We live in two different kingdoms – the kingdom of the world, and God’s kingdom. As citizens of this kingdom, we are called to submit to the governing authorities. It is part of how we honor God. But we do this remembering there is one true King, and He isn’t voted in. We honor our leaders, but we worship The King. Our submission shows worship to o…

Jesus purified us and made us new - God's special possession! So it doesn’t make sense to keep living the way we used to. Let’s live new lives, imitating Him. Loving the hard-to-love. Let’s grow in our faith by continuing to be fed with his Word. Devour it! He is building us into a building – the greatest building – a spiritual building – His Churc…

Grief. Suffering. Hardship. Loss. These experiences can cause hopelessness. We need a deeper joy, a deeper hope to live for to make it through. Easter gives that to us. So does the fact that God was thinking about us since before creation! The God who chose us before time began isn’t going to let go of us now. The future we have to look forward to …

It’s not easy being a Christian in our world. The living hope of Easter makes it easier, it makes it possible. We learn how to think with hope and how to live with hope. The way we live shows what we are hoping in. God made us “strangers” in this world with the new home He has promised us. Do we live as strangers? Or do we forget that there is more…

Pastor Apt shares a message of hope for Easter Sunday - based on Mark 16:1-7 Support the Show.By Pastor Stephen Apt

Pastor Apt shares a message for Palm Sunday based on Mark 11:1-11 Support the Show.By Pastor Stephen Apt

Pastor Stephen shares a message on Mark 9:30-37 Support the Show.By Pastor Stephen Apt

Pastor Apt shares a message on Mark 9:14-29 Support the Show.By Pastor Stephen Apt

Pastor Apt shares a message based on Mark 9:27-38 Support the Show.By Pastor Stephen Apt

Pastor Apt shares a message on Mark 7:31-37 Support the Show.By Pastor Stephen Apt

Pastor Apt shares a message based on Mark 7. Support the Show.By Pastor Stephen Apt

Pastor Apt shares a message for Ash Wednesday - the beginning of the Lenten season. Support the Show.By Pastor Stephen Apt

Pastor Apt shares a message for Transfiguration Sunday. Support the Show.By Pastor Stephen Apt

The coach observes his athletes, jots down his notes, compares the times, and then he speaks. He teaches. He gives important directions. Those with the humility to accept his instructions and encouragements will grow in their abilities. Those who think they know better will struggle and fail. Jesus is so much more than a coach. He is our God - our …

All along the course the runners find distractions. Some in the crowd cheer you on, some in the crowd cheer on your opponents. Some praise your form and skill. Some accuse you of cheating. But you can’t get distracted. You need to stay focused on what is most important. Jesus faced many distractions in his ministry, but he always stayed focused on …

What inspires you to get up each day? What allows you to live with joy? With the hardships and struggles we experience in this world, we need something to encourage us and empower us to live well each day. Money, philosophy, and technology might be tools we use, but they aren’t the reason we live. Jesus uses tools to bring his incredible and miracu…

Some athletes are simply incredible. When they compete, you can’t help but stare in awe and wonder at the strength they exert, the focus on their task, the abilities with which they have been blessed, and what they are able to accomplish. It tells you something about their origin, their work ethic, their determination, and you wonder what drives th…

Every race has a start. As they prepare, and step up to the line, the competitors already have their minds and hearts on the finish line. They take their mark. There’s silence. The gun cracks and muscles instantly respond with action. The race is on! The eyes of the crowd are drawn in. Every race has a start, but it all began far before that moment…

Guest pastor Pastor Tom Unke shares a message on the Song of Simeon answering the question "When is a person really prepared?" Support the Show.By Pastor Stephen Apt

Pastor Apt shares a message for Christmas. Support the showBy Pastor Stephen Apt

Have you ever asked God for a sign? Did he deliver? Today God tells us to ask for a sign - to test him? He tells us to pray: “Thy Kingdom come.” He wantsus to see the signs of his kingdom. The sign of his holy Word preserved through millennia The sign of water combined with that Word of God. The sign of the most fulfilling feast laid out upon his t…

A barren landscape bursts into vibrant blossoms. What an amazing sight to witness, but Isaiah speaks of the miraculous and instantaneous power of God. God's kingdom truly does bring joy; everlasting joy. He miraculously works it out of the chaos we see in the world and the chaos that churns inside our own hearts. We are all blind, dead, lame, and m…

The season of Advent is a time to prepare our hearts to welcome their rightful king. Jesus’ kingdom is one of righteousness, peace, hope, and joy. Yet, we can often lose sight of such things as we fall into the rhythms and rhetoric of the world which surrounds us. Rivals to Jesus' throne rise in our hearts. In this series we focus on prophecies fro…

Where do you turn when you need information and quick? Do you ask Siri, Alexa, Google? Are "smart" producs on your Christmas lists? Artificial intelligence as become more personal, more powerful - giving us an immediate place for questions and needs. What about the questions you can't ask your techie toys. What about God’s kingdom and how it comes?…

After 4 weeks of looking at the source of wisdom and the principles of its design for our lives, this series now applies wisdom from the book of Proverbs to the everyday “complexities of life”. This week we focus on relationships. It’s easy to believe that relationships succeed (They’re so awesome!) or fail (They’re so miserable!) because of the “o…

After 4 weeks of looking at the source of wisdom and the principles of its design for our lives, this series now applies wisdom from the book of Proverbs to the everyday “complexities of life”. This week we focus on heartache. We’ve all been there at some point in our lives. Loss of job, friend, family member, savings, health, leisure, or ability c…

After 4 weeks of looking at the source of wisdom and the principles of its design for our lives, this series now applies wisdom from the book of Proverbs to the everyday “complexities of life”. This week we focus on self-control. In a world with limitless possibilities, self-control seems elusive. Overeating, underbudgeting, binge-drinking, and liv…

This week we focus on pride. Pride is the conclusion in one’s thinking that a person, idea, or thing is better than another. This conclusion justifies any praise or humiliation in attitude or treatment that result from the thinking. It can be as quiet as a turned-up nose or as loud as derogatory comment. All of it is detrimental to everyone involve…

After 4 weeks of looking at the source of wisdom and the principles of its design for our lives, this series now applies wisdom from the book of Proverbs to the everyday “complexities of life”. This week we focus on envy. Envy is the awful feeling you have when you know you should celebrate someone’s good fortune but think it really should have hap…

After 4 weeks of looking at the source of wisdom and the principles of its design for our lives, this series now applies wisdom from the book of Proverbs to the everyday “complexities of life”. This week we focus on money. The evil of pursuing money at all cost and the injustices caused by greed are obvious. And yet, commerce and economy are core t…

Everyone likes a guarantee. It makes us feel safe. Hesitation in the grey zone of “what if” causes doubt, worry, and fear. We prefer confirmation, a stamp of approval, and the proven process that gives confidence, a sense of security, and builds excitement for what’s to come. The book of Proverbs shows that God’s path of wisdom gives us the confide…

Everyone knows to get to the right destination you must start in the right place and head in the right direction. The same is true for wisdom. But whose way is right? Experts offer wisdom through short cuts, techniques, and formulas. Friends give advice from experience. Our own hearts lead with emotion. Artificial intelligence uses science and fact…

A godly pursuit of wisdom has an ultimate goal of living God’s way as outlined in the Bible. Unfortunately, life in a sinful world means our path is filled with distractions, deterrents, and delays. Often these roadblocks are even more alluring than annoying. They threaten to derail a godly pursuit of wisdom by encouraging us to settle for less tha…

Wisdom is knowing the right thing to do at the right time for any given circumstance-especially when there’s no “right” answer. But how do you get wisdom? Like walking a path, pursuing wisdom begins with knowing where to start, where to go, and what to expect along the way. This week we begin the series on Proverbs by defining wisdom, showing where…

Made solid by the undergirding promises of Jesus, the apostle Peter acted boldly and courageously. Sometimes this acting-before-thinking disciple pushed the envelope of courage to its border with foolishness, but Jesus was always there to pull him back. Support the Show.By Pastor Stephen Apt

Loved by his Lord, John expressed the same kind of love to his Lord and others. His writings in the Scriptures encourage followers of Jesus in that same love. Support the Show.By Pastor Stephen Apt

This tax collector turned apostle experienced firsthand the loving mercy of the Messiah, who came to save sinners. He turned around and wrote a lot about it in his gospel. Support the Show.By Pastor Stephen Apt

He vacillated between the twin towers of unshakeable confidence and wishy washy uncertainty. However, faith is as strong as the on whom it rests, and Jesus' loyalty and love bless this apostle with a new resurrection conviction. Support the Show.By Pastor Stephen Apt

Thaddaeus (also called Judas) asked Jesus, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the whole world?" Many ask this same question today, why some and not others? We marvel at God desiring all to be saved and his grace for all, and yet we see the sad reality that those who don’t know him, or who have rejected him won’t be save…

Bartholomew asked, "Nazareth, can anything good come from there?" and found in his shattered hope a fulfilled hope in the promised Savior. In Bartholomew (aka Nathanael) we see our own expectations - too often misunderstood and misplaced, until Jesus meets them and us. So often we expect God to fit our mold and to fit his plans into what we expect …

"We have found the one," Philip proclaimed to Nathaniel, when Jesus actually found him first. Later Philip personally found a gracious Savior at the feeding of the 5,000 when Jesus taught him a lesson about faith. On another occasion, Philip commented to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us," and Jesus went on to describe…

Andrew showed care and concern for bringing others to Jesus. Ministry is one on one. Mission is one on one. Parents to children. Husband to wife. You to a friend, family member, or co-worker. We only know Peter, because Andrew sought out his brother. Mission work happens in backyards, picnics, bleachers, and cubicles. One of the main principles of …

With the zeal of thunder, James has glory on his mind, both personal glory and ethnic/national glory and pride. Jesus' zeal to save and serve recovers and redirects this apostle to an evangelical instead of legislative zeal. This is the only place to mention the other apostle, James the Less, about whom we know very little. Support the Show.…

Most people today think the “devil” is a joke. And make jokes about him. But the truth is, the devil is a real and vicious enemy of God and his people. He tempts us to doubt God’s Word. He wants to tear us away from God, and he did so. But Jesus came to defeat the devil. And He did! The church displays that victory in all we do! But the battles rag…

From the beginning, God designed people to live in families. He also gave us work to do, a garden to take care of, something to give meaning and purpose. So a lot of our lives are spent at home and at work. As we continue to rebel against God, our homes and workplaces often become the scenes of our most obvious failings and flaws. They can become u…

Marriage has been instilled into human hearts and human society by our loving Creator to stir up human longing and to prepare our hearts for the love of Christ. Marriage conducted in God’s way by his people is a beautiful demonstration of his plan to gather all things under Christ and make us one in Christ. Among God’s people, marriage isn’t a batt…

The world we live in loves to live in darkness. What people do behind closed doors should be up to them, they say. The world is accepting of all kinds of alternative expressions of gender and sexuality. But the God who loves us created us a certain way to glorify Him. His Word is very clear on how He wants us to live. In the light. Not in the darkn…

We live in a fashion-conscious world. We see influential people wearing certain styles of clothes and imitate them by trying to keep up with the same fashions. We want to look the same as the world around us. We do the same thing in the way that we live. We imitate the world in the way that we act, talk, and think. Sometimes we blend right in and p…

We want the church to grow so that we can make a difference in the world around us. But churches not only need to grow in number. We need to grow in holiness. We need to grow in unity. That will show the world what our three-in-one God is like. God’s grace, the hope He gives us in Jesus, generates this growth. There is one body, one church. Our Chr…

When you get married, and that person you love moves in, two wonderful things happen: they start changing everything to reflect their character, and they fill the place with their love for you. That’s what happened when I got married. My ratty dorm furniture got replaced and the décor got cleaned and greatly improved! All these new things were wond…