Message: “The Adolescent Christ” from John Ploog

A message from the series “Pastor John.” Does Jesus really understand and sympathize with you when you suffer or when you ache over relationships that have gone south? How would He know? We are supposed to be people of the Word of God. It lays out what God wants us to know, and what He wants us to think about it, when we say we know it. He wants us to ponder, to treasure, and to personalize our search for Him. The Bible says very little to inform us about the life of Jesus between His first Advent, and His ministry at age thirty. So, we need to take what we have, and do some serious reflection on what we know, to help us get the One who gets us.

Message: “What the World Needs Now” from John Ploog

A message from the series “Pastor John.” While we made a lot of progress in tech, we seem to have slipped back into the dark ages in our emotional, social, and spiritual IQ. But this is Christmas. Good news, the King is among us. God in man is now residing. Let’s reflect on what the world needs now.

Message: “The Great Escape” from John Ploog

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.

Message: “Deciphering the Intentions of the Heart” from John Ploog

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.

Message: “An Astonishing Star” from Dennis Mohler

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?

Message: “In Everything Give Thanks” from John Ploog

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.

Message: “Can you handle the truth?” from John Ploog

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.

Message: “Approved and Disapproved Workers” from John Ploog

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.

Message: “A Survivor’s Guide for Christ Followers” from John Ploog

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.