Scripture for December 30th: Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon: By A Different Road

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route."

Another year is passing and another year is soon to begin. Will the new year be any different than the last? Yes, I am sure we all will experience new joys, circumstances and challenges. But God still calls us to follow Him, and as we do, He encourages to travel down a “different road.” The road we are called to travel is not the same one our society advices to travel. No, the road we are to travel is “narrow” and difficult (Matthew 7:13-14) and it is one that calls us to discipline, self-denial and sometimes hardship. But it is also the road in which we experience the joy of the Lord and the meaning of life. It truly is a better way of life.

The Magi travelled this same road. It was a road that led them to the very wisdom of God – Jesus Christ. There they found great joy and hope. It was not the road that many would have taken. In fact, many in their day would mock or criticize the Magi for their travels. But as we look back at their decision to travel that road, we agree that they were indeed wise men.

This coming Sunday we will discuss travelling the road of the Magi as we complete our sermon series, “A Different Kind of Christmas.” I hope to see you then!

Scripture for December 23rd: Matthew 1:18-25

"This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."

Why did Jesus come? This is a question that is often asked by children during the Christmas season. If Jesus was God, why would He come as a baby? The answer is found in the Biblical passage above: “…He will save His people from their sins.” The reason Jesus came was to save us from our sins – to allow us to receive forgiveness that we could not obtain on our own. Jesus was born to a virgin, He lived a sinless life and at the end of His life He offered Himself a sacrifice for our sins. Through what He did we are able to obtain forgiveness through faith. This is the true Christmas message: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

This coming Sunday, we will celebrate the Christmas season by remembering that Christ came for us to experience forgiveness and in doing so, empower us to forgive those in our lives that have hurt us as we continue our sermon series, “A Different Kind of Christmas.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for December 16th: Matthew 25:41-46

Sermon Title: Sermon – Jesus Wish List

Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

This text may seem like a strange passage to read during Advent – it speaks more of prophecy and the return of Christ than it does of the birth of Christ. However, I believe that in this text we find what really matters to God. First, we see that God cares about what we do and, even more importantly, who we are. Our actions count and when we are selfish and self-centered, we act in a way that is counter to how God wants us to live. His desire is to transform our hearts so that we can live selflessly and loving others through the power of the Holy Spirit.

God also cares for the poor and needy. This text makes that very clear, but we also find passage after passage throughout the Bible that speaks about God concern and love for those who are in need. Make no mistake about it: God is partial to those who are weak. God desires that we, too, make those in need an important part of our life. As followers of Christ, we have no excuse for ignoring the poor.

But more than anything else, God desires to have a relationship with every human being. This is the true message of Christmas – God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us so that He could have a relationship with us. This is the “love” that is found in Christmas – God loves us with the greatest love that could ever be expressed. What is the greatest thing that you could give to God? Your heart and life. He desires you – will you give yourself to Him?

This coming Sunday we will talk more about what Jesus wants the most as we continue our sermon series, “A Different Kind of Christmas.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for December 9th: Luke 1:26-34

Sermon Title: Giving Up on Perfect

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”


What is a perfect Christmas for you? A Christmas surrounded with family, a good meal, lots of presents under the tree and your family at harmony with one another? Unfortunately, most people don’t experience a “perfect Christmas” – in fact, their experiences are far from it. Their world looks bleak, their family members struggle with so many problems and they themselves are weak and powerless to change things in their world and life.

This was exactly what the first Christmas was like. The world was under the control of the Roman Empire, and the governor of Judea (where Jesus was born) was a terrible and evil leader who ruled those under him through terror. Mary was not perfect; she was a sinner, just like every human is (Romans 3:23). She had her own shortcomings and doubts. And she was weak and powerless – not only was she merely a woman (women did not have any rights or authority in that era), but she was not rich or part of a royal family. And yet it was in the midst of this imperfect world and imperfect life that God performed His greatest miracle.

So it is with us today. God desires to perform miracles in our lives. We object – we say the world around is deserves not miracles, but judgment. Those in our lives have so many problems and fall so short of God’s standards. And, we, too, personally are so powerless to influence those we love or even change some of our own behavior. But God still works in our lives and wants to perform miracles – because it is when we are at our weakest, God does His very best work. (I Cor. 1:26-31).

This coming Sunday we will talk more about how God uses the imperfect to do His work as we continue the sermon series, “A Different Kind of Christmas.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Nov. 25th: Luke 4:18-21; Isaiah 7:14

Sermon: Expect A Miracle

Luke 4:18-21: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

“Things never change.” We often hear this statement from discouraged Christians as they survey the world around them. It seems that conditions in the world don’t get better, and if anything, they only get worse. But in the midst of chaos and sin in the world, God is actively working and performing His will through the lives of average people, and in some cases, performing miracles.

In the text above, Jesus announced to those who knew him for many years, some of whom probably knew Him since He was a child, that He was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 6:1,2. In other words, He was declaring Himself to be the long-promised Messiah. But the people could not accept this – they saw Jesus as part of the world around them, a world where there was not much hope and no expectation of God performing anything close to a miracle. Because of their lack of faith and pessimism, they missed the greatest miracle in all history – the Son of God, “Emanuel”, living in their midst.

We, too, can miss what God is not only doing today, but what He desires to do in the future. We do this when we live in our own doubt, faithlessness, and pessimism and fail to accept the fact that God is a God of miracles. God performs miracles and wants to perform them in our own lives, in the lives of others and in our church. We will talk more about expecting miracles as we begin the sermon series, “A Different Kind of Christmas” on Sunday. Hope to see you then!

Scripture for November 25th: Acts 16:22-34

Sermon Title: Overcoming Independent Behavior

The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

“I’m the boss.” This is an attitude that many will display in their lives as they relate to others. What is important to these individuals is that they get their way and that relationships benefit primarily themselves. For others, because they have experienced material success, they feel as if they don’t need anyone to help them. They believe that they “pulled themselves up” through their own power, so they certainly don’t need to be dependent upon anyone else.

The truth is humans lack control of so many circumstances in life. No one can totally control when and how disease will impact one’s life. Many a person who is seemingly healthy today may be in the hospital tomorrow. A simple drive to the grocery store one afternoon may alter a person’s life if he or she experiences a serious automobile accident on the way there. Millions of people in the past have gone to sleep thinking they were wealthy but woke up the next morning to learn that their financial advisor embelizzed their savings. Humans don’t control all their affairs or circumstances; ultimately events will happen in every life that will be unexpected, unavoidable and very much unwelcome.

The passage above demonstrates this. At one moment the jailer is in charge. He was respected and controlled the lives of those who were in the jail. Later, we find that he is not even in charge of his own fate. At this point, he becomes dependent on Paul and Silas, mere prisoners, and ultimately, God. His perspective changed because his circumstances changed. However, the truth never changed – the jailer never really was in charge of his life, before or after the earthquake – God was always the final authority.

This coming Sunday we will talk about how we can overcome our natural tendencies to display independent behavior and by doing so, become more dependent on God in our lives as we conclude the sermon series, “Love Busters.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for November 18th: Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon: Overcoming Our Annoying Habits

Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to a desert. There He was tempted by the devil. Jesus went without food for forty days and forty nights. After that He was hungry. The devil came tempting Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to be made into bread.” But Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man is not to live on bread only. Man is to live by every word that God speaks.’” Then the devil took Jesus up to Jerusalem, the holy city. He had Jesus stand on the highest part of the house of God. The devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. It is written, ‘He has told His angels to look after You. In their hands they will hold You up. Then Your foot will not hit against a stone.’” Jesus said to the devil, “It is written also, ‘You must not tempt the Lord your God.’” Again the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain. He had Jesus look at all the nations of the world to see how great they were. He said to Jesus, “I will give You all these nations if You will get down at my feet and worship me.” Jesus said to the devil, “Get away, Satan. It is written, ‘You must worship the Lord your God. You must obey Him only.’” Then the devil went away from Jesus. Angels came and cared for Him.

We often excuse our behavior, our annoying habits that are destructive to our relationship with others, by saying that this: God made me this way. In this statement that is often made, we find the biggest barrier to change – our stubborn unwillingness to do anything different. We are often very comfortable with who we are and what we do and don’t want to consider how our actions hurt others. If we are going to improve so that we can be a greater blessing to others, we must first desire to change.

W.F. Harley, Jr. talks about how important it is for married couples to be willing to change our annoying habits when he writes the following: “The bottom line is that a couple who want to stay in love must pay close attention to the way they affect each other. A marriage just doesn’t work if either spouse ignores that reality. Whether they’re intentional or not, habits affect the love they have for each other. So if one spouse finds some of the other’s habits annoying, they simply have to go. Otherwise, their marriage won’t be what either one wants it to be.” The truth is this can apply to any relationship that we have – unless we are willing to change our annoying habits, we will not have the type of relationships that we want with others.

So when we decide we truly want to change, how do we do this? We will talk more about this on Sunday, as we examine how Christ overcame the temptation and the influence of Satan in the passage above. Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Nov 4th: Lamentations 3:19-24

Sermon: Our Past, Present and Future in God

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

How do you view your past? I believe how you view your past will influence how you view your present and future. For the prophet Jeremiah, his past include so much agony and heartache. He saw his homeland overtaken by a great army, literally hundreds of thousands die due to the ongoing war, and countless of others taken into captivity. Jeremiah lived during a period in which his country experience great bitterness and gall (suffering). And yet as he remembers his “affliction and wandering” he is reminded of this:

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.”

Although Jeremiah went through some terrible experiences, he still was able to see God’s great love throughout those experiences. He still, in the middle of his country’s downfall, was able to see how God had blessed Israel and how God was ever faithful.

The notes in a study Bible, The Open Bible, says this: “One of the most remarkable statements of faith in all of Scripture, coming as it does after the awful cry of desolation in Lamentations 3:1–18. Despite the immediate horror and God’s seeming silence (v. 8), the writer remembers all the evidence of God’s compassions and faithfulness in the past; he refuses to give up hope now. Though every earthly possession is gone, God is the best portion (v. 24, inheritance) of all."

How do you see your past? Are you angry or upset over difficult circumstances that you had to experience? Or maybe someone has hurt you greatly and you are still bitter over the experience. If so, the prophet Jeremiah has news for you: God was faithfully loving you through every circumstance and relationship that you experienced. And it only was because of His love that you were not “consumed” by those circumstances and relationships. You survived because of God’s love and today you are given new opportunities because of His faithfulness. God shows us His love in new ways each and every day and today the prophet Jeremiah would have you know this about the ways God demonstrates His love for you: “They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

This coming Sunday we will celebrate our past, present and future as a church. And as we do, I hope we will be reminded that God has been a loving presence in our church throughout her existence. And because of this, we can be excited about what He is doing now, and what He will do in our future. Hope to see you Sunday and plan on joining us for lunch at our pot-luck dinner immediately after the worship service as we celebrate the faithfulness of our great God.

Scripture for October 28th: Matthew 5:21-23

Sermon Title: Overcoming Angry Outbursts

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

“He made me so angry.” I’ve often heard this excuse to justify an angry outburst. Of course I got angry and hurt others, they will say, because something unjust was done to them.

W.F. Haley writes about how common it is for people to display this attitude: “Most of the people that I’ve counseled who are perpetrators of angry outbursts don’t see their anger as a serious problem in their marriage. As far as they’re concerned, the real problem is their spouse’s behavior that they think triggers their angry outbursts. ‘If she’d just stop being so annoying, I wouldn’t get angry.’ ‘If he’d be a little more thoughtful and considerate I wouldn’t lose my temper.’ In other words, most of the people who have angry outbursts feel that the other person made them do it.”

The Scripture above tells us that God does not blame others when we hurt people with our angry outbursts. No, instead He holds us accountable for our actions. Notice that Scripture does not deny that we will get angry from time to time. Anger is a human emotion and everyone feels anger from time to time. But what God will hold us responsible for is what we do with anger and when we hurt others with our anger, we are “subject” to His judgment.

So how do we overcome angry outbursts? On Sunday, we will give 4 concrete ways to stop angry outbursts as we continue the sermon series, “Lovebusters.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Oct. 21st: Luke 18:9-14

Sermon: Overcoming Disrespectful Judgments

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

We often think we know about what others intend to do. The key word in that sentence is: “think.” We assume what their thoughts and intentions are, and then we act or react accordingly. Unfortunately, many times our judgments are incorrect and because they are, we often inflict damage on our relationships, especially those closest to us.

Dr. W.F. Haley best describes what a disrespectful judgment is. He writes, “A disrespectful judgment occurs whenever someone tries to impose a system of values and beliefs on someone else.” This is exactly what the Pharisee was doing in the parable that Jesus told. The Pharisee wrongly believed that God was impressed with him because of all the good things that he had done. He also wrongly assumed that the tax collector could not receive forgiveness from God. And he was wrong in thinking that God was more pleased with him than He was with the tax collector. Because of his wrong assumptions, he treated the tax collector with contempt and had no meaningful relationship with him.

How often we do this in our own lives. If we are going to have strong, healthy relationships with others, we must learn to overcome our own tendency to inflict others with our disrespectful judgments. To do this, we must treat others with respect, look out for the best interests of others, test our opinions and be willing to admit we can be wrong. We will talk more about each of these as we continue the sermon series, “Lovebusters” this coming Sunday. Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Oct. 14th: I Corinthians 13:1-7

Sermon: Overcoming Selfishness

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

One of the greatest hinderances to living life the way God intended is selfishness. Our need to please "self" has destroyed more relationships and has brought more pain and destruction to lives than almost anything else humanity has done. I know those are strong words and some might think that it is an oversimplification of the struggles of humanity. However, think back to the story of the Garden of Eden - why did Adam and Eve disobey God? It was to please themselves - they thought first and only about themselves and not their relationship with God. This sin has since been repeated over and over. And one of the primary reasons relationships are broken? At least one person is overly focused on themselves, or in other words, selfishness.

W. E. Gladstone observed, “Selfishness is the greatest curse of the human race.” Dr. J. Mason has written this about selfishness: "Self-interest is a fire that consumes others and then itself. Almost all of our unhappiness is the result of selfishness. Instead, think in terms of what the other person wants, not just what you want. It is absolutely true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others succeed. The measure of life is not in its duration, but in its donation. Everyone can be great because everyone can serve." And the great chaplain of the US Congress, Peter Marshall, once said: "When you are serving others, life is no longer meaningless."

This coming Sunday, we will talk more about overcoming selfishness through being love focused, honoring others, demanding less and requesting thoughtfully as we begin the sermon series, "Love Busters." Hope to see you then!

Scripture for October 7th: Luke 5:12-16

Sermon Title: Touch

"While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

One way God shows us His love is through the power of touch. We see this in the story of Jacob, wrestling with God, and receiving His blessing through the touching of his hip (Genesis 32:25-30). Moses was also physically touched and his body responded with a great glow that surrounded his face (Exodus 34:29-33). And we certainly see the power of touch in Jesus ministry, as He healed a blind man through His touch (John 9:11), blessed children through touching them (Mark 10:15-16) and the healing of the leper in the Scripture above.

God can use us to bless others through our physical, loving touches. Through our touches, we can connect with others in a powerful way. And by connecting with them in such a way, God can use us to help transform their lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our physical touch can be used by God to not only connect others to us, but also to connect them to Him. Do not forget to convey your love for others through this very powerful means of communication - today, there are people in your life that need a loving, physical touch. You can provide that and ultimately connect them to the love of God.

This coming Sunday, we will talk more about the power of touch and its ability to connect, change and charge our lives as we conclude the sermon series, "Love Languages: Five Ways to Give and Receive Love." Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Sept. 30th: Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon Title: Acts of Service

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

What if how you think is wrong? Have you ever thought about how you view the world could be wrong? That’s what happened here in this Scripture passage. As the nations are gathered before God, some people thought that life was about power and the accumulation of wealth. They looked upon the poor and weak as beneath them, giving those people little time or attention. However, they were quickly made aware of the fact that their perception of who and what was important was wrong. They learned that God not only cares for the poor, hungry, thirsty and sick, but they are special to Him. What those people valued was really worthless in the view of eternity.

We are reminded by this passage that our acts of service are important because people are important to God. The things we often place great value on – our possessions, our hobbies, our desires and comfort – are things that have no eternal value. If we are “right” in our thinking, we will consider the highest priority of our lives to be serving God and others. Only this will last the test of eternal time.

On Sunday, we will talk more about acts of service, and how they should be performed in light of God’s care for people, especially those in need, and with an eternal perspective, as we continue the sermon series, “Love Languages: Five Ways of Giving and Receiving Love.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Sept 23rd: John 16:16-24; 3:17

Sermon: Receiving Gifts

John 16:16-24
“In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.” Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.” Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.


John 3:17
God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

We know, from these Scriptures and the teachings found throughout the Bible, that our God is a generous gift-giver. In fact, He is the greatest gift-giver ever! Dr. Gary Chapman writes the following about God being a gift-giver:

“Throughout human history, God has revealed Himself as one who loves those who will acknowledge Him. He, in turn, expresses His love by giving gifts. Sometimes those gifts are material things that can be touched and tasted, such as food, clothing, and shelter. Other times His gifts are in the realm of the spiritual—eternal life, forgiveness of sins, peace of mind, and purpose of life.

The theme of God as the giver of gifts runs deeply through the channels of Hebrew and Christian history. To individuals for whom gift-giving is the primary love language, the giving aspect of God’s nature is extremely compelling.”

We, too, should learn how to convey our love to others through gift-giving. For some people, this is the primary way they give and receive love, and many of this type of people are gift giving experts! What are some of the most important gifts that we can share with others? Many would say physical gifts (money, treasures, etc.) are the most important gifts, but it is the spiritual gifts that truly bring life to all. These gifts include prayer, joy and the message of the Gospel. We will talk about giving these gifts to others on Sunday as we continue the sermon series, “Love Languages: Five Ways of Giving and Receiving Love.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Sept. 16th: Exodus 33:7-14

Sermon: Quality Time

“Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped each at the entrance to their tent. The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

What matters most? Everyone has just a certain amount of time each day and because our time is value and irreplaceable, we are forced to ask, “What matters most? Is what I am spending my time on most important, or is there something else I should use my limited time on?’ The Scripture above demonstrates that Moses thought it was very important to spend his limited time on his relationship with God. Moses was very, very busy, having to lead a people who were stuck in a desert, having to be both their political and spiritual leader and always being mindful of enemies outside and inside the camp wanting to destroy his people. He certainly had his plate full and the demands for his time were great. And yet he designed, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, a place that was called “the tent of meeting” to have quality time with God. Why? Because that’s what mattered most. Although Moses had many responsibilities and many tasks that were important, nothing compared in importance to his quality time with God.

What matters most to you? Certainly, we can all say our jobs or means in which we support ourselves and others. And if we were honest, our time that we spend entertaining ourselves would be high on our list, even if we were unwilling to admit it. But what is most important? Our God and others. That is why we should learn from Moses and build precious time in our daily lives for quality fellowship with God, our family, our loved ones and others in our lives.

This coming Sunday we talk more about how to have quality time as we continue the sermon series, “Love Languages: Five Ways to Give and Receive Love.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for September 9th: Psalm 100

Sermon Title: Words of Affirmation

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Sometimes the words that we hear can give us the most encouragement that we could ever receive otherwise. And for some people, the best way they convey and receive love is through words of affirmation. Given this, Christians should be experts at blessing others through their words, but sadly, this is not the case. Too many Christians use their words to criticize and talk about others, their by using words to hurt, hinder and even destroy relationships.

Dr. Gary Smalley writes that God uses His Words to affirm His creation. He says:
“All of the words from God affirm the worth of human beings. Modern nihilistic thinking concludes that people are worthless and their lives have no meaning, but that is not the message of the Scriptures. All of the specific commands of God in both the Old and New Testaments affirm our worth, flow from His love, and direct us toward a higher goal. Some people find the commands of God restrictive and rebel against them. But those who know God believe that His prohibitions are designed to keep them from those things that would destroy them. They also believe the admonitions of God are designed to help them experience life’s highest good.

The God of the Bible is characterized as the God who speaks. His words are designed to build a relationship with people. The Scriptures consistently declare God’s words of encouragement:
• “Do not fear, for I am with You; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
• “For I know the plans I have for you … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
• “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”
• “I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”


Christians should follow the example that God has set forth and use words of affirmation to bless others. In using such words, we will affirm our experiences, others experiences and seek to bless, not curse, others in our lives. We will speak more about this on Sunday, as we start a new sermon series entitled, “Love Languages: Fives Ways to Give and Receive Love.” Please bring a friend with you as we celebrate “Friend Day.” I hope to see you then!

Scripture for September 2nd: Psalm 23

Sermon Title: Walking in the Valley

The LORD is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He lets me rest in grassy meadows; He leads me to restful waters; He keeps me alive. He guides me in proper paths for the sake of His good name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because You are with me. Your rod and Your staff—they protect me. You set a table for me right in front of my enemies. You bathe my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over! Yes, goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the LORD’s house as long as I live. (CEV)

Difficult times often seem bleak and hopeless. Maybe the hardest and most difficult of times is when we lose something or somebody that means so much to us, and the seemingly lack of purpose for that loss. During those times, it often appears that we are walking through a long, hard “darkest” of valleys, one in which we will never depart. It is there that the psalmist writes God, Our Heavenly Shepherd, meets us and gives to us “a table” and a “cup” that spills over.

Theologian R. Ellsworth writes the following concerning these verses: “David affirms that God’s provisions for his guests are both constant and abundant. The constancy of God’s provisions means that God’s people have them in every situation and circumstance. We have already noted that the saints of God have enemies in the hour of death. They have them all through life as well. These enemies are the world, the flesh and the devil. Knowing about these enemies, David here subjects God’s care to what we might call the ultimate test. He asserts that God’s care cannot be negated or destroyed by these fierce enemies. David sees himself sitting at a banquet table while they gather all around. While they threaten and snarl, he feasts. Such is the care of God!

David emphasizes the abundance of God’s care in these terms: You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. (v. 5b). It was customary in those days to receive a guest by anointing him with fragrant perfume and with a cup filled with a choice wine. In this way, the host indicated that nothing was to be considered too good for his guest. David declares that God’s care surpasses even this. His head had been anointed, and his cup was overflowing. Such care compelled David to say: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; …(v. 6a). God’s goodness is that disposition which causes him actively to seek the wellbeing of his creature. His mercy is that quality that inclines him to relieve misery. Because he had seen so very much of God’s faithful care in every conceivable situation, David knew he could count on God’s goodness and mercy every step of the way.”

God provides His goodness and mercy, in every way and every day, because of His great love for us. And because of that, though we go through the valley, we can experience His peace, blessing and ultimately, eternal life. We will talk more about these things on Sunday as we complete our sermon series, “Lessons from Psalm 23.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for August 26th: Psalm 23:3,4

Sermon Title: A Shepherd’s View

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (KJV)

How does God view us? Is He angry with us for things we have done? Or is He like a disappointed parent, wishing we had made better decisions? Or even still, is God upset at how we have lived our lives?

The King David speaks of God’s great love for us His children in this Psalm. Bible scholar Dr. A. Knowles writes the following concerning this Psalm and how God views us:

“We are invited to imagine the eastern shepherd at work. He is the leader, provider and protector of his flock. He knows every animal by name, and values each one more than his own life. As David was a shepherd-boy, and Jesus describes himself as the ‘good shepherd’, these verses take us to the heart of pastoral care. Walking ahead of his sheep and calling them to follow, the shepherd finds fresh pasture to graze and safe places to drink. Even when the flock has to squeeze through a narrow defile, the sheep have nothing to fear. The shepherd can haul them to safety with his staff, or beat on the rock wall with his rod to let them know he is near.

The shepherd tends his sheep in every way. He clears the pasture of stones and levels the potholes — then stands guard while they eat. He checks their heads for sunburn and treats their wounds with soothing oil. When they are thirsty, he fills the drinking trough to the brim. At night he takes them into his own home. This is how God is with his people, says the psalmist. He is like a shepherd, and I am in his constant care. His goodness and love will never fail me. In old age and in the face of death, I will continue to live with him.”

Psalm 23, particularly verses 3 and 4, reminds us that God always works in our lives, He never leaves us and continually teaches and guides us throughout life’s circumstances. He does this because He views us as if we were His sheep, His responsibility, as He acts as our Shepherd. We will speak more about how God views us this coming Sunday as we continue the sermon series, “Lessons from Psalm 23.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for August 19th: Psalm 23:1-2

Sermon Title: My Shepherd, My Leader

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD. Forever.

What in the world is God doing? This is the question that many people will ask as they go through a difficult time in life. And truly, it is very hard at times to know exactly how our experiences in life fit into God’s overall plan for creation. However, we know that God desires the very best for us, just like we desire the very best for our children. And He wants us to experience contentment, rest and refreshment in our lives, regardless of what is happening around us.

How does God do this? He does it on the inside of us – He works on our character and inner person. God knows that true contentment, rest and refreshment will never last if it comes from some external source. So He offers these things to us in our hearts and minds – and that is what God is doing in each of our lives. He is leading us to a life that is free from greed, anxiety and inner turmoil – all issues of the heart that causes so much pain and destruction in our lives.

This coming Sunday, we will talk more about how our Great Shepherd leads us in our lives to experience true contentment, rest and refreshment as we begin the sermon series, “Lessons from Psalm 23.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for August 5th: Psalm 148:1-13

Sermon: God’s People Speak About God’s Greatness

Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise Him in the heights above. Praise Him, all His angels;
praise him, all His heavenly hosts. Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars. Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for at His command they were created, and He established them forever and ever— He issued a decree that will never pass away. Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do His bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

God’s people are expected to be a people that praise God. We see this in the Psalm listed above, as the Psalmist says, “Let them praise the name of the LORD!” Why are God’s people expected to praise God? Because He is worthy of praise from that which He has created.

Bible scholar R. Ellsworth writes about how God’s people should see the blessings of God all around them coming from God’s commands and that this, too, should create a heart of praise within believers. He wrote about the Psalmist description of blessings found in Psalm 148: “What was the nature of those blessings? God had once again given security and peace to the city and the surrounding areas (vv. 13–14a). He had also given bountiful crops (v. 14b). The restoration of these blessings, after years and years of their absence, was no small reason for praise. The author did not want to leave any doubt about the source of these remarkable blessings. It was the powerful, effective word of the sovereign God. That word ‘runs very swiftly’ (v. 15). The word which goes out of his mouth is, as it were, very eager to accomplish the thing that he commands. And this word does not return ‘void’ to the Lord but rather accomplishes his purpose (Isa. 55:11). The psalmist again appeals to the natural order to make his point. The snow, the frost, the hail, the cold, the thawing and the wind are all examples of the effectiveness of his word (vv. 15–18).

The people of God were enormously blessed because they had received the word of God in a special way. He had declared ‘his word to Jacob’ and ‘his statutes and his judgements to Israel’ (v. 15). To make sure his point would not be missed, the writer says of God: He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His judgments, they have not known them (v. 20). With the concluding ‘Praise the LORD!’ the psalmist leaves by the same door through which he entered.”

This coming Sunday, we will pause in the midst of a busy summer schedule to give God our highest praise for not only blessings, but most importantly, for Who He is. I hope to see you then!

Scripture for July 22nd: Romans 1:18-25

Sermon: Myth# 7, Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

“Your conscience helps you make the right choices.” This statement is often made to suggest that everyone knows right from wrong, and our “conscience” should guide us in the process. This sounds right, and in fact, the Apostle Paul said in the above Scripture that “the creation of the world” declares “God’s invisible qualities.” Because of this, everyone is “without excuse” and should know right from wrong. However, the Scripture goes on to say that because of sin, our hearts “were darkened” and God gave us over to “the sinful desires” of our hearts. Therefore, our conscience alone is not adequate to help us make moral decisions.

Dr. D. Briscoe refers to humanity’s ability to know God through the power of creation when he wrote the following: “When Paul spoke of God having shown the truth about Himself to mankind he was not referring solely to an inner subjective experience in which man had an intuitive sense of God. God has revealed Himself in the created world in such a way that “His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (v. 20). From this statement it is apparent that man’s intelligence and observational powers, as well as his moral insight and spiritual intuition, are all involved in God’s self-revelation to man.

I remember on one particularly stormy night flying with two friends in a light aircraft from Tennessee to Wisconsin. A massive storm stretched across our path and our pilot elected to press on regardless. First we looked for a break in the storm but found none. Then we tried to fly over the storm but found it went higher than we could! So we attempted to fly under the problem, but this was not possible, so we took a deep breath and flew straight through! Air currents of unbelievable force picked up our small plane and literally hurled it around the sky. The crash of thunder was so loud at times it drowned the noise of the engine, and the lightning was so intense that we were blinded by its persistent flashes crackling all around us. I have never been so glad to put my two big feet on terra firma as when we finally arrived at our destination. But I came out of the experience enriched. As never before I had seen the sheer immensity of the power of nature, but I had also been able to interpret this power as a demonstration of God’s “invisible attributes … even His eternal power and Godhead.”

This ability to translate what theologians call “general revelation” into the knowledge of God’s invisible attributes is a gift of God without which man would see, feel, hear, and experience only inanimate, impersonal forces and respond to them as such. Fortunately, human experience shows that man in all types of civilizations has looked at such forces with much greater insight and has been able to see behind them (however imperfectly) that which points to God Himself.”

Though we can know about God through creation, our sin does not allow us to know how to please Him or how to make the right moral decisions through creation. How then do we do this? This coming Sunday we will talk about how to make proper moral decision through the authority of Scripture, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the aid of the Church as we continue our sermon series, “Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for July 15th: Matthew 7:1-5; 7:15-20

Sermon: Myth #6, Christians Should Not Judge

Matthew 7:1-5
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Matthew 7:15-20
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

“Christians should never judge others.” This is a common belief among Christians and non-Christians, and is often used to justify a person’s behavior. The thought goes, “hey, don’t judge me for what I do or don’t do, it’s not your job.” Any behavior should be acceptable and no one has the right to say anything to the contrary.

Because this idea is so popular, many people are shocked to learn that the Bible teaches us that there are things that we should judge. For instance, Matthew 7:15-20 (see above) tells us Jesus encouraged us to judge whether or not Bible teachers are teaching the truth. In fact, He said that there would be some who would come and teach lies. He encouraged us to judge what they said and determine whether it was true. The Bible also teaches that we should judge ourselves. II Cor. 13:5 says: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” We need to judge whether we are “in the faith,” i.e., whether we are truly Christians. And we should examine our actions, to ensure that we are living lives pleasing to God.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee interprets Matthew 7:1-5 in this manner: “These verses have really been misunderstood. To judge can mean “to decide, to distinguish, to condemn, to avenge,” and it actually can mean “to damn.” These verses do not mean that a child of God is forbidden to judge others, but it does mean that we are not to judge the inward motives of others in the sense of condemning them. We do not know or understand why a brother in Christ does a certain thing. We see only outward acts. God doesn’t forbid our judging wrong and evil actions, as we will see. The point is that if you are harsh in your judgments of others, you will be known as the type of person who is severe in his considerations of others. I know this type of person, and I am sure you do, also. Perhaps somebody has said to you, “Don’t pay any attention to what he says; he never has a good word to say.” You see, he is being judged by the way he judges. This is what our Lord is saying in these verses.”

Are there times when we should not judge? And how can we truly help a person in need? These are the questions we will be answering as we continue our sermon series, “Dumb Things that Smart Christians Believe” on Sunday. Hope to see you then!

Scripture for July 8th: Hebrews 12:1, John 1:12, Acts 1:8

Sermon Title: Power on Our Journey

Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.


John 1:12
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

“Why do Christians live like the devil?” Someone once asked me this question and what she was referring to is the fact many people call themselves Christians but don’t act like it. The passages listed above speak of God’s salvation and the power that comes from a relationship with Him. It does not speak of mere religion, but a mere, pure and powerful Christ following life. It is by establishing and maintaining this type of relationship with God that we are not given religion, but a life transforming heart that will allow us to live like Christians should.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes the following concerning Acts 1:8: “There is…this most extraordinary addition that our Lord himself made: “Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This is truly staggering. Here was a Jew, born in poverty, one who worked as a carpenter, who began to preach at the age of thirty and after some three years was crucified on a cross, dying in utter weakness, and was laid in a tomb. But here he was, telling these men they would be witnesses to Him “unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Here is a message for the whole world.

I emphasize that because there are people who say that the Christian faith is all right if you happen to be interested in religion, but if you do not happen to have a religious mentality and outlook, then it does not matter, you can just take up what you like. But that is shown to be a lie by our Lord’s words. Here is a message that is to be proclaimed to the ends of the earth. Why? Because something happened in this person, Jesus, that affects every single individual who ever has been or ever shall be in this world of time.

Now if Christianity were merely a philosophy or a political idea, no one would be bound to believe it. There are rival schools of philosophy; there are rival teachings and theories, and one person believes this and another that. But what we are facing here is not what you and I believe, but facts, and the facts are about this person called Jesus—what He did and what He said and the meaning of His person. So there is nothing more tragic than when men and women say, “Shut your Bibles; the facts don’t matter at all. What does it matter whether Jesus was a man, or God as well as man?” They have got it all wrong. It is the person who matters most of all.”

This coming Sunday we will hear more about how God can powerfully impact our lives as Rev. Randol Mercer will bring the message. I encourage you to prepare your heart to receive a message of hope and renewal. Hope to see you then!



A picture of a Christian trying to live the
Christian life without the power of God:

Scripture for July 1st: Psalm 33:12-22

Sermon Title: Myth #5, God Loves the USA so We Cannot Lose


Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth— he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

“God will always bless America.” Many people believe this because they think that America is God’s special country, a country that was pre-ordained by God to be a blessing to the nations. This theory is often called “Americanism” and it is a widely accept fact in many Christian circles. However, the Bible does not speak about America, nor does it give special status to any nation besides Israel. The Bible does say that God will hold a nation corporately responsible for her actions – if the nation follows God, it will be blessed; if it does not, it will be judged.

Dr. L.J. Ogilive writes the following concerning the passage above: “Not only does the creation exist by the word of God, the nations are also judged by that same word. Thus verses 10–11 contrast the vain “counsel” and “plans” of the nations with God’s own “counsel” and “plans.”In their pride, the “nations” (“Gentiles”) claim a false autonomy. They offer their worldly “counsel” (“advice, wisdom”) and they make their “plans.” They live on the horizontal, employing politics as the “art of the possible.” Their devices are “balance of power,” “the dictatorship of the proletariat,” “pro-choice,” the New Deal, the thousand-year Reich, NATO, the Warsaw Pact, the Alliance for Progress, and so on. Their “counsel” and “plans,” however, are a passing show. Thus God brings the autonomy of the nations, which is their idolatry, “to nothing,” “of no effect.” He breaks their rebellious spirit. On the other hand, “the counsel of the Lord stands forever” and His “plans” last through the “generations,” for this “counsel” and these “plans” come from the eternal God who speaks His word and who does His work in righteousness and truth.”

Nations and their affairs can never dictate to God what is right, holy and true. He will always be above the nations, their circumstances and issues of the day. And He is always prepared to bless and help those who follow Him with all their hearts, no matter what country they live in. I will speak more about how God blesses the nations this coming Sunday as I continue the sermon series, “Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for June 24th: Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon – Myth #4, God Has A Pre-Determined Blueprint for My Life

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“God will always work out His will in our lives.” This is a common misconception that is often communicated by sincere believers. No matter what happens, they say, God will carry out His purposes in our lives. But the parable that Jesus spoke tells us that this is not true. In fact, our decisions do matter and our decisions with the choices that we are confronted with can have a profound impact for all of eternity.

L.J. Ogilvie writes the following concerning this parable: “This parable focuses primarily upon the useless servant. Gifts that are not used are lost. The title “talents” is unfortunate, in that in our language we use the word “talent” to refer to natural aptitudes or abilities that people have. The talent in this story was a weight, and its value depended on whether the object weighed was copper, silver, or gold. In the story, talents were given to the several men according to their “abilities” (v. 15). It would be best to interpret the talents as opportunities. And in the parable each of the men is given opportunity according to ability and is expected to serve faithfully. This is a parable on responsibility.

The men who had received five and two talents respectively took risks; they applied themselves actively in their responsibility. But the unfaithful servant thought only of himself and his security, risked nothing, and achieved nothing.

On the Master’s return there is an accounting from each. The two servants, representing faithful disciples, had transformed privilege into action. The response of the Master carries the note of eschatological joy; the “good and faithful” servants enter the joy of their Master. But as soon as the unfaithful servant opens his mouth, it is evident that he was not interested in his Lord’s cause or advantage but rather in saving his own skin. One who cannot venture his own person cannot take risks for the sake of his Lord! He was judged according to his conduct. What was given was taken away, “For whosoever shall save his life shall lose it… .” The story closes with the language of destruction in outer darkness—the symbol of the anguish of ultimate separation.”

Our decisions do matter; God will not “over-ride” our will – we will be accountable for the decisions we make. On Sunday, we will discuss this parable further and we will see how the role of initiative, faith and faithfulness should play in our decision-making as we continue the sermon series, “Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for June 17th: Ephesians 6:1-4

Sermon Title: Myth #3, A Godly Home Guarantees Godly Children

“Children, you belong to the Lord, and you do the right thing when you obey your parents. The first commandment with a promise says, “Obey your father and your mother, and you will have a long and happy life.” Parents, don’t be hard on your children. Raise them properly. Teach them and instruct them about the Lord.”

This story is taken from an edition of the daily devotional, “Our Daily Bread”: “A strange dog came to a preacher’s house, and his three sons soon became quite fond of it. It so happened that there were three white hairs in the animal’s tail. One day an advertisement was seen in the newspaper about a lost dog which fitted that description perfectly. “In the presence of my three boys,” said the minister, “we carefully separated the three white hairs and removed them.” The real owner discovered where the straying canine had found a home and came to claim him. The dog showed every sign of recognition, so the man was ready to take him away.

Quickly the minister spoke up, “Didn’t you say the dog would be known by three white hairs in its tail?” The owner, unable to find the identifying feature, was forced to leave. The minister said later, “we kept the dog, but I lost my three boys for Christ.” His sons no longer had confidence in what their father professed. He hadn’t practiced what he preached.”

What we do or don’t do will influence those around us, especially those we love the most. But can we do things to “guarantee” that they will choose to follow God? Many believe we can, because they think that a godly home will always produce godly children. We will share why this is not true and why parents are still response to influence their children in a godly manner this coming Sunday as we continue the sermon series, “Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for June 10th: Psalm 51:1-15

Sermon Title: Myth #2, Forgiving Means Forgetting

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.

“But God forgot about my sin, so why shouldn’t I?” This was a response that a woman had about a grievous sin that she had committed which hurt many people. She believed that God had forgiven and forgotten her sin, so she was not going to think about her past at all. It was time to move forward, and to forget her past. Unfortunately, this is the attitude many Christians have about their past sins – because God has forgiven, then we should simply forget them. However, if we choose to never remember our past, then we lose such great opportunities for blessings and to be a blessing to others. For example, when we remember what God has delivered us from, we are reminded that sin never works – it always brings destruction to our lives. This causes us to run from sin and turn to God, living in the ways in which He taught us to live. Sin is like falling off a cliff and getting hurt – when we remember all the pain that we felt when we fell off the cliff, we want to stay away from the edge and remain on safe ground.

Someone once wrote “10 things we cannot do without reaping bad consequences.” Here’s that list:

(1) Sow bad habits and reap a good character.
(2) Sow jealously and hatred and reap love and friendship.
(3) Sow wicked thoughts and reap a clean life.
(4) Sow wrong deeds and live righteously.
(5) Sow crime and get away with it.
(6) Sow dissipation and reap a healthy body.
(7) Sow crooked dealings and succeed indefinitely.
(8) Sow self-indulgence and not show it in your face.
(9) Sow disloyalty and reap loyalty from others.
(10) Sow profane words and reap clean speech.

Galatians 6:7 reminds us that we will “reap what we sow” and whenever we sin, we will reap the consequences. It’s good to remember the past consequences of sin in our life to avoid the same sins. And remembering our past sins also causes us to praise God for the forgiveness that we now have – it should produce a thankful heart. We will talk more about remembering the past as we continue the sermon series, “Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe” this Sunday. Hope to see you then!

Scripture for June 3rd: Luke 9:23-26

Sermon Title: Myth#1, Faith Can Fix Anything

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

“You need more faith.” Christians often hear and believe this as they face challenges or trials in their lives. It’s as if faith is the “magic answer” to all that troubles them. If only I had more faith, they believe, things would be better. It doesn’t help matters when preachers give messages about the “faith promise,” i.e., the promise of good things for those who have great faith.

The truth is we as Christians need to exercise great faith. It takes faith to believe in Christ and it takes faith to continue to live faithfully the life that Christ has called us to live. But faith does not prevent bad things from happening in our lives. Whether we have faith or not, rainy days will come our way, problems will persist and we will all experience sadness at times. In fact, faith in God will cause our lives to become harder. The text says that Jesus spoke about the need to sacrifice and deny ourselves if we are truly to be followers of Him. Thus, faith doesn’t “fix” our problems; rather, faith helps us to live our lives powerfully and victoriously in the midst of our troubles, struggles and problems.

This coming Sunday we will talk more about the role sacrifice, denial and the cross plays in our faith as we begin a new sermon series entitled, “Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for May 28th: II Chronicles 7:14

Sermon to be Delivered by Mr. Rick Stayton

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

As we approach Memorial Day weekend, may we each pause to give God thanks for the service and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans. Here’s a poem that reminds us of their work:

The Noble and the Brave:
A Memorial Day Tribute

When America had an urgent need,
These brave ones raised a hand;
No hesitation held them back;
They were proud to take a stand.
They left their friends and family;
They gave up normal life;
To serve their country and their God,
They plowed into the strife.
They fought for freedom and for peace
On strange and foreign shores;
Some lost new friends; some lost their lives
In long and brutal wars.
Other veterans answered a call
To support the ones who fought;
Their country had requirements for
The essential skills they brought.
We salute every one of them,
The noble and the brave,
The ones still with us here today,
And those who rest in a grave.
So here’s to our country’s heroes;
They’re a cut above the rest;
Let’s give the honor that is due
To our country’s very best.

By Joanna Fuchs

This coming Sunday we will honor our veterans as members of the Virden American Legion Post #386 will be in attendance. Our guest speaker will be Rick Stayton, a Vietnam-era veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart. Rick is from Carlinville and served in Vietnam with others from the Girard-Virden area. During his message he will speak about the 4 young men from Girard who lost their lives in Vietnam. Hope you will honor our veterans by being in attendance – God bless our veterans!