Happy New Year! Jon Lucas shares with us how impressed Paul is with the Thessalonians and how we can use that encouragement to bring in the new year. However, we must not be caught sleeping on the job! What is the job? You’ll have to watch or listen to find out! Service times are at […]
Sunday, December 24: Christmas Luke 2:8–20 Merry Christmas! I hope you have had a blessed Advent season. This Sunday is Christmas Eve, and we are going to worship the newborn King in two separate worship services. In the morning, we are going to look at “good news of great joy” in the Christmas story in […]
Sunday, December 17, 2023 Jonah – Jonah 4 Merry Christmas! I hope you are having a blessed Advent season. At my house, the lights are up, the tree is decorated, and the house is filled with the sound of Christmas music and the smell of Christmas cookies. It has been a wonderful season of reflecting […]
Sunday, December 10, 2023 Jonah 3 One of the best known second chances in literature is given to a man named Ebenezer Scrooge, in a story called “The Christmas Carol.” (My favorite version is “The Muppet Christmas Carol.”) We find early on that Scrooge’s greed has earned him the same punishment as his former business […]
Sunday, December 3, 2023 Jonah 2 One of my earlier memories is a tale of summertime loss, and a quick rescue. I vividly remember a moment of panic, followed by all the sadness a four-year-old could feel when I tripped and slammed a McDonald’s ice cream cone onto the ground. I had been running without […]
Sunday, November 26, 2023 Jonah 1 Three verses into reading the Book of Jonah, and you know that it is a book unlike any other in the Bible. The Lord speaks to the prophet Jonah and tells him to go to the Assyrian city of Nineveh and speak against it. The first odd thing we notice […]
Sunday, November 19, 2023 Exodus 34:6, Jonah 1:1 At Believers Fellowship, we believe that we should be teaching a healthy diet from the Bible. We have been in the Gospel of John, and because it’s such a long book we occasionally take breaks. Well, we are taking another break, and will pick back up next […]
Sunday, November 12: Missions Sunday 2023 Preview The opening chapter of the Gospel of John introduces the Incarnation: “The true light,” it says, “which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” (John 1:9 ESV)The pressing mystery facing the characters in the Gospel is the identity of Jesus. Who do we say he is? […]
Sunday, November 5, 2023 John 16:16–33 Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” It can be easy to forget that we have extremely small imaginations in the scope of what God considers possible. […]
Sunday, October 29, 2023 John 15:26–16:15 In Acts 6–8, we read about Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Stephen preached in the streets and at the temple that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He performed signs and wonders and a great number of people came to faith through his ministry. But not everyone […]
Sunday, October 22, 2023 Remain – John 15:18–25 It can be a hard thing to be associated with someone who isn’t that popular, or worse, who is outright hated. Growing up in a 49ers household, it was made incredibly clear to me that we were the good guys, and the Dallas Cowboys were the worst […]
Sunday, October 15, 2023 John 15:1–17 Pruning is an act that requires knowledge of the plant, a vision for the future, and an understanding of what it takes to get there. From the outside, a gardener at work can look more like someone attacking a plant than a strategist with an intimate knowledge of their […]
Sunday, October 8, 2023 John 14:15–31 In Exodus 33, God commands Moses to lead the people of Israel away from Mount Sinai and toward the Promised Land. Moses was overwhelmed by the task before him: leading over a million former slaves into combat would be no small feat! Moses was willing to follow God in […]
Sunday, October 1, 2023 John 14:1–14 On our way back from visiting my parents in Virginia this past summer, my family got off the plane at SeaTac and one of my kids said, “I love the way Washington smells.” I agree. I had thought it, too. I don’t know if it’s the evergreen trees or […]
Sunday, September 24, 2023 John 13:31–38 This Sunday we finish out John chapter 13. Judas has left the dinner to betray his Lord. Immediately, Jesus shows us that He understands his assignment. The clock is now ticking. He is going to Glorify God by being lifted up in Glory. It’s something only He can do. […]
Sunday, September 17, 2023 John 13:18–30 Judas’ story is so scandalous that he has become a by-word, for betrayal even outside of the church. He’s the insider who sits at the foot of Jesus, who has access to God in the flesh, and chooses to give him over to be killed. He’s the perpetual villain, […]
Sunday, September 10, 2023 John 13:1–17 With summer in the rear-view mirror, we look ahead to the fall. We are picking back up in the Book of John for part two of three. Together, we studied the first 12 chapters of John, we called Signs. We saw how all of what Jesus did and said […]
Sunday, September 3, 2023 Romans Come join us this Sunday as we conclude our series on Paul’s letters to the churches by looking at the well-loved book of Romans. Paul’s letter to the Romans takes about an hour to read aloud and you are invited to read it ahead of time and pray for our […]
Sunday, August 27, 2023 Philemon In several of his letters to the churches, Paul talks about the ministry of reconciliation. “In Christ,” Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:19 ESV, “God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” In other words, the world […]
Sunday, August 20, 2023 2 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians continues Paul’s teaching and discipleship of the young church in Thessalonica. His letter provides important encouragement and hope that speaks to believers throughout human history. Paul encourages the believers to stand firm in their faith despite persecution and to trust that Jesus will come again bringing justice […]
Sunday, August 13, 2023 1 Thessalonians What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received? The best encouragement that you’ve ever been given? Was it a coach, or a parent, or a friend? First, it’s just a good exercise to remember the ways that you’ve been recognized from time to time, and second, you may notice the […]
Sunday, August 6, 2023 Colossians Today we visit Paul’s letter to the church of Colossae, which we call Colossians. Johnny Pearson’s overview of the book reminds us that Jesus as the man was equally God, the creator and head of the church, and we should strive to live like he did. How can we start […]
Sunday, July 30, 2023 Philippians Without a blueprint you can find yourself getting into trouble real fast when you’re building. Doubly so if you’ve got a couple people trying to direct the job site. Somebody might want a bigger garage, or a front porch instead of a back porch, and even if you’ve got some […]
Sunday, July 23, 2023 Ephesians The book of Ephesians is a pastoral letter from Paul to the church at Ephesus. It is not written for a specific occasion or issue, rather, is written out of his love for the people of Ephesus as he sits under house arrest. Paul’s writing is in hopes of reminding […]
Sunday, July 16, 2023 Galatians 1:1–10 There are some things that you can improve on over time, things that need to be shored up, sharpened, or need a fresh coat of paint now and then. There are some things that are pretty easy to destroy by messing around with. In the Navy there’s a constant cycle […]
Sunday, July 9, 2023 2 Corinthians If you were to take a moment to brag about your accomplishments, what would you say? In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul brags about his resume, but he doesn’t say the things you might think. He says he did more time in prison than any other apostle. He got beat […]
Sunday, July 2, 2023 1 Corinthians 1:1–31 What do you think of when you hear the word weakness? Is it a positive word or a negative one? How does weakness relate to faith? This week, we are starting a summer series called Letters to the Churches. Every week this summer, we will cover one of […]
Sunday, June 25, 2023 Joel 3:17–21 Many stories and experiences only make sense looking backwards. Whether it’s because the things in front of us are too big to see around, or we can’t fathom how God could make something good out of something so bad, it’s often hard for us to understand how God is […]
Baptisms June 18 Baptisms are an outward expression of an inward change. They are a public declaration of a Christian’s decision to receive the grace that is freely offered to us through Jesus. They are a demonstration that we have died with Christ, and have been raised again with him. Join us this Sunday for […]
Sunday, June 11, 2023 Joel 3:1-16 If you’ve ever been caught slacking off or cutting corners at work, you know it’s not a great feeling. If you get caught by your boss’ supervisor it’s even worse. Continue up the chain and your day just gets worse and worse. But if the CEO or the founder […]
Sunday, June 4, 2023 Joel 2:28–32 In Romans 4:17, Paul tells us that God “gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.” God is the giver of life. He created Adam from the dirt. He called Lazarus out of the tomb. He gives life to the lifeless. What […]
Sunday, May 28, 2023 Joel 2:18–27 When I was in Bible college, I had a friend I’ll call Jason. Jason was on fire for God. He had devoted his life to ministry, he was up early every day studying the Scriptures, he was disciplined—guarding his heart from things that might take his eyes off Jesus, […]
Sunday, May 21, 2023 Joel 2:1–17 There are plenty of times in life where we feel like we “missed our exit.” You’re traveling along, making fine time, and suddenly you realize (or are reminded) that you’re now making fine time in the wrong direction. Which, as it turns out, is not great time at all. […]
Sunday, May 14, 2023 John 19:26 This Sunday is Mother’s Day! I am grateful for all the things my mom taught me about life and faith. I am also grateful for my wife—especially for the way she loves our children and for all the time she puts into teaching them. I am looking forward to […]
Sunday, May 7, 2023 Joel 1:1–20 This week we start a new sermon series in the book of Joel, which is a short, three-chapter book of prophecy from the Old Testament. The prophet Joel gave a warning to the people of God, that even as bad as things had been (plague of locust and a […]
Sunday, April 30, 2023 John 12:37–50 The end of the twelfth chapter in John’s gospel is the conclusion of Jesus’ public ministry. In his final remarks, he reminds us that all that he has done and spoken was from God the Father. If we believe in him, we will also have believed the Father. But Jesus’ […]
Sunday, April 23, 2023 John 12:27–36 If you had one chance to share a message with the entire world, what would you say? What if you were chosen to be a colonist on Mars—sent off on a one-way trip with no future contact with earth. Before boarding the rocket, with television cameras and microphones in […]
Sunday, April 16, 2023 John 12:20–26 New Year’s resolutions in January generally seem like a great idea, but there’s a big difference between agreeing to something and actually doing it. Of the people who make resolutions, 55% last less than a year. It turns out signing up for the gym is a lot easier than […]
Easter Sunday April 9, 2023 I am so excited for this weekend! The cross is the central symbol of the Christian faith and the turning point in human history. Paul tells us that without Jesus’s death and resurrection, we are still in our sins and our faith is futile (1 Corinthians 15:17). But, in fact, […]
Sunday, April 2: Signs John 12:12–19 A very real danger that the people of God have historically struggled with is the slow, and often well-intentioned, transformation of God. From the self-revelation of God, we leave out a bit here and a bit there, emphasize a bit here and a bit there, until the “god” we […]
Sunday, March 26: Signs John 11:45–12:11 Imagine for a moment you received an insider stock tip (don’t worry, you won’t go to jail for this exercise!). A small pharmaceutical company has recently discovered a cure for a debilitating disease, and your insider tip is that this drug will receive FDA approval and the value of […]
Sunday, March 19: Signs John 11:1–44 John 11 is one of the most memorable stories in the whole Bible. In it, Jesus finds out that one of his dear friends (Lazarus) is sick and on the brink of death, but John tells us: “when [Jesus] heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer […]
Sunday, March 12: Signs John 10:34–42 Sometimes helping someone understand the truth is as important as telling them the truth in the first place. Jesus has spent more than a little bit of time in the book of John trying to explain clearly that he is the Son of God. Results have varied. Last week […]
Sunday, March 5: Signs John 10:22–33 As Jesus continues to preach and teach in the temple, our passage this week finds him talking with some very direct folks. They ask him point blank, “Are you the Messiah?” Jesus responds with a reminder, as well as a response; “I already told you, and the answer is […]
Sunday, February 26: Signs John 10:1–31 How do you keep your faith when you have been hurt by a church? How do you regain trust? How do you keep your eyes on Jesus when you are hurt or discouraged? I’ve heard countless stories of people encountering Jesus, getting excited about their faith, plugging into a […]
Sunday, February 19: Signs John 9:1–41 In John 9, we are introduced to a man born blind. Presumably, he has been begging by the temple for a long time. Everyone in Jerusalem seems to know his story, and a theological debate has arisen at his expense: Who sinned that he was born blind, him or […]
Sunday, February 12: Signs John 8:48–59 I was in my twenties when I attended my first real debate. A professor of mine was invited by the University of Indiana to debate on the existence of God. My impressionable young Moody mind was intrigued by my current philosophy professor taking on the anthropology professor of a […]
Sunday, February 5: Signs John 8:37–47 If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “He’s a chip off the old block” or “He’s his daddy’s son” you know that context is important. Just accomplished something incredible? Compliment. Just fell-tripped over your own two feet? Probably not a compliment. In either case, the idea is “You’re just like […]
Sunday, January 29: Signs John 8:31–36 Freedom is a concept that’s near and dear to the heart of America. We’re proud to dump that tea in the harbor, and just as proud to exercise our freedom to drink tea every day, should we so desire. We value the freedom to choose our elected officials, to choose […]
Sunday, January 22: Signs John 8:12–30 God can be frustratingly difficult to see sometimes. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork,” the psalmist tells us (Psalm 19:1 ESV). But, for every beautiful sunset that inspires, there is a terrible hurricane that destroys. It is difficult for us to […]
Sunday, January 15: Signs John 7:53–8:11 In The Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Tozer was right. What comes into our minds when we think about God colors everything about us. If we think that God […]
Sunday, January 8: Signs John 7:40–53 Following Jesus’ explosive announcement in John 7:37 and 38 that he is the source of life that the people are celebrating, an announcement which was made at the height of the festival and in the middle of the temple itself, there is some division about who he is. The […]
Sunday, January 1: Signs John 7:28–39 Sometimes the best way to teach something new is to build off an existing idea. You set a foundation, and brick by brick, work with people to build up something new. Whether it’s mathematics, writing out letters, or growing our crops, we start simple and move into the profound. […]