Sunday, March 3: Moses Exodus 3–4 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14) Last week we left Moses in bare feet, standing in front of a shrub burning with the presence of God, when the Lord […]
Sunday, February 10: Moses Exodus 2:11–3:12 Even for those who are not all that familiar with the Bible, almost everyone knows the story of Moses. If you’re on the younger side, you probably saw, The Prince of Egypt. If you’re a little older, you might remember Cecil B DeMille’s classic biopic, The Ten Commandments. The life of Moses […]
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, February 3: Lord of All Acts 19:1–20 “And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Acts 19:2 As the gospel message spreads, Paul and his crew reach a wider and wider audience, pick […]
Sunday, January 27: Lord of All Acts 18:1–28 “After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.” Acts 18:1 We spent last Sunday with the Apostle Paul in Athens where he delivered his famous Mars Hill message. This Sunday we pick things up in the city of Corinth as he begins the last leg of […]
Sunday, January 20: Lord of All Acts 17:16–34 God is not far from each of us. Acts 17:26 This week we come to one of the most well-known scenes in the story of Acts: The Message of Paul on Mars Hill.In the middle of Acts 17 the Apostle becomes separated from his traveling companions and […]
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 30: Lord of All Acts 15:36–16-15 Following the clarification given by the Jerusalem council in Chapter 15, Paul sets out to strengthen and encourage the churches that he, and his missionary team, planted earlier on. The message they have is important, especially for the Gentiles who are still a little unsure of their […]
Sunday, December 23: Christmas Luke 2:1-12 And the angel said to them (the shepherds), “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in […]
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, December 2: Lord of All Acts 13:13–52 “And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’” Acts 13:32-33 One of […]
Sunday, November 25: Lord of All Acts 13:1–13 Acts 13 opens with the Spirit of God and the church at Antioch setting apart and sending out Paul and Barnabus for what will become their first missionary journey. Together, along with an intern named John Mark, they sail to the Island of Cyprus to tell people about […]
Sunday, November 18: Lord of All Acts 12:1–24 Christmas is still a few weeks away, but I thought it might be nice to have an early Christmas message this year. It’s the story of Mary and a miracle. It’s a story where an Angel appears with a message of hope. There is a star and […]
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 28: Lord of All Acts 9:32–43 In Acts 9:32-43, we are reunited with the Apostle Peter and join him as he visits the early church in Joppa. The ministry of Peter is similar to Paul in many ways, but it also shows us how different people are equipped in different ways around a […]
Sunday, October 21: Lord of All Acts 9:20–31 What comes to your mind when you think of the Apostle Paul? Great preacher and apologist. Courageous missionary to the Gentiles. Unflinching defender of the Christian faith. A.W. Tozer went so far as to call him, “the world’s most successful Christian.” I’m not sure about that but […]
Sunday, October 14: Lord of All Acts 9:1–19 Last summer we did a study based on the questions of Jesus. At the start of the series, we looked at the first recorded question of Jesus in Luke 2. As a young boy he had been left behind by Joseph and Mary in Jerusalem, and when […]
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 […]
Sunday, September 23: Making a Greater Impact 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not […]
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, September 9: Life Together George Gallup has written that Americans are among the loneliest people in the world. How can that be? Most Americans (75 to 80%) live in either cities or large suburbs. We are surrounded by a sea of people. Why would folks feel lonely? Your guess is as good as anyone […]
Sunday, September 2: Missions Recap “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” John 17:18 As the people of God, we are sent out into the world, just as Jesus himself was sent out into the world. We participate in acts of service, by visiting brother and sisters […]
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, August 19: Questions of Jesus Luke 7:36–50 In our text this week Jesus tells a little story that closes with a question. It’s a real simple story. Two people owe someone money but one person owes ten times as much as the other. When neither person can pay it back, however, both are forgiven of […]
Sunday, August 12: Questions of Jesus Mark 4:35–41 Do you remember the feeling of being afraid of the dark? As a child, if you heard the tiniest sound you knew for certain a stranger was pushing open a basement window and would be coming up the stairs any minute to kidnap you. Or, you might […]
Sunday, August 5: Questions of Jesus Luke 10:25–37 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers? Luke 10:36 One of the ways that Jesus taught during his earthly ministry was with a beautifully-formed question. The sort of questions that made his listeners pause […]
Sunday, July 29: Questions of Jesus Mark 10:17–22 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” Mark 10:17-18 […]
Sunday, July 22: Questions of Jesus John 6:1–71 One of the many things I appreciate about Jesus is that he always told people the truth, even if it hurt.This week we come to a scene where Jesus needs to tell some folks the truth about themselves and it is not very pretty. In fact, rather […]
Sunday, July 15: Questions of Jesus Luke 8:43–48 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” Luke 8:45 What does it mean […]
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 24: Questions of Jesus Luke 2:41–49 The questions we have for God are not nearly as important as the questions he has for us. It can be easy to miss, unless someone happens to point it out, that Jesus, during his short pilgrimage on earth, asked a lot of questions. Have you noticed? […]
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 27: Witness Acts 5:1–11 “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” The post-Pentecost church was characterized by a […]
Sunday, May 20: Witness Acts 4:23–37 And with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. Acts 4:33 Occasionally someone will ask me the question, “Are you a Spirit-filled church?” I’m always a bit conflicted. The correct answer is, “Yes,” but I know […]
Baby Dedication – May 13th 2018 Today we celebrate mothers across the world for their tireless efforts in raising their beloved babies to the people they have become. Thanks for everything you’ve done and continue to do for us, we love you!
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 22: Witness Acts 2:1–47 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to […]
Sunday, April 15: Witness Acts 1:12–26 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8 In some of his final words to the Apostles before he left, Jesus […]
Sunday, April 8: Witness Acts 1:1–11 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8 Last Sunday we celebrated Easter. This week we’re launching a new study series called Witness, based […]
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, March 25: Joseph Genesis 47–50 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20 (ESV) As we’ve explored the life of Joseph and his family, it’s become increasingly clear that God is […]
Sunday, March 11: Joseph Genesis 45:1–28 What is it that makes Joseph great? Have you ever thought about that? Why did the Spirit of God give him so much ink in Scripture? Maybe not as much as a Moses or a David – but still a lot.Think about it. He never did a miracle. He […]
Sunday, March 4: Lifewater This week we will be joined by Sean Martin from Lifewater. Lifewater is a Christian organization that brings clean water, improved health and hope to women and children living in extreme poverty. We are partnering with them this year and raising $12,000 to dig a well that will provide clean water […]
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, February 11: Joseph Genesis 42:1–38 When we think of the faithfulness of God, it’s easy to think of the Bible’s “Main Characters.” The big names of the Bible get their own cartoon movies: Moses and Joseph, or even Dave and the Giant Pickle, if you prefer Veggie Tales. We understand how God was faithful […]
Sunday, February 4: Joseph Genesis 41:1–57 What God does in us while we wait is as important as what we are waiting for. Ben Patterson I don’t know about your Bible, but in mine there is about an inch of white space between Genesis chapters 40 and 41. It doesn’t look like much on paper […]
Sunday, January 28: Joseph Genesis 40:1–23 It was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirring of good. Gradually, it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through […]
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, January 7: Joseph Genesis 37:1–11 Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.Genesis 37:8 A lot of people are familiar with Joseph but for a lot […]
Sunday, December 31: Baptism Acts 2:38 Do you remember the day you were baptized? Was it in a lake, or a river, or a stream? Perhaps even a horse trough? No matter where you were baptized, it’s probably a day that you will remember for the rest of your life. It’s the marker between an […]
Sunday, December 24: Christmas Luke 1:26-38 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.” (Luke 1:30, 31) God is in the habit of doing a certain thing […]
Sunday, December 17: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 13:1–25 If you have never read The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis you really should get around to it. It’s an imaginary story centered on a group of children who encounter Christ – except in the fictional world of Narnia, Jesus is represented by a huge lion, named Aslan.In […]
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, December 3: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 12:3–17 A few years back I ran a marathon. Okay, it was a long time ago. Even though I was considerably younger it was still excruciating. It felt like running from Tacoma to the top of Mt. Rainier and back – barefoot. Your muscles ache, your lungs burn, […]
Sunday, November 26: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 11:32–12:2 “You do not have to sit outside in the dark. If, however, you want to look at stars you will find darkness is required.” Annie Dillard God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Is that true? The first part is, of course. God […]
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, […]
Sunday, November 5: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 11:4–7 In Hebrews 11, the writer introduces us to a long list of people who lived “by faith.” At the same time, these same people, were considered weird, if not crazy, by the world around them.Noah’s neighbors no doubt believed he was certifiable when he began building a […]
Sunday, October 29: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 11:1–3 There are a lot of ideas floating around about what faith is. Some are metaphorical: “Faith is the heart of the soul.” (Anonymous) Some are theological: “Faith is to believe, on the Word of God, what we do not see and its reward is to see and enjoy what […]
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, October 8: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 9:15–10:18 A question is sometimes raised about the Bible, at least in the last few decades, if not before: What is the deal with all the blood? Have you ever wondered about that?Judaism has been called a “slaughter house religion.” Christianity has been ridiculed as the “Gospel of […]
Sunday, October 1: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 9:1–14 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) The Bible teaches that there is an inner place in every human life […]
Sunday, September 24: Freedom Sunday For nearly two decades we, as a church family, have been ministry partners with the International Justice Mission. Freedom Sunday is a movement to end the violent exploitation of over 45 million men, women and children trapped in slavery around the world. This Sunday, it will be our privilege to […]
Sunday, September 17: Life Entwined 2 Timothy 1 & 4 Be a Friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who wrote The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, also penned a lesser known work called Youth and Age. Written shortly before his death he reflects on his past and laments the passing of years and its physical effects. He wrote, for example:Nought cared […]
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, August 27: Who is This Man? Have you ever wondered why it matters that God put on flesh and dwelt among us? Or what the significance of God’s joining us meant for the world? As we wrap up our “Who is this man?” series considering the person and work of Jesus, we will be […]
Sunday, August 20: Who is This Man? Mathew 16:13–17 & Luke 4:16–21 Messiah It has been said that “the identity of Jesus is something like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s a puzzle that has been placed in every person’s hands to piece together before coming to some kind of conclusion.”In a sense, this is what we […]
Sunday, August 13: Who is This Man? Philippians 2:3–8 The True Human The great 21st century theologian, Jeremiah Hinton, in his recently released devotional, Who is This Man? writes: “I Corinthians introduces the idea of Jesus as the ‘last Adam,’ a perfectly obedient son who demonstrated how humans should have related to God.”Precisely. The Bible teaches that Jesus […]
Sunday, August 6: Who is This Man? The Suffering Servant Lord of Hosts. Bright Morning Star. Good Shepherd. These are a few of the many wonderful names for Jesus found in the Scriptures. He’s also known as the: Wonderful Counselor Alpha and Omega Mighty God Emmanuel Messiah Prince King Lion Man of Sorrows Wait. “Man […]
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 2: Who is This Man? John 2:1–11 The Miracle Worker “Dearly beloved, we are gathered together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in holy matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God at the time of creation for the […]
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, July 2: Who is This Man? John 14:6 In our upcoming series, we’ll be taking a closer look at the person and work of Jesus, by echoing the question about him, “Who is this man?”To start things off, we’ll explore some of the ways we already see Jesus, the familiar patterns we have in […]
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 11: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 7:1–28 “The gulf between God and us is still wider than we have so far considered. It is the chasm that yawns between us as rebellious creatures and God our righteous judge. It is not only that we lack the mental equipment to conceive him, but we lack the […]
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 28: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 5:1–10 In one of the Chronicles of Narnia, The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis, there’s a little girl named Aravis who has a slave girl. She treats her terribly. Aslan, the Christ figure in the Chronicle series, comes to Aravis and scratches her. She asks why he […]
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, May 14: Mother’s Day, Baby Dedication and a Message for Everyone We get to celebrate Moms and dedicate some babies this Sunday, which is always delightful and meaningful, but we will also have a message based on a story in the Bible. It’s about a young woman who becomes a mother and a mother who […]
Sunday, May 7: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 4:1–13 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. We live in a world that works really hard to wear us down. Perhaps you have noticed. Life, in our fallen […]
Sunday, April 30: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 3:1–19 Have you ever thought about walking away from your faith in Christ?The first readers of Hebrews thought about it. Living in, or near, Rome they were beginning to feel the pinch of religious oppression. We learn in the letter that no one in the church had yet died […]
Sunday, April 23: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 2:10–18 We’re in the fourth week of our “Sacred Spaces” series about the high priestly ministry of Jesus out of the book of Hebrews. In Jesus, we see a high priest who is able to fully understand us because he chose to become exactly like us. Our verses this week […]
Sunday, April 16: Easter Three year old Nicole was as anxious for Easter to come as she had been for Christmas to arrive. One day, as Nicole and her father stopped at a store to buy her a new pair of shoes, for the tenth time she said, “Daddy, I can’t wait for Easter!”“Honey,” her […]
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. […]