2024 Map

 

We stand on the threshold of a new year. Even though we may think we are too sophisticated to believe that a certain day of the year means more than other, more common days, most of us would like to think that with the start of a new year, change in our lives is possible. While making resolutions isn’t as popular as it was in the past, mostly because of our widespread inability to continue to keep our proposed lifestyle changes, we still hope that positive change is possible. And while new, healthy habits are definitely attainable, the key to 2024 is not what we are going to do for ourselves, it’s going to happen when we allow God to begin molding us into the people he intends for us to be. 

If we head into 2024 thinking all about “my dreams and goals”, we could be very well setting ourselves up for failure. As followers of Christ, life is no longer about me, it’s about Christ living in me. The 2024 map of our lives needs to have Jesus in the center of everything, whether it be our careers, hobbies, holidays, finances, friendships, or family. 

If you have a chance, give the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes a read before you head into 2024. If you haven’t spent time in this ancient work, you might be surprised to find it in the Bible. You’ll be even more astounded at how current this book is having been written 3000 years ago. It’s a powerful reminder that no matter how hard we try, no matter how educated we are, no matter how influential we are, we can’t make life work apart from the One who created us. 

Is it time to change the map of your life? Join us for our worship service Sunday morning. You might find the map God offers is a whole lot more exciting than you thought. 

Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am

Is Peace a Possibility or a Pipe Dream?

 

The human race has a love/hate relationship with war. For those who have experienced it firsthand, war has left an indelible mark of brutality, agonizing suffering and death. For some, they are never able to return to the life they lived before going to war because of the horror they witnessed. 

And yet, our television screens are filled with movies celebrating war. Societies which have lost millions of young men and women in a past conflict are ready to have blood spilled again just a few years later. War can be addictive if you are on the winning side. Even typically peaceful people accept war if it brings economic prosperity, national prestige and requires little sacrifice on their part. 

Strangely, the same principles for fighting between nations holds true in our personal conflicts with the people with whom we live, work and play. No one likes to fight if we get the bad end of it all, but if we come out dominant, that’s another matter. 

The truth is, if left to human beings, peace is only a pipe dream. We may have brief periods of international or personal peace, but fighting will continue to erupt on an ongoing basis. The reason is, in and of ourselves, the driving motive in our lives is to get what we want, what we have determined is best for our survival and personal happiness. If someone is a threat to that goal, the only logical human reaction is – fight, dominate, get what we want. 

If a person is going to be serious about peace, then you have to get serious about Christmas. Left to ourselves, we will end humanity through our wars. Peace can only come from outside of us. And that is exactly the message of Christmas. God invades human history to bring the peace option we can only find in him. The one great question each one of us must ask this Christmas is: “Will we give peace a chance?” 

Christmas Eve Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am

Christmas Eve Sunday Evening Worship – 7:30 pm

Christmas Day Monday Morning Worship – 11:00 am

Aliens, Miracles, and Christmas

 

Years ago, there was a fringe movement in the world of science which suggested that life was brought to the planet earth by some type of alien existence. At that time, this idea was brushed off as quasi-religious, even a bit ridiculous. Today, scientific opinion has changed radically. Faced with the seemingly insuperable obstacles of finding a way that life can naturally arise out of non-living materials, more and more people in the scientific community are embracing the alien theory. 

On the other hand, the concept of miracles remains an object of extreme skepticism for the 21^st century cosmopolitan citizen. Some may accept that things do happen for which there isn’t a logical explanation, but the spectacular inexplicable events recorded in the past, well, they are just myths that uninformed people invented. 

It really is confusing as to why aliens are legitimate and miracles taboo. If we accept that there are events for which there is no natural explanation, why limit the character and quality of those events? Maybe the whole issue boils down to this: if God exists, then miracles – any miracle – is possible. The debate over the existence of God rages on. But whatever side a person finds themselves on, it is a matter of faith. 

The story of Christmas is full of miracles. In fact, Christianity itself is one big miracle, beginning with the most spectacular miracle of all – God becoming a human being. And what a joyful miracle it is. Consider the implications of Christmas: 

      Our lives are not the result of an unguided accident.

      We are not at the mercy of an unknown alien power.

      Our lives are not meaningless.

      Death is not the end.

      God is all powerful, involved in our lives and committed to our eternal good. 

If you’re skeptical about God, but still think there’s a pretty good chance that he’s out there, give yourself the opportunity to consider what that might mean. Give God the opportunity to do a miracle in you. That’s really what Christmas is all about! 

Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am

God on Trial

 

Looking back at the history of how people viewed God in the past, one notices that they were very concerned with what God thought of them. We find an unbroken record of people offering animal sacrifices, grain offerings, money, even their own children, all for the purpose of trying to get God on their side. There was a deep sense that people needed God in some way, either to help them out of a problem or to simply not create more difficulties in their lives. 

Today, our thinking is very different. The modern person, in many cases, doubts the existence of God. And even those who are open to considering the possibility of there being a God who is involved in human life, they demand that God prove himself to them on their terms! God is very much on trial, and we human beings see ourselves as his judge. Regarding our understanding of God, humanity has regressed in the last 200 years rather than progressed. For if God exists, we don’t find him, he reveals himself to us. We don’t judge him, he judges us. And above all, he does not need us, we desperately need him. That is why Christmas is so incredibly necessary. 

The message of Christmas is simple, straightforward and addresses our greatest need. In the birth of Jesus Christ, God becomes a human being, revealing himself clearly and understandably. However, the most shocking part about Christmas is why God became a human being. He came not to judge the world but to save the world. Take a few moments and think seriously about the following two Bible passages, both spoken by Jesus. If they say something to you, join us for our Sunday morning worship service. 

^{John 14:9}“Have I been with you so long,” Jesus answered, “and you still do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. 

^{John 3:16}“For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 

Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am

Do You Believe in Fairy Tales?

 

Fairy tales are great stories. All of us remember Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Cinderella, and many more. Not only were they exciting, but they also taught us important lessons we still remember. Yet, fairy tales are just that – tales. They are not true stories. Somebody created these myths in their minds and then put them down on paper. They are entertaining and insightful, but they never took place. 

A significant number of people today would like to put the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the same fairy tale category. The problem with that proposition, however, is a great deal of evidence exists to the exact contrary conclusion. When we examine closely the history of the Gospels, we find there is a wealth of information supporting the truthfulness of these documents. 

This is no dry academic matter. If what Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote about Jesus is not historically accurate, then we as Christians, have no basis for our belief in Christ or the promises he makes to us. The Jesus of faith rests on the Jesus of history. 

For the next six months, each Sunday we’re going to be examining the life, ministry, death, resurrection and meaning of the life of Jesus Christ. Before we embark on that quest, we need to know why we can be confident that what we are going to find out about Jesus is true. Join us this Sunday for our worship service. The Gospels always have been and continue to be: “The Greatest True Story Ever Told”. 

Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am

The War We Tend to Ignore

 

What’s threatening you right now? 

      A deadline

      A conflict with another person

      A money problem

      A health concern

      Just about everything that’s going on 

It might not be much of a consolation, but if you identify with any of the above problems, you are in good company. Probably 95% of the human race feels the same way. 

The bad news is, the problems which are overwhelming you at the moment may not be anywhere near as important as you think. Suppose there is an invisible, cosmic war going on over good and evil and we are part of it! Sounds like science fiction, but is it? We live in a world governed by right and wrong. In fact, all the problems mentioned above probably have to do with right and wrong. If our day-to-day lives are governed by right and wrong, why is it so incredible to believe that there is something much bigger happening in this regard? 

Jesus Christ was very straightforward on the subject of right and wrong, good and evil. He taught clearly there is a supernaturally powerful force of evil which God has allowed to operate in our world for a limited amount of time. This force of evil, which is called Satan or the Devil, is in no way a threat to God’s sovereign rule, but he is a massive threat to us. 

The war Satan wages in our world is normally invisible, taking place in our minds, but it has eternal consequences. For him, the goal of the war is very simple, distract people from Christ and what he has done for us. Satan is not only powerful, he is deceitful. His tactics often fly under our radar, leaving us unaware of the influence he is having on our lives. 

Fortunately, God does not leave us unprotected. We have a defense, it’s called the Armor of God and you can find it in Ephesians 6:10-17. If you don’t have an antivirus program on your computer, most IT folks would encourage you to get one. While you can always pick up a new computer, you can’t pick up a new soul once you’ve left this life. Join us for our Sunday worship. Together, let’s put on the Armor of God. 

Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am

The Very Practical

 

A common criticism of Christianity is that it doesn’t seem to deal with real life, with the things we human beings experience on a day-to-day basis. Sure, it’s great to love God and other people, but, many ask, “What exactly does that look like in real time?” The problem of seeing the practical side of following Jesus Christ is probably not due to a lack of information, but rather what that information calls for us to do! 

God’s love for us couldn’t be more tangible or practical. Every human being has died and will die. No one gets out of it. We can accept death as an inevitability, but that doesn’t in any way diminish the annihilating affect it has on not only life itself, but our reason and purpose for being alive. What does God do about it? He personally gets involved, becomes one of us for the sole purpose of overturning death! His love is sacrificial and completely effective at the same time. The death of Jesus Christ and his resurrection from the dead are irresistible evidence of God’s tangible love for human beings. Jesus himself once said, “Because I live, you also will live.” How much more practical can love be than to offer a human being escape from the consequences of death? 

It would seem to make sense that if God’s love for us is practical, he would intend for us to be practical in our love for him and other people. And that is exactly what we find. Last week we saw the specific and profoundly relevant Christian teachings on marriage. This week, we’re going to see what God says about parent-child relationships. The teachings are brief but leave little to the imagination. We have a supernatural script to follow as we live out these crucial areas of our lives. 

The statement, “Get real and get to the point,” is often used when a person speaks a lot of words to say very little. If that’s what you are looking for in your relationship with God and other people, join us for our Sunday morning service. What God says is not only very practical, it is much more than that. It is very, very good! 

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am

Is It True?

 

So many of our decisions throughout the day are based on one question: “How will my choice make me feel?” That is definitely a legitimate concern. Who wants to make choices that will make a person feel horrible? And yet, we’ve all had the experience that there are times in life when we have to do something that causes us pain and suffering because there is a greater good that takes precedence over our feelings. For a person who is serious about going beyond the superficiality of feelings, the question “Is it true?” is much more important than “How does it make me feel?”. 

The subject of marriage is a relevant case in point regarding the matter of feelings and truth. For the last 60 years feelings have been the driving force in many marriages. All too often, when desired feelings diminished or disappeared, the marriage ended. Over that same period of time, biblical teaching on marriage came under intense scrutiny and attack. Some, even in the church, decried the biblical model of marriage as at best, hopelessly outdated, and at worst, primitive. 

The psychological and emotional carnage which millions have experienced in recent years due to failed marriages is a strong indication we owe it to ourselves to reevaluate the question of whether feelings or truth are most important when it comes to how we as human beings live out our marriages. For Christians, there is the powerful connection between the resurrection of Jesus Christ and everything that he taught. If Christ physically rose from the dead at a historical moment in human history, then he is God. And as God, what he tells us about any subject, even marriage, must be the truth. 

But anyone knows, who is familiar with even a few events in the life of Jesus, that he did not come to coldly present the facts of life regardless of the consequences. Christ embodied compassion, sacrificial love, authentic concern – all the characteristics which make for a rewarding marriage that goes the distance. What he tells us about marriage may seem impractical to our modern ears. Yet, it very well could be just that, an impression. A closer study shows that not only what Jesus says about marriage is true, it also works. And who doesn’t want a marriage that works? 

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am

Change

 

A sure conflict starter is to tell someone, “You’ve got to change!” And yet, each one of us knows there are areas of our lives which need to be changed. Think about some of the major players in the Bible. After the Bathsheba debacle, don’t you think David realized some major changes needed to happen in his life. When Peter’s eyes locked in with those of Jesus after he had just shouted, “I swear by God I don’t know the man,” he realized that if he was going to continue to be a follower of Christ, there would have to be serious modifications in his thinking, speech, and behavior. And then there is that man Paul. He spent the entire second half of his life talking about the miraculous, marvelous changes God worked in his life. 

For the Christian, change is an ongoing experience. It may be a cliché, but it is also true, “God loves us too much to let us stay the way we are.” The same Paul who God changed so drastically (see Acts 9 for his story) wrote to a group of Christians in the city of Ephesus about the kind of change God works in the lives of all who trust in him as their Savior and Lord. The list is long and intimidating. It causes one to wonder, “What will my life be like if God works these attitudes and characteristics in my life?” But there is also the sense that these changes will bring goodness and wholeness. We are compelled to admit that what we deep down are longing for is very much what God wants us to become. 

God’s changes are neither easy nor comfortable. But they are exactly what we need not only to be transformed into the person he saved us to be, but also to experience the good life he intends for us. 

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am

Stand Fast

 

An influential government leader prays, even when he is commanded to stop. An unknown Catholic monk continues to speak even when he is threatened with death. Following Jesus Christ has always been risky. When he comes into a person’s life, he demands first place. He will take no other position. That kind of commitment though, is dangerous in a world that is driven by human self-centeredness, pride, and lust. To stand fast for Christ can mean losing everything. 

Some twenty-five hundred years ago Daniel disregarded the law prohibiting him to pray to the living God and was thrown into a lion’s den. Martin Luther nailed a document on a church door on October 31, 1517, calling for a return to a Christ centered, grace-based Christianity. He was condemned, excommunicated, and threatened with death throughout his life.

Both Daniel and Martin Luther were supernaturally protected throughout their earthly lives. They died of natural causes. But it is not always the case. John the Baptist stood fast for Christ and lost his head. Thousands of early Christians refused to renounce Jesus as their Lord and Savior and died by some of the most horrible means imaginable. Tragically, such suffering among believers continues today. 

What motivates a believer to disregard persecution, pain and even death? There can be only one answer: the death which Christ endured for us all and his resurrection which gives us the certainty that the crucifixion opened eternal life for us. It is this belief which enables a Christian to confidently declare, “The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be shown to us. ^{Romans 8:18}”. 

Jesus once said, “If a person has all the money in the world, but ends up separated from God in hell after their death, what good is that?” Those words remind us of what is not only most important, but what is best. He gives us what we need. Never give up on Christ. Stand fast in him! 

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am 

The Hospital Church

 

     Years ago, an influential preacher sent shockwaves through the Christian community when he said that churches had become like country clubs and needed to become more like bars. His point was the church has to be more welcoming. The popular sitcom “Cheers” created the impression that a bar is a place where everyone gets along with everyone else, like a big happy family. That may have been the case with the bar run by Ted Danson and his friends, but the truth is, bars are much more apt to turn people into alcoholics and break up marriages than provide the kind of friendships people need.

      Singer Billie Joel described the social environment of bars well in his song Piano Man with the words,

 

And the waitress is practicing politics
    As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
    But it's better than drinkin' alone

      A much better comparison for the church would be that of a hospital. Hospitals are where people go for healing, regardless of who they are. But there is a key difference between the church and a hospital. In the church, everyone is both a patient and a healthcare worker. At times one Christian is struggling in their walk with God and needs the help of other believers. Later, when that same Christian has overcome the times of testing, they are able to help other brothers and sisters in Christ. The life of the church is meant to be one of working together in whatever way necessary, encouraging each other to heaven.

      Despite the spectacular prosperity our country has experienced over the last 60 years, people seem to be struggling more today than ever before emotionally and psychologically. There is a sense of emptiness, boredom, and futility. Many are looking desperately for solutions in places that only bring more pain. The purpose of the Christian church is to be a group of people to whom those who are hurting can go for healing. A healing that is not temporary, but eternal. Join us for our Sunday morning worship. Be a part of the healing process! 

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am

Jesus Cares. Will We?

 

They are some of the most piercing words Jesus spoke. They challenge his followers to the core. In speaking of the day of Judgment Jesus described the contrasting lifestyles of those who  are heaven bound and those headed for hell. He said,   

        ^{Matthew 25:34}Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. ³⁶I was lacking clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’

        ³⁷“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or lacking clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

        ⁴⁰“The King will answer them, ‘Amen I tell you: Just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.’

        ⁴¹“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you did not give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you did not give me anything to drink. ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, lacking clothes and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not take care of me.’

        ⁴⁴“Then they will also answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or lacking clothes or sick or in prison and did not serve you?’

        ⁴⁵“At that time he will answer them, ‘Amen I tell you: Just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ ⁴⁶And they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” 

While it is clear from so many other teachings of Jesus and the writers of the Bible that a human being is saved by trusting in the forgiveness Christ won for us on the cross, there can be no denying the importance Jesus puts on his followers translating his love for them into love they show towards others – especially the weak and vulnerable. 

Our worship service this Sunday gives us an opportunity to live out what Jesus taught – care for those who have difficulty caring for themselves. Pastor Joel Gaertner will be leading a worship service intended to instill in us the caring concern for some of the most vulnerable in our community, those dealing with developmental disabilities, with the hope our congregation might have the opportunity to start an outreach designed for people with such challenges. Salvation is a free gift from God. Service in his kingdom is a necessary by-product of the gift of being saved. Jesus cares for the least of us! Will we? 

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am

The Unity Prayer

 

Having a serious, ongoing disagreement with another person is not only exhausting, it also disrupts every part of our lives, leaving us in a constantly irritable disposition. Fights lead even the most spiritually skeptical of people to pray for some kind of peace. Living in open hostility takes a huge toll on human beings. 

Unfortunately, our prayers for peace too often seem to go unanswered. That may be because we are praying for God to profoundly change the person with whom we are fighting and forget completely about the need for Him to change us! 

In an intense prayer for unity in the New Testament book of Ephesians, a shocking peace principle is proposed. We will get along with others only until we appreciate how God gets along with us. While conflict resolution always requires that both parties make attitude and behavioral changes, the key is the motivating drive behind those changes. Peace for the sake of peace rarely is a strong enough reason for a person to make significant long-term changes in the way they treat other people. Knowing and experiencing the power, strength and love of Jesus Christ is! 

If you are looking to improve your relationships with other people, first look to Jesus. Join us for our worship service this Sunday. Together let’s take a good long look at Him! And then let’s see how we get along with others. 

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am

The Glue of Unity

 

You probably haven’t thought about rebar recently. Maybe you’ve never thought about it in your entire life. You’ve certainly seen rebar if you have ever taken a ride in an automobile. But no one ever said, “Hey, look at that rebar over there. Is that cool or what?” Rebar is one of those unsung hero products that makes a huge difference in every type of large construction project. Rebar is what gives concrete the strength to resist cracking and crumbling for decades. 

Human relationships are even more fragile than concrete without rebar. Everything is fine as long as everyone is getting what they want. But that delicate harmony is usually shattered by the least little problem or disagreement. Someone once wrote a song with the refrain, “Why can’t we be friends, why can’t we be friends?” That song echoes a frustration people have experienced for centuries. It’s hard to get along. It’s easy to fight. We’ve been on a never-ending search for the formula for unity. 

The short, six chapter book of Ephesians in the New Testament of the Bible is a book about God’s plan for unity. That plan begins with our relationship with God and how God himself is the one who establishes unity between us and him. It then goes on to explain how unity with God affects our relationships with other people. 

If you need some rebar to reinforce the unity in your relationships with other people, join us for our Sunday morning worship service. Unity can be a reality and not just something we longingly sing about. 

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am

Blame God!

 

Have you ever noticed when you are watching several people who are not getting along well how easy it is to understand why they aren’t getting along? Just listening and watching for a few moments often is enough to identify reasons for each person having some responsibility for the conflict. However, when we are personally involved in a fight, then it becomes very difficult to accurately place the blame. Since we couldn’t possibly be at fault, that must mean everyone else is the culprit! As a race, we humans certainly demonstrate that tendency. 

No one argues that there are plenty of problems to go around in our world, but when it comes to answering, “Who is responsible?” the default response is often “God!” People say it all the time, “If God were really loving and good, he wouldn’t allow such terrible things to happen.” The problem with blaming God for all the bad things we witness each day is that not only does it keep us from identifying the real source of all our pain and suffering, but it also prevents us from finding the solution. 

Accepting blame for a broken relationship is never easy, but it has to happen if that relationship will heal. This truth is even more important in our relationship with God. If we are going to get along with other people, we’ve first got to get along with God. As long as we keep blaming God for all our problems, we’ll live in a near constant state of conflict not only with other people, but also with ourselves. 

If you are getting the impression that God probably isn’t the cause of your difficulties, join us for our Sunday morning worship service. We’re going to be studying Ephesians 2:1-10. There’s no clearer or more encouraging section of the Bible when it comes to not only placing the blame for problems, but more than that, finding solutions. 

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am 

Chosen to Be Changed

 

It was enough to bring a tear to anybody’s eyes. The scrawny little boy, head down shuffling away from the group of other boys gathered on an outdoor basketball court. By the look on his face, this was a scene which was often repeated. The other kids didn’t even notice him leave. They were too intent on the game to which he was refused entry. It was a tragic example of the cold competition of pre-teen pickup basketball. There is a deep sense of isolation in being left out. 

Imagine an outcome very different. Picture Michael Jordan, former NBA superstar and owner of the Charlotte Hornets walking out onto that same court and of all the players, picks the boy who is always left out and says, “I choose you to play on my team. But if you are going to play for me, I have to change you.” How do you think the boy would respond? That’s a no brainer. 

If you are a Christian, have you ever considered that the God who brought all the universe into being simply by speaking, the One who puts all that exists in his back pocket, he chose you to be a part of his family, to be a part of what he is doing in this world? But in choosing you, he also promises to change you. Are you ready for that? Are you ready to become the person God himself created and saved you to be? If the idea of that kind of change creates in you a certain attractive curiosity, join us for our Sunday worship service. You really do have reason to be excited. 

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am

Holding Back on God

 

It’s easy to break into a condescending smile looking at the little girl refusing to give Jesus the small teddy bear in her hands when he is ready to give her the big new teddy behind his back. But how often don’t we act in the same way? God asks us to make a sacrifice of something we very much like, but we hold back on God. “Why Lord? There’s nothing wrong with what I’m doing, and I really do enjoy it,” we reason.     

The Lord replies, “You don’t understand right now, but I have something much bigger and better I want to give you. First though, you need to give me what you are clinging to.”     

Frequently, God needs to empty us of habits, attitudes and material possessions which keep us from experiencing the kind of life he saved us for. Tragically, we miss out on so many blessings because we’re unwilling to give up what we need to relinquish. It’s like the little boy playing in a mud puddle who refuses an offer to go to the beach saying, “Why would I want to go to the beach when I have everything right here?”     

Many years ago, a group of people couldn’t figure out why their lives were so frustrating. A man by the name of Malachi gave these people a very straight forward explanation, “You are holding back on God. Give him what he deserves and watch how things will change.”     

It is no different today. Jesus gave his all to rescue us for all of eternity. In response to that kind of overwhelming committed love, he invites us to give our all to him so that he can remake us into the people he intends us to be. The question is, “Will we trust him and take that step of faith, or will we hold back on him, maintaining our commonsense status quo?” 

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am

Keep Going

 

When it comes to the subject of perseverance, there are few with more credibility than Sir Winston Churchill, the man who in many ways willed England to fight off the waves of German air attacks from 1940 to 1943. Those were very dark years of bombings, death, and destruction. The only strategy was to keep going. 

Giving one’s best day in and day out is challenging even in the best of situations. We get tired. We get bored. We just get sick of going all out to do what is right. When life gets tough and we don’t see the kind of results we feel we should, the despair which leads to giving up mounts steadily. This is especially true in our lives as followers of Jesus Christ. There is always the lurking temptation to cut corners, compromise or just take the easy way out instead of intensely living the Christlike life. 

More than 2500 years ago a man named Zechariah spoke to a group of people that was exhausted and discouraged. They thought they were doing what God wanted, but the situation in which they found themselves screamed a different message. “Why keep going? Is it worth it?” Those questions were as commonplace then as they are today. Zechariah’s response? Keep going! Keep your eyes and minds on the God you serve! You don’t have to see the results you would like to have to be sure God is worthy of your trust! 

If you are having trouble believing God is doing much of anything in your life, you aren’t the first and won’t be the last. What you do need to hear is what Zechariah said to the people of his time, and to us all. Join us for worship this Sunday! 

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am

Distracted

 

Some might disagree, but the art of multi-tasking very well could be one of the most overrated concepts in the history of the human race. While we may feel as though attempting to accomplish several tasks at once is an efficient use of time, more often than not, we become so distracted that we’re not able to effectively complete any of the projects we set out to do. Even more serious is the tendency to leave out some important step or not be aware of a potential danger. Certainly, no one would want to be driving behind the man in the above photo. 

To say distractions can be dangerous is something of an understatement. How many lives have been lost because people just weren’t paying attention. It isn’t that they purposely brought about a tragedy, it’s that they took their eyes off what was most important. 

Spiritual distractions are subtle but often fatal. Well intentioned believers earnestly want to serve Christ each day, but those good intentions quickly end up being forgotten simply because we get so caught up in living our daily lives. Jesus repeatedly warned his followers about even good and healthy activities becoming bigger in our lives than they should be. One of the most challenging temptations we face is putting Christ ahead of those good things in our lives which so easily can crowd Jesus out of the first place in our hearts. 

Many years ago, a group of people struggled with putting God before other pressing concerns. God used a man named Haggai to write a little book about it. If you’re dealing with distraction on a daily basis, you might want to check out what Haggai has to say. 

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am

Is God Twiddling His Thumbs?

 

It can be a very frustrating experience to provide an essential service to people without their realizing it. To make matters worse, those same people often complain that you really aren’t doing much of anything and wonder why you don’t do so much more. Parents go through this drama on a regular basis!   

One wonders how God endures the constant criticisms of human beings who accuse him of either doing too little or doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. And there is a growing consensus that God is just basically twiddling his thumbs. 

A cursory reading of the Bible makes it pretty clear that far from just passing time looking at his naval, God is intensely and intimately involved in human life in an extremely active way. What muddles our understanding of how much and what he is doing is found in our way of looking at life. We see it from our perspective and assume God shares the same vision. It should be pretty obvious to us, but he doesn’t. God’s determination of good and evil, happiness and unhappiness, success and failure are often worlds apart from ours. And that not only causes misunderstanding, it creates conflict. 

A close study of God’s working in this world shows consistently that his activity is always driven by his committed, loving concern for the creatures he calls his children – creatures like you and me. No, God is not twiddling his thumbs, he is urgently and powerfully working toward one purpose – to bring you into his presence for all of eternity. Join us this Sunday and spend some  time thinking about what that can mean to you. 

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am

Can I Trust God?

 

He had been distracted going into the doctor’s office. It was a routine check-up after which he had planned several other appointments, all of which were on the high priority list. Walking out of the doctor’s office everything had changed. Within 30 minutes he went from life in the fast lane to tying up loose ends. He had been a Christian all his life. He had heard that God is good all the time and all the time God is good, but never really had considered what that meant. Now he wondered if God was good any of the time. How could God be good letting a man in his prime wither away from disease? How could God be good dashing all his hopes and dreams prematurely? Wasn’t God supposed to be about helping us out? Where was all that help when the doctor gave his diagnosis? 

It’s easy to say “God is good” when life is good. It’s a whole other matter when life falls apart, when we feel as if we were falling into an abyss with no one to catch us. 

Many years ago, a man with the curious name of Habakkuk, was in a free fall. But instead of walking away from God in bitterness and resentment, this man talked to God. He asked the tough questions, questions like “Why are you doing what you’re doing? It doesn’t make any sense!” Today, we can still read Habakkuk’s questions and more importantly, God’s answers. If you aren’t sure if God is worthy of your trust, join us for our Sunday morning service. God’s responses to the tough questions we have for him aren’t always the easiest to swallow, but they do give us a reason to hope. And that is what we need most when we’re stuck in a spiritual black hole.

Sunday Worship Time: 10:00 am