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Today we are starting a new sermon series based on the Lord’s Prayer. What we call the Lord’s Prayer is how Jesus taught we should pray in His famous teaching in the Gospel of Matthew called the Sermon on the Mount. Prayer brings a person closer to God and creates space for connection, examination, and hope. Read more…

It was once said that Freedom is a lot like oxygen: when you have it, nobody notices it…but go without it, and, wow, do you wish you had it!! It is SO true! Even though I have celebrated Memorial Day every year since I was a kid, I was wondering the other day…what is the truth and facts behind this hallowed day? In today’s blog, I decided to find out and then, let you know by sharing my findings with you! Enjoy! Read more…

The day He walked out of the tomb they placed Him in three days ago when He died on the Cross He was wrongfully accused of being nailed to! The resurrection of Jesus is the crux of the Christian faith… Without it Jesus would just be another good teacher… Another good faith leader among many… But instead, Scriptures tell us that Jesus accomplished every single prophecy foretold about Him… Jesus fulfills every promise of God’s in the Bible… Jesus is the only One in which eternal life in heaven can be found through…  Nobody, or nothing else can offer eternal life in heaven! Read more…

Saint Patrick was not Irish but born in Roman Britain (likely modern-day Scotland or Wales) around 373 CE into a Christian family.  At age 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold into slavery, forced to tend sheep in remote parts of Ireland for six years. During this time, he turned to prayer for comfort, developing a deep spiritual life. He later recounted hearing a divine voice telling him to escape, which he did, walking over 200 miles to the coast to find a ship back to Britain.  After returning home, he studied for the priesthood and eventually felt called back to Ireland—not as a conqueror, but as a missionary to the people who once enslaved him. Read more…

Today, we are going to look at what Jesus talked about the most… The topic that was the central theme to His message… To His existence here on earth… What did He talk about more than anything? Heaven, Hell, money, forgiveness, serving, kindness, loving one another… These are all good topics… But the central theme to Jesus’ message… The topic He talked about the most was the Kingdom of God, also known as the Kingdom of Heaven… Read more…

Normally this time of year we teach on topics like, the old is gone, the new has come, vision and goals, new year, new you type of stuff…  And all that’s good, but I feel like the Holy Spirit wants us to journey down the path of Kingdom theology, and the message reconciliation… For instance, what’s the deal with God all about anyway… How do we explain the need for a Savior to someone who doesn’t understand why they need a Savior… Or, why Jesus had to die on the Cross… I wonder if far too often we allow our insecurities of the Scriptures get the best of us, and we feel inadequate in sharing our faith… So we just don’t… But God has a unique purpose and plan for each one of us, and part of that plan for all of us is to join Him in the ministry of reconciliation… And that’s why the title of this series is, “God with Us,” and the subtitle for today is, “In the Beginning.” Read more…

In John 14:16-18, we find wonderful words of consolation. Although they were spoken in times past to comfort the early disciples, they are relevant for us today. The promise of an abiding (taking up residency) Comforter permanently and forever points to the intention of God. It is not half-hearted. In fact, the Spirit of Comfort will both dwell with and in us. You cannot get much closer than that. Finally, Jesus states in verse eighteen, “I will not leave you comfortless (or as orphans) I will come to you.” Read more…

As we head into the holiday season… We have Thanksgiving coming up in a few weeks, then Christmas, and finally the New Year… This is a time of year that can bring all the emotions… Stress, joy, happiness, depression, loneliness, and the topic for the next few weeks is thankfulness… No matter where we are in the range of emotions during the holiday season. I think there’s something all of us can glean out of these next two Sundays that will help us in the season… And even beyond. Today, we’re starting a two-part series on being thankful, having a heart of gratitude… Read more…

Once upon a time in an Ethiopian village, there lived a boy who was so shy and fearful of the world around him that his family called him Miobe, frightened one. “Why do you call me that?” the boy asked his grandfather. The old man laughed. “Because you are afraid,” he answered. The boy’s grandmother, his mother, his father and the neighbors said the same thing. Miobe pondered these words and decided he must find a way to conquer fear, and that night when everyone was fast asleep, he packed a sack and set off into the world to find out what he feared and to conquer it. That night he slept under the wide umbrella of sky and stared up at the darkness. Before drifting off, he whispered to himself, “I see you, but I will conquer you, fear.” He fell asleep wrapped in his blanket, but at midnight the wolves began to howl. Read more…

THE GRATEFUL LEPER Dixie Read the story a few times slowly. Notice what emotions arise within you as you read it. If you find it helpful, journal about how the story makes you feel.  Luke 17:11-19 Living Bible (TLB) 11 As they continued onward toward Jerusalem, they reached the border between Galilee and Samaria, 12 and as they entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, sir, have mercy on us!” 14 He looked at them and said, “Go to the Jewish priest and show him that you are healed!” And as they were going, their leprosy disappeared. 15 One of them came back to Jesus, shouting, “Glory to God, I’m healed!” 16 He fell flat on the ground in front of Jesus, face downward in the dust, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a despised[a] Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the nine? 18 Does only this foreigner return to give glory to God?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.” Read more…

I wanted to take a few minutes to ask the question… And possibly generate some thought with our purpose in life… Am I cross eyed with my purpose? If you’ve been coming to this church for any length of time you may be familiar with messages on finding your purpose… Finding our purpose in the Kingdom is a topic that I am passionate about helping people discover… Simply because without purpose… Without Kingdom minded purpose we are just wandering through life… Living out our God-given purpose here on this earth is what gives life meaning…  It’s what gives value to who we are… To our existence… And ultimately it prepares us for eternity… Read more…

I could see the excitement on my 7-year-old’s face in the rearview mirror. We were driving home from church, and our pastor had talked about the town’s Fourth of July celebration, next week at the ball field. The church would be sponsoring a hot dog stand, a moon bounce and face painting. There’d also be a baseball game. “It’ll be awesome, Dad,” Angus said. “Will you go with us this year? We can watch the fireworks!” I had to suppress a shudder. My wife, April, shot me a worried look. “Angus,” she said, “remember, Daddy needs to leave before the fireworks.” Angus’s face fell. “Oh yeah.” Read more…

The Lord’s Prayer in print a brief history It is thought that Lord’s Prayer first came into print with the publishing of the Gutenberg Bible, which was developed between 1550 and 1555 in Germany, the prayer featuring in Matthew 6:9-13, and Luke 11:1-4. This was the first work of the Gutenberg printing press, and around 180 books were printed. Read more…