Sunday, November 24: Bolivia Sunday 2019 Ten years ago, we entered into a partnership with Food for the Hungry to work in a Bolivian community called Ushpa Ushpa. In 2010, things were bleak in Ushpa Ushpa—there was no clean water, the schools were under-resourced, parents were compromising their kids’ safety to make ends meet, and […]
Sunday, November 10: Bound by the Spirit Acts 23:12–35 Have you ever been in a situation where things did not turn out the way you had planned? Maybe you scheduled a romantic getaway, only to be foiled by a sick kid. Maybe you planned a huge holiday meal for your family, but the turkey didn’t get […]
Sunday, September 29: Bound by the Spirit Acts 19 Preview Have you ever felt like you were not up to the task God has given you? Maybe God recently called you to move. Maybe it’s a job or career change. Maybe you have a child with a special need. Sometimes, God calls us to things that are […]
Sunday, September 22: Generous In 2 Corinthians 8:9, Paul writes “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” What do these words mean? How do they relate to generosity? In Luke 19, we […]
“Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.” (Psalm 67:3–4 ESV) Psalm 67 reminds us that God reigns over all the nations, not just Israel. One of our callings as […]
Sunday, August 25: Psalms Psalm 23 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4 ESV) Is there a better verse in the whole Bible? Probably not. Psalm 23 is arguably the best-written […]
Sunday, July 28: Psalms Psalm 137 This week, we are continuing our theme of praying The Psalms. Last week, we looked at Psalm 88—a raw, emotional outpour to the LORD. This week, we are looking at another emotionally charged psalm: Psalm 137. Psalm 137:9 says, “Blessed shall be he who takes your little ones and […]
Sunday, July 21: Psalms Psalm 88 In his book, Answering God, Eugene Peterson notes that The Psalms differ from most of the Scriptures in that they are often not written about God, but rather to God. He writes:“Our habit is to talk about God, not to him. We love discussing God. The Psalms resist these […]
Sunday, June 16: Baptism The other day, my daughter screeched at me, “DAD! You haven’t been listening to a word I have been saying!!!!” What a strange way to start a conversation. Be thinking of your favorite dad jokes and make sure there is propane in the barbecue, because this Sunday is Father’s Day! It’s […]
Sunday, June 9: Moses Deuteronomy 31–34 If you knew that you were coming to the end of your life, and you had one last chance to share a word of wisdom with your family, what would you say? How would you summarize your life in one lesson? Would you share a mistake you made that you […]
Sunday, May 5: Moses Numbers 13–14 Many of us are familiar with the story of Israel sending the twelve spies into the Promised Land in Numbers 13–14. When ten of the spies (all but Joshua and Caleb) report back that there is no hope for defeating the giants who live in the land, Israel loses heart […]
Hi! Thanks for joining us in our series about Moses. Today we talked about how we often need something in front of us to feel connected to God. What things do you place before God? Do you feel like you get closer to God through good times or dark times? Have a listen to today’s […]
Sunday, February 10: Moses Exodus 5–11 Last week, Gary shared a quote from A.W. Tozer: “What we think about when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” There is truth to this. Your thoughts about God affect much of your life and behavior. If you think God is judgmental, you’re going […]
Sunday, February 17: Moses Exodus 2:1–10 If you were to make a Mount Rushmore of Old Testament figures, who would you put on it? (One rule: you can’t say “Jesus.”)You’d probably put Abraham on it. After all, the three major western religions all trace their origins to Abraham. You might put Jacob on it. The […]
Sunday, January 13: Lord of All Acts 17:1–15 What do we mean when we say “Jesus is Lord”? What is He lord of? A country? A people? An idea? And what about other so-called “lords”? What are they lords of? Last week’s message on Acts 16 ended with Paul leaving the Roman colony Philippi in relative peace […]
Sunday, January 6: Lord of All Acts 16:16–40 What must I do to be saved? That’s the question posed to Paul in Acts 16:16-40. It’s asked by a Philippian jailer who had no familiarity with God or with the Bible. The jailer was just a regular guy working a regular job for Rome. He guarded all kinds of […]
Sunday, December 16: Lord of All Acts 15:1–35 What does God think about you?Is He happy with your life? Is He disappointed? Are there things He wishes you had done differently? How often do you wrestle with questions like those? Many of us wrestle with them on occasion. Some of us wrestle with them a […]
Sunday, December 9: Lord of All Acts 14:1–28 Three times in the New Testament Paul describes his life before Jesus. In each of his accounts, he uses the same word to describe his demeanor—zeal. Paul had intense passion for God and for his people, Israel.So, when he is set apart for missionary service, Paul is […]
Sunday, November 11: Lord of All Acts 11:1–30 Last week, we looked at a turning point in the history of the church: Peter’s meeting with Cornelius. For the first time ever, a Gentile believed in Jesus and received the Holy Spirit! You would think that Peter’s return to Jerusalem after the meeting would be marked […]
Sunday, November 4: Lord of All Acts 10:1–48 This week we are going to look at a guy who wanted to worship God but couldn’t because he was unclean.This guy had quite a story. First, he was a slave. Somehow, he ended up in the Roman infantry, and then he so distinguished himself that he […]
Sunday, October 7: Lord of All Acts 8:4–40 I hope you are looking forward to Sunday as much as I am. There is something special about gathering together with God’s people in corporate worship. We encounter God in many ways during the week, but corporate worship remains a category of its own. This week, we […]
Sunday, September 30: Lord of All Acts 6:8–8:3 Acts 6-8 is one of the most memorable scenes in the whole book. We are introduced to a promising young man named Stephen—he’s full of the Holy Spirit and powerful in all that he does, and he’s put in charge of caring for widows in the early […]
September 16, 2018 Family Ministries Where is our church growing? What can we improve? These are questions we talk about this Sunday concerning the vision of our church. So, what’s next? Last week, we talked about how life together is better. What better way to continue that discussion than to share our plans for the […]
Sunday, August 26: Questions of Jesus John 7:53–8:11 This week we are going to look at a fascinating story about Jesus. In John 8:1-11, a woman is caught in the act of adultery and brought to Jesus for judgment. All is not as it seems, though. John tells us that she was brought to Jesus […]
Sunday, July 8: Questions of Jesus John 11 The Jewish historian Josephus tells the story of a first-century shepherd who rose up to become king of the Jews. There was nothing remarkable about this shepherd. He wasn’t wealthy. He wasn’t educated. He wasn’t powerful. The shepherd was humble and unassuming, but he had passion for […]
Sunday, July 1: Questions of Jesus Matthew 16:13–17 Imagine what it must have been like for the first followers of Jesus to see him in action. Healing the sick. Casting out demons. Multiplying bread and fish. Calming storms. Walking on water. Raising the dead. What would it have been like to see those things live? […]
Sunday, June 17: Baptism Happy Father’s Day! I don’t know if you have any Father’s Day traditions, but we do at church! On Father’s Day, we like to celebrate new life in Christ with baptisms. This week we are going to baptize a number of people who want to make their faith in Jesus known. […]
Sunday, June 10: Witness Acts 6:1–7 One of the things that sticks out about the early church is how quickly it grew. In the first 5 chapters of Acts, at least 8,000 people become Christians. That’s exciting!But a question for you: How many of those 8,000 can you name? I’ll answer it for you: None. […]
Sunday, June 3: Witness Acts 5:17–42 What does it look like to be a witness in Gig Harbor? Do we have to lose our life to be a witness, or can we be bold for Jesus in the safety of suburbia?Good questions. In our Witness series, we have been studying the first chapters of Acts, […]
Sunday, May 6: Witness Acts 4:1–22 The first three chapters of Acts are pretty good for the church. They receive the Spirit, they speak in tongues, they heal people, and they live in peace and harmony. It’s miracles and salvations all around! Well, that all changes in chapter 4 when the church experiences its first […]
Sunday, April 29: Witness Acts 3:1–26 Imagine for a second that you have been wheelchair-bound your whole life.You have never been able to walk. Now, imagine one day that you are instantly and miraculously healed so that you have full use of your legs. What would be the first thing you would do? This was […]
Sunday, April 1: Easter Happy Easter! We have a lot going on this weekend as we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. First, join us on Friday for our Good Friday service when we remember the cross. This year, we will emphasize its liberating effects—Jesus has rescued us from sin and death. It is no coincidence […]
Sunday, February 25: Joseph Genesis 44:1–34 In his book on Joseph, God Meant it for Good, R.T. Kendall writes about the material in Genesis 44, “[Y]ou cannot have your life to live over again. What is done is done. Even the blood of Jesus cannot undo the past. It can forgive the past and make you […]
Sunday, February 18: Joseph Genesis 43:1–34 Last week, we saw a famine strike the whole world, forcing ten of Jacob’s sons to go to Egypt for grain. (Benjamin stayed behind, of course. He was the favorite and Jacob didn’t want to put him in danger.) Unbeknownst to the brothers, their long-lost brother Joseph had ascended the ranks […]
Sunday, January 21: Joseph Genesis 39:1–23 Last week, we continued our study of the life of Joseph and saw him sold into slavery by his brothers. Our passage ended with Joseph on the slave train to Egypt.This week, we pick up the story in Genesis 39. Joseph is in Egypt and he finds himself a […]
Sunday, January 14: Joseph Genesis 37:12–36 How do we keep our faith when times are hard?That is going to be our question over the next two weeks as we continue our study of the life of Joseph. Last week, Gary introduced the story. We saw that years of favoritism had created a rift between Jacob’s […]
Sunday, December 10: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 12:18–29 As we enter Advent, we tune our hearts toward expectation. We celebrate Jesus’ first coming because it reminds us that He is coming again. Jesus’ incarnation was a rescue operation: He rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into his kingdom. We remember that […]
Sunday, November 19: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 11:23–31 In Matthew 13, Jesus tells this story about a guy considering a piece of property. He goes out to inspect the land and decide whether or not it’s worth the asking price. While he’s poking around in the dirt, he notices something shiny. Curious, he digs around […]
Sunday, November 12: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 11:8–22 In Luke 15, Jesus tells a story about a guy who had two sons. One day, the younger son came up to him and said, “Dad, give me my inheritance.” Though undoubtedly hurt by the request, the father grants it. The text says, “Not many days later, […]
In Luke 12:35-46, Jesus tells this story about a guy who goes off to a wedding and leaves some servants in charge of his house. Jesus said that foolish servants would take advantage of their master’s extended vacation and think, “party time!” After all, if the master returned to a scene from Animal House, things […]
Sunday, October 15: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 10:19–25 In 2 Samuel 6, David is transporting the ark of the covenant from Kiriath-jearim to Jerusalem on an oxen-drawn cart. When one of the oxen stumbles along the way, a guy named Uzzah reaches his hand out to touch the ark, and God strikes him down for […]
Sunday, September 10: Life Entwined Mark 8:27–9:10 Find God In Mark 9, the disciples had an astonishing encounter with God. They had grown accustomed to Jesus doing remarkable things, but none of them were expecting what awaited when Jesus invited them up a mountain (presumably to pray). Peter, James, and John hiked with Jesus, […]
We’ve had some many things going on this Summer concerning our outreach and mission trips. Check out today’s audio to catch up on some of the things God is doing in lives around the world.
Sunday, July 30: Who is This Man? John 17:9–23 Jesus the High Priest/New Aaron Do you pray for your children?If you do, what do you pray? Maybe you pray for their health or safety. Maybe you pray that they’ll make good decisions. Maybe you pray that they’ll make good friends or find a good spouse. […]
Sunday, July 16: Who is This Man? Matthew 21:12–17 Jesus the ProphetThis week we are going to continue our series on Jesus called Who Is This Man? by looking at the prophetic ministry of Jesus in Matthew 21:12-17. Jesus was a prophet in the spirit of Elijah. What do you think of when you hear […]
Sunday, July 9: Who is This Man? Matthew 7:24–29 Last week Jeremiah introduced us to a new sermon series called Who Is This Man? All summer long, we are going to look at the biblical portrait of Jesus.We have a particular view of Jesus in our heads. For some, it’s Jesus the suffering servant. For others, […]
Sunday, June 25: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 8:1–13 This week we conclude our Sacred Spaces series by looking at Hebrews 8:1–13. Starting next week, we are launching into a summer series on Christology (what we believe about Jesus) called “Who Is This Man?” I am looking forward to spending the summer talking about Jesus!Before we launch […]
Sunday, June 18: Baptism You don’t want to miss this week. You have plans? Cancel them. This week we are going to baptize a number of people who want to make their faith in Jesus known. This is an extra special event for our congregation, as it marks not only an important step in faith […]
Sunday, June 4: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 5:11–6:20 In Numbers 13–14, the Israelites come to the cusp of the Promised Land and send spies to check it out before they move in. While the spies return all agreeing that it is an amazing land flowing with milk and honey, ten of them consider the inhabitants too […]
Sunday, May 21: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 4:14–16 I am back from Bolivia and excited to teach again this week! We had an amazing time with Food for the Hungry and the people of Ushpa Ushpa. It was inspiring to see God work. If you see someone from the team, be sure to ask them about […]
Sunday, April 9: Bolivia Update We have spent the last few weeks in the Book of Hebrews in a series we have called Sacred Spaces. In it, we have been talking about ways to encounter God in the everyday. Encountering God means living the way that Jesus lived—with eyes open to the hurts of the […]
Sunday, April 2: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 2:5–9 We are in the third week of a series called “Sacred Spaces,” about the high priestly ministry of Jesus as described in the Book of Hebrews. When we speak of “sacred spaces,” we mean the places where we encounter God—the places where heaven and earth seem to overlap. […]
Sunday, March 12: Jacob Genesis 48–49 Last week, we saw Jacob come into his own—he became one of the great patriarchs of Israel. But what of the promises made to Abraham and Isaac? Did they come true, or did Jacob the rascal squander God’s favor? Further, what does all of this mean to us?In Genesis […]
Sunday, March 5: Jacob Genesis 35:1–29 When we think of Jacob, we think of him as one of the great patriarchs. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were the fathers of the Jewish nation—the great patriarchs of the people of God. However, to this point in his story, Jacob hasn’t acted very patriarchal. In fact, he’s been […]
Sunday, February 12: Jacob Genesis 31:1–55 Jacob’s story begins with a word from God that his older brother Esau will serve him. But even from the beginning, it’s difficult to imagine how this might be. Esau is older. He’s stronger. He’s bolder and braver. His father is on his side. He doesn’t look ready to […]
Sunday, February 5: Jacob Genesis 30:25–43 We have been journeying through the life of Jacob for a few weeks now. From his angel-heralded birth, to his deception of Esau and Isaac, to his vision of God, Jacob’s life has been full of drama. Now we’ve know from the beginning that Jacob would inherit the blessing […]
Sunday, January 15: Jacob Genesis 26–27 Have you ever found yourself saying that you have been blessed by God? What does that mean?Is blessing proof that God loves us more than others? Is blessing a sign that we are better or more righteous than most people? What about those who don’t experience blessing? What about […]
Sunday, January 8: Jacob Genesis 25:19–34 Last year we studied the life of Abraham. It was an awesome glimpse of a man of amazing (albeit inconsistent) faith. There were times when Abraham trusted God with the impossible. There were other times when he thought things were too perilous even for God and he decided to […]
Sunday, December 18: Christmas Service Ephesians 1:3–10 Christmas is coming! I know it seems like it is still a long ways off, but this Sunday is actually the last Sunday before Christmas. It’s almost here! Leading up to Christmas, we have been studying the Book of Ephesians. This is fitting because the book is all […]
Sunday, December 11: One Ephesians 6:10–24 “Now, I want you to remember that no [one] ever won a war by dying for his country. . . .”“Brothers, what we do in life echoes in eternity.” “ . . . [T]hey may take our lives, but they will never take OUR FREEDOM!” I considered painting my […]
Sunday, November 20: One Ephesians 4:17–32 Two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to a struggling church in Ephesus—a major city in what is now Turkey. Ephesus had a great history. It was the capital of Asia Minor, both politically and economically. It was the third largest city in the Roman Empire. […]
Sunday, November 6: One Ephesians 3:14–21 What do you want to be when you grow up? No, I don’t mean what kind of job you want when you get out of school—I mean what kind of person do you want to be as you grow older? Do you want to be more joyful? More content? […]
Sunday, October 30: One Ephesians 3:1–13 What are you worried about right now?Job? Family? Money? Health? The elec—no, we’re not going there. I bet there’s something on your mind. There’s a lot to stress about in life, and if we lose sight of the big picture, it’s easy to freak out. But it doesn’t have […]
Sunday, October 16: One Ephesians 2:1–10 Ephesians 2:1–10 is one of the most famous passages ever penned by Paul. In it, the apostle succinctly explains God’s work in our lives through the death and resurrection of Jesus. It’s a familiar passage to many of us (and for good reason!).But, like the ideas of many familiar […]
Sunday, September 18: Generosity Luke 19:1–10 We have an awesome opportunity in Gig Harbor. We live, work, and play among some of the smartest, most talented, and most powerful people in the world. This city has amazing potential and a lot of assets. But Gig Harbor also has a reputation of not having a lot […]
Sunday, June 26: Plowshares & Pruning Hooks Amos Is there anything in life that is more meaningful than a transcendent encounter with God? Very few things compare to being lost in love and awe for our Creator. Worship is important. This week we are going to continue our sermon series on the Minor Prophets by […]
Sunday, June 19: Baptism & Father’s Day G.K. Chesterton wrote, “Christianity is a sacramental religion, that is, a religion of the flesh.” That’s true! While much of God’s work is done in our hearts, He has left us with signs of His work that remind us that our faith involves our flesh. Baptism is one of […]
Sunday, June 12: Plowshares & Pruning Hooks Joel When was the last time you heard a sermon on the wrath of God? It’s not on the list of “felt needs” that you typically hear addressed in church. In fact, I get a little uncomfortable thinking about it. I bet you do, too. Regardless of how […]
Sunday, May 22: Steadfast Nehemiah 10–12 What’s your problem? Those are the words that opened our Steadfast series. Nehemiah certainly had a problem: the walls of Jerusalem were torn down and the city was a laughing stock to all of its neighbors. His problem was big and it seemed impossible to solve. This week we are going […]
Sunday, May 15: Steadfast Nehemiah 8–9 Time in the Scriptures is one of the most important means of spiritual growth. We all know that, but sometimes we forget. Further, the habit of reading the Bible is hard to establish and it’s easy to lose. But when we take the time to get into the Word, […]
The name Nehemiah is often synonymous with leadership. He was an organizational wizard, a courageous soldier, and an inspiring communicator. He used his gifts and his influence to solve a problem that had defeated all of his predecessors, and he did all of this under constant threat of attack. But none of those things were […]
Have you ever had one of those “ah-ha” moments when you finally realized what God was doing in your life? Sometimes, life doesn’t make sense. You look around and you think, “What in the world am I doing with my life? What in the world is God doing in my life? Does God even care […]
Why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?
It seems like there are two kinds of churches. First, there are small churches that care a lot about one another, but who are blind to those on the outside. Then, there are growing churches that reach out a lot to the world, but have little support for one another. Both of these kinds of […]
What do you think of when you hear the word “glory”? A high school football state championship? A standing ovation after a speech or a performance? The look of pride in your parents’ eyes after a great accomplishment? We all take glory in different things. What do you think it takes to receive glory from […]
It’s election season. Oh boy. We’ve just emerged from the Iowa caucuses and the campaigns are heating up. The contenders are separating themselves from the rest of the pack, and the rhetoric is getting turned up to 11. Promises are being made. Visions are being cast. Mud is being slung. What does Jesus think about […]
Right now, I am writing a preview for this Sunday’s sermon. My email program is open in the background in case my office needs to contact me. I have a Facebook tab open in my browser in case someone messages me. My cell phone is in my shirt pocket so I can be reached by […]
In John 13:31-38, Jesus tells His disciples that He is leaving and that they can’t come with Him. As always, Peter speaks up first and insists that he is ready to die for Jesus. But Jesus won’t hear it. He warns Peter that he isn’t as committed as he thinks he is and that he […]
Imagine that you were one of Jesus’ disciples. You’ve traveled with Jesus for 3 years now and you’ve recently witnessed his most amazing work—raising his friend Lazarus from the dead. But just as Jesus’ ministry was starting to make sense and your excitement for the future was at its height, Jesus drops a bomb on […]
1 John 5:13–21 In families, consistent values are passed down from generation to generation. That’s part of what it means to be a part of a family. However, each generation has to make the family name their own. Sometimes, children are not exactly like their parents (and sometimes grandkids are). In families, there is both […]
The world’s thoughts are on God right now. Between the Christmas season, questions surrounding the recent terror attacks, and social media movements like #PrayforParis, the world is searching for God. But how do we know where to find Him? And given the conflicting messages out there about who God is, how do we know what […]
There are times in life when you come to a crossroads. A major decision lies in front of you, and your choice promises to affect your life for years to come. What do we do in those situations? How do we know that we are following God with our choice? This week we are going […]
To this point in our Abide series, we have been talking about the importance of believing in Jesus and loving one another. Along with the series, we have been reciting the Nicene Creed every week. It’s been refreshing to me to recite the creed every week—it gives me a sense of solidarity with all of […]
Christianity is not rocket science. We believe in the name of Jesus Christ and we love one another. It’s that simple. But sometimes we make it harder than that. We come up with all kinds of rules (written and unwritten) for what it means to know God. Sometimes this can be harmless. But other times, […]
When you get married and have children, you start making your own traditions and forming your own family identity. Often, this means blending the traditions of your families of origin and creating some things anew. Well, the same is true of our faith—you have to make it your own. God is telling a story in […]
