A message from the series “Pastor John.” What do you know about all the excitement that surrounded your birth and your first few years of life? I’m sure you have enjoyed the telling of your story filled with all the wonder of parents who cherished it. I wonder what Mary told her little son Jesus about the events surrounding His birth and the early years of his boyhood.
A message from the series “Pastor John.” How do you decipher the thoughts and intents of the heart? And why should it matter to you if someone’s intentions are less than honorable? Well, Jesus did say be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. His word chronicles accounts of people trying and succeeding in pulling the wool over the eyes of unsuspecting fools, as Proverbs calls them. A person’s words can reveal intentions, but they are proven by what they do. Let’s do some soul searching in Matthew’s account of the First Advent of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Let’s act on what we claim to know.
A message from the series “Christmas.” What is troubling you?
A message from the series “Pastor Dennis.” The sky is filled with stars – what was it about that single point of light in the West Asian sky that compelled the Magi to stop everything they were doing to undertake such a long and dangerous journey?
A message from the series “Pastor John.” An attitude of gratitude reflects our grasp of the goodness, grace, and faithfulness of God. It is freshly aware that while God owes us nothing, He loves us. It springs from the gaze of the soul in worship, meditation, and the delight we take in Him. It comes from the lips and pens of those who have been captured by the fullness of God in Christ, our Lord and Savior. It resonates in humility and recognition; look what God is doing before our very eyes.
A message from the series “Pastor John.” It’s hard to handle the insinuation, “You can’t handle the truth,” posed to us by someone whose opinion matters to us. Well, that’s because the truth is so hard to accept sometimes, so God has spelled out the word of truth in the Bible. It serves to open our eyes to know Him and to know His will and His ways as we navigate life. Let’s continue to focus on winning approval in God’s sight by accurately handling the word of truth.
A message from the series “Pastor John.” AWANA is a wonderful ministry engaging children and their families to know God as found in His Word, and to understand His will, and His ways. The name is an acrostic for 2 Timothy 2:14-15; A Workman Approved is Not Ashamed. It’s a very effective children’s ministry tool that comes from a serious challenge to Timothy and countless Christian workers like us over the past two thousand years.
A message from the series “Pastor John.” It’s going to cost you if you hope to stay in the game, as a disciple/follower of Jesus Christ. Paul compared it to the costs associated with being a soldier, an athlete, and a hard working farmer (2:3-7). It’s going to demand that we think clearly, stay focused on Christ, remain confident in His word, know our calling, and consistently worship the One who is worthy of our trust.
A message from the series “Pastor John.” We hear Paul encouraging his young disciple to “endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” And he urges Timothy to “reflect on what I’m saying for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” Join me this morning as we reflect on the cost of discipleship for all who call themselves followers of Christ.
A message from the series “Pastor John.” The Pastoral Epistles to Timothy and Titus are essentially training materials for these two young pastors, with big responsibilities to lead local church leaders. These leaders were to pass this information on to many pastors who would take up the mantle of leadership.
