Each time I post a new song, I write a reminder that the songs we sing have great meaning and purpose. We can’t just shrug off lyrical content because “it’s just a song.” This is an important principle because lyrics teach. After corporate worship, it’s more likely that a song will stick in our heads than an exact quote from … Read More

Have you ever tried a Bible Reading plan? Many of us begin each new year with good intentions, but our efforts peter out after a few weeks. I’ve been there myself plenty of times. In all honesty, part of the problem could be a lack of discipline. It’s easier to fritter time away on Netflix, Youtube, or Facebook, or even … Read More

Have you ever heard the phrase, “it’s just a song”? When it comes to corporate worship, that’s a really dangerous phrase. As God’s people, music has always been an integral part of our corporate worship. The songs we sing have lyrics. And those lyrics have meaning. With our song lyrics, we are simultaneously learning and proclaiming something about God. The … Read More

Last week, we officially upgraded The City to Realm. If you were previously on The City then you already know the benefits of a church-wide communication platform. If it’s your introduction to a church-wide online network, then it’s important to know that Realm is not meant to replace community, but enhance it. It’s not a substitute for face-to-face fellowship, but a … Read More

A new year has arrived, and many of us are considering or establishing new habits as part of our new year’s resolutions. The new year often inspires us to refocus our efforts in particular areas of our life. There are many parts of our life that are important such as family, health, and our profession. For Christians, we are called … Read More

What’s the deal with the “X”  in Merry Xmas? Does it surprise you that’s it’s nothing nefarious? I grew up believing that replacing Christ with an X was akin to removing him from the celebration of Christmas. That using this shorthand teetered on blasphemy and was, therefore, inappropriate for Christians to pen on their Christmas cards or placard on their … Read More

There are countless passages of Scripture that encourage, invite, and even admonish (1 Thessalonians 5:18) us to express gratitude to God. One of the most well known and often quoted is Psalm 100 probably because its succinct, rhythmic stanzas make it easy to memorize. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into … Read More

As I was driving home recently, I listened to a radio program with two political candidates having a debate. One of the candidates had a very condescending tone and added a mean personal attack with almost every reply. As the debate continued, the other candidate seemed forced to ‘return-fire’ with his own sharp, personal jabs at the other man’s character … Read More

We just finished part 36 of our sermon series Samuel: King of Kings. Needless to say, we are well into our study of the 1 & 2 Samuel. Over the past several months, we’ve covered a lot of ground from Samuel’s birth to the barren yet faithful Hannah, to his calling by God to the role of prophet, priest, and … Read More

When it comes to corporate worship, that’s a really dangerous phrase. As God’s people, music has always been an integral part of our corporate worship. The songs we sing have lyrics. And those lyrics have meaning. With our song lyrics, we are simultaneously learning and proclaiming something about God. The question is, what are we learning and what are we … Read More