This summer we have been focusing on caring for our souls in the busyness of life. Oftentimes some of the more difficult seasons of our lives lead us into making poor choices. So what do we do when we fail? What do we do when we make a mistake when caring for our soul or even for the souls of others? Failure is difficult so a natural human response…

At different points in our lives, we are tasked with something that can be overwhelming. Sometimes, this feeling can leave us feeling deprived. We will oftentimes try to counter this by going on a vacation or add something else to our plate to help take our minds off the more daunting tasks. Those things never really work though and they don't work…

If you have followed Christ for any period of time, then you have likely prayed on behalf of someone. Whether that person was sick or struggling with sin or dealing with a loss, we approach the throne of God on this person's behalf out of a sense of love. This is called "intercessory" prayer. What difference does this prayer make though? What value…

We are wired in different ways of how we go about our day. Some people love a good routine. Some love breaking their routine. Regardless of where you might fall on this, we all have rhythms of life that move us along. We have ways in which we like to approach tasks and people. While there are seasons when these rhythms must change shape, we are all…

Scripture: Exodus 18:13-27

In a world where so many different things are moving and happening around us, we try to keep up with the pace. Some of us are better at keeping up than others. What happens as a result though is that we often miss certain things happening around us because of one simple reason: we aren't really paying attention. God's presence is amongst us but man…

Last week, we talked about the monster within each of us and the damage it can do when we aren't aware of it. This week, we will follow this up by naming who our monster is. It is in this place that we name who we are (for better or for worse) that we arrive at the place that we want to be in our spiritual lives: the place of our own conversion. Sc…

There is a goodness in each and every one of us. Paul wrote that goodness is a fruit of the Spirit, but we are not always good. Oftentimes when we are not good, it is because of the condition we allow ourselves to live and operate in. Earlier Christian writers refer to this version of ourselves as the “false self” and it exists in each and every on…

Summer is off and running! While we think this is a break, it usually ends up being busier than our normal routine days. We plan time to see families and friends. We make time for camps and other special events. At the end of the summer, we are usually looking for a vacation from our vacation. This morning begins a series about the value of caring …

Something that our church family celebrates every week is what we call our communion or the Lord's Supper. In some other traditions, this is also referred to as the "Eucharist." What is usually said before this time is that this is where we remember the body and blood of Jesus shed on the cross. However, what isn't always mentioned is that God neve…

This is a time of year that can be hectic for many. School is winding down, it's getting hotter, vacations are around the corner and these things mean that our routines and rhythms are probably going to change a bit. In the process of all of this, we can start to feel disconnected from one another. Perhaps you already feel disconnected from people,…

Mother's Day is a special day in our country where we honor mothers, grandmothers, and other motherly figures. John the elder writes a letter to "the lady and her children" mostly about love, but he also warns them about something very serious. While love is important, guarding the souls of those whom we love is equally important. Scripture: 2 John…

The book of Jonah gets pretty weird at the beginning of the story, but It might have an even weirder ending. Jonah is livid with God for sparing the city of Ninevah and he lets God hear about it. This is a VERY common tendency that we have in our own lives. We have a tendency to want to play God and when God doesn't move in the ways we think that H…

Scripture: Jonah 3:6-10

Jonah kicks off with a very weird beginning to his story when he gets swallowed by a fish. However, the only thing that might be weirder than being swallowed by a fish is to be grateful to be swallowed by a fish and that's exactly how Jonah felt while he spent three days in the belly of the fish. This is about more than just being grateful though. …

Scripture: Jonah 1:11-17

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10, 16-20

On this Palm Sunday, we recognize the triumphant entry of Jesus into the holy city of Jerusalem. It is also on this day that we are invited to not only recognize who Jesus is, but to also accept His function in our own lives. We live as though we dictate our own fate or destiny, in shouting Hosanna though, we not only praise Christ, but we ask Him …

Jesus has always carried a reputation for loving and looking after the "least of these" and it's something that we find very compelling about the story of Christ. However, we also love the idea of justice or vengeance against those who wrong others, especially the "least of these." So what happens when Jesus chooses to reach out specifically to som…

We live in a society that deeply believes in and values merit-based entitlement. We have a tendency to believe that when we have accomplished certain tasks, then we should receive our due reward. Jesus turns this teaching upside down in a parable about an entitled group of workers. With that said, he also talks about the last being first and the fi…

Oftentimes we have an idea of the kind of person that is getting into heaven. It is someone who has done the right things, lived the right kind of life, and inspired others to do the same. While I don’t think that is wrong it would still be impossible for our very “best” person to make it on their own. Ancient Israel, and in our passage, the discip…

Jesus' ministry took place during a time when children were not highly valued. Outside of being a "future asset," children weren't really valued much at all. They were fairly low on the pecking order. Jesus turned his culture upside down with his teaching the disciples that children were actually the greatest in the Kingdom. Kids are now seen throu…

This week we are kicking off a new series that will take us all the way to Easter! We begin at the furthest point north that we believe Jesus went during His ministry. It is in this place that something truly incredible happens as Jesus is transfigured. A lot of questions can come from this though. Why did only a few get to see this? What was the s…

Prayer is a core theme and discipline to the Christian faith. It's a core discipline to other faiths as well. While this is an integral aspect of our relationship with God, it is something that we have limited ourselves on for quite some time. When we examine our lives and ask ourselves why there isn't something deeper going on, perhaps it is our o…

When parents find out they are expecting, they being to prepare. We start thinking about names, dreaming of what they will become and the titles they will hold. Should we name them after a parent or a historical figure? Should we encourage them to be a basketball player, a dancer, or a doctor? Most importantly is the question of how do we teach our…

What separates Christ-followers from everyone else? Less or no sinning? That tends to be the answer from many whom you might talk to. However, God invites us into a different way of living, an alternative lifestyle. This life isn't about doing all of the right things or even not doing the wrong things. This life is about living differently from eve…

As we prepare to ring in a new year, we being preparing by making plans and setting goals. What if we chose not just to be more like God, but to even look more like God? how might one go about doing that? What would be the results and how would they change us? At our very core, the focus would need to be the same that it has always been: Jesus Chri…

The Advent season culminates in the arrival of baby Jesus. While we celebrate bringing in a new year, this season is celebrating everything changing as well. Out of darkness comes light. Out of depravity comes fulfillment. It was lowly shepherds who heard this news first and they couldn't help but drop everything to join in the celebration. This mo…

Life comes at us in seasons. Some seasons are easier to work through than others. Some seasons are busier than others. Regardless of the season, a choice is always laid out before us. While happiness is a state of being which we are always told to strive for, it is only a temporary feeling. Joy is what we can choose even in busy or desolate seasons…

Christmas has not received the nickname of "the most wonderful time of the year" for nothing. There is a difference in the air. Decorations look different, homes and trees look different. In a time when leaves have fallen and died and cold should have kicked in, there is an excitement about our environment. A major reason for all of this isn't circ…

As we prepare for the Christmas season and the celebration of the arrival of Jesus, we sometimes find ourselves in a place that we hate in our current day and age: waiting. We wait for school or work to let us off, we wait to travel to see friends and family, we wait for Christmas. In a time where so much of our lives are built around NOT waiting, …

Scripture: Ruth 4:14-17

We have so many different ways of messing things up. Sometimes it's just accidents that happen and other times we just seem to get in our own way. The latter is one of the stories we enter into this Sunday morning. Whether our plans or actions are well intentioned or not, God always find a way to work in and through our mess to make something beaut…

Has there ever been a time in your life when you were treated extra special and you knew you didn't deserve it? Sometimes we believe that we don't deserve special treatment because of our social status with other people and other times it's because of mistakes we've made in the past. This is what makes the story of Jesus so special and we can see t…

Scripture: Ruth 1:16-18

Scripture: Mark 15:5-15

Scripture: Genesis 50:14-20

Checklists help us keep track of things that are important to accomplish and they help us stay on task. They help keep us accountable and focused. We often use checklists – even if not written – to help us as we attempt to live up to our calling in Christ, as we attempt to be righteous. But what happens when we can’t check all the boxes on our list…

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48

Many of us have heard stories from others or from the media about people who say they have witnessed Heaven. We read about a few of these experiences in scripture as well. This is something that we all wish to encounter on some level, but a fair warning: if you truly do experience it in this lifetime, there will be a cost that comes with that exper…

With Mark Williams

Sometimes God calls us to do some crazy things. What happens if you're called to go somewhere though? How do we discern God's calling and when we do, what if it's something that we weren't ready for? The only two things that can ultimately get us through this involve God: His presence and His promise.…

We live in a world of constant strife and competition. We must do our best and be our best. Sometimes we even need to be better than our best. This is why we tend to only get recognized, appointed, and promoted when we have accomplished enough and are considered to be the best choice. This is a primary way that God turns our lives upside down. God …

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:3-7

This morning, we will officially begin the process of appointing new shepherds (also known as elders) for our congregation. What makes a good shepherd? What qualifies or disqualifies one from being a shepherd? More importantly, what do good shepherds do and how do they reflect Jesus? This morning, we will explore mentors and shepherds in scripture …

When you hear the phrase "spiritual warfare," what is your response? Some people are afraid of it. Some people refuse to acknowledge it. Paul, however, wants Christians to prepare and be ready for it. He also goes into detail about what it will take to withstand the assaults from Satan. Not only is this battle for real, it's been going on for an in…

From each of our ministers

A lot of how we determine what a healthy Christian home looks like can be drawn straight from Ephesians 5 and 6. While this is a good source, it's even more fascinating to look at the culture of the time of this writing because of how this turns the world upside down. Much like today, relationships were about power. It was about knowing the right p…

Throughout Ephesians Paul paints a picture of what faithful living looks like. In this section, he contrasts a followers former way of living and his new life with darkness and light. Paul urges us to live a life of light in a way that honors and pleases the Lord.

Something that many of us will hear from people about Christianity at times is how exhausting it can be trying to be a Christian. They feel like there's a big checklist of things that you have to do and not do in order to be a "good Christian." What is important when looking at passages that look like checklists is to understand the WHY of the chec…