Priorities

January is over. Tuesday was Groundhog Day. Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, so it’s an early spring for us. Sunday is the Superbowl. And it looks like Ted and Hill are the winners. Today is a new day and tomorrow seems to come even sooner. I don’t think any of us haven’t asked, “Where did the time go?” … Read More

Thanksgiving and Christology

Some fifteen years ago when I had just become a Christian, I remember talking to pastor Ed about his friend who was a Christologist. I asked what that was, and he explained to me that a Christologist was a man who studied the life of Christ. As I inquired further, I learned that this man wasn’t a believer. That made absolutely no sense … Read More

Our Shame and The Gospel

Shame, have you ever felt it so deep that you couldn’t bear to be present in public?  John Calvin wrote; ”Only those who have learned well to be earnestly dissatisfied with themselves, and to be confounded with shame truly understand the Christian gospel.” Newton referred to himself as a wretch in his song Amazing Grace. I guess we could say shame is an emotion … Read More

Our Central Focus

Long summer days, warm weather and a jamb packed summer make time fly by. We kick into fast speed automatic pilot and the days begin to blend. Seasons change; spring, summer, fall, winter and we’re just as busy.  How many times have you asked, where did time go? What we measured in years is now decades. We reflect on the … Read More

Decisions, Decisions

Did you ever notice that for some people, decision making is a breeze?  They seem to make decisions, never looking back and move forward as if it were just another breath.  For others, even the smallest decisions are so traumatic that they are practically paralyzed.  Fear and indecision grip them and as a result, no progress is made. Most of … Read More

The Hope of the Gospel

The challenges of life confront the peace of every generation.  In my lifetime I’ve seen life’s challenges change.  In my younger years I remember being let out of school early to see how fast I could get home in case of a nuclear attack.  Today schools don’t practice these drills anymore, but rather drills relevant to this generation and context. … Read More

Whose Plan?

Eight to sixteen inches of snow put a real damper on my plans this week. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow(six more weeks of winter), my diesel froze up an hour outside of town, and I couldn’t start a job on time. Sometimes our plans just don’t pan out. Well, it wasn’t quite as bad as what the Israelites experienced with … Read More

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is upon us and many have made plans to gather with family and friends.  Our holiday can be traced back to our Pilgrim heritage as the early nation struggled and gave thanks to God for His provision. Thanksgiving isn’t just an American holiday, thanksgiving to the Lord for his provision can be seen throughout the Bible.  The Harvest Festival, known as … Read More

The Need for Community

This past Sunday we took a look at our Core Values with specific emphasis on the importance of Community Groups.  Community Groups are where we connect together in smaller numbers, living together, working for God’s glory.  In community, we are united by our common faith, inspired by God and the gospel, and together passionately pursue Him and endeavor to share Him … Read More

Moses: The Faithful Servant

Last week we began a new sermon series, “The Gospel According to Moses.”   Throughout this series we will get a glimpse at the dynamic character of Moses, as we witness his life and the accounts he recorded in the first 5 books of the bible.  However, what was really dynamic about Moses’ life was not what Moses did, but … Read More