lives, Impacting the World is the essence of what Kairos does. CHANGING HEARTS During the initial Kairos weekend, Kairos volunteers serve as God’s instrument through which His love, grace and mercy are expressed to the participants/guests in a […]
Have you ever felt lost? I don’t just mean confused, disappointed, or frustrated, I mean desperately searching for a way when you’ve lost your way. Your heart is racing, there are sleepless nights and you feel you’ve reached a dead end. This way of existing, of course, leads to more stress, which leads to more […]
As Jesus led the disciple out of Jerusalem, they pointed out to him the magnificent buildings of their history, faith and hope that one day the Jewish people would rise to power again. Jesus all but dashes that vision by telling them that in the not so distant future, every stone, every hand carved pillar, […]
Imagine standing before a judge in court about to be sentenced for your crimes or for a debt you owe. In the back of the court room stand your wife and children who are dependent upon you for their survival shivering in fear for the life they must now endure. Your sentence will profoundly affect […]
Each parable Jesus uses is meant to illuminate some spiritual principle or value unique to the Kingdom of God that we don’t really understand very well by getting us to engage in a story that we do understand and perhaps have even lived. Parables usually begin by saying something like, “The Kingdom of God is […]
The Purpose of the Parables “Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (v. 17). – Matthew 13:12–17 What is the purpose of parables? Jesus tells us in Matthew 15:12–15 that He speaks in parables […]
In 1799, fifty years before the California gold rush, gold was discovered in North Carolina. At Stanfield in Cabbarus county a 12 year old boy found a nugget weighing 17 pounds. His father, John Reed, not knowing what it was, used it as a doorstop. In 1802 he took it to a market in Fayetteville. […]
We celebrate Easter each year because it is our defining moment, it is the light in a dark world, it is the courage we need in a harsh world and it the promise of victory when confronted with pain and hurt. We, as Easter People, have a distinct advantage over the rest of world. It’s […]
At some point in our lives we must all make choice either by intention or by default. Sometimes that choice is intentional based on sound reasoning and careful, even prayerful, consideration of the results and the costs associated with a particular path. Other times we abdicate our choices to time and chance and simply accept […]
Imagine a young man running up to you desperate to ask a question before you turned to your next appointment and the opportunity was lost. Out of breath, he captures your attention and greets with traditional politeness, “Good sir, what should I do with my life?” I suppose Jesus could have answered the obvious question […]
In part I of this series we looked at the styles and reasons Jesus asked people seemingly simple questions. They were questions that drew the listener into a deeper conversation about their life, what they were doing and where it would ultimately lead. In John 5 Jesus asks a man paralyzed for 38 years, “Do […]
Jesus constantly challenged his followers as well as the authorities that always seemed to be hovering around to think differently about the world and their place in it. We are no exception. Jesus’ words challenge us, invite us, and prod us to move in new directions. As we embark on this journey through Lent, we […]
Every church I’ve ever known has been plagued by division, complaining and factions that tug and pull at the heart and soul of the Gospel often leaving it in tatters. People outside the church who are looking for something to believe in see what is happening and believe the Gospel of Jesus, a […]
Do you feel blessed, grateful, joyful and happy? Probably not. We live in a competitive world where we see each gift as a stepping stone to the next higher achievement. We want more and we’re never really quite satisfied with where we are and yet never quite arrive at where we want to go. We […]
I thought all my problems would be solved when I became a Christian. But in many ways they have increased. Maybe they didn’t tell me, maybe I didn’t read the fine print, maybe I didn’t want to know. Cost? Pain? Sacrifice? Surrender? These elements don’t fit into the American way of life of avoiding discomfort […]
Everyone needs to belong to someone, somewhere that gives each day a reason. Without belonging or connecting to others in deep meaning relationships, we become lonely, isolated and depressed. This depressions destroys our health, saps our energy and makes a mockery of our hopes and dreams. When God created Heaven and Earth, He looked at […]
It was a cold Sunday morning when we gather for worship last Sunday. We gathered to thank God for the blessings of a warm homes, the ability to gather freely and desire to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Our focus last Sunday was on Putting First Things First in our lives. One of […]
Would you describe yourself as a Dog Person or a Cat person? A Dog person looks at life and says, “you feed me, you care for me, you play with me and make me feel loved… YOU must be God.” A Cat person looks at life and says, “you feed me, you care for me, […]
Psychologists tell us that there are 3 major “wants” in life. The first “want” is to want comfort – to want food when we are hungry, to want something to drink when we are thirsty, to want a cool place when we are too hot, to want shelter from the storm. We want to be […]
Guest Pastor, Rev. Meredith Grudger-Raines shared a message of hope everyone should hear. Enjoy. Sermon Audio:Meredith Grudger Raines 1.5.14E Meredith Grudger Raines 1.5.14L Related posts: 3 Most Important Spiritual Questions Just how far? Is Evangelism Important? 7 Questions Every Church Must Answer
Each year it’s the same. We say good bye to the previous year by celebrating the fact that we survived another one, and we look apprehensively to the coming year with unknown troubles, unexpected joys and opportunities to become more than we currently are. Life moves faster and faster and we feel we’re falling […]
We all have our favorite Christmas movies, the ones we watch year after year – movies that bring friends and families together, that inspire us, and that make us laugh. And sometimes, they remind us of what Christmas is all about – the timeless story of hope and joy and love – the birth of […]
None of us get through life without a few detours. They come at times we don’t expect, they challenge us to say the course and they force us to realize that control is partly an illusion. Opportunity comes with so many different faces that we often don’t recognize it. That’s probably […]
God interrupts the monotony that is our day to day life and offer a new challenging way of life. Appointments to be kept. Tight schedules to maintain. Routines established. That’s how most of us try to live our lives. But what happens when life is interrupted with something totally unexpected? What happens when God steps […]
To say that Mary’s life was interrupted when the Angel came and spoke with her, revealed God’s plan and her purpose in it is a understatement. Mary’s plans of marriage, family and domestic home life was put on hold and God revealed to Mary that she was more than even she knew. She had found […]
Appointments to be kept. Tight schedules to maintain. Routines established. Projects to be completed… The list goes on and one. That’s how most of us try to live our lives in a seemingly endless cycle of doing stuff so we can buy more stuff, so people can envy our stuff. But what happens when life […]
If we want to be happy, and who doesn’t, then we must focus our energy on what is rather than dwell on what isn’t. “To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us – and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of […]
I know, I know… I’ve heard it a million time, “there is no perfect church and if there was one, we would ruin it by joining it.” I am here to say I disagree. There is a perfect church, and I’ve found it. If that doesn’t get your attention and make you want to read […]
What does it mean to be blessed? How do you define it? Do you recognize present, past or future Blessings? Do you feel Blessed and are you energized by them? Are you motivated by your blessings to try new things, meet new people, and grow in new exciting ways? Do you ever expect to be […]
Imagine going through life never depending on anything or anyone. There are times when that certainly sounds attractive, but it doesn’t last long. We need people, we need some predictability, and we need some sense of direction. Without these three elements, we live lives that are lonely, chaotic and pointless. We build our lives on […]
In the 1830s, when Alexis de Tocqueville recorded his famous observations on America, he noted a “strange melancholy that haunts the inhabitants…in the midst of abundance.” Americans believed that prosperity could quench their yearning for happiness, but such a hope was illusory, because, de Tocqueville added, “the incomplete joys of this world will never satisfy […]
Got idols? It’s hard to believe there are perfectly sane people who dress up in elegant dress and then bow and scrap down in adoration toward inanimate objects. How childish and regressive, right? We are so beyond that? Right? Nope. Take a look at the kind of idols we worship and the kind of sacrifices […]
Hope is much more than wishful thinking or having a “Polly Anna” attitude about everything. Hope is certainly realistic about the problems and pitfalls of life, but it isn’t overwhelmed by them. Hope has a healing quality about it that suffers pain like everyone else, but has a confidence that the day always follows the […]
Life is present in every community; and the challenge life presents to us is to find it, grab hold of it and run with it because life is moving on. We have a choice, of course. Life or Death. The language of death is easy to speak, but they call us to make a different […]
Life is present in every community; and the challenge life presents to us is to find it, grab hold of it and run with it because life is moving on. We have a choice, of course. Life or Death. God says, “I am offering you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so […]
“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one–the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” [C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters] The easiest way in life is to follow the crowd, do what others are doing, and go where others go. But if you remember you’re mother’s advice (“would you jump […]
Celebrating Their place in the Church, the Family and Community! Most parents, at least the healthy ones, want their children to grow up to be mature, healthy, and happy functioning adults able to appreciate life and enjoy healthy relationships. But its a daunting task to keep our children safe and secure while providing a healthy […]
The Swiss psychologist Carl Jung once said that “the primary neurosis of people is emptiness.” There is within all of us an insatiable desire for something worthy of our lives, something to fill the void we feel but somehow cannot quite describe or discuss in polite company. It is a hallow feeling, a yearning to […]
There are time in everyone’s life when we feel dry, parched and worn out. Perhaps it is the routine of daily activities that seem to be going no where, or it is the lack of meaningful relationships that leave us alone, or it is the failure of the past that doesn’t give us much hope […]
The 23rd Psalm is a classic in Christian literature. People refer to it more often than any other passage, prayer or petition in times of death, grief and personal crises. It is the quintessential Judeo-Christian statement of faith that stirs something deep within every one of us. As human beings, we are are all connected […]
be·com·ing /biˈkəmiNG/ [Noun] The process of coming to be something or of passing into a state. To grow to be, to turn into. A human spirit is, in a real sense, not a finished product; rather it is a lifelong endeavor of becoming. Each day, through the choices we make, the words we say, and the […]
“What’s the point of striving to get to the top, to be better than everyone else, to be admired, applauded and worshiped if in the process you lose that spark of life that makes you more than just another face in the crowd? What need is so valuable you would be willing to give up the artist, […]
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” Benjamin Franklin Our spiritual lives are filled with excuses. Adam blamed Eve for the apple he bit into, Eve blamed the snake for the apple she plucked, and you and I blame everyone and everything for the inconveniences, conflicts and challenges that […]
The Artists eye sees beyond the obvious to the obscure and oddities in life that reveal something more profound. The Artists eye lives each moment in wonder, amazement and humility. We’re not just passing through our days and our relationships we pause to see what’s really happening. It means having a big picture perspective. The Goal […]
We hide our brokenness from the world and eventually from ourselves. We are shackled with the chains of perfection in an imperfect world. Our children try to live up to standards that we ourselves have never kept but hide behind a facade of respectability, success and achievement. Unfortunately none of it is true. Perhaps our […]
John Ortberg tells the story of a friend who made his first trip south of the Mason-Dixon Line from Chicago to Georgia. On his first morning in the South he went into a restaurant to order breakfast, and it seemed that every dish included something called grits…which, as my Tennessee friends tell me, is exactly […]
Pivotal Circumstances – something big happened, death, sickness, divorced, birth of a child, lost a job, got a job, got married had a child and now responsibility set in. A miracle given to us, perhaps not the one we asked for, and now we’re responsible for a beautiful life or the hard work of rebuilding […]
We are relational beings and everything we do revolves around this central hub. Our careers, our sense of fulfillment and our drive to achieve all revolve around how we are perceived by others, how we try to impress others and how connected we feel to certain groups we want to belong. If you know someone […]
“Faith is living in the confidence that what we hope for will actually come to pass; it gives us assurance about things we cannot yet see.” Hebrews 11:1 Imagine how different your outlook on life would be if you had absolute confidence that God was with you? Imagine how differently you would respond to difficulties, […]
Imagine how different your outlook on life would be if you had absolute confidence that God was with you, right here, right now? Imagine how differently you would respond to difficulties, temptations, and even good things if you knew with absolute certainty that God was in all of it and was planning to leverage it […]
Have you ever faced disappointment, grief or rejection so powerful that you felt so alone even God seemed to have walked out. Have you ever felt forsaken? Forsaken means to be “complete deserted or helpless, abandoned.” I think if you’re honest with yourself, you’ve been there once or twice before. Looking back at those times, […]
Baptism is the initial step of a faithful heart. Max Lucado A Jailer becomes a Disciple (Paul and Silas in Prison) Acts 16:25-34 The Story of the Jailer and his family has always fascinated me. The jailer’s experience and his amazing conversion from being a hard-nosed, control oriented, government official, to a joy-filled host who washes, feeds […]
Last Sunday Esther shared her experiences during February mission trip to Haiti and how being a part of the mission both inspired and challenged our understanding of the Gospel and God’s love for the world. Enjoy and Share. Slides: Esther’s Mission Testimony Audio: Mission Moment E Dehmlow 4.7.13 Related posts: Haiti Mission: Matt’s Story Expectations of […]
According to an ancient legend, if you could find a touchstone on the coast of the Black Sea and hold it in your hand, everything you touched would be healed and restore life and vitality. You would recognize the touchstone from ordinary stones by its warmth. Ordinary stones would feel cold and empty, but when […]
Casting Nets_The Abundance 5.2.10 L Casting Nets_The Abundance 5.2.10 E Casting Nets_Gone Fishing 4.18.10E Casting Nets_Fishing 4.25.10 E Casting Nets_Finding the Flow 5.30.10 L Casting Nets_Finding the Flow 5.30.10 E Breaking Free 7.10.11L Breaking Free 7.10.11E Born for Something More 4.11.10L Born for Something More 4.11.10E Ben White Ben Fenton Christmas Eve 2008 6pm Baptism […]
Mask: To conceal one’s real personality, character, or intentions Masks prevent us from looking at our lives honestly or experiencing true intimacy with others. Mask don’t protect they suffocate. Jesus’ encounter with people was so dramatic because he saw right through the masks we wear, address the fear that made us feel we needed them, and gave […]
Everyone has a fresh perspective, a different take on events shared with others and their what they mean to them. Our trip to Haiti is no different. I’m learning that the trip has meant many different things to different people and has had an impacted the team members in a profound and personal way. […]
This Sunday, Erin Long and Barb Richter shared how their trip to Haiti impacted their life. It was a huge risk to Erin who’s never done anything like this, but it opened a whole new door to what she’s capable of and what God is able to do through her. Her story and her experience […]
Jesus is on a mission. He’s turned his face toward Jerusalem and knows there is a destiny with death that lies before him. On his way, just outside of Jerusalem, he stops at the home of his dearest friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. If you’re not familiar with the details of the story, I encourage […]
Like seasons of the year, the church also has seasons for spiritual growth, renewal, harvest and planting. Seasons for self-reflection, seasons for joyful exuberance and seasons for tending the seeds already planted. We find ourselves in the season of Lent, a time of inner reflection and self-evaluation. During Lent, we confront our own self-righteous attitudes and look at […]
If I asked you if you were a confrontational person, how would you respond? Do you admire confrontational people or flee from them? Are they helpful or hurtful? Most of us I think avoid conflict and confrontations at all cost, even if it means sacrificing our happiness and our better judgment as long at it […]
Adventure of the Haiti Mission Team… Yesterday was filled with adventures some planned, a lot unplanned. After my last post we were on ou way to Mount Cabri or Goat Mountain to be part of (i.e. observe) a revival service in a small mountain community, or so I thought. We were all excited to experience […]
“I close my eyes, only for a moment and the moment’s gone. All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity. Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind.” [Dust in the Wind” by Kansas, 1978] As a Christian I don’t share the hollow despair of “Dust in the Wind,” yet […]
Have you ever been walking down the street when you came upon someone in need, either asking you directly for help (financially or perhaps a hitchhiker) or someone caught in a mishap that looks like it is going to ruin their day (flat tire, shopping cart overturned, etc.)? What do you do? What should you do? […]
As leaders of God’s church, our greatest responsibility is to create an environment in which people can give generously. When people in our churches have an encounter with the living God and are touched by his grace, we find no greater evidence of God’s power than the existence of a culture of reckless generosity. Generosity […]
If life isn’t about money, then why does it cause so many problems. A recent survey the Barna Research Group found that 54% of Non-Christians and 51% of Christians believe the MONEY is the main symbol for determining a successful life. In Paul’s letter to pastor Timothy, he speaks about the temptation, the […]
Natural wisdom says, “I’ll give when all my needs are met.” “I can’t afford to give” or “I’ll give when I’ve got some surplus.” God’s wisdom says, “Give now, even in your time of need, and watch me work!” The Bible teaches that when we give in faith (trusting totally in God) even when we […]
God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:12 “The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. And that’s what you’ve given me. That’s what I’d hoped to give you […]
Most of the time we settle for happiness when Joy is being offered. Happiness is circumstantial and depends on things going the way we expected. Joy is deeper and certainly longer lasting. Joy understands the ups and downs of life because its focused on the destination and know that trials and troubles are a necessary […]
HOPE: to cherish a desire with anticipation, to expect with confidence, trust Read: Luke 1:16-38 NIV Immanuel – God with us. The Presence of God in our world radically changes the nature of how we see and live each day. The Light of Christ shows us the world as it is and brings us the HOPE […]
Advent, like Lent has strong themes of preparation, of waiting, of the coming dawn. And the story started a long time ago. Why did God decide to be born a man? Why was a rescue plan of this magnitude needed? It all started way back in at the beginning of beginnings: Read Genesis 3:8-19 We all […]