“Foundations”

The old saying goes, “A house is only as strong as its foundation.” That statement certainly bears itself out looking at the photo of the new apartment building which, though recently built, didn’t have the kind of foundation a structure that size required. Foundations aren’t just important, they are essential.

Each one of us builds a foundation for our lives. This foundation is made up of our core values, beliefs and priorities. Everything we do in our day to day lives results from this foundation.

A man name Solomon wrote a book in the Bible about life foundations. He was a man famous for his wisdom. But something happened to him. Somehow his wisdom got away from him and he went through a phase during which he was searching for his life foundation. Since he was wealthy and powerful, he had every option available to him. The tragedy of it all was the conclusion he came to. He wrote, “It’s all meaningless, like chasing the wind.”

The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes speaks to readers of the 21st century as powerfully as it did in the year 1000 BC when Solomon wrote it. It’s a book that makes us think, sometimes confronting us with brutal honesty. Ultimately, however, when we read it in the light of the person of Jesus Christ, it is a book that leads us to joyfully and thankfully build our lives on the foundation of Jesus.

If the foundations of your life seem to be showing signs of cracking, join us for one of our weekend services.

Saturday evening worship: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning worship: 10:00 am

“What’s the Point?”

What does it take to get you to throw up your arms in frustration and shout, “What’s the point?”

We all have our limits. Things don’t go the way we want, and it seems that no matter how hard we try, our circumstances don’t get better. Maybe it’s a person we’re trying to get along with. Maybe it’s a financial situation that never seems to improve. And maybe it is just life in general. What’s the point of life? Now that is an important question.

This weekend we’re going to be studying the events of the first Pentecost which took place 10 days after Jesus ascended into heaven, removing himself visibly from the presence of his disciples. He had told his followers that it was actually better for them that he leave so that the Holy Spirit would come to them in a more powerful way. The disciples were probably more than a little skeptical about that promise until the day of Pentecost.

While we often think of Pentecost as little flames of fire over the disciples’ heads and their ability to speak in languages they had never studied, the real significance of that incredible day was the message which the apostle Peter preached to the people who were gathered around. He told them the point of life is to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior – nothing else comes close to that one priority. It’s a challenging statement which Peter backed up with his eyewitness claim of having seen Jesus alive after his crucifixion.

What’s the point of your life? According to Jesus Christ, it is to know him in a personal way as your Creator, Savior and Lord. If you’re interested in what that looks like in a practical way, join us for our Sunday morning service.

Sunday morning worship: 10:00 am

It’s Going to Work Out

When I was a little boy, it was my dad who brought the “It’s going to work out” presence to the difficult situations in which I would find myself. Whether he was able to solve the problem or not, with him there I knew I was safe. I knew I’d get back home. And somehow, someway life would return to normal. Even after I became an adult, it was always a calming influence to talk to him when hard times came into my life. To me, just the tone of his voice reassured me, “It’s going to work out.”

But, as happens to us all, my dad got older and eventually developed a significant case of dementia. I remember the first time the reality of his situation hit me. Par for the course, I called him up to ask for his help. But this time, he couldn’t. He couldn’t make it all work out. His voice, instead of being calm and assured, was frightened and confused. Over the phone talking with him, I sobbed. I don’t think my tears were out of pity for him, but for me. If things we’re going to work out, I couldn’t depend on my dad anymore.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, forty days after his resurrection, his disciples must have felt the way I did the day I realized my dad suffered from dementia. With Jesus around, things always worked out – even his being crucified! But now he was removing his visible presence from their day to day lives. The One who always made things right was gone. How would they go on? What these followers of Christ would later learn was that the Lord’s Ascension was the crowning confirmation that everything would work out for them – and will work out for us.

For many Christians the Ascension is an event that is an after-thought in the life of Jesus, an anti-climax in the shadow of his resurrection. That’s not the case! Join us for one of our worship services this weekend and discover why you can be sure that with Jesus, your life is going to work out.

Saturday evening worship: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning worship: 10:00 am

Sacrificial Love and Selfish Love

When it comes to comparing sacrificial love with selfish love we’re caught between a rock and a hard place. Most of us have a very hard time giving something up we enjoy for the benefit of other people. Sacrifice is great…as long as others are doing the sacrificing. Now, we all very much enjoy selfish love because we get what we want. Who doesn’t like that? But, we’re also aware that everybody else likes to get what they want. If some people get their way, others don’t, and that’s where the conflict starts. So, our dilemma is: sacrificial love is great for getting along with other people but it isn’t what like to do, while selfish love is very enjoyable for us but hard on getting along with others.

This Sunday we celebrate Mother’s Day. It is an excellent opportunity to study what the Bible says about the kind of sacrificial love we so often associate with mothers and their children. But this is a topic which goes far beyond mothers; it is a subject every Christian needs to take seriously every day of our lives. The sacrificial love of Jesus Christ changed all history for all of eternity and it is meant to transform our lives on a daily basis. Sacrificial love was the way God opened heaven to the human race; he intends for it to open the way to blessings in our lives and those of other people.

We invite you to celebrate Mother’s Day with us!

Saturday evening worship: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning worship: 10:00 am

Wake Up!

Usually our impression of the term “wake up” is negative. Either we have to break out of a pleasant sleep to get up and do something unpleasant or someone is insulting us, saying that we should be smarter and understand better what is going on in our lives. However, “wake up” on Christmas Day when all the presents are waiting to be opened, well, then those two words are music to our ears.

In a vividly picturesque way, the Apostle Paul describes physical death as God’s way of waking us up to eternal life in heaven. Far from being a punishment or put down, God’s wake up call is the invitation to take off all the problems and pain of our earthly lives to put on a new, supernatural body which is made not only to last forever, but to exist in holiness.

Tomorrow morning one of two things is going to happen to you. Either you are going to hear “wake up” via your alarm or a family member, or you are going to hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Wake up, it’s time for you to be with me, to live the way you were meant to live.” Whatever happens, you have a lot to look forward to. Either you will be Christ’s representative in this world, or you will be his companion in his world.

Sleep well!

Saturday evening worship: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning worship: 10:00 am