Happy Father’s Day!

Is it okay to wish someone Happy Father’s Day??  We live in a world that is very fractured and polarized.  Currently, one of the most contentious issues is that of human sexuality.  With so much division and confusion, some might be wondering if celebrating a father figure and saying what a good job he has done is fitting when so many can’t agree on what that all means! Thankfully, God has no confusion and really, we have no reason to be confused either.  God has told us clearly in His Word what it means to be both a man and …

Delighting in God’s Design – Made for a Bigger Purpose

What brings you lasting satisfaction? Satisfaction that you are accomplishing something meaningful with your life, satisfaction that says, “This thing that I am investing in is good, it is much bigger than me, and will outlast me.” Can you come up with anything? I hope so. Let me ask you this, how much does that thing drive you? Is it something you spend a little time with or a lot?  And by how long will it outlast you? Do you know, God did not intend for us to live futile lives?  He desires for us to know that our life …

Delighting in God’s Design – for You!

Do you believe that everything just happens by chance?  That any meaning in life is only what we can get from the face value of all that happens?  God wants us to be rescued from the despair of the mindset.  He wants us to that, while we live in a fallen world with much evil, He is working behind the scenes to execute His redemption plan.  He also wants you to know that He knows you!  You have meaning to Him and He loves you.  He wants you to be part of His family and He wants to do great …

Delighting in God’s Design

It is a common misconception that the Bible is just a book of rules; of prohibitions and mandates.  This comes from (and leads to) a very wrong view of God as some kind of stern, authoritarian, (and maybe grumpy) king in the sky that sees us a mere pawns on one of His planets.  Nothing could be further from the truth. First, the Bible is actually one connected true-life story, a collection of 66 books written over 1400 years that contain a variety of literature, from history narratives to poetry and even letters.  Far from being a book of rules, …

Jesus Our Gracious High Priest – Dr. Tim Bertolet

This week we are pleased to have with us Dr. Tim Bertolet with us from ABWE.  He will be sharing with us from Hebrews 4, encouraging us regarding our gracious high priest, Jesus Christ. Tim Bertolet serves at the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) developing strategies for equipping missionaries,  creating missionary training, and coordination of our worldwide theological educators. He served as a pastor for 16 years before going to ABWE. He is passionate about international theological education, pastoral training, and writing material that will help people grow in their faith. Tim also serves as an adjunct professor …

Delighting in God’s Design

So much of the turmoil that we experience in life has a single root problem.   The hymnwriter Joseph Scriven wrote in famous hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” these words: “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer!”  He is correct, but that still isn’t the root problem.  The root problem to so many of our issues is that we have a too-small view of God.  Many factors contribute to this; it may be ignorance, it may be disillusionment, it could be a …

Communion Sunday

The observance of Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, is one of two “ordinances” that God gave the church, the second being baptism.  Anyone with a Protestant or Catholic are familiar with both, though they are often looked at different ways.  In the message today, leading up to our observance, we are going to discuss a specific aspect of what is being pictured through this ordinance, the very one it get’s its name from. The word “Communion” is actually a synonym for fellowship.  It refers to sharing in or participating together in something.  In our study we will see that two …

The End of the Story

This week I was at a church building where I had performed a wedding for a young couple 15 years ago.  Tragedy hit that couple about 9 years after that wonderful, happy day, and I thought to myself, “We never know the end of a story, we never know how things turn out.” But then, I corrected myself.  You see, death, which is what we often refer to as the end of the story, is not really the end at all.  We call it the end, because those of us who say goodbye to friends or family when they die, …

The New Jerusalem

After all the judgment covered in Revelation 20 and the preceding chapters, we are enjoying a glimpse into heaven and the eternal state for followers of Jesus.  Here in Revelation 21 God reveals a taste of those eternal blessings for those who are followers of Jesus.  It is a trailer for the grand unveiling of the good things He has been preparing for us. This message will focus especially on the capitol city of heaven, the New Jerusalem.  While all our questions don’t get answered, God does give us some pretty amazing details, enough to cause awe and wonder.  Join …

He is Risen!

The lynchpin of the Christian faith is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Join us as we walk through Luke 24 in God’s Word and look at the proofs and reactions to Christ’s resurrection on that very first Easter Sunday.  Consider together what it would be like to have the man you considered to be the savior of the world die.  Struggle together with the disciples to believe the good news of the resurrection, then reflect with them on some of the predictions regarding it that Christ gave throughout the Bible.  Process together with us how Christ’s resurrection not only provides …