Sunday Sermons

Amos 5:1-17 | Live Or Lament

Sun, 31 May 2026 15:45:38 GMT

Amos 5 continues to reveal the nature of Israel's coming judgment as well as the reason for it. Even in the pronouncements of his righteous judgment, we also gain a greater glimpse of God’s heart for his people. Though the message of what is to come may be sobering, there is still hope to be found for those who are genuinely seeking it.

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Amos 4:6-13 | One Way or Another

Sun, 24 May 2026 16:56:47 GMT

The second half of Amos 4 focuses on the things that God has done to get Israel’s attention. Even so, they refuse to turn to him and continue their rebellion. This week’s passage offers a glimpse of God’s incredible patience towards his people while also revealing the extent to which the human heart can become hardened.

Amos 4:1-5 | The Real Housewives of Bashan

Sun, 17 May 2026 15:40:49 GMT

This week, we move into chapter four, where God has a word for the women of the land who are complicit in the nation’s sin. This passage gives us greater clarity regarding Israel’s actions and what God is going to do in response. The issue is not only their outward behavior, but also the posture of their hearts toward God that lies behind those actions.

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Amos 3:9-15 | The Corner of a Couch and Part of a Bed

Sun, 10 May 2026 15:48:54 GMT

In God‘s continued indictment against Israel, Amos moves the case further in 3:9–15. In this passage, we get further explanation into the nature of Israel’s evil as well as the way God is going to punish them. It is a lesson that serves as a warning for us on what we can expect when we are insistent to hold onto sin.

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Amos 3:1-8 | The Roar We Can’t Ignore

Sun, 03 May 2026 15:40:12 GMT

After calling out the nations for their sin and proclaiming judgment upon them, God turned his attention to his own people in last week’s passage. The focus will remain on Israel throughout the rest of the book. In the beginning of chapter 3, God reminds Israel of their relationship to him as his people and shows how the very nature of this relationship actually serves as a witness against them in their continued rebellion.

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Amos 2:4-16 | The Roar Turns Toward Us

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 17:01:22 GMT

In last week’s passage, God delivered a word of judgment for the outside nations. In this week’s text, the Lord centers his attention on the sins of his own people. This serves as a humbling reminder that God’s grace is not to be taken lightly and that the way we live our lives matters to Him.

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Amos 1:3-2:3 | The Roar Against the Nations

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:20:33 GMT

Last week, we were introduced to the idea that God has a difficult word to deliver through Amos–he is about to roar at his people, Israel. However, before he delivers his message to them, the Lord declares judgment on the nations that surround them (1:3-2:3). It is a reminder that all people will be held accountable to a holy God, and that no injustice will go unpunished.

Amos 1:1-2 | The Shepherd Roars

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 16:33:02 GMT

Now that we have concluded our series in Matthew, we go back in time approximately 700 years, before the birth of Christ, to the book of Amos. It is a time of prosperity for God's people. But it is also a time of moral decay and empty worship. In these first two verses of the book, we see that God is sending a messenger to deliver news that will upend the comfortable life of the people of Israel.

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Matthew 27:62-28:20 | The Resurrected King

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 15:37:51 GMT

He is risen indeed! On this Resurrection Sunday, we conclude our more than two-year-long series in the Gospel of Matthew by celebrating our Lord’s glorious resurrection and the calling that is placed on His disciples’ lives in response to His victory.

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Matthew 27:27-66 | The Crucified King

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 19:05:38 GMT

On this Palm Sunday, we have arrived at the point to which the Gospel of Matthew has been guiding us over the last two and half years: the crucifixion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this account of the events of that day, the author doesn’t spare the details of the utter humiliation our Lord faced. Yet, at the moment Jesus yielded his spirit, we get a glimpse of the Lord's victory through the responses of some of the witnesses, including creation itself.

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Matthew 27:11-26 | The Guilty and the Innocent

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 16:04:59 GMT

After Jesus has been abandoned, betrayed, arrested, and accused by his own people, Matthew depicts Him standing trial before the Roman governor Pilate. Unlike the Jewish religious leaders, Pilate doesn’t personally find any fault with Him. Nevertheless, God’s sovereign plan for redemption moves forward as Pilate yields to the external pressures of the crowd.

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Matthew 27:1-10 | The Betrayers Fate

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 15:02:36 GMT

In this week’s passage, we briefly turn from what is happening to Jesus and focus on Judas’ demise. Clearly, Judas is affected by how events have played out after his great betrayal, which leads to the taking of his own life. However, the real conflict of this text is the question of what to do with the money, and it tells us a great deal about what is going on in the hearts of the characters involved.

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Matthew 26:57-75 | A Tale of Two Confessions

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:29:45 GMT

At this point in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus has been arrested. This week's text gives us two scenes of events immediately following his arrest: Jesus standing before the high priest, and Peter with bystanders in the courtyard just outside. The truth is being questioned, and only one is willing to testify to it.

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Matthew 26:30-56 | Christ Alone

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 17:15:05 GMT

Our entire journey through Matthew over the last two and a half years has been all about the anticipation of God’s plan to establish his kingdom through Jesus. In this week’s passage, we clearly see that plan get put into motion with his betrayal and arrest. Though it may seem unlikely to us, Jesus’ abandonment and His being taken into custody by human authorities were necessary for fulfillment of this kingdom.

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Matthew 26:1-16 | The Passover

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 18:39:48 GMT

As we journey through the events of Holy Week in Matthew 26, the narrative leads us to the account of Christ instituting the Lord’s Supper. This is a profound and dramatic moment in which Christ reveals the significance of His death and explains how it applies to His disciples. It also demonstrates that the condition of our hearts shapes the manner in which we partake of the meal.

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Matthew 26:1-16 | Either Or

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 15:03:00 GMT

As we turn to chapter 26, we now enter into the home stretch of the Gospel of Matthew. This week's text confronts us and the disciples with the reality of the Lord's impending death and gives us a glimpse inside the minds and hearts of those involved. However, it is not meant to be a mere description of events as they played out. This passage provides a means to examine our own hearts as we consider what it means to worship the King.

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Isaiah 2:2-5 | The Mission of God

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 19:00:28 GMT

In our brief pause from our walk through the Gospel of Matthew, we take some time to consider the overall mission of God revealed in the pages of Scripture. From the very beginning, God has had a plan, and that plan includes using His people to bring it to fulfillment. This is an idea that ought to shape the lives of each and every one of us as we consider how we live in this world today.

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Matthew 25:31-46 | Final Words

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 17:17:56 GMT

In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus finishes his long answer to the question that the disciples asked in Matthew 24:3. In the preceding passages, Jesus has identified the signs to watch for and has instructed his followers on how to live in preparation for his eventual coming. In concluding this section of Matthew he focuses squarely on the nature of the final day—a reality that is both sobering and encouraging.

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Matthew 24:45-25:30 | The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 17:55:51 GMT

In last week’s message, we walked through Jesus’ words to the disciples concerning what they (and we) ought to expect at the end of the age. In 24:45-25:30, Jesus presents three parables to teach us how to live in light of these realities. It is a message that is meant to both encourage

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Matthew 24:15-44 | From Recognition To Readiness

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 18:00:34 GMT

In last week’s text, Jesus began to answer the disciples’ questions about signs of the end of the age. In this week’s text, he goes further, offering greater detail about what the disciples themselves can expect in the days ahead. Although this chapter of Matthew has long been a source of controversy for many Christians throughout history, the main reason that Jesus is communicating these things is to prepare us for how we should be living in light of them.

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Matthew 24:1-14 | The Beginning But Not the End

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 17:52:58 GMT

Now that we are firmly into 2026, we enter into the home stretch in our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. In this week’s text, Jesus addresses a question that his disciples, and all followers of his since, have asked: When will the end come? Our Lord gives us a word here that is meant to steel our resolve and prepare us to persevere in this age.

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Deuteronomy 6:4-9 | A People of the Word

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 19:47:36 GMT

As we move beyond the Advent season, we look ahead to journeying together into 2026. Our hope is that we will grow in our love for Christ and mature as his followers. Our engagement with his Word is central to this goal. Deuteronomy 6:4–9 gives us a picture of what it means to be God’s people and shows how our approach to Scripture shapes our relationship with him.

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Titus 2:11-14 | Waiting Once More

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 18:51:44 GMT

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1 John 1:1-4 | Made Manifest To Us

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 18:35:09 GMT

Christmas Eve service

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Hebrews 1:1-14 | God Has Spoken Through His Son

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 19:14:30 GMT

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Galatians 4:1-7 | The Fullness of Time

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 17:17:42 GMT

As we move into the third week of Advent, we continue to see what the New Testament epistles have to say about the incarnation of Jesus. Interestingly, in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatian church, where he is emphatic about living in the truth of the crucified Christ, he takes a turn in chapter four to also recognize the importance of the incarnate Christ.

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2 Corinthians 8:1-15 | He Became Poor

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 15:31:31 GMT

The second week of Advent is often associated with the idea of peace. As we continue to anticipate “God With Us” by exploring what the New Testament epistles say about the incarnation, we as believers, can rejoice and rest in the peace that comes only through the generosity of Jesus Christ.

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1 Timothy 3:14-16 | Manifested In The Flesh

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 17:17:40 GMT

Advent is a season for us to reflect upon the profound miracle that God would become fully man in order to save us. But it is not something that is to be merely appreciated from afar. The incarnation of the living Lord is meant to be embraced in such a way that we are changed in meaningful and magnificent ways.

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1 John 5:11-13 | That You May Know

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 02:04:04 GMT

This week we took a look at the topic of assurance of salvation. Whether we can be sure that we are truly saved is a question that almost all believers struggle with from time to time, but it is not a question that lacks an answer.

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Matthew 23:1-39 | Hypocrisy Unmasked

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 16:37:41 GMT

In this final passage that we will look at before the Advent season, we see our Lord’s last verbal confrontation with the Pharisees in Matthew. It proves to be the strongest indictment against the religious establishment yet. The nature of the Pharisees’ hypocrisy is laid plainly before them and we get a glimpse of what is to come as a result of their sin.

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Matthew 22:15-46 | Are You Smarter Than A Religious Leader?

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 17:42:43 GMT

In this portion of Matthew 22, we witness an assault by the religious leaders on Jesus through a series of questions. Even though they were asking him the “impossible” questions of their day, our Lord answers each one of them directly and leaves everyone speechless with his responses. This week's passage gives us another example of an attempt by Jesus' enemies to destroy him without success.

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Matthew 22:1-14 | Guest Lists & Dress Codes

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 17:16:40 GMT

At the beginning of Matthew 22, Jesus continues his teaching through parables. And in this week's passage we are presented with a parable of a king whose invitation to a great wedding feast for his son is met with some surprising responses. In understanding these responses we learn what type of people will be part of the kingdom as well as those who won’t.

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Matthew 21:18-46 | Kingdom Authority

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 15:32:04 GMT

After the events of Jesus entering into Jerusalem and overturning tables in the temple, Matthew includes an interesting, and slightly odd, story of Jesus cursing a fig tree that doesn’t bear fruit. The broader point that is being made by the Lord is with the religious leaders over his authority and where they stand in regards to the kingdom.

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Matthew 21:1-17 | Making An Entrance

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 15:07:41 GMT

Chapter 21 opens up with a well known story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the stir he causes within the temple grounds. These events may be familiar to many of us, but this story is filled with imagery and Old Testament references which paint a fuller picture of who Jesus is and what he came to do.

Matthew 20:29-34 | Blind Enough to See the King

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 16:00:00 GMT

At the end of Matthew 20, we come across this short story of Jesus’ interaction with two blind men on the road toward Jerusalem. This interaction teaches something crucial about our Lord, as well as the type of people that will populate his kingdom.

Matthew 20:17-28 | Upside Down

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 15:12:21 GMT

In this week's passage, the disciples are reminded again of the Lord's upcoming suffering. This is followed up with a bold request that is made by the mother of James and John. Jesus takes this as an opportunity to teach his followers what life in the kingdom actually looks like and how different it is from what we see in the world.

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Matthew 20:1-16 | You're Right, It's Not Fair

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 15:17:25 GMT

After last week's interaction with the rich young man, Jesus gives a parable concerning reward in the kingdom. He presents a story that is meant to prompt a reaction as he speaks of a master that approaches work and reward in an unorthodox manner. What we are taught is that our Lord approaches things differently than we would and that the economy of the kingdom is not the same as that of the world.

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Matthew 19:16-30 | Risk/Reward

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 16:17:59 GMT

In the latter half of Matthew 19, we come across the familiar story of the rich young man who asks Jesus what he needs to do to get eternal life. It's a unique interaction in the gospel because it's one of the few places where someone approaches Jesus in full sincerity and yet walks away in sorrow. This is a story that cuts right to the heart of what it really looks like to follow Christ and one that often brings conviction when we dig into it.

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Matthew 19:1-15 | The Scarlet Letter

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 16:00:00 GMT

After a great summer studying the life of Jacob, we return to the Gospel of Matthew. In chapter 19, we see the Pharisees testing Jesus in regard to permitted divorce. Instead of taking the bait, Jesus uses it as an opportunity to talk about bigger issues of the heart.

Genesis 35:1-29 | Full Circle

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 16:48:12 GMT

Genesis 35 marks the end of the story of Jacob and brings our summer series to a close. In this last chapter Jacob moves further into the promised land with his family while experiencing some tragedy along the way. Though the saga of Jacob ends here, the story of the promise carries on well beyond him.

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Genesis 34:1-31 | Incomplete Justice

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 16:11:06 GMT

In chapter 34 of Genesis, we are presented with a story of a great injustice done to the family of God as they settle in the land. It is how they handle it that seems to make everything worse. While the outcome of this story is less than satisfying, it is a true reflection of the world in its fallen state.

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Genesis 33:1-20 | Some Things Are Worth Fixing

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 15:31:22 GMT

Jacob has met God face-to-face, and he is now, in chapter 33, ready to meet his estranged brother. But things don't go as Jacob had thought they would. This week's text shows us a beautiful picture of God's reconciling work as well as his faithfulness to keep his promises to his people.

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Genesis 32:1-32 | The Fight of Your Life

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 17:20:07 GMT

In chapter 32 of Genesis, we find Jacob back in the land of promise. Jacob isn’t quite settled because of one major, outstanding issue; he is going to have to face his brother whose birthright and blessing he stole. Though the fear that Jacob feels is crippling, it leads him to a unique encounter with God that defines him from that point forward.

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Genesis 30:25-31:55 | Getting Out

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 16:00:00 GMT

After our short break with VBS week, we are back to the story of Jacob where we find him still working for his uncle Laban. It is now time for Jacob to go back to the promised land of his fathers. Although, it isn’t as easy as just picking up and leaving. This week’s text gives us a living example of how God is willing and able to get us out of the messes we create, and even the ones we don’t.

John 13:36-14:11 | The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 15:41:32 GMT

As we focus this week on a passage that has been an integral part of our VBS this year, we see one of the most familiar verses in the Bible. In spite of its familiarity, let’s look again at it together and see what the Holy Spirit may use regarding this “I Am” statement of Jesus to help us grow in our love and worship of him this week.

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Genesis 29:31-30:24 | Promised Fruitfulness

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 16:40:11 GMT

In this portion of Genesis, the focus is on Jacob’s two wives, Leah and Rachel. It is another story of questionable decisions on the part of God's people, and we get to view how God is working through them. This “baby boom” serves as another example of the Lord’s certainty to keep his promises through his providential work.

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Genesis 29:1-30 | The Sinner Exposed

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 16:41:46 GMT

In this saga of Jacob’s life, we come to the moment where he arrives at his journey’s intended destination in the east. While it may seem that all is going as planned, Jacob is met with significant unintended troubles. Genesis 29 lays out for us events that are crucial in Jacob’s formation as a man of God going forward.

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Genesis 27:41-28:22 | The Dream of a Better Home

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 16:34:08 GMT

As we continue through the story of Jacob, we see him departing his home, both due to the conflict between himself and his brother, and also to find a wife from his family's relatives. As he travels, God reveals himself to Jacob in a dream and Jacob’s response is one of fear and awe.

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Genesis 26:34-27:40 | How to Secure the Blessing

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 16:25:31 GMT

Genesis 27 brings us a key story in the history of redemption with Jacob fooling his father to receive his blessing. It is a passage that presents sinful people acting sinfully within the sovereign plan of a gracious God. This story is a key moment that will frame up the events of Jacob’s life going forward as we see how he is transformed through his striving with God.

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Genesis 26:1-33 | The Blessing Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 16:57:15 GMT

As we press on into this summer series in the life of Jacob, we run across this week’s passage covering some important events in the life of his father Isaac. As they are still wandering in the Promised Land, we get a look at God’s covenant family interacting with those who were currently residing there at the time. This gives us a glimpse of God’s sovereign grace to his people and what it means to be blessed by him.

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Genesis 25:19-34 | Unexpected Grace

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 17:42:21 GMT

As we begin studying the life of Jacob, we read about his birth and how he came to originally be granted the promised birthright of his father.

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Matthew 18:21-35 | The Forgiven Forgive

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 16:00:10 GMT

In the text for this week, Jesus responds to a question from Peter about forgiveness. But instead of giving only a quick response, the Lord shares a parable to highlight the place of forgiveness in the life of his people and the seriousness with which God takes it.

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Matthew 18:15-20 | An Embassy of Heaven

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 15:57:14 GMT

In this week’s passage, Jesus gives some very specific instructions about how to confront sin in a fellow believer. This ends up being part of a wider discussion of the function of the church in this world as an outpost of heaven. It is a call to the local church to understand the authority that it has been given and the responsibility that comes with it.

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Matthew 18:1-14 | The Greatest

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 17:50:00 GMT

Chapter 18 of Matthew begins with the disciples' curiosity concerning who is the greatest in the kingdom. These fourteen verses give us a picture of what being a member of the kingdom looks like and how deeply God cares for his children.

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Matthew 17:24-27 | It Pays to be Free

Sun, 25 May 2025 16:22:42 GMT

This week’s text gives us a short but interesting story on Jesus being called to pay a tax. While the means by which he provides the payment for himself and Peter is unusual, the purpose of this story is to further bring to light who Jesus really is.

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Matthew 17:14-23 | A Crisis Of Faith

Sun, 18 May 2025 15:13:41 GMT

After the disciples come down from the Mount of Transfiguration, they are met with a father whose son is in desperate need of healing. They come to find out that they are unable to help the man, much to the dismay of Jesus. This opens up an opportunity for the Lord to teach them about the nature of faith and what it means to walk by it.

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Matthew 17:1-13 | The Voice That Matters Most

Sun, 11 May 2025 16:00:00 GMT

After last week’s text full of Christ’s revelation of who he is and what he came to do, we turn the page to the transfiguration of Jesus. This passage also presents the richness of revealing who Jesus is. It’s a passage full of Old Testament pictures that takes us (and the three disciples involved) to the next step of showing us Jesus’ true identity, as well as the significance of what he came to do.

Matthew 16:13-26 | On Earth As In Heaven

Sun, 04 May 2025 16:00:00 GMT

We have reached a crucial part of the Gospel of Matthew where Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, and the Lord is overjoyed with it. Jesus' identity is not only made plain, but we also gain a greater understanding of what life as his followers actually entails.

Matthew 16:1-12 | Don’t Test Jesus

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 19:30:50 GMT

After a wonderful Holy Week, we return back to our series in the gospel of Matthew where we are immediately met with another confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders. They, again, demand a sign from the Lord and Jesus refuses to acquiesce. Jesus uses this as an opportunity to warn his disciples and show them that his ministry goes far deeper than meeting physical needs.

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Romans 6:8-11 | Raised to Life through the Cross

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 16:00:00 GMT

This last week, we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord together as his people. In chapter 6 of his epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul spells out why Jesus rising from the dead is worth celebrating. The resurrection changes everything and provides for us an unshakable hope in which we can live.

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Colossians 2:13-15 | Triumph Through the Cross

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 16:00:00 GMT

As we begin Holy Week, we’ll spend time looking at various New Testament letters to see how the Biblical authors point us to the cross to see the love of God and the work of salvation.

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Matthew 15:21-39 | Unexpected Recipients

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 14:58:33 GMT

This week’s passage has some very familiar elements to it as Jesus travels to a different location but performs a similar miracle as recorded in Matthew 14. While many verses at the end of today’s passage are mirror images from that last miraculous feeding, we see here a new audience. This fact stands out as we see Jesus broaden the reach of his power and compassion.

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Matthew 15:1-20 | Matters of the Heart

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 18:51:35 GMT

This week’s passage turns from the stories of Jesus’ miracles temporarily to address the heart of the Pharisees. Jesus has a confrontation with the Pharisees where they are attempting to put him on the defense concerning ritual hand washing. Jesus doesn’t take the bait and uses it as an opportunity to teach on the real problem of what makes us unclean.

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Matthew 14:13-36 | Believe In Miracles?

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 16:14:00 GMT

In the text this week, we look at some of the most famous miracles of our Lord. These miracles are familiar to many of us who have walked with Jesus for some time, their familiarity sometimes causes us to overlook what they are saying about the Lord and what it means for us in how we serve him.

Matthew 13:54-14:12 | Two Prophets, One Story

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 18:41:35 GMT

This week’s passage gives us scenes where we get a view of two sets of people who reject those sent by God. The people of Nazareth take offense at Jesus and Herod puts John the Baptist to death at the request of his wife. These stories serve as real life illustrations of how the human heart tends to respond when being confronted with truth.

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Matthew 13:44-53 | Priceless

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 16:48:57 GMT

This week’s passage marks the end of Jesus’ initial series of parables. He switches from agrarian imagery to imagery of economics and business. By doing this, Jesus is teaching his disciples about how they ought to think when it comes to the worth of the kingdom.

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Matthew 13:24-43 | The Kingdom the World Didn’t See Coming

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 10:54:29 GMT

In his teaching of parables, Jesus continues to reveal the nature of the Kingdom. In this week’s text, we get a look at a condensed view of what God has been doing since the beginning, as well as how it's going to all come to fruition. The question that arises is, “Where will we stand when it does?”

Matthew 13:1-23 | A Story Not Everyone Can Get

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:26:18 GMT

Chapter 13 starts a new movement in the ministry of Jesus as he begins to teach in parables. In this passage, we are introduced to the familiar parable of the sower which has something to say about who receives and understands the words of our Lord.

Matthew 12:38-50 | Come To Jesus

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 10:13:41 GMT

In this last section of chapter twelve, we read the conclusion of Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees. The religious leaders request a sign that Jesus does not grant. What follows is an explanation of the state of those who refuse to follow Jesus.

Matthew 12:22-37 | The Weight of Words

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 10:42:22 GMT

This week, we see the confrontation between the Pharisees and Jesus reach a new high as the religious leaders accuse Jesus of working his miracles through the power of the devil. This is met with a quick and harsh response from our Lord. This passage shows us that how we respond to Christ reveals the truth about our hearts.

Matthew 12:15-21 | A Different Kind Of King

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 11:15:47 GMT

This week's text serves as a bit of a bridge between two dramatic encounters involving Jesus and the Pharisees. Matthew placed it here to bring the reader's attention toward more fully understanding the overall purpose of Jesus' earthly ministry. Through it, we get a better idea of why Jesus responds so differently than how we might have expected.

Matthew 12:1-14 | Lord of the Sabbath

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 10:00:04 GMT

Following Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:29-30 about finding true rest in him, this week’s passage brings us two separate confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees concerning the Sabbath. In these two scenarios, Jesus addresses the accusations of the Pharisees by not merely arguing about Old Testament law but by declaring some shocking things about himself.

Matthew 11:20-30 | Changing Your Mind

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 10:57:41 GMT

In this week's passage, we continue in Jesus’ discourse to the crowd who had gathered after representatives of John the Baptist were sent to him. In this part of it, we are confronted with the realities of stubbornness of the human heart toward Jesus and what it looks like when someone does follow him.

Matthew 11:1-19 | Expectations

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 11:00:24 GMT

This Sunday we jump back into the gospel of Matthew for 2025. As we start in chapter 11, it begins with a concern that is raised by an imprisoned John the Baptist. Jesus takes this interaction and uses it to teach the crowds about a wrong expectation that people often hold to in their response to him.

Exodus 20:1-11 | Rest

Sun, 05 Jan 2025 10:30:36 GMT

As we enter a new year, there are many priorities vying for our attention. The concept of Rest is rarely put at the top of one’s list of New Year’s Resolutions. We’ll look together at what Biblical rest is and why it should be important to all of us.

Psalm 130 | Hope and Redemption

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 10:19:27 GMT

Psalm 98 | A Joyful Noise

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 09:04:58 GMT

Merry Christmas!

Psalm 80 | Restoration

Sun, 22 Dec 2024 12:10:41 GMT

As we now step away for a time from our normal rhythms of teaching on Sunday morning, we step into the Advent season together. This year, we are walking through some selected Psalms together. While this may be a bit of a deviation from some of the expected texts during this time of year, we can see how many of the psalms fit perfectly with the theme of the season.

Psalm 72 | Advent Imagination

Sun, 15 Dec 2024 11:52:55 GMT

Psalm 8 | The Majesty of Advent

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 10:08:39 GMT

As we now step away for a time from our normal rhythms of teaching on Sunday morning, we step into the Advent season together. This year, we are walking through some selected psalms together. While this may be a bit of a deviation from some of the expected texts during this time of year, we can see how many of the psalms fit perfectly with the theme of the season.

Psalm 2 | The Lord's Anointed

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 12:15:43 GMT

As we now step away for a time from our normal rhythms of teaching on Sunday morning, we step into the Advent season together. This year, we are walking through some selected psalms together. While this may be a bit of a deviation from some of the expected texts at this time of year, we’ll see how many of the Psalms fit perfectly with the tone of the season.

1 Peter 2:9-10 | Membership Matters (Part Two)

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 11:45:12 GMT

In these two weeks leading up to Advent, we are going to take some time to discuss a topic that affects how we move forward together in the mission we have been called to. That topic is church membership. We want to explore what the Bible teaches about it and where we need to grow.

Romans 12:1-5 | Membership Matters (Part One)

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 11:07:12 GMT

Matthew 10:34-42 | Cost and Reward

Sun, 10 Nov 2024 10:21:35 GMT

In the closing verses of Matthew 10, Jesus gives some of the strongest words about what it means to follow him in carrying out his mission. We are called to put Jesus above even the most precious things in this life. And, consequently, this means strife and division. But encouragingly, he ends with words that show us that the cost isn’t paid in vain.

Matthew 10:26-33 | The Fear to Make Christ Known

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 10:27:23 GMT

As we continue on in this week’s passage from chapter 10, Jesus addresses some fears we will face in our mission to proclaim His name to the world. In his explanation of these things, the Lord speaks in stark terms. It is a text that all Christians should find massively encouraging in the struggle of making Him known to this world.

Matthew 10:16-25 | Dangerous Journey

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 10:07:21 GMT

In this week's passage, Jesus continues to talk about the mission ahead for the disciples he is commissioning. But the content of what he tells them makes a slight switch between verses 15 and 16. Jesus goes from giving their exact marching orders to what they can expect when it comes to the reaction of those they go to. Our Lord doesn’t mince words when he explains the nature of the persecution awaiting them.

Matthew 10:1-15 | Missions Pep Talk

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 10:44:38 GMT

Chapter 10 of Matthew begins with Jesus preparing his disciples to go out and do the ministry that Jesus alone has been doing up to this point. And while many of the particulars in Jesus’ instruction to the 12 were specific to them at that point, there is a word for us today as we consider the kingdom mission that all Christians are a part of.

Matthew 9:35-38 | What Makes The Mission Move

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 10:49:19 GMT

In this last short paragraph from Matthew 9, we see some familiar language concerning Jesus’ ministry to the crowds as well as a glimpse into how our Lord responds to the situation at hand. This week’s passage is a call to his disciples about what we are to do as we look upon the crowds as well.

Matthew 9:18-34 | Fruitful Faith, Senseless Skepticism

Sun, 06 Oct 2024 10:02:54 GMT

In Matthew 9:18–34, we are presented with more miraculous work done by our Lord. But in the story of these works of Christ, there is a bit of a spotlight put on the response of the people toward Jesus and what he does. And what we see is a connection between the way a person approaches Jesus and whether they receive what he has for them.

Matthew 9:9-17 | To Eat or Not to Eat

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 09:29:21 GMT

As we continue through chapter 9 of Matthew, we find two situations where Jesus is the source of controversy. But it certainly isn’t because Jesus is wrong or that he is stirring the pot for no good reason. The presence of the Son of God on earth signals a complete and monumental change of everything.

Matthew 8:23-9:8 | The Most Powerful Thing in the World

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 12:05:00 GMT

In last week’s passage, we were given a taste of what it costs to follow Christ. But for this week, Matthew gives us a fuller view of the one we are following. Through the three stories presented to us in this text, we see a display of power that separates Jesus from anyone or anything before him.

Matthew 8:18-22 | Genuine Discipleship

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 11:00:05 GMT

Last week’s passage gave us a glimpse of the authority that Jesus has from his healings and miracles. This week, we get a look at what it really means to follow him. From the response that he gives to two different people, Jesus bluntly describes the nature of discipleship.

Matthew 8:1-17 | Following the Master

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 12:08:15 GMT

As we turn the page from the Sermon on the Mount, we are immediately confronted with three different stories of Jesus’ miraculous healing work. But the reason for the recording of these healings goes far beyond Jesus being kind to the people around him. The people who he serves and the way he does it tells us a great deal about the nature of our Lord.

Matthew 7:24-29 | The Master's Build

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 10:33:46 GMT

This week's passage concludes the Sermon on the Mount. And in it, we are given an illustration that sums up the consequences of what we do with it. It is a passage that certainly holds a warning for the reader, but also serves as a great encouragement.

Matthew 7:13-23 | Two Ways, Contingent On One

Sun, 25 Aug 2024 11:29:53 GMT

Matthew 7:13-23 presents to us some of the most difficult teaching from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. It is a passage that draws attention to the fact that real followers of Jesus must be a transformed people and that there is no room in the kingdom for mere pretenders.

Matthew 7:12 | The Golden Rule

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 11:21:18 GMT

In verse 12, Jesus wraps up a major section of his teaching with one of the most quoted portions of the Bible. The “Golden Rule” is a text that is known well beyond the walls of the church, but it serves to bring a proper close to a great portion of what Jesus has already taught in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 7:7-11 | The God Who Gives Good Gifts

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 10:24:26 GMT

As we start to wrap up Jesus' teaching on how we treat others in the Sermon on the Mount, we come to another passage about prayer. But instead of teaching us how to pray, our Lord gives us a word about the confidence we ought to have when we pray. It is an encouraging word about the level of access we have to our loving father in heaven.

Matthew 7:1-6 | Humble Judgment, Wise Discernment

Sun, 04 Aug 2024 14:04:23 GMT

This week, we shift from the personal nature of what our hearts are serving and depending on, to our interactions with those around us. As we consider the concept of judging whether someone else is right or wrong, Jesus had strong words for us to consider before engaging in casting that judgment on others.

Matthew 6:25-34 | Misplaced Anxiety

Sun, 28 Jul 2024 11:05:23 GMT

Last week, we looked at Jesus’ teaching on earthly versus heavenly treasure. In this Sunday’s passage, Jesus addresses a consistent pitfall that everyone experiences: anxiousness over necessities. Jesus provides a perspective that serves to free us from the worry that takes our eyes off the kingdom. He encourages us to remember that God knows us better than we know ourselves and that our daily needs do not take him by surprise.

Matthew 6:19-24 | Kingdom Wealth

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 11:30:50 GMT

After multiple weeks focusing on the Lord’s Prayer, we now move onto the next part of the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6:19-24, Jesus begins to teach on money and possessions. And although the way we view and spend money is not a popular idea to be confronted with, it is indicative of what our heart truly values.

Matthew 6:13 | A Prayer for this Present Age

Sun, 14 Jul 2024 10:37:06 GMT

We now reach the last part of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 and it covers something that we may not give much thought to in our prayer lives, temptation and evil. Matthew 6:13 is an acknowledgement that evil truly exists and that we are vulnerable without the protection of God. And so our Lord commands us to include these things in our prayers to God.

Matthew 6:12 | Forgiveness

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 19:10:37 GMT

After a week in First Kings, we are back to the Lord’s Prayer. And in verse 12, we are taught to pray for our forgiveness. In fact, verse 12 is such a key part to Jesus’ teaching in this section that he adds commentary in verses 14-15. How we approach forgiveness is a chief indicator of the condition of our hearts.

1 Kings 18:20-40 | The One True God

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 15:27:31 GMT

In reflecting on a great week of VBS, we took a slight detour this Sunday from the Sermon on the Mount to look at the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal from 1 Kings 18. It serves as a reminder that the Lord we worship really is the One True God.

Matthew 6:11 | The Simple Request of Prayer

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 15:30:27 GMT

In Matthew 6:11, we come to a short petition asking for God to give us our daily bread. And while this may be a familiar phrase to many of us, our regularity in praying this way might be lacking. In this verse, Jesus is teaching us something very important about God and the way that we daily interact with him.

Matthew 6:10 | The Quality Of Prayer

Sun, 16 Jun 2024 16:12:47 GMT

***Due to storms during service on 6/16/24 we lost power several times. You will notice breaks in the audio/video during these times.***

We continue through the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:10 with a plea from Jesus concerning the kingdom. He is teaching us to have a heart that prays for the Kingdom’s arrival and willing obedience from its citizens to the King. Though the words of this verse are often repeated weekly in churches without much thought, it is a request for the up-ending and restoration of everything.

Matthew 6:9 | Quintessence of Prayer

Sun, 09 Jun 2024 16:00:22 GMT

This Sunday, we start to narrow our focus onto individual sections of the Lord‘s prayer. And while this may be a passage that is very familiar to many of us, there is much to glean from looking at it so closely. In 6:9, we see how Jesus addresses the Father as well as a prayer concerning his name.

Matthew 6:1-18 | Practicing Righteousness?

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 15:51:27 GMT

This week, we begin a new chapter in Matthew and a new section of our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. Here, Jesus warns his listeners of practicing their righteousness before others in order to be seen. It is a message that shows us that God not only cares about what we do, but why we do it.

Matthew 5:48 | Holy Completion

Sun, 26 May 2024 16:37:08 GMT

We now come to the end of chapter 5, as well as this section of the Sermon on the Mount. This section concludes with a command that, at first glance, might make us think that Jesus couldn’t actually be serious about. He calls us to be perfect. And while our normal use of the word “perfect” might cloud our understanding, it is a command we are meant to obey.

Matthew 5:43-47 | True Love

Sun, 19 May 2024 15:25:57 GMT

In this final paragraph of Matthew 5, Jesus gives a teaching that is truly emblematic of the high calling of being a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. We are called to love our enemies. While this certainly would have been radical in Jesus’ day, it's still radical when it is truly lived out today and confounds a world that is watching.

Matthew 5:38-42 | Eyes, Teeth, Cheeks, Cloaks, and Miles

Sun, 12 May 2024 14:33:44 GMT

Jesus' teaching throughout chapter 5 has set a different tone for what true righteous living actually looks like. His words on retaliation in this week's passage are no exception. Like the rest of this chapter before it, Jesus' words here present to us a standard for dealing with insult and injustice that can only be categorized as radical by those looking in.

Matthew 5:33-37 | Pinky Promise?

Sun, 05 May 2024 16:38:46 GMT

As we continue on with Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon on the Mount, we come upon his words concerning oaths. While we may not live in the same type of oath-taking-culture as his original hearers, the principles remain the same. We are to be people of our word that follow through with what we promise

Matthew 5:31-32 | Marriage Matters

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 16:13:02 GMT

In this week’s passage, Jesus seamlessly moves from the subject of lust to divorce and remarriage. And in these topics, he continues to teach a righteousness that goes much deeper than the surface. While these subjects may make us uncomfortable, how we approach them as citizens of the kingdom matters immensely to the Lord.

Matthew 5:27-30 | Hard To Hear

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 20:23:05 GMT

In this week’s passage, Jesus talks about the sin of lust. Just like anger, it is a far deeper issue than what we see on the surface. For citizens of His kingdom, it is not only a matter of how we outwardly act, but also of what we entertain inwardly. Jesus is calling us to a fuller righteousness.

Matthew 5:21-26 | Our Relational Liability

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT

As we enter into the main body of Jesus’ teaching, he begins with a word on anger and dissension amongst brothers. And while it may seem excessive at first glance, Jesus’ instruction on these matters is a testimony to how serious God takes our relationships with one another.

Matthew 5:17-20 | The Excessive Righteousness of Kingdom People

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT

After a break for Holy Week, we are now back to our Lord’s teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. This passage is the first one that comes after the Beatitudes and connects us into the main body of Jesus’ sermon. Here, the Lord shows us that following him is a higher call than what we may expect.

Psalm 16 | A Song of Resurrection Confidence

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Today, we celebrate together the resurrection of our Lord as Holy Week and the Lenten season come to a close. Resurrection Sunday is the highest holy day in our calendar because if Jesus isn’t raised from the dead, then we don't have a foundation for our faith. As we see in Psalm 16, not only has God raised him, but this was the plan all along.

Psalm 118 | A Song Of His Saving Work

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT

We begin Holy Week by celebrating Palm Sunday together and walking through Psalm 118. Throughout the week we will dive into psalms that apply to the events of Christ’s passion throughout the week. Psalm 118 is not only quoted during the events of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, but it also tells us so much about our Savior and the nature of his deliverance.

Matthew 5:13-16 | Salt and Light

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT

We have now come to the end of this section called the beatitudes, and Jesus concludes it by comparing his people to salt and light. We get a chance here to see the impact that living rightly has for those who witness it. If last week’s passage (Matthew 5:10-12) was about the world’s effect on God’s people, this is about the effect of God’s people on the world.

Matthew 5:10-12 | Blessing and Persecution

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This Sunday concludes our time together in the beatitudes and it ends with a word on the world’s response to the righteous. Hostility and persecution are not just a probability, they are to be expected. And even though this is the reality for God’s people, we are to rejoice because of what we already have reserved for us.

Matthew 5:9 | True Peace

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT

As we approach the end of the beatitudes, our Lord gives the penultimate description of the citizens of his kingdom as peacemakers. And while peace is a term that the world uses quite frequently, the worldly understanding of it certainly lacks the fullness of what Christ means by it. So as God’s people, we go forward as His representatives of the kind of peace he offers.

Matthew 5:8 | Whole Hearted Happiness

Sun, 25 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

We are now into the latter half of our Lord’s beatitudes in which we are getting a clearer picture of the type of people who are part of his kingdom. In verse 8, Jesus calls us to purity of heart and promises the gift of seeing God. It is a simple statement, but holds profound weight that gives us a hope beyond anything before.

Matthew 5:7 | Mercy

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

We have now reached the fifth beatitude which tells us that the merciful are the blessed ones. This is a unique beatitude amongst the list of others in that the outcome replicates the command. The merciful will be shown mercy. It is another insight into what citizens of the kingdom are to be like.

Matthew 5:6 | You Are What You Hunger For

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In verse 6, we learn that it is those who hunger and thirst for righteousness who will be satisfied. While this is something that Christians would almost certainly nod their heads in agreement with, it may be an idea that we don’t often meditate on personally. Our approach to righteousness is fundamental to who God’s people are to be.

Matthew 5:5 | Keep Calm and Carry On

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this third beatitude, Jesus tells us that the blessed ones are people who are meek. It is a word that we sometimes use, but rarely think about what it means and what it actually looks like in day to day life. But it is a quality that our Lord holds at a high value and is connected to our inheritance as his people.

Matthew 5:4 | The Flourishing Life Of Sorrow

Sun, 28 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This week Pastor Isaac took us through the second beatitude from the Sermon on the Mount. In this short statement, Jesus teaches something that should strike us as odd. It is the ones who mourn that are truly blessed. This is another signal to us and all of his hearers that reminds everyone that his kingdom is unlike any other kingdom. And the people who he seeks out to populate this kingdom are not the type that anyone would expect.

Matthew 5:3 | The Be-All Beatitude

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Now that we have taken a broad view of the entire Sermon on the Mount, we dig in to look at it in pieces. And when Jesus opens his mouth to teach, he begins with a series of statements known as the Beatitudes. It is in the Beatitudes where we start to get a good picture of what his kingdom is all about. It is certainly nothing that we would expect; but through his teaching here, the true heart of God is revealed.

Matthew 5:1-7:28 | The Greatest Sermon Ever

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This week is unique, instead of the usual short scripture passage, we are studying the entire three chapters of the Sermon on the Mount this Sunday. While we will be taking time to examine it in more bite-size pieces in future Sundays, it is important to first look at it as a whole. What we discover, is the level of authority that Jesus holds and the heart of God in what he commands of His people.

Psalm 1

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this first week of 2024, we are taking a short break from the book of Matthew to look at Psalm 1 together. But truthfully, Psalm 1 is not as much of a deviation from Matthew as we may think; especially as we prepare for the Sermon on the Mount. This opening psalm draws up the boundary between the wicked and the righteous, how they fare in this life, and what will come of them.

Matthew 4:12-25 | A Kingdom Like No Other

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In the wilderness, Jesus accomplished what no man could by overcoming the temptation of the evil one. Now it is time to begin building his kingdom, but Christ’s kingdom is very different from everything we have come to expect concerning power and reign. All of our expectations are gloriously reversed as we see what he has come to do.

Matthew 4:1-11 | The Mystery of the Incarnation

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on December 24, 2023

Matthew 3:1-17 | Prepare Him Room

Sun, 17 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT

We have now reached a point in the book of Matthew where we see Jesus as an adult for the first time. But chapter 3 doesn’t begin with Jesus immediately. We are first made privy to the ministry of John the Baptist, who is the one sent before Christ to prepare the way. Between John’s work, the appearance of religious leaders to the scene, and the actual baptism of Jesus, Matthew 3 is a passage that is full of examples that give us a greater understanding of our Lord and the work he was sent to do.

Matthew 2:13-23 | Christmas in the Fullest Sense

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT

This week, we look at a darker element of the Christmas story that significantly contrasts with the joyous elements of the holiday that we are familiar with. It's the story of Herod’s plot to kill the child and God’s divine intervention in guiding Joseph to Egypt and eventually Nazareth. This is more than an isolated event, Matthew cites Old Testament scripture to show us that something larger and of ancient days is at work in God’s plan.

Matthew 2:1-12 | When Stars Align

Sun, 03 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT

This week we cover a passage that almost everyone has a passing familiarity with, “The Visit of the Magi”. What is truly notable about this story though, is the contrast in reactions to the newborn king. While it is certainly good news for the wise men, it is something altogether different for Herod. This pushes us to consider our own response to Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25 | Joseph’s Trust In God

Sun, 26 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT

After walking through Jesus’ genealogy last week, we now dive into the narrative of his life that Matthew has laid out. Matthew begins with a telling of the events surrounding the Lord’s conception and virgin birth. While the focus is on Mary elsewhere in the gospels (Luke), Matthew zeroes in on Joseph. It is through Joseph’s handling of the situation he faces that we see God furthering the plan to bring his people the Savior King.

Matthew 1:1-17 | Introducing Jesus

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT

We now begin a year-long series in the Gospel of Matthew together. And from beginning to the end, the author is going to work to convince us of the identity of Jesus and the nature of his work. In these first seventeen verses, Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus. And while it would be easy for us to skim it or skip over it completely to get to the story, it is there for us to further understand who our Lord is.

Romans 1:16 | Politics and Identity

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Last week, Pastor Mike talked about our thinking rightly concerning political power in light of the true power of the gospel. But another danger that lays its trap for the church is making politics the primary shaper of our identity. The folly in doing this is in the fact that political affiliation is an insufficient substitute for the glorious identity we have in the gospel of Christ.

Romans 1:16 | Politics and Power

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In this brief, two week series, we have the opportunity to consider the gospel and what it means in our approach to politics and social issues. With a political climate as polarized and often vitriolic as our own, it is necessary for us to consider these things as God’s people. If we are to be set apart from this world, then we must also be set apart in our convictions about worldly power.

Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 | The Final Word

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In this short passage from chapter twelve, we now hear from the narrator who concludes the book. It contains some words about the Preacher as well as some summarizing thoughts about wisdom. But most notably, we are given a command at the end which serves as a unifying statement in regards to what our life is to be about: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8 | Wisdom For Growing Old

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In this penultimate sermon from our Ecclesiastes series we see the Preacher give instructions to remember and rejoice in this life. While this passage certainly applies to all who read it, he has something to say to young people in regards to how to approach the days of youth. The harsh reality is that we will all fade and die. Therefore, how we think about and spend our days matters.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 | Wisdom for Work

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT

The beginning of chapter 11 addresses the unexpected nature of life and how we ought to respond to it. While we are always drawn to feeling as if we are in control, the uncertainty of what will be is proof of otherwise. But that still shouldn’t prevent us from living faithfully today.

Ecclesiastes 9:13-10:20 | Wisdom > Folly

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In this week’s text, the Preacher walks through the complex relationship between wisdom and folly. While wisdom is far better than the strength and shouting of fools even a little folly can also do so much damage to what is good. This is advice that people of all stages of life would do well to heed.

Ecclesiastes 9:1-12 | Make Your Bed

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In Ecclesiastes 9:1-12, the Preacher revisits the idea of death as the great equalizer for all. And he does this so that the reader refocuses to a right perspective of life. The sobering reality that our days are numbered (and we don’t know how many we have) is meant to shape our lives toward faithfulness and fuller enjoyment of what we have.

Ecclesiastes 8:1-17 | Civic Wisdom in an Uncivil Age

Sun, 24 Sep 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Ecclesiastes 8 proves to be a difficult passage; not only in navigating what the Preacher is telling the reader, but more difficult to hear and accept. How do we relate to civil authority and society as a whole when there is clear evidence of injustice and wickedness? The answer given here is not one that we will hear out in the world, but it is a necessary lesson for us as God’s people if we are to be an effective witness for His kingdom.

Ecclesiastes 7:15-29 | The Trouble With Wisdom

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 12:00:00 GMT

The second half of Ecclesiastes 7 proves to be one of the most difficult passages to understand up to this point and it's possible that this is exactly what the author intended. But he isn’t attempting to be confusing for its own sake. The search for wisdom and understanding the way forward in life is a pursuit that is already immensely confusing and impossible to grasp. This is what the Preacher explores in this passage.

Ecclesiastes 6:10-7:14 | Man Versus God

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 12:00:00 GMT

The passage from this Sunday again presents to us a truth that proves difficult for us to understand and often to accept: that God truly is sovereign over all things and has providence over all that comes to pass. But this time, the Preacher goes into a little more depth than he has before, as to how we ought to think about and respond to our circumstances. How we ultimately approach adversity says a lot about how we trust the Lord.

Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:9 | The Vanity of Wealth

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In this week’s passage, the Preacher zeroes in on possessions and wealth. But it isn’t the message that many of us might expect on the subject. The issue of having wealth or not isn’t as much the concern of the Preacher as the approach to it and the heart of the one who has it. It is a message that ought to resonate well with us who have been given much in comparison to most throughout the world.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 | Sunday Matters: Wisdom for Coming to Church

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 12:00:00 GMT

This week, we looked at the first section of verses in chapter 5. And while most of Ecclesiastes up to this point has been a series of observations about the visible world, the Preacher’s approach changes toward giving advice in this passage. His concern is the careless usage of words before God and the dangers inherent to it. It is a text that exposes the connection between the words of our mouth and our heart's attitude toward God.

Ecclesiastes 4:7-16 | Alone Together

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 12:00:00 GMT

As we continue along in our walk through Ecclesiastes, the latter half of chapter 4 presents to us a contrast between living a life in isolation from others and one surrounded by accountable relationships. The one accentuates the vanity of our toil and the other brings to us something good and beneficial to ourselves. It is a passage that teaches us the essential place that community must have in living a good life.

Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:6 | It Still Matters

Sun, 13 Aug 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Last week, we saw that God’s sovereignty over all aspects of all things is something to which we can humbly and even joyfully submit. As we continue in Ecclesiastes this week we will follow the Preacher as he ponders how one is to live or find purpose in a world filled with wickedness, injustice, and oppression. How does God’s sovereignty carry over into these aspects of our fallen world and is there any place we can truly find comfort in the midst of suffering in our own lives and those around us?

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 | Turn! Turn! Turn!

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 12:00:00 GMT

This week, we come across one of the most familiar passages in all of scripture, more for pop culture reasons than anything else. But there is more to this text than what most would care to think about. The seasons of life change, and there is a time for all of it. This is an examination of God’s sovereignty over all times and what that means for us. To many, it is a terrifying prospect to realize that we have so little control. But to those of us who fear him, our response should be different.

Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26 | Looking for “Just Right”

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Last week, we were introduced to the book of Ecclesiastes. The author began with the statement that ‘all is vanity’, and in the second half of chapter 1 and all of chapter 2, the Preacher goes into a bit more detail of how this is the case. He discusses the pursuit of wisdom, self indulgence, wise living, and all toil done under the sun. He comes to the conclusion that, indeed, it is all vanity. At the very end of chapter 2, we get a glimpse that there is more to what the Preacher is saying than a cynical philosophy of life.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 | The Rock in Your Shoe

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:00:00 GMT

This week we began a new book together as Pastor Mike presented Ecclesiastes 1:1–11 to us. It’s probably safe to say that we couldn’t have picked a more dissimilar book from Revelation than this. If Revelation is a view of what is going on behind the curtain, Ecclesiastes is a study of the curtain itself. What is this world that we dwell in and what do we make of the lives we live in it?

Revelation 22:6-21 | A Really Good Ending

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 12:00:00 GMT

After almost an entire year, we have reached the conclusion to the book of Revelation. The prophecy has been given to John and now we are instructed on how to go forward in light of it. Jesus is coming soon; and the reality of this truth propels his people to live faithfully until that day.

Revelation 21:22-22:5 | Further Up, Further In

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In the wrapping up of Revelation (and history as we know it), we are treated to an abundance of imagery that gives us a glorious peek at our lives to come. We will finally be with our God forever in the place that he has prepared for us. One interesting aspect of this week’s passage is how it shows us that the new heavens and the new earth are not completely different from the world we see today, but it is a renewed and far better version of it.

Revelation 21:9-21 | Treasure Beyond Measure

Sun, 02 Jul 2023 12:00:00 GMT

As of last week, we have entered into the part of Revelation where we get a clear view of the fulfillment of all things. The new heavens and new earth has arrived, and we see that it is gloriously different than the current order of things. In this week’s text, John’s vision of these things is focused in on the bride. Through some very descriptive language, we can get a picture of the final product that God is moving us towards as he works in us.

Revelation 21:1-8 | A Better Home

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 12:00:00 GMT

This week begins a new chapter in Revelation, both literally and figuratively. As we saw the things of old done away with at the end of chapter 20, all of God’s enemies judged and the world that was cursed gone, it is now time for something new. It is now time for God to fulfill and complete the work that he has promised to do since the days of Abraham, to create a permanent dwelling place for himself among man. As you study this passage, consider the hope that this would have given John’s original audience, the seven churches that were facing their myriad of problems and trials. Now consider the hope that this is meant to instill in us today. It’s the same hope, the same eternal destination. Let your heart desire this day more than any other, when God will dwell with us in a new and perfect world.

Revelation 20:11-15 | Time to Face Hell

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Last week, we saw Satan defeated and thrown into the Lake of Fire. Now, we come to the last enemy of God and His people: Death. From upon His great white throne judgment is poured out upon “the dead” and ultimately upon Death itself. Though the punishment of an eternity spent in a Lake of Fire is a terrible reality to face, in this latter part of Revelation 20 we see that the One who sits on this throne is indeed holy, just, and true in His judgments.

Revelation 20:1-10 | Satan’s Final Destination

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Last week, we went through one of the most striking images in the entire Bible, Jesus Christ, Lord of Lords and King of Kings rides into battle on His white horse. The battle ends in total victory with the Beast and the False prophet being cast into the lake of fire for eternity. The original readers, reading this letter for the first time, might pause at the end of ch19 and ask what about Satan? What about that great Dragon, the deceiver, the accuser, the father of all lies and murder, the serpent which opened wide the door of temptation and invited Adam and Eve to step into sin. What about Satan? And maybe, just maybe, asking where are the Saints? Revelation 20:1-10 answers those questions, but leaves much to the reader's imagination as well.

Revelation 19:11-21 | The Return of Christ

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 12:00:00 GMT

We have now arrived at the anticipated moment that all of history has been building up to, the return of Jesus Christ in glory. And this passage describes it in clearer detail than anywhere else in Scripture. We see heaven opened up and the King of Kings return to judge the world in righteousness. Though we may expect an epic struggle with such an event, Revelation 19 tells us of something a little different.

Revelation 19:1-10 | Save The Date

Sun, 28 May 2023 12:00:00 GMT

The beginning of 19 presents to us a view from heaven of the celebration over God’s judgment of Babylon. This is followed up with an announcement of a marriage feast to happen soon. This text shows us that a new reality is upon us. The old is passing away and the new is about to come. The goodness of this news is dependent on the object of a person’s worship.

Revelation 18 | A Playlist for Babylon

Sun, 21 May 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Last week, we got a vision of a prostitute riding the beast. In chapter 18, John is made privy to a detailed word on what will truly become of her. This is a passage that continues to show us what the final judgment of all things will look like. Babylon is fallen. And with it, we see a very sharp contrast in the reaction to this news; depending on the perspective it comes from.

Revelation 17 | Not A Mother’s Day Sermon

Sun, 14 May 2023 12:00:00 GMT

As we continue in John’s vision in chapter 17, his attention is now drawn to a woman. But this woman is very different from the one in chapter 12. This is a fantastically repulsive picture that actually causes John to marvel for a moment. Though this part of Revelation is, again, chock-full of difficult imagery it is important for us to understand what is being said here since it helps us further understand the world we live in.

Revelation 16 | Old Testament Type Stuff

Sun, 07 May 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In Chapter 16, the hour of judgment has come. And the image in which we see it here is with seven angels pouring out the seven bowls of God’s wrath. Each bowl seemingly more intense than the last. But its in the contrasting responses over these things from heaven and on earth where we truly see the difference between those who stand with the Lord. and those who stand against him.

Revelation 15 | Here We Go Again

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In chapter 15, John sees another sign. It is a moment of final preparation before the final judgment comes down. And the reaction that John sees in this moment is one of praise and worship to the Lamb. This new mini-series within our walk through Revelation marks out the final death throes and destruction of the world system as we know it. It is dark, but it will bring us to the doorstep of the glorious new heavens and ne earth.

Revelation 14:6-20 | The Weight of Wrath

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 12:00:00 GMT

After a mountain-top vision from the text last week, John now gives a startlingly dark description of what awaits those who reject the living God and worship the beast. This week’s passage contains probably the most explicit reference to the nature of God’s wrath in all of the scriptures and so it is rightfully met with a sense of trembling. But ultimately, this is a word to encourage the saints to endure all the more.

Revelation 14:1-5 | The Lamb and His People

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 12:00:00 GMT

This week, we are back in the book of Revelation and walked through the first five verses of chapter 14 together. This chapter comes on the heels of John’s visions of the two beasts that make war on the saints cause those who do not worship the image to be slain. But chapter 14 opens up with a vision of pure joy and hope for God’s faithful. It is a vision to give God’s people the encouragement to sustain them through tribulation.

Ezekiel 37:1-28 | Dry Bones, Broken Sticks and A Lost King

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on April 9, 2023

Zechariah 9:9-12 | Palm Sunday

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 12:00:00 GMT

A king is coming for his people and he will set up a city and kingdom unlike any before. This was true in the days of Zerchariah and it still remains true for us today. We just have more information now. Palm Sunday is the recognition that Jesus has always been the king that his people have been waiting for. He has come to us already, but will come again to finish the job completely.

Revelation 13:11-18 | Beast Mode Part 2

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on March 26, 2023

Revelation 13:1-10 | Beast Mode

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Last week in Chapter 12, we saw the dragon, Satan himself, thrown down from heaven and begin his great war on those who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Now in chapter 13, John sees the infamous beast rise from the sea. There is a lot of confusion about this beast. But if we read carefully, we can come away with a clear sense of what God is revealing to us about the nature of evil and the hope we have in enduring and faithfully following Christ to the very end.

Revelation 12:1-17 | Cosmic Conflict

Sun, 12 Mar 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In Revelation 12, we begin a new sequence of visions, following the seven trumpets. The Apostle John sees two great signs in heaven: a woman giving birth to a son and a great red dragon. And he witnesses a great battle that rages in heaven and on earth between the dragon and those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. As you study this section further, remember that we are dealing with highly symbolic literature that is representative of spiritual realities that we can’t see with our eyes. To interpret these visions we must look at the context surrounding these symbols. How do we understand chapter 12 in light of everything else we’ve read so far in Revelation, as well as what has come before in all of scripture?

Revelation 11:15-19 | Forever and Ever

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 12:00:00 GMT

This week we finally come to the seventh trumpet. Like the seventh seal that was opened in chapter 8, this final trumpet blast serves to symbolize the end of God’s judgment and the beginning of the new order of God’s kingdom. Verse 15 sums this up when it says, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” That describes the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan for all creation, a plan where heaven and earth would be united as one kingdom under God. As you reflect on this passage this week, consider how that end goal of unification between heaven and earth might affect the way you live your life today.

Revelation 11:1-14 | Witness In The World

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Last week in chapter 10, the Apostle John, the author of Revelation, received a commission from God to “prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” Now in this vision, John receives a measuring rod to measure the temple of God and those who worship there. Then he is told about the two witnesses and what will happen to them. This whole scene takes place in the context of the sixth trumpet blast back from chapter 9, which is also the second of three woes first referenced at the end of chapter 8. Which is to say, things are really starting to get confusing. But while we can get lost in the details of this winding road, we mustn't lose sight of the purpose of this highly symbolic vision—this revelation is given to strengthen the faith of the church as it waits for the return of Christ.

Revelation 10:1-11 | Marching Orders

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In this week’s passage, we find ourselves at a break in the action. The opening of the seven seals gave way to seven trumpets. The first six trumpets have been blown, bringing about the judgments of God upon the earth and the hardened hearts of those who refuse to repent. Now, before the seventh trumpet is blown, just as we saw before the seventh seal was opened, John is shown something special. Before the seventh seal he saw the great multitude of those who worship the Lamb. Now before the seventh trumpet and final judgment, John sees a mighty angel come down from heaven with a scroll. And on this scroll would be a sweet and bitter message for all peoples, nations, languages, and kings.

Revelation 8:6-9:21 | Announcing the Presence of Judgment

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In this sermon, Pastor Mike walked us through the first six ‘Trumpet Judgments’. In this passage, we are given a continued picture of the sovereignty of Christ as well as the instability of this world. In true apocalyptic form, we get to clearly see just how foolish it is to place our faith in this present order of the world and that true security can only be found in the Lamb who moves these events at his will.

Revelation 8:1-5 | The Seventh Seal

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 12:00:00 GMT

This Sunday, we jumped back into the book of Revelation by looking at 8:1-5. In this short passage, we have a continued vision of God’s throne room as there is a preparation for judgment in the blowing of the seven trumpets. It is a unique passage where we get to see how God responds to the prayers of his suffering people.

Philippians 3:8-15 | The Local Church: Membership

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In this final week of our series on the local church, we look at the idea of membership. We highly value church membership here at Grace, but what about it makes it so important? In the sermon this week, Pastor Mike drew out the principles of church membership from Philippians 3 and showed us that our relationship and responsibility to each other is deeper and more profound than we probably thought.

Matthew 20:25-28 | The Local Church: Leadership

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 12:00:00 GMT

We have now reached week 4 of our series on the local church. Jumping off from Matthew 20, Pastor Mike shared a Christ centered view of leadership when it comes to the oversight and carrying out the work of the local church. Just like so many other aspects of the Kingdom of God, the function of church leadership differs greatly from the values of the world. But it serves to magnify the Lord greatly when carried out as scripture prescribes.

1 Corinthians 11:17-34 | The Local Church: Worship

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 12:00:00 GMT

In this third week of the current series on the local church, Matthew Lautz shared about the centrality of worship in the life of the believer. But specifically, the centrality of worship as participants in the body of Christ. Though the gathering of believers on Sunday is something that we may take for granted at times, it is far more crucial in regards to God’s glory than we may understand.

Psalm 24:1 | The Local Church: Stewardship

Sun, 08 Jan 2023 12:00:00 GMT

We are now into the second week of our month-long series on the local church. This is a chance for us to take a step back and think through our life as a local body in a biblical, yet practical and strategic manner. This Sunday, Pastor Mike walked us through what this looks like in the area of stewardship. What we have been given and the way we use it is an essential part of our lives as followers of Christ.

Matthew 28:16-20 | The Local Church: Discipleship

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Chris Amundson on January 1, 2023

Isaiah 9:6-7 | What Child Is This?

Sun, 25 Dec 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on December 25, 2022

Lessons and Carols | 2022 Christmas Eve

Sat, 24 Dec 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on December 24, 2022

Revelation 7:1-17 | Salvation Belongs to the Lamb

Sun, 18 Dec 2022 12:00:00 GMT

We now move on from chapter 6; which culminates in the Wrath of the Lamb, to a vision that certainly strikes a different tone. In it, we are privy to a wide angle view of the people of God before the throne. It is a passage that serves to remind all believers as to why faithfulness to our blessed Lord in this life is worth it.

Revelation 6:1-17 | The Wrath of The Lamb

Sun, 11 Dec 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In last week’s chapter, John is shown a vision of the Lamb being the only one who is worthy to receive the scroll and to look into it. In Chapter 6, he sees the result of that as Jesus breaks open each of the seals. John (and we also) are privy to what is really going on behind the scenes as the last days unfold. It is not a world in chaos or evil winning the day. It is a righteous king sovereignly orchestrating all things to God’s glory as history comes to a culmination.

Revelation 5:1-14 | Worthy Is The Lamb

Sun, 04 Dec 2022 12:00:00 GMT

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is meant to motivate and equip us to be mature disciples of Jesus. It also gives us a glorious portrait of Jesus that is meant to encourage us. Last week, through John’s vision of the throne in heaven, we learned that God is sovereign over all the cosmos. He is seated on His throne, in control, forever. This week, we find ourselves in the same scene. However, the worship and glory only intensifies as we direct our focus on the One who is worthy to take the scroll. As the four living creatures and the elders and the myriads of angels and every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them raise their voices to declare Him worthy, we cannot help but ask ourselves: What could we lose by following the Lamb? What could we gain by following the Lamb? He who is worthy to take the scroll and to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing is worthy of our allegiance. He is worthy of our worship. He is worthy of our very all.

Revelation 4:1-11 | A Vision of Heaven

Sun, 27 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMT

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is meant to motivate and equip us to be mature disciples of Jesus. It also gives us a glorious portrait of Jesus that is meant to encourage us. Last week, we concluded our study of the proclamations to the seven churches. In the proclamations to Philadelphia and Laodicea, we found imagery about doors. This week, we find a door standing open in heaven! In the proclamation to Laodicea, the risen Jesus promised that those who conquer will sit with Him on His throne, as He conquered and sat down with His Father on His throne. This week, we are given a glorious vision of the throne in heaven! On the throne, we find God seated, in control, forever. He is sovereign, not just over all the churches, but over all the cosmos. As we consider what this glorious vision would have meant for the seven churches, we must consider what it means for us. May we join the heavenly chorus in worshiping the One who is holy and worthy, who was and is and is to come!

Revelation 2-3 | What It Takes to Win

Sun, 20 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMT

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is meant to motivate and equip us to be mature disciples of Jesus. It also gives us a glorious portrait of Jesus that is meant to encourage us. We have learned a lot in the last seven weeks. So this week we conclude our study of the proclamations to the seven churches by narrowing down our focus. In Revelation 2-3, the phrases “He who has an ear” and “The one who conquers” each are repeated seven times. Such repetition demands our attention. Through careful examination, we will find that only those who truly hear truly conquer. The words of the risen Jesus to the seven churches are words to us as well. Today may we turn to ask ourselves: Do I have ears to hear? Will I be counted among the conquerors?

Revelation 3:14-22 | To the Church in Laodicea

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMT

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is meant to motivate and equip us to be mature disciples of Jesus. It also gives us a glorious portrait of Jesus that is meant to encourage us. Last week, we learned about the church in Philadelphia. This week, we continue our study of the proclamations to the seven churches with Laodicea. Here, we find a shocking contrast between this week’s passage and last week’s passage: The One just described as having the power to open and shut (3:7-8) now stands outside the door of one of His churches, knocking and waiting to be let in. In Laodicea, we find a comfortable church whose complacency has rendered them as useless as lukewarm water. Even so, the risen Jesus reminds them of His love for them and calls them to be zealous, repent, and open the door. Might we find our own reflection in the Laodicean church? He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Revelation 3:7-13 | To the Church in Philadelphia

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMT

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is meant to motivate and equip us to be mature disciples of Jesus. It also gives us a glorious portrait of Jesus that is meant to encourage us. Last week, we learned about the church in Sardis. This week, we continue our study of the proclamations to the seven churches with Philadelphia. Similar to the church in Smyrna, the church in Philadelphia receives no rebuke from the risen Jesus. Instead, Jesus promises to preserve and vindicate them because they have persevered. Although they are small in the eyes of the world, they are greatly loved by Jesus. Although they have but little power, they are promised true security and a fixed identity forever if they will hold fast. The One who opens and shuts has the power to give access to the place of permanent stability: The people of God in the presence of God. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Revelation 3:1-6 | To the Church in Sardis

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 12:00:00 GMT

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is meant to motivate and equip us to be mature disciples of Jesus. It also gives us a glorious portrait of Jesus that is meant to encourage us. Last week, we learned about the church in Thyatira. This week, we continue our study of the proclamations to the seven churches with Sardis. Unlike most of the other churches, the church in Sardis faced no external threat. Their problems came from within. This church was satisfied with the name it had made for itself, but Jesus wanted to give it the right name—an unsoiled name in the eyes of the One who matters most. Through this church, we are challenged to ask ourselves: Would Jesus find us to be alive or dead? Do we cling to the only One who can give us life? He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: Wake up!

Revelation 2:18-29 | To The Church in Thyatira

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 12:00:00 GMT

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is meant to motivate and equip us to be mature disciples of Jesus. It also gives us a glorious portrait of Jesus that is meant to encourage us. Last week, we learned about the proclamation to the church in Pergamum. This week, we turn our attention to Thyatira. Through this church, we are challenged to consider the ways we might tolerate what we should not. Here we learn that Jesus really cares about the purity of His church—and we should too! The One with eyes like a flame of fire and feet like burnished bronze searches our minds and hearts. Do we keep His works, or the works of the world? He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Revelation 2:12-17 | To The Church in Pergamum

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 12:00:00 GMT

The last book of the Bible, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, is meant to motivate and equip us to be mature disciples of Jesus. It also gives us a glorious portrait of Jesus that is meant to encourage us. Last week, we learned about the proclamation to the church in Smyrna. This week we turn to look at Pergamum. While those in Smyrna were warned that some of them may die for the faith, one in Pergamum already has. Through this church, we are motivated to hold fast to Jesus’ word and reminded of the dangers of compromising our allegiance to the Lord. Here we learn that whoever’s word means the most to us will have the most influence over us. Jesus’ proclamation to Pergamum calls us to ask ourselves: If we are willing to die for our faith in Jesus, are we willing to live for Him—adhering to His word alone? He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Revelation 2:8-11 | To The Church in Smyrna

Sun, 09 Oct 2022 12:00:00 GMT

The last book of the Bible, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, is meant to motivate and equip us to be mature disciples of Jesus. Last week, we learned about the first of the proclamations to the seven churches: If the great Ephesian church was to let its light shine in the world, its sound teaching must also be manifested in works of love. This week, we learn about the proclamation to the church in Smyrna. Unlike Ephesus, the church in Smyrna receives no rebuke from the risen Jesus. Instead, it is called to maintain its witness in the face of suffering. It is called to face persecution with faithfulness and without fear. Through the church in Smyrna, we learn that true Christianity does conquer—even to the point of death. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Revelation 2:1-7 | To The Church in Ephesus

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In our sermon series, The Son of Man at the Center, we have been walking through the last book of the Bible: The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Revelation is meant to motivate and equip us to be mature disciples of Jesus. Last week, we learned that the One described in John’s vision is the One who walks with His people. This week, this One who walks with His people has a jarring message for them. The great Ephesian church, planted and nurtured by Paul, Timothy, Apollos, Priscilla, and Aquila (Acts 18: 24-28; Acts 19), is in danger of losing its place among the lampstands. If they are to let their light shine in the world, their sound teaching must also be manifested in works of love. His message for the Ephesian church is also a message for us. Do we as individuals and as a church prioritize both sound teaching and works of love the way that Jesus does? Do we have ears to hear?

Revelation 1:9-20 | A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 12:00:00 GMT

This week we continue our sermon series on the last book of the Bible: The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Although its imagery may be confusing and the theories surrounding it may be distracting, this is actually a book about discipleship. Its purpose is to motivate and equip us to be mature disciples of Jesus Christ—to be faithful witnesses like Him. Last week, we were reminded to focus our attention on Jesus. This week, we are given one of the biggest, clearest, and most encouraging portraits of Jesus in all of Scripture: The One described in John’s vision is the One who walks with us. The One like a Son of Man with eyes like fire and feet like burnished bronze is close enough to touch us and say, “Fear not.”

Revelation 1:1-8 | The Apocalypse of Jesus

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 12:00:00 GMT

This week we begin a new sermon series on the last book of the Bible: The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Although it is easy to be confused by the imagery in the book or distracted by theories that surround the book, this is actually a book about discipleship. Ultimately, this book gives us one of the biggest, clearest, and most encouraging portraits of Jesus in all of Scripture. Its purpose is to be a blessing to the church and to help us follow Jesus until He returns. Our passage this week focuses our attention on Jesus, the primary source and subject of the revelation. He has a message of blessing to those who keep it. Although our context is very different from the context of suffering and persecution in which this book was written, the stakes are as high as ever. Are we ready to hold fast to Jesus, no matter what comes? Are we ready to walk the road of discipleship and lay down our lives to follow Him?

Proverbs 29:23 | Wisdom for Pride and Humility

Sun, 11 Sep 2022 12:00:00 GMT

This week we stand between two sermon series: “Know the Story” and our upcoming Revelation series. In this in-between, we are invited to pause and examine our hearts. We look at Proverbs to learn the great irony of humility: The road to obtaining honor is not pride, but being lowly in spirit. The way up is really the way down. As we walk this road, let us look less at ourselves and more at Someone greater: Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Acts 1:1-11 | Mission: The Spirit Empowers the Church

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Note: Due to a power failure, a clip of the audio cuts out. In our sermon series “Know the Story,” we can see that God has woven together one narrative about His redemption of His creation for His glory. And at the very center of this narrative is God’s Son, Jesus Christ. For the past couple weeks, we have been learning about Jesus’ life, teaching, and works. Most importantly, we have learned about what He accomplished through His death and resurrection. As we transition to the book of Acts, we find a transition in the narrative itself. As Jesus ascends into heaven, the story of His time on earth comes to an end and the story of the church begins. This story runs throughout the New Testament and continues on today. Like the disciples, we have been given the Holy Spirit and have been called to be on mission and to be witnesses to Christ. Like they did, we too will see the gospel triumph.

Romans 3:21-26 | The Problem of Righteousness

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In our sermon series “Know the Story,” we have been tracing the big picture storyline of the whole Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, God has woven together one narrative about His redemption of His creation for His glory. Although there are many passages that capture the essence of this sweeping narrative, Romans 3:21-26 is one of the most powerful and succinct. In these six verses, we find the very center of the Bible’s narrative: God’s Son, Jesus Christ. And we learn that the problem of righteousness is solved in Christ. Not only has He made a way for us to be righteous before God, but He has also revealed and vindicated the righteousness of God. On the cross, God’s love and wrath meet. On the cross, His mercy and justice are reconciled.

Mark 1:1-15 | An Argument with Evidence

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Last week, we learned that God is doing a new thing. He is making a new covenant that is based on His grace and that will take a radical heart replacement. Although our relationship with God has been broken, God makes a way to fix that relationship through Jesus. This week, this Jesus whom the Bible has been pointing toward all along enters the scene. And in the first chapter of his Gospel, Mark paints a powerful picture of who Jesus is: The Son of God. As John the Baptist prepares the way for Him, as the heavens are torn open and the Spirit descends on Him, as the Father powerfully endorses Him, as He is victorious over temptation, we cannot help but ask ourselves: Who do I say that Jesus is? Do I know Him? Do I believe in Him?

Jeremiah: 31:31-34 | The Promise of Something New

Sun, 14 Aug 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Last week, we learned that the direction of the king’s heart determines the direction of the kingdom. An imperfect king turns the heart of the kingdom away from God, but we long for a better King in Jesus who never turns the kingdom away. This week, we learn that God is doing a new thing. He is making a new covenant. His people had broken the covenant, failing to keep terms that God gave Moses on Mount Sinai. And now they are facing exile as punishment. So on what basis is God going to make a new covenant when all that people have ever done is sin? He is going to forgive them. And what is this new covenant going to take? A radical heart replacement. This week we learn that our relationship with God is broken, but through Jesus God has made a way to fix it permanently.

1 Kings 11:1-13 | Exile: Hearts Gone Wrong

Sun, 07 Aug 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Last week, we caught a glimpse of God's ultimate plans for His people. He was forming a kingdom that would one day culminate in a King whose throne would be established forever. In our passage this week, we learn just how important who the king is. The direction of the king's heart determines the direction of the kingdom. David's son Solomon is on the throne, and the people he's surrounded himself with lead his heart after other gods. As king Solomon turns away from the one true God, he is effectively leading the kingdom to do the same. His actions effectively break the kingdom. Solomon's story reminds us that the person we marry and the people we surround ourselves with matter. His story also makes us look for a better King in Jesus who never turns the kingdom away, and who holds the kingdom together.

2 Samuel 7:1-29 | Kingship: God's Own Son

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Patrick Tetzlaff on July 31, 2022

Exodus 34:1-35 | Covenant: God Commits to His People

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 12:00:00 GMT

As we saw last week with the Passover, God expects the Israelites to follow His instructions in order to live in fellowship with Him. But after the Israelites failed to follow God’s covenant before it was even ratified (e.g. the golden calf), God graciously gives Moses the terms of the covenant on Mount Sinai again. The rules that Moses is receiving are the rules that Israel needs to follow in order to live with a God who is too holy for them. In our passage this week, we learn what it takes for an unholy people to covenant with a holy God, and we catch a glimpse at how the veil, the boundary between humanity and the glory of God, can be lifted.

Exodus 12:1-28 | The Passover: God’s People Go Free

Sun, 17 Jul 2022 12:00:00 GMT

This week we are continuing our series “Know The Story” where we are taking a wide view look at the whole Bible to see that it tells one cohesive story, from Genesis to Revelation. In this week's passage, God’s people the Israelites, the sons and daughters of Abraham, have been made slaves in Egypt. But God has a plan to rescue them. In His final plague, He will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down all the firstborn. In order to protect the Israelites from this judgment, God tells them to slaughter a lamb and put its blood on the doorposts of their house, so that the destroyer might pass over them. This is their Independence Day. And every year they are to celebrate it every year by remembering what God has done.

Genesis 3:1-24 | The Fall: The Fly in the Ointment

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In our passage this week, we find the dynamics of the temptation and fall into sin. While last week we found God’s original design for His creation, this week we find the breach of that design and God’s response to that breach. We find the origin of the pattern played out in the rest of Scripture: Why is there struggle and toil? Why is there fear and shame? Why are the relationships with creation, each other, and God so broken? Why must we die? In this story we see the beginning of God’s redemptive plan for humanity: The man and the woman ate from the tree which God commanded them not to eat. The effects of this sin were severe. Yet God came to find them, made a way for them to get back to Him and paradise, and provided a solution for their nakedness and shame. In the temptation and fall of the first man and woman, how might we see ourselves and our circumstances today?

Genesis 2:4-25 | Creation: God's Grand Design

Sun, 03 Jul 2022 12:00:00 GMT

This week we begin a new series tracing the big picture storyline of the whole Bible. Even though the Bible is written by about 40 individuals over thousands of years in multiple languages, the story it tells is singular. From Genesis to Revelation, God has woven together one narrative telling of His redemption of His creation for His glory. In our passage this week, we find a detailed and dynamic account of the creation of the first man and woman. And, here, we see God establishing His purposes uniquely for humanity within creation. At the center of His purposes, in this account, we find humanity’s relationship with creation, each other, and with God. At the center of His purposes, we find a picture of unity, peace, and delight. As we read about the Garden, we cannot help but long for this reality and wonder how it can be restored.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 | Sanctified Completely

Sun, 26 Jun 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In our passage this week, Paul concludes his letter to the Thessalonians with final instructions. For the last couple chapters, Paul has been discussing how the Thessalonians can live lives that are pleasing to God (4:1). Now, he wraps up this discussion with a string of imperatives (see vv. 13b-22 and 25-26 in particular). And while this may seem like a disjointed list of imperatives at first glance, Paul was actually giving them four categories for being a healthy church. The questions he answers for the Thessalonians are the same questions we need answered today: How should we treat leaders? How should we treat everyone? How should we behave all the time? And who is the One who will ultimately bring these things about in us?

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 | The Day Of The Lord

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In our passage this week, Paul turns from discussing the fate of the Christian dead to the fate of the Christian living. Since the Thessalonians were fully aware that the Day of the Lord was inevitable, yet unpredictable, Paul moved to discuss his primary concern: That they prepare themselves. Knowing ahead of time that this Day would come, they could prepare themselves like an owner of a house would prepare for a thief in the night by keeping awake and being sober. And as they waited, they were girded with the breastplate of faith and love and a helmet of the hope of salvation. Because of Jesus’ saving death on the cross, they could know that they were not destined “for wrath, but to obtain salvation through” Him (v. 9). In the end, Paul’s words to the Thessalonians are the same as they are to us today: We can live lives that are pleasing to God by encouraging one another to be watchful and ready.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 | The Coming of the Lord

Sun, 12 Jun 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In our passage this week, Paul turns to address the Thessalonians’ concerns about their brothers and sisters in Christ who had died. Not wanting them to grieve as those who do not have hope, Paul holds up the Coming of the Lord as the source of that hope. And his message to them is the same as it is to us: As you grieve, encourage one another with the hope that the Lord is coming. Jesus will come from heaven with a cry of command and with the voice of an archangel. The trumpet will sound. The dead in Christ will rise. The living and the dead will meet the Lord in His procession. And we will always be with the Lord. As you read and reflect this week, consider the hope we have in His Coming and the ways in which we, like the Thessalonians, can encourage one another.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 | More and More

Sun, 05 Jun 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In our passage this week, Paul begins to discuss the main content of his letter. Bookending the passage with the exhortations to walk and to please God (v. 1) and to walk properly before outsiders (v. 12), Paul implores the Thessalonians to do so more and more (v 1, 10). And he gives them three pictures of how to do so: Abstain from sexual immorality (vv. 3-8), love one another (vv. 9-10a), live quietly, mind their own affairs, and work with their hands so as to be dependent on no one (vv. 10b-12). As we will find, these three pictures work together to make one larger picture that is informative for daily life. The Thessalonians lived out these pictures, but Paul urged them to do so more and more. Will we?

1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13 | A Picture of the Christian Life

Sun, 29 May 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In our passage this week, we find that Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy have been torn away from the Thessalonians, a church they love deeply. And although they tried, again and again, to return to them, their plans were thwarted. As the passage proceeds, we can see Paul’s deep love for the Thessalonians as he sends Timothy to exhort them in their faith and as he expresses his most profound wish for them: That they would love each other and all people as Paul had loved them. And that their faith, which grows in the context of love, would culminate in their hearts being blameless in holiness before the Father at the coming of Jesus. As you read and reflect this week, consider the relationship between Paul and the Thessalonian church. This passage offers us a window into their life—their faith, love, and steadfast hope. Isn’t this the kind of life we all long for?

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 | The Powerful Word of God

Sun, 22 May 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In our passage this week, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy are thankful that the Thessalonians received and accepted God’s Word. Now this Word was at work in the believers, even in the face of great suffering and opposition. Considering this suffering and opposition, Paul encourages the Thessalonians to keep doing what they’re doing: Do not let go of this Word. Do not be moved. The suffering they were experiencing was not abnormal. It happened to Jesus, it happened to the prophets, it happened to Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, and it is happening to the Thessalonian church. Why? Because not only did they receive God’s Word, but they also spoke it. As you read and reflect this week, consider the power and the consequences of speaking God’s Word. His Word will accomplish what He purposes, and those who speak His Word will face opposition. Our heroes in Scripture persevered in speaking. Will we?

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 | The Power of Gospel Conduct

Sun, 15 May 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In our passage this week we are presented with a clear picture of the way Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy set out not just to preach the gospel, but to put it into practice before the young believers in Thessalonica. The witness of the gospel isn't just in their words, but is in their deeds, or the way they conduct themselves. And this gospel living required complete sacrifice. As Paul writes in verse 8, "we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves." But what motivated this sacrificial love? What motivates our love for each other and makes clear to others that we are living according to a kingdom other than this world? Consider this as you read and reflect this week.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 | A Beautiful Beginning

Sun, 08 May 2022 12:00:00 GMT

This week we begin our series in 1 Thessalonians. The church in Thessalonica was one of the first churches to be formed in Europe during Paul’s second missionary journey. You can read about it in Acts 16 and 17. Paul and his fellow missionaries only spent a few weeks with these people, but the powerful effect of the gospel of Jesus was evident. As we read of the report that Paul has received about the flourishing faith of the Thessalonians, we see the evidence of the Holy Spirit upon their lives. There is no doubt that God is powerfully at work among them. In our study this week, let’s consider the evidence of God’s power in our own lives, and ask the Lord to do the work to make His church here in Racine an example of faithful flourishing.

Genesis 25:1-18 | The Promise After Life

Sun, 01 May 2022 12:00:00 GMT

This week we come to the end of the story of Abraham. At 175 years old, it tells us that “Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man, full of years, and was gathered to his people.” By any measure, Abraham had lived an incredible life. God chose him to make an eternal covenant promise, that he would be the father of a multitude of nations, and that his offspring would possess the land of Canaan forever. And yet here at the end, Abraham dies simply and peacefully. His sons Isaac and Ishmael bury him with his wife Sarah, and then the story moves on. Abraham lived a life of faith before God, but what did that get him in the end? The surprising thing about this last chapter of Abraham’s story is that it ultimately points us toward a future hope in the promise of a life everlasting. Simply put, there’s more to Abraham’s story than life and death. And there’s more to ours as well.

Genesis 24:1-67 | A Three Story Love Story

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In the passage this week, we see God remain faithful as the promise begins to be passed from Abraham and Sarah to the next generation in Isaac and Rebekah. We last left Abraham purchasing a field and a cave to bury his beloved Sarah but also gaining his first bit of real estate in the land God had promised Him. Now, with Sarah gone and Abraham continuing to age, Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac. At the end of Genesis 22, God made known to Abraham the status of his family still living in the east. This family update included a man named Bethuel and his daughter Rebekah. It is through this branch of the family that we see a three-fold love story unfold: a love story between Isaac and Rebekah, a steadfast love story between God and Abraham’s offspring, and the ultimate love story of a Heavenly Father and the Bride that He has chosen for His one and only promised Son.

If Christ Has Not Been Raised - Easter Sunday 2022

Sun, 17 Apr 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on April 17, 2022

Philippians 2:5-11 | What Triumph Really Looks Like

Sun, 10 Apr 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In our passage for Palm Sunday, we’re looking at a few verses from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Paul wrote to the Christians in Philippi to encourage them in their faith, and more specifically to help them grow in their Christ-likeness. One way Paul talks about this is when he says that we are to have the same mind as Christ. And he goes on from there to explain that the mind of Christ was not one of boasting and self-aggrandizing, even though he was fully God. Instead, Christ had the mind of a humble servant, and emptied himself of his divine position completely. He did not consider his status as God something to be held onto for his own advantage. The exaltation of the true king of creation first required complete humility and subjugation. And now as we are called to share the mind of Christ, we find that when we share in his humility, we will ultimately share in his glory.

Genesis 23:1-20 | Promise and Possession

Sun, 03 Apr 2022 12:00:00 GMT

As we are nearing the end of the story of Abraham, this week we read of the death of Sarah, his wife. The journey of Abraham and Sarah began back in chapter 12, and since then we’ve seen quite the drama unfold as God is working in them and through them to fulfill His promises. Now as we come to the end, we find that even in death, God’s promises are still being fulfilled. For the first time, Abraham, who’s been a wandering nomad with no land to his name, purchases a plot of land in Hebron to bury his wife. In Sarah’s death, Abraham takes possession of a small piece of the promised land. But this is only the beginning. God will demonstrate again through the offspring of Abraham that death is not the end of promise, but the way to promise.

Genesis 22:1-24 | Is There Anything He Cannot Ask?

Sun, 27 Mar 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In the passage this week, God puts Abraham’s faith to the test. Everything we’ve seen Abraham go through, all his failures and successes, have finally brought him to this point. His son Isaac, the child of promise, has been born. And in a dramatic twist, God tells Abraham to take the son that he loves up to the mountain and sacrifice him. It’s a horrifying request, one that none of us could imagine hearing from God, let alone obeying. But Abraham, in perfect faith, responds to God with the simple phrase, “Here I am,” and does what God asks of him. While this might seem surprising, if we consider everything that Abraham has been through with God in the last ten chapters, we understand that Abraham has complete faith that God will provide the sacrifice. God is always faithful to provide for his people. And nowhere is that made more clear to us than in the atoning sacrifice of the provisional Lamb of God, his only begotten son, Jesus.

Genesis 21:1-34 | The God Who Keeps His Promise

Sun, 20 Mar 2022 12:00:00 GMT

This week in the story of Abraham, the Lord makes good on His promise, and Sarah has a son, Isaac. It’s the fulfillment of a promise that first began back in chapter 12, when God said He would make Abraham into a great nation. That promise was then clarified in chapter 15, when God promised Abraham that his very own son would be his heir and would lead to innumerable offspring. Finally, in chapter 17, God specifies that it would be through a son born to Sarah that His “everlasting covenant” would be established. And now, as she’s approaching 100 years old, the promise is fulfilled and a son is born. The promise that was once doubted as impossible, God has made good on. But this chapter also shows God making good on his promise to Ishmael, Abraham’s son through Hagar. And it shows God making good on his promise to bless the nations, as Abraham enters a friendly covenant with Abimelech. The seed of God’s everlasting promise has begun to grow, but only in Christ will that promise find it’s ultimate fulfillment.

Genesis 20:1-18 | This Again?

Sun, 13 Mar 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In our passage this week, after witnessing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham and Sarah leave their home by the oaks of Mamre to journey south, sojourning in Gerar. Afraid for his life, Abraham once again puts Sarah's life at risk by calling her a sister. As a result Abimelech, the king of Gerar, takes Sarah as a wife. However, God is not about to let the parentage of the promised son, Isaac, be jeopardized. So God powerfully intervenes to stop Abimelech and protect Sarah. Yet the response we see from the king and his people is completely unexpected, as they repent in fear of God. And while Abraham has yet again broken the covenant of faith with God, God has in turn blessed Abraham through his failure. This is the same God that would one day nail our failure to the cross, demonstrating the guarantee of His grace to the people of His promise.

Genesis 18-19 | The Problem and Promise of Righteousness and Justice

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 12:00:00 GMT

The passage this week is a big one as we read the story of God’s judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah. God comes to visit Abraham in the form of a man along with two angels. They are on their way to the cities of the valley, Sodom and Gomorrah, to “see whether [the people] have done altogether according to the outcry that has come.” God has seen the injustice of the world. He knows the abuse and wickedness of the hearts of men. And so He plans to bring destruction upon them. But Abraham has a question? What if there are fifty righteous in the city? What if there are ten? Will God still destroy them? He is the righteous Judge of all the earth. How far does the mercy of God go? Consider these questions as you read and study the passage this week. Does God’s mercy extend to you?

Genesis 17:1-27 | A Relationship Based on Promise

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 12:00:00 GMT

This week in the story of Abraham, thirteen years have passed since the misstep with Hagar in chapter 16. While it seemed like Abram had yet again put the covenant and God's plan in jeopardy, here God makes clear He is not about to let human unfaithfulness derail His plan to bless the world through Abram. In fact, God makes a point not just to renew His covenant, but to expand it. He renames him Abraham and calls him to walk in faith and participate in the everlasting covenant through the new sign of circumcision. Why would God expand the promise? He is teaching Abraham that He is God Almighty. The bigger God reveals Himself to be through His promises, the bigger Abraham's faith will become. Which is true for us as well. The bigger our God, the bigger our faith.

Psalm 113 | The God Worth Praising Forever

Sun, 20 Feb 2022 12:00:00 GMT

What is the distance between us and God? This is the question on the mind of the writer of this psalm, as they ask in verse 5, “Who is like the Lord our God?” Imagine the whole universe, every star and planet, every atom and molecule. God reigns over it all and sees it all from His throne above the heavens. There is no one like our God. He is beyond comparison. And yet He is not distant. He is not without compassion. As the psalmist says, He cares for the poor and needy. He blesses the childless with children and a home. Our great God is also a good God. Therefore let us praise His name “from this time forth and forevermore!”

Genesis 16:1-16 | The God Who Sees and Hears

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 12:00:00 GMT

This week in the life of Abraham we read a story that, while discouraging as far as human faith is concerned, it is in fact greatly encouraging regarding God’s faithfulness. Still without an heir, Abram’s wife, Sarai, tells her husband to take her servant Hagar as a wife, that she might bear him an heir through whom God’s promise might be fulfilled. How often is this the case that we take matters into our own hands rather than trust God and His ways? While this sinful error results in broken relationships and rejection, God sees it all and has compassion on Hagar. And now through this story we are able to see the loving character of God.

Genesis 15:1-21 | The Promise Sealed

Sun, 06 Feb 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In our passage for this week, Abram (who has not yet been named Abraham) has an intimate encounter with God Most High. In a conversation with God, Abram asks about the fulfillment of the promises God had made to give him lots of offspring and land. Up until this point he didn’t have any children, and he didn’t own any land. Would God come through and fulfill these promises? Abram doesn’t seem too sure. But rather than hide his doubt, he was honest with God, and spoke with him as a friend. As you read this chapter, reflect on how you deal with your doubts when it comes to God’s promises. How do you approach God with your questions about the future? How has God responded? And let’s remember that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Genesis 14:1-24 | The Promise Of Things To Come

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 12:00:00 GMT

In our passage for this week, Abram makes a daring rescue of his nephew Lot, who was taken captive after a great battle between many kings. Upon his victorious return, Abram is met by another king, one of peace and righteousness, named Melchizedek, who we are told is “priest of God Most High”. This mysterious priestly king then confers on Abram a blessing, which serves as a reminder of God’s power to save. Abram receives this blessing and makes clear his allegiance to God. As you read and study this passage, consider for yourself how your life demonstrates your allegiance. When the world offers you the chance to be the king of your own life, do you accept that gift? Or do you humble yourself before the God who promises so much more?

Genesis 13:2-18 | Eyes on the Promise

Sun, 23 Jan 2022 12:00:00 GMT

This week in our series on the life of Abraham, we read about a family separation that comes from a consequential choice. When strife grows between Abram and his nephew Lot over grazing land for their herds, Abram graciously defers his right to the land, giving Lot first choice of it. While Lot’s choice, as we will see in the weeks to come, has grave consequences for his family, Abram remains faithful to God and receives confirmation of a blessing for his family that will last forever. This story paints a clear picture of two kinds of people, those who walk by faith and those who walk by sight (see 2 Corinthians 5:1-10). God is demonstrating that his plan for Abram is to make a people for himself, a people set apart from the world, a people who live by faith. But Abraham is just the beginning, as we know, Christ is the one who ultimately fulfills God’s plan by redeeming and then sanctifying a people for himself. So as you study this week, consider what it means for you to walk by faith and not by sight.

Psalm 141 | A Song For The Momentary Soul

Sun, 16 Jan 2022 12:00:00 GMT

Psalm 141 is a song of lament, a cry to God for help. And as is often the case in the psalms, it is a cry for deliverance from evil. But what’s unique about this psalm is where it locates that evil. So often we see evil being an outside force that’s trying to get in. But in verses 3-4, David is praying that God protect him from the evil that comes from within him. As you study this psalm, think about the inclinations of your own heart. Remember that the goal of scripture isn’t just to help us see the outside world differently. It’s also a mirror to help us see clearly the reality inside our own hearts. And so, perhaps the greatest courage of David wasn’t to face the giant, but to face the truth of his own soul and ultimately to depend on the grace of God to save him.

Genesis 12:1-13:1 | The Promise Takes Shape

Sun, 09 Jan 2022 12:00:00 GMT

The story of Abraham, formerly known as Abram, begins with a direct command from God: “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you,” (Genesis 12:1). That command and Abraham’s willingness to obey are just the beginning of God’s plan to redeem a people for himself, a plan that would ultimately be fulfilled through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we enter into this story, and look at this man of faith, spend some time thinking about your own faith journey. The writer of Hebrews says of Abraham that he “obeyed when he was called to go… [and] he went out, not knowing where he was going,” (Hebrews 11:8). Following God is an act of faith, a journey into the unknown. That’s the life that Jesus has called us into as well. But just like Abraham, if we trust in the God of the promise, when he says go, the unknown is the best place to be.

Genesis 1-12 | The Promise Previewed

Sun, 02 Jan 2022 12:00:00 GMT

The story of Abraham is shaped by the incredible promises made to him by God. Take these away and chances are we wouldn’t be reading about him. Yet when we read these amazing promises from the LORD to Abram, we must realize these aren’t different promises made when things seemingly didn’t go according to plan. Instead, we need to understand that the LORD’s promises to Abram reflect his original design and intent to bless all of creation, only now the plan is tied to a specific family living in a specific land. How will God accomplish this worldwide plan to bless all the families of the earth through this one family?

In the Future, Face-To-Face, Forever - Now In Flesh Appearing

Sun, 26 Dec 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Chris Amundson on December 26, 2021

At Christmas, Full of Grace & Truth - Now In Flesh Appearing

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on December 24, 2021

In Bright Flame During Dark Days - Now In Flesh Appearing

Sun, 19 Dec 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on December 19, 2021

In the Cleft of the Rock - Now In Flesh Appearing

Sun, 12 Dec 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Making a Christmas list is a time-honored tradition. Think back to the outrageous requests you made of your parents year-in and year-out—whether they were copied straight from the toy catalog or whether they came simply from your own imagination. Regardless of how lengthy the list or how costly the items were, in child-like faith, there was always an optimism of what would appear under the tree on Christmas morning. In this week’s passage, Moses makes an outrageous request of the LORD: to see his glory. The only thing more outrageous than Moses’ request is the way in which the LORD fulfills the request.

At The Face of God - Now In Flesh Appearing

Sun, 05 Dec 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Christmas brings with it a sense of wonder and magic. Seeing the faces of children light up at the various marvels of the season. The anticipation of maybe getting the long-desired present. The hope that the holidays will bring healing to a dire situation. For whatever reason, these all seem more likely to come true at Christmas. The question we must wrestle with is this: from where is our faith in Christmas “magic” coming? Does your sense of wonder come only from this season—or does it come from the true reason for the season?

The Mighty Hand of a Gracious God - To The Exiles: 1 Peter

Sun, 28 Nov 2021 12:00:00 GMT

As Christians living in a world that’s not our home, a world that ultimately rejects us, how are we to endure? How do we stand firm in our faith until the end, when Christ returns and delivers us to our ultimate salvation? Peter closes out his first letter with some important final instructions to make sure that those he’s writing to are well prepared for their final days in this world. And what we find is that it’s all about posture. If we are to endure, we must posture ourselves correctly by being humble before God, being aware of the devil’s traps, and being fully fixed on the hope we have in God’s ultimate plan for our lives. When we take on this posture of faith, we are able to endure until the proper time, when the mighty hand of our gracious and caring God will exalt us into His eternal glory.

What It Takes To Make It - To The Exiles: 1 Peter

Sun, 21 Nov 2021 12:00:00 GMT

What characteristics do you look for in a leader? The right answer is, “it depends.” It depends on where you’re headed. All throughout 1 Peter we have been repeatedly reminded that our hope needs to be fully set on the grace that will be revealed at Christ’s return (1:13). In other words, we need leaders that will lead us toward the future glory… and we need to know how to rightly follow them. In this section of the letter, Peter paints a clear picture of how godly leaders should lead: as humble shepherds caring for those who are facing suffering. Further, our response to these leaders should also reflect humility. It is when such humility is reflected in the church that she will truly experience Christ’s grace.

Suffering & Glory (Part One) - To The Exiles: 1 Peter

Sun, 14 Nov 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Suffering is a key element in the Christian life. Peter has repeatedly made this clear throughout this letter. To share in Christ’s suffering is the life to which we are called as we keep our hope fully set on Christ, awaiting his glorious return. Peter, however, takes this a step further by calling us to rejoice now while in the midst of suffering, for it will result in joy and gladness when Christ’s glory is revealed later. Even if we are insulted for standing firm with Christ, it will result in our blessing. The key, though Peter clarifies, is that we not suffer as a result of wrongdoing; such behavior will lead to shameful judgment. Instead, let us suffer for upholding the will of God that we might experience Christ’s glory at his return.

Glory And Dominion Forever and Ever - To The Exiles: 1 Peter

Sun, 07 Nov 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Time is of the essence. Though true for all in some circumstances, this truism is always true for those who follow Christ. How we live now should reflect our future hope while contrasting our former passions. Just as Christ once suffered, those willing to endure suffering now demonstrate a genuine desire to please God. Despite the great cost, those who turn away from the passions of the flesh will be those who experience the fullness of the glory of the One who made it all possible. This is the vision that Peter calls for us to live out in our lives as exiles. Thankfully, he also provided specific ways for us to live this out.

Called To Something Different - To The Exiles: 1 Peter

Sun, 31 Oct 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Over the last few weeks, the Apostle Peter has shown us how to live lives of submission in the various facets of our lives. As uncomfortable as that might be for us, the reality is that how we live demonstrates where our hope is fully set. In this section, Peter affirms that righteous living will result in our blessing. Further, if we suffer for doing good, there is an even greater blessing. For, it was Christ’s righteous suffering that secured our future hope.

Living as God's Subjects (Part Three) - To The Exiles: 1 Peter

Sun, 24 Oct 2021 12:00:00 GMT

The call to live honorable lives despite our exile stature in the world has been applied by Peter in various ways. First, as citizens, we are to be subject to every human institution (2:13-17). Peter then applied this to servants, who are to endure even unjust suffering, for to do so gives the opportunity to display Christ to unbelievers (2:13-24). Now Peter turns to the marriage relationship. How should we live honorable lives as husbands and wives? We must rightly submit ourselves to God hoping that our conduct might point them to Christ.

Living As God's Subjects (Part Two) - To The Exiles: 1 Peter

Sun, 17 Oct 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Suffering, by most people’s standards, is generally avoided at all costs. The thought of leaning into hardship, especially when it comes unjustly, seems so backwards to most people. Yet, this is how Peter instructs his readers—to be subject to those with authority over us regardless of how you are treated. Such a command is hard to hear, let alone obey! However, Peter takes it a step further: to endure sorrows is a gracious gift to you… because it grants you the opportunity to be like Christ. There is no question that Jesus’ suffering was the greatest injustice the world has ever witnessed. As his people, we have been set free from sin to now follow in his steps.

Living as God’s Subjects (Part 1) - To The Exiles: 1 Peter

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 12:00:00 GMT

From the beginning of this letter addressed to the churches spread throughout Asia Minor, Peter has been reminding the faithful of the incomparable hope that they have in Christ. That even though we are exiles in this world, we have an inheritance waiting for us and a new identity as the chosen people of God. But with all of these things being true, it produces a tension and questions over how we should live in a world that is not ultimately our home. In this week's text, Peter begins to answer these questions.

A Whole New Identity - To The Exiles: 1 Peter

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 12:00:00 GMT

One word that has taken on new meaning in recent years is the word identity. How does one view him or herself? What are the key components that determine one’s identity? From one’s nationality to one’s profession, there are many ways we might identify ourselves, sometimes even rejecting who God has made us to be. Peter wants his readers to have a crystal clear understanding of who they are: in Christ, we are a royal priesthood and God’s own people. Despite our exiled circumstances, we are called to live out this identity rooted and established by God’s very word.

Hope Fully Set - To The Exiles: 1 Peter

Sun, 26 Sep 2021 12:00:00 GMT

On what is your hope fully set? For some, hope is just an optimistic sentiment, such as hoping for good weather tomorrow. For those who know Christ, hope is an assurance of the grace that will be revealed when Christ returns. It is on this hope that our lives are to be fully set. Peter calls on his readers to live lives that pursue holiness, fearfully conducting lives under the Father’s watchful view. What would motivate you to live such a life? Peter reminds us of the precious gift of Christ’s sacrifice that ransomed us. Grounded in this truth, we must live lives that clearly demonstrate our need for the hope promised to us by faith in Christ.

Tapping Into Real Joy - To The Exiles: 1 Peter

Sun, 19 Sep 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Joy can be elusive. So often it can escape as we face many hardships and difficulties. How can we keep from letting our joy evaporate, especially in light of what God has accomplished for us through Jesus Christ and his powerful resurrection? As Peter dives into the body of his letter to the exiles, he calls on us to praise God, recognizing the living hope to which we’ve been called that secures an eternal inheritance that will be revealed in the last time. This inheritance has been promised to us and even foretold by the prophets of old, though they themselves didn’t fully see or know Christ. Despite the challenges we face in our present day, we have an even greater perspective on this hope since Christ has been made known to us.

The True Grace Of God - To The Exiles: 1 Peter

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 12:00:00 GMT

So often our mailboxes get clogged and bogged with more junk mail than meaningful messages from those closest to us. In those rare moments, when an actual letter personally addressed to us arrives, it stands out and immediately gets our attention. The recipients of Peter’s letter surely felt the same way. In both the opening and closing verses of the letter, Peter communicates an important message that—because of all his successes and failures— carries even more weight and significance. His message comes from one who knows what he is talking about. We would certainly be wise to listen and to take heed of his exhortations.

This Is The Way - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 05 Sep 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Do you know what the longest chapter in the Bible is? Psalm 119. Located at nearly the dead-center of your Bible is the song that sings the greatness of God’s word as a means of grace to us as his people. Just as Psalm 119 is at the center of your Bible, God’s word needs to be at the center of our lives. When our attention is rightly focused on God and his word, our lives will experience God’s greatest blessing. Surprisingly, it comes from obedience.

Come Worship Our Great Lord - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 29 Aug 2021 12:00:00 GMT

What motivates you to worship God? There are many great reasons we might give—such as, “The Bible tells me that I should,” or “Because of all the blessings in my life.” Both of these are certainly valid reasons for our worship. But what motivates David? What are the reasons he gives for why he will extol (or praise) his “God and King”? Just as those who came before him recognized, it is the character of the LORD that prompts us to praise. When we witness his character on display through his wondrous works, we can’t help but to see why he is worthy of praise. May this testimony continue forward through us.

A Song For The Tested Soul - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 22 Aug 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Where do you turn when you are in need of refuge? David makes clear where he turns: “In the LORD I take refuge.” While we all want this to be our answer, when the hard times come, we are easily distracted—whether by friends or those closest to us. Instead of finding safety in God, we opt instead to preserve our lives by our own means. This psalm gives us a clear view of where the LORD sits and how he will deal with both the righteous and the wicked. The question we must all answer: Is the LORD squarely seated on the throne in our lives?

Blessed To Be A Blessing - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 15 Aug 2021 12:00:00 GMT

“God bless you!” We often say this to someone going through a difficult time or after a sneeze, but what do we mean by it? What does God’s blessing look like? And what happens when his blessing goes out? Here we read that the LORD’s blessing is given to Israel to bring this same blessing to all the nations on the earth. In other words, God blessed Israel with the expressed purpose of displaying his good ways and his powerful salvation to the ends of the earth—through the ones he has blessed. In Christ, we have graciously received this same blessing. And just as God desired to see his blessing to go forth through Israel, we are called to extend his blessing by making Christ known to all the nations on earth.

Awakened Everlasting - Unshakeable: A Series in Daniel

Sun, 08 Aug 2021 12:00:00 GMT

As we conclude Daniel, we must consider where we have traveled. After God’s judgment upon Jerusalem, many were dragged to Babylon and forced into a new culture and lifestyle. Despite everything thrown at Daniel and his Hebrew friends, the LORD remained faithful, strengthening their resolve to honor him no matter who was in power. Though Daniel faced many trials, God communicated through him that such hardship would continue until the end, when the LORD will complete his redeeming work on the earth. As readers, we are left with the question, “How long shall it be?” Regardless of how much longer, we are called to live lives of steadfast faith, trusting in Christ’s finished work on our behalf, until he returns.

The People Who Know Their God - Unshakeable: A Series in Daniel

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 12:00:00 GMT

“How relevant is the Bible to me?” Reading Daniel 11, one might be tempted to think that the Bible is NOT AT ALL relevant! How can we possibly find something applicable to our lives as we read about the rise and fall of kingdoms the “North” and the”South”? Despite their efforts to thwart God’s redemptive purposes for his people, these kingdoms are long gone. Yet God’s kingdom remains. No matter the opposition that is posed against the kingdom of God, the people that know their God will stand firm. Despite countless temptations to just be like everyone else, God’s true people have remained steadfast. Let us strive to be likewise, recognizing the pitfalls that still exist for us today.

A Terrifying Glimpse Behind the Veil - Unshakeable: A Series in Daniel

Sun, 25 Jul 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Sometimes the most frightening thing is that which you cannot see. This is true for the child fearfully lying inside the dark bedroom or the swimmer exploring the open ocean waters. Daniel is once again given a word and vision from the LORD, though this time it comes from an angel, but one described as “a man clothed in linen…” This messenger isn’t specifically identified, yet we are told that he will give Daniel a vision of a great conflict that would soon face God’s people. Despite being given such a terrifying glimpse behind the veil, Daniel does not seem to lose his resolve to trust the LORD. How do you think he was able to remain faithful despite all the hardship he faced in his life? How can we grow to have such faith?

The Great & Awesome Name of God - Unshakeable: A Series in Daniel

Sun, 18 Jul 2021 12:00:00 GMT

“How much longer will the exile last?” This was likely a question Daniel asked himself as he read Jeremiah’s words once again. Given the two visions already shown to him, Daniel needed to make sense of God’s complete control over all things and the hardship still facing God’s people. How do you respond when confronted by God’s word? Daniel turns to the LORD in a prayer of repentance—not just for his sake, but for the sake of Israel. As God’s people who wonder what is happening in this world, let us follow Daniel’s pattern and rightly devote ourselves to God and trust that all things are in his hand.

A Frightening Vision of Human History - Unshakeable: A Series in Daniel

Sun, 11 Jul 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Think about everything Daniel has faced. From being dragged out of his homeland at a young age to be indoctrinated in Babylonian culture to being thrown to the lions. Through many transitions of kings and empires, Daniel experienced so much hardship, all the while growing into a most trusted leader. Time and again, God proved himself faithful to Daniel, just as he would be faithful to all his exiled people. Yet this still didn’t prepare Daniel for the vision he was given in chapter eight. The hardship that God’s people would face would not end with the exile. There was more to come. Yet God will remain faithful and would redeem his people after his appointed time. Will we trust the same, holding fast to him alone?

God Save The King - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 12:00:00 GMT

On this holiday weekend, many will take time to celebrate the freedom that we have in our country having been set free from the tyranny of an unjust king. While this is certainly part of our identity as Americans, it runs counter to our identity as followers of Christ. The portrait painted in this psalm introduces us to the LORD’s king that will bring forth salvation to all God’s people and will also usher in judgment to all his enemies. Clearly, the LORD is for this king. If the LORD is for his king, shouldn’t we also be for his king?

The Ancient of Days & The Son of Man - Unshakeable: A Series in Daniel

Sun, 27 Jun 2021 12:00:00 GMT

All too often, people stop reading the book of Daniel after chapter six because the book takes a dramatic turn. Gone are the stories of how the exiles remained faithful despite the great challenges posed to them by the various kings. Instead, we now read about visions, beasts, and an everlasting kingdom. Because Daniel saw fit to include these visions in his book, we can be confident that the visions are recorded for our benefit and encouragement. Therefore, we must strive to make sense of graphic and terrifying dreams to rightly understand God’s purposes for his people as we strive to live faithfully in this world.

He Is the Living God - Unshakeable: A Series in Daniel

Sun, 20 Jun 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Where does the story of Daniel and the lion’s den rank as one of the Bible’s most popular stories? This chapter of Daniel is recounted in virtually every children’s Bible, yet when we get down to the nitty-gritty, this isn’t a very kid-friendly story. Once again Daniel finds himself in the crosshairs of those who do not worship and honor the most high God of Israel. Does Daniel take the easy way out and follow the crowd? Or does he maintain his resolved posture and honor the LORD, regardless of great personal cost to himself?

The Most High Rules (Part Two) - Unshakeable: A Series in Daniel

Sun, 13 Jun 2021 12:00:00 GMT

King Nebuchadnezzar made sure everyone in his kingdom heard that the Most High God—the God of Israel—was who was truly in control over all creation and that he could give this rule to whomever he wishes. However, not all who sat upon that throne kept the same convictions. Belshazzar, who reigned sometime after Nebuchadnezzar, turned away from the faith that his ancestor once proclaimed to all peoples, nations, and languages. His unrepentant heart would lead to his judgment. Let us not make the same mistake.

The Most High Rules (Part One) - Unshakeable: A Series in Daniel

Sun, 06 Jun 2021 12:00:00 GMT

How easily we forget that each and every conversion—the transformation from life to death through faith in Christ—is truly a miracle. While we know this is true, there are those stories of conversion that seem more obviously miraculous. When we hear of someone who seemed so far from God coming to faith, we cannot help to give credit to anyone but God. For the first three chapters of Daniel we have seen God work through the exiles to direct the king’s attention towards the Most High God. How does God finally reach the most unlikely of converts? The same way all are saved: by knowing the Most High truly rules this world.

Servants of the Most High God - Unshakeable: A Series in Daniel

Sun, 30 May 2021 12:00:00 GMT

The reign of Nebuchadnezzar was marked by great demonstrations of power and superiority. Further, Daniel 3 displays that it was marked by an expectation to worship and serve him as the leader of the world’s superpower. How would the Israelite exiles respond? Would they hold fast in their resolve to not defile themselves? Would they keep the LORD’s command to have no other gods, not bending their knee or serving anyone demanding worship? How would we respond if we faced the same expectation, knowing that noncompliance would mean certain death? Would we trust the LORD to deliver us?

There is a God in Heaven - Unshakeable: A Series in Daniel

Sun, 23 May 2021 12:00:00 GMT

What keeps you up at night? The weight of the world? The stresses of life? If so, you’re not alone. This was King Nebuchadnezzar’s situation. After a troubling dream, he needed answers, but couldn’t find them anywhere resulting in a deadly decree for all the wise men—even Daniel and his committed companions. How does their precarious situation get resolved? And does Nebuchadnezzar get the answers he needed? Both come from the same source— the God of heaven who is the “revealer of mysteries” (2:47). Realizing the extent of God’s rule and reign over all things—both then and now—should allow us to rest assured.

Living in a Foreign Land - Unshakeable: A Series in Daniel

Sun, 16 May 2021 12:00:00 GMT

The opening verses of Daniel paint a grim picture for the people of God. Having their country besieged by the world’s ruling superpower and vessels taken from the temple, many Israelites found themselves living in a foreign land with foreign people worshiping foreign gods in a foreign culture. Their situation certainly seemed bleak. Where is God in all this, and what in the world is he doing? Ultimately, it is God who is the giver of all things in Daniel 1 as he builds his kingdom that is and will forever be unshakeable. Through Daniel we will hopefully see how we can remain faithful despite living our lives as exiles.

Equip - To Know Christ And To Make Christ Known

Sun, 09 May 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Our vision as a church is To Know Christ and To Make Christ Known. But how does this happen? What is our strategy for helping someone move from not knowing Christ to becoming someone actively engaged in making Christ known to others? This four-week series will focus the four primary stages of the disciple-making process: Engage, Explore, Establish, and Equip. Each week will focus on each step’s importance to the process and explain what it looks like to be a disciple-making church—and disciple-making disciples.

Establish - To Know Christ And To Make Christ Known

Sun, 02 May 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Explore - To Know Christ And To Make Christ Known

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Our vision as a church is To Know Christ and To Make Christ Known. But how does this happen? What is our strategy for helping someone move from not knowing Christ to becoming someone actively engaged in making Christ known to others? This four-week series will focus on the four primary stages of the disciple-making process: Engage, Explore, Establish, and Equip. Each week will focus on each step’s importance to the process and explain what it looks like to be a disciple-making church—and disciple-making disciples.

Engage - To Know Christ And To Make Christ Known

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 12:00:00 GMT

What Now? - Passion: John 18-21

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Now what? After the initial appearances of Jesus to Mary and the disciples—and the initial excitement of Easter morning—now what? Even though Jesus’ crucifixion marked the climax of John’s Gospel with the resurrection marking the triumphant overcoming of death, John didn’t stop writing. There is still more for us to hear. Jesus has more to say. He feeds the disciples, displaying his shepherd’s heart once again. Yet, Jesus also restores Peter back into the fold while also calling him to show his love for Christ by feeding and caring for his sheep. This command remains intact for us as we follow Christ.

He Saw And Believed - Passion: John 18-21

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on April 4, 2021

It Is Finished - Passion: John 18-21

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Good Friday

The Passover Lamb - Passion: John 18-21

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 12:00:00 GMT

John the Baptist declares Jesus as “the Lamb of God,” who takes away the sin of the world. How could Jesus, the God-man who came down to earth, willingly accept this title? Because it was, believe it or not, for this purpose that he came to earth—to die a sacrificial death to pay for sin. While each Gospel portrays Jesus differently, John’s Gospel uniquely portrays Jesus as the Passover Lamb who, through his trial, flogging, and mocking, is prepared for his sacrificial death. Here in the Passion narrative we see all the necessary preparation in order for our sins to be forgiven. As one without guilt and blemish, his shed blood provides the coverage needed to overcome spiritual death—that is, for those who believe in him.

Betrayed, Bound, & Denied - Passion: John 18-21

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 12:00:00 GMT

John 18 marks a significant transition in this Gospel. For the previous seventeen chapters we have heard Jesus speak about “the hour” that was coming. Over twenty times John has recorded mentions of this hour: the hour when he would surrender himself unto death. The question presented throughout John’s Gospel has been, “Who is this Jesus?” When we read of his being bound, betrayed, and denied, we might think that Jesus isn’t all that he claimed to be. That he doesn’t meet our expectations. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Refuge - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Where do you turn when you’re in real trouble? Where can you find refuge when you’re in the thick of hardship? David knew the right place to go—to the LORD. David makes his needs known to God, seeking his mercy and deliverance from his destructive enemies. Psalm 57 clearly displays David’s confidence in the steadfast love and faithfulness of God. The psalm also gives direction for how we should respond when we see God’s faithful love on display. This psalm is a great song to remind us from where our only refuge comes.

Jesus' Prayer For US - The Last Word: John 13-17 p2

Sun, 07 Mar 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Imagine overhearing the prayers of someone specifically praying for you. How would you be impacted? What would it tell you about that person’s hopes for you? How might that affect the way you even pray for yourself? Now imagine if you were invited to listen to that person’s prayers for you. Now the requests he makes of God are no longer private but instead are made known to you on purpose. Jesus’ intentionally prays for—and invites the disciples to listen—to his prayers for them as he prepares to finally go away from them.

Take Heart - The Last Word: John 13-17 p2

Sun, 28 Feb 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Over the last three chapters, Jesus has been giving his final instructions and encouragements to his disciples before he is arrested. In this section, he is letting them in on the immense sorrow that they are about to experience; but not without assuring them of the joy that will follow. It is a lesson to them and us of the courage he intends to put in our hearts based upon his completed work.

Help On The Way - The Last Word: John 13-17 p2

Sun, 21 Feb 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Jesus had already promised the coming of the Helper to the disciples earlier in his teaching. However, now he makes clear to them that the disciples will be better off once he goes away! How could he make this bold statement? It is because of the work that the Helper will do when he comes. He will bring conviction in relation to sin, righteousness, and judgment. In other words, the Spirit will do the work in people’s hearts that will hopefully result in belief. Further, Jesus promises that the disciples themselves will be guided into all truth as he declares all that Jesus had said rather than adding new material. This is to our full advantage.

What To Expect - The Last Word: John 13-17 p2

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 12:00:00 GMT

With his departure drawing ever closer, Jesus wants to make sure his disciples know what to expect after he is gone. They can anticipate the world hating and persecuting them—just as he was hated and rejected. However, he makes clear that their rejection isn’t personal; they will be hated because of him. That is why he is sending the Helper: to bear witness about him through the disciples. Why does Jesus tell them all this? So they don’t fall away, but instead are not surprised when the hard times come. His words should comfort us as we bear witness of Jesus—even if it leads to hatred and persecution.

Abiding In Christ - The Last Word: John 13-17 p2

Sun, 07 Feb 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Jesus’ declaration that he was soon going away from them dramatically impacted the disciples.. Their leader, teacher, and friend. How would they continue on in his absence? How would they remain faithful to walking in the teachings he had instilled in them? In the previous section Jesus promised that a Helper, the Holy Spirit, would soon be sent to them. Now, Jesus will teach them how and why they should abide in him even after he is gone.

Help For Troubled Hearts - The Last Word: John 13-17 p1

Sun, 31 Jan 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Jesus has made it clear to the disciples that he is going away, yet he clearly still has much to teach them. What is also clear is the disciples’ confusion about where Jesus is heading. In the second half of John 14, Jesus gives great encouragement to the disciples. Though he is going away from them, there will be One that will come to help them as they keep walking the path he laid out for them—One that will enable them to keep his commandments, to remember his word, who will be the very presence of Christ with them, and who will bring an everlasting peace. The question we should be asking is, “Can we get this same help in our own lives?”

The Way and the Truth and the Life - The Last Word: John 13-17 p1

Sun, 24 Jan 2021 12:00:00 GMT

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life,” declares Jesus in John 14:6. This verse, along with John 3:16, are among the essential verses that capture the essence of the gospel. In these words we can rightly declare that Jesus is the way one receives salvation; this we embrace as the truth that will give us life—the life that is without end… eternal life. Yet, as we look closer at this section in John’s Gospel we will see that, while these things are true, there is much more that lies at the heart of this passage that greatly impacts how we live our lives in Christ.

Why Love? - The Last Word: John 13-17 p1

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Throughout John’s Gospel we have read about God’s love for the world, the Father’s love for the Son, and even Jesus’ love for his friends and disciples. But how well do we really understand what love truly is? On his final night with his disciples, Jesus will impart a new command to them: they should love one another as he has loved them. Seems like a simple instruction. However, once the disciples witness how he demonstrates his true love for them—that is, by going to the cross for them—that is when they will learn what true love looks like and why it’s so important that love be witnessed through our lives as believers.

And It Was Night - The Last Word: John 13-17 p1

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 12:00:00 GMT

After the astonishing washing of the disciples’ feet, Jesus makes known that one of his chosen disciples will betray him in fulfillment of Scripture. Even more surprising is that Jesus declares that his betrayal will confirm who he truly is, hopefully resulting in the disciples’ belief. How is it that his betrayal will bring about these results? Seeing the impact of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus should stir our own hearts to hold fast to Christ, but also watch out for those near to us.

He Loved Them to the End - The Last Word: John 13-17 p1

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on January 3, 2021

A God Glorifying Church - Recalibrate

Sun, 27 Dec 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Chris Amundson on December 27, 2020

Christmas Eve: Be Born in us Today - O Little Town of Bethlehem

Thu, 24 Dec 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on December 24, 2020

Praises Sing to God the King - O Little Town of Bethlehem

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Some of us are still scrambling to finish up our Christmas shopping. Despite having had all year, we still scramble until the last minute to get gifts for those who matter the most to us. Who we put on that list and the gifts we give them says a lot about how we view those important people in our lives. When we look at Matthew 2 we see two different perspectives on Jesus’ birth. One results in the giving of generous gifts and genuine worship. The other results in a deadly decree and genuine jealousy. Which would be your response? If Jesus’ birth marks the greatest gift ever given, let us respond in true worship with praises to the King.

Great Glad Tidings Tell - O Little Town of Bethlehem

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 12:00:00 GMT

What is the true meaning of Christmas? This is a question that has been asked by many throughout the centuries. However, when we look at our passage from Luke, we might think that Christmas brings forth feelings of great fear! When the glory of the Lord comes upon you, fear seems to be a natural response. However, when the messenger shares the message with the shepherds, their response is quite different—great joy that came from God’s great glory and brought great peace. Their ultimate response to their experience? “Great glad tidings tell.”

Morning Stars Together Proclaim the Holy Birth - O Little Town of Bethlehem

Sun, 06 Dec 2020 12:00:00 GMT

How we hear and receive a message is dramatically impacted by the means (or medium) through which it is delivered. Throughout the story of Scripture, God sent angels to deliver important messages to his people, often revealing his plans to advance his redemptive plans. When God’s messages came through one of his own messengers, it was clear this was important. Enter Mary, the humble girl who was engaged but not yet married. When Gabriel tells her that she will be giving birth to the Son of the Most High—though shocked by the news—Mary’s response demonstrates how we should also respond when God speaks to us.

The Hopes and Fears of All the Years - O Little Town of Bethlehem

Sun, 29 Nov 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Christmas is the favorite time of year for many. From the time with family and friends to the decorations, many would say this is truly “the most wonderful time of the year.” In a year that has been less than wonderful for most, many might be looking to the hope that comes with Christmas. Can Christmas redeem 2020? Yes! But not through decorations, gifts, or even time with family. We must step back and gaze with wonder what it truly means when the song declares “the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”

How to See the Glory of God - Believe it or Not: John 7-12

Sun, 22 Nov 2020 12:00:00 GMT

It is easy for us to take our senses for granted. The ability to see—even if through glasses—is a tremendous blessing. The ability to hear—even if we need aids—is a wonderful gift. In John’s Gospel we have witnessed many who simply have not been granted the ability to see Jesus for who he truly is. Sadly, because they cannot see that he is the true light that has come into the world, they cannot (nor will not) see the glory of God. For those who can see him—through his work in going to the cross and through his word spoken throughout his ministry—to them has been given the ability to see the glory of God.

Learning To See Things Upside-Down - Believe it or Not: John 7-12

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 12:00:00 GMT

The coronation of a newly crowned king or queen puts on full display the majesty, wealth, and prestige of the new monarch. In many ways, the ceremony makes a powerful statement about what kind of ruler he or she will be. In John 12, Jesus arrives at Jerusalem for the Passover feast. Upon his arrival, the crowds greeted him seemingly ready to make him their king. Yet Jesus reveals in this moment just what kind of king he truly is when he rides in on a donkey. He then declares that the hour has finally arrived for him to be glorified. However, in this upside-down kingdom, it will look different from any other coronation celebration.

What Will it Cost? - Believe it or Not: John 7-12

Sun, 08 Nov 2020 12:00:00 GMT

All too often our decisions are made by the answer to this question: What will it cost? Rather than deciding in light of what we truly need or what is best for us, we take the cost into account more than anything else—not only the monetary cost but the relational and emotional cost as well. Oftentimes, even a gift cannot be received without incurring a great cost to us. Jesus, without question, is the greatest gift ever given to mankind. Further, the cost of this gift must not be overlooked—because it was the costliest gift ever given. Though Jesus himself paid the highest price, to receive it will still cost you everything.

Death Loses it's Grip - Believe it or Not: John 7-12

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Few things are as painful as the death of a loved one. In John 11, we read about Jesus’ loss of his beloved friend, Lazarus. Though John has repeatedly declared that in Jesus “was life and the life was the light of men” (1:4), this was only understood in a spiritual sense. Yet, through this event, we are clearly shown that Jesus clearly holds life and death in his hands. The question we have to answer is, “How does this change the way we view death?”

How to Get Real Security - Believe it or Not: John 7-12

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Where does real security come from? Can we ever find it in this world given the uncertainty that we all face? Despite the various steps we take to feel secure, the reality is that these steps only reveal the depths of our insecurities. Those engaging with Jesus in John 10 are pressing him to find out if he truly is who he claims to be. While they’re primarily asking for their own benefit, Jesus reminds them of how his words and works have confirmed who he is time and time again. And that it is in him alone that we’ll find real security.

The Good Shepherd - Believe it or Not: John 7-12

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 12:00:00 GMT

As we continue reading of Jesus’ interactions with the Jewish leaders, it is clear that their leadership did not match up with God’s intent for those shepherding his people. In the previous chapter, we saw them throw out the blind man who testified of Jesus’ miracle and rejected the very possibility that his testimony was true and… that Jesus is who he says he is. What kind of shepherd does the Father desire for his people? Jesus clearly answers this question by declaring himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.

What it Takes to Really See - Believe it or Not: John 7-12

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Here we come to one of the most well-known stories about Jesus: his simple healing of a blind man followed by that simple profession of faith: I once was blind, but now I see. But if we’re not careful, we might miss the big idea. Jesus is not simply performing a simple miracle but is redefining the true nature of what it means to see. And the question we are left with to answer for ourselves is this: are our eyes open?

Does Anyone Really Need Jesus? - Believe it or Not: John 7-12

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 12:00:00 GMT

For some—if not many—the thought of asking for help seems like a declaration of defeat. Further, there is a sense in which we now feel indebted to the one who gave us help. We would much rather be self-reliant and independent rather than beholden to another. Yet, when confronted with the truth—namely the truth of Jesus’ word—we are confronted with our genuine need for him. Though we think we are most free when dependent on nobody, Christ confronts us with the reality that the only true way to experience freedom is in him.

The True Light - Believe it or Not: John 7-12

Sun, 27 Sep 2020 12:00:00 GMT

“I am the light of the world,” Jesus proclaims in John 8:12. What significance does this have? If he is the true light, what is the right response from us? When we ponder his statement through God's bringing light into the world at creation to the promise of a coming Messiah to bring his people out of darkness, one would think they wanted the true light to come. And yet, once he arrived, many weren’t ready to receive him. Instead of stepping into the light, they remained in the dark. How will we respond? Will we choose light or darkness?

No One Ever Spoke Like This - Believe it or Not: John 7-12

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Where do we turn when we’re seeking satisfaction? For many people, satisfaction seems impossible to find let alone attain for the long haul. Most would say that true satisfaction is elusive—difficult to find or achieve. However, John’s Gospel teaches something very different; not only is satisfaction not elusive… it is exclusive. And it exclusively comes from the Word that John has been directing us toward.

Why is it so Hard to Believe - Believe it or Not: John 7-12

Sun, 13 Sep 2020 12:00:00 GMT

We are returning the Gospel of John this week after having worked through the first six chapters in the spring. In the first section of our study, John the Evangelist forced his readers to wrestle with the question, “Who is this Jesus?” As we work through chapters 7-12, we will continue wrestling through this question, yet will also be faced to answer the question, “Why is it so hard to believe?” Next week: John 7:32-52

A Multiplication-Minded Church - Recalibrate

Sun, 06 Sep 2020 12:00:00 GMT

We see God’s heart for multiplication from creation to the Great Commision. We also want to see God’s heart for multiplication at every level of the life of our church, from multiplying growing disciples, to multiplying healthy leaders, and multiplying local churches. (Gen 1:28; Matt 28:18-20; Acts 11-21; 2 Tim 2:2)

A Relationally-Driven Church - Recalibrate

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 12:00:00 GMT

We were created for community. Because God has reconciled us to one another, we want to put a priority on personal relationships, from membership, where we commit to one another as family, brothers and sisters in Christ, to group settings, where we have fellowship with one another, to one-to-one, where we can really know each other. Even as we reach out to the community around us, personal relationships are powerful vehicles for communicating the gospel. Yes, when people are involved things can get messy, but as it has been said, relationships are a mess worth making.

To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain - Special Service

Sun, 23 Aug 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Paul’s short letter to the Philippians addresses a church that shared in Paul’s ministry through a committed partnership in the gospel. Their commitment, though tangibly demonstrated through their support of Paul, was ultimately to Christ. They knew the joy that Christ brought. They knew the hope that he brought. They knew that regardless of their circumstances, their lives were wholly committed to Christ—in life or in death. They could share in Paul’s declaration, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” May this not only be the cry of their heart, but may it also be true in our lives as well.

A Song to Help us Remember - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 16 Aug 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on August 16, 2020

A Song for the Soundtrack of Life - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 12:00:00 GMT

The Psalms play a unique role within Scripture. Each psalm reflects the heart and emotions of its author as a prayer to the LORD. And the LORD has graciously given us these words by his inspiration to know how we can bare our own hearts to him. The prayers of those who have gone before us now exist within our Bibles to teach us how to pray. This summer we will explore several psalms in an effort to expose you to the wide emotional range of the Psalms. Within this book lies various songs that will comfort you wherever life has you. Next week: Psalm 136

A Song for the Perfectionist Soul - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 12:00:00 GMT

A Song to Help Us See - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 12:00:00 GMT

A Song to Sing for the King - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 19 Jul 2020 12:00:00 GMT

A Song of Seeking for the Weary Soul - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 12 Jul 2020 12:00:00 GMT

A Song for Sorrow over Sin - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 05 Jul 2020 12:00:00 GMT

A Song to Steady Your Soul - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 12:00:00 GMT

A Song to Sing to Yourself - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 21 Jun 2020 12:00:00 GMT

A Song for the Wandering Soul - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 14 Jun 2020 12:00:00 GMT

A Song for the Impatient Soul - Psalms: Songs for Every Season

Sun, 07 Jun 2020 12:00:00 GMT

A Compassion-Hearted Church - Recalibrate

Sun, 31 May 2020 12:00:00 GMT

The story of the Good Samaritan is one of Jesus’ most widely known parables. While it is mainly a story about showing compassion, Jesus includes elements that uncomfortably challenged his original audience and exhorts us in similar ways. If we are to be a compassion-hearted local congregation, it would serve us well to pay close attention to the message that our Lord is teaching here… and go and live like the Samaritan neighbor. Next week: Psalm 13

A Prayerfully-Dependent Church - Recalibrate

Sun, 24 May 2020 12:00:00 GMT

“To Know Christ and To Make Christ Known.” This is our primary goal as a church. We also declared seven values to show us what this will look like and to know who we want to be as a church. The third value is prayer. We want to be a prayer-dependent church, making it a first response rather than a last resort. Our passionate and humble prayers display our dependence upon him. We want to ask boldly and surrender completely. Current events might have stolen your attention away from this goal and maybe even distracted you from prayer. Now more than ever, let us recalibrate and reprioritize the importance of prayer. Next week: Luke 10:25-37

Some Things Are Really Hard to Hear - Down To Earth: John 1-6

Sun, 17 May 2020 12:00:00 GMT

As we come to the conclusion of John 6, we read two wholly different responses to Jesus’ hard words spoken in the previous section (6:24-59). Some who identified themselves as disciples (or followers other than the Twelve) of Christ decided to turn back and no longer walk with him (vs. 66). To them, Jesus’ words landed like death. Sadly, we read similar accounts today—from celebrities down to our loved ones—those who once identified with Christ decide to turn the other direction and walk away. Right after this, Peter declares the Twelve’s allegiance to Jesus, for he has the words of eternal life. What is our response supposed to be to these accounts? How will you respond to Jesus and his hard words? Next week: Acts 4:23-31

Bread From Heaven - Down To Earth: John 1-6

Sun, 10 May 2020 12:00:00 GMT

You need to know where you’re going in order to get there. The crowds were looking for Jesus, but somehow lost track of him. Upon finding them again, their motives are quickly revealed by Jesus: they simply got hungry again and wanted him to feed them. Was this what Jesus intended? Did Jesus simply want us to come to him to fill our bellies? No way. Jesus repeatedly declares that he came to give life everlasting to those who receive him and believe in his name. And those that eat of this bread get the true bread from heaven. Next week: John 6:60-71

More Than Bread and Water - Down To Earth: John 1-6

Sun, 03 May 2020 12:00:00 GMT

After making a compelling argument for why he is the true source of life, Jesus withdraws to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, only to be followed by a large crowd. Despite seemingly going away from them, Jesus proceeds to feed the crowd of about five thousand with minuscule morsels of food. Then he withdraws from the disciples only to come back to them in a most miraculous way. We can’t help but ask, “What is Jesus up to?” Though the crowd is ready to make him king after he fills their bellies, they are wanting to do it on their own terms. Instead, Jesus makes it clear that he will reveal himself on his own terms. Next week: John 6:22-59.

A Matter of Life and Death - Down To Earth: John 1-6

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 12:00:00 GMT

To this point in John’s Gospel we have been presented with the various answers to the question, “Who is this Jesus?” In the second half of chapter five, we are brought to a decision point. Will we side with the religious leaders who see Jesus and his claim to be equal with God (5:18) to be blasphemous? Or will we side with Jesus’ own testimony about himself? This question is one we will continue to face throughout or reading of the Gospel, but it is also a question we must face daily as followers of Christ. The case against Jesus is a life or death matter. Likewise, which side we choose is also a life or death matter.

A Scripture-Saturated Church - Recalibrate

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Most Christians will readily agree that Scripture plays an integral role in the Christian life. It is the very word of God! It is profitable for teaching us truth and correcting falsehood. It provides the necessary instruction for living out our faith on a daily basis. This is why our worship gatherings are saturated with Scripture and why our groups are committed to teaching Scripture. We also benefit from reading Scripture one-to-one and individually. Making this value a reality as individuals will dramatically impact us as a church body.

Waiting With Hope - Easter 2020

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Waiting is hard. Whether you are waiting for your food order to be completed or if you are waiting to overcome a sin struggle, waiting isn’t easy. Many of us are eagerly waiting to see the quarantine mandate lifted! Life in this world is filled with the desire for what is next, often looking forward to something in the future. The hope of Easter brings with it an anticipation of the future as well—to see our present sufferings come to an end. But the Apostle Paul makes clear to us that these present sufferings cannot be compared to the greatness of the glory that will be revealed to us… because of Christ and his finished work.

Seeing Isn’t Always Believing - Down To Earth: John 1-6

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 12:00:00 GMT

When things aren’t going how we want, we want to point a finger at God, putting him on trial. When we see pain, suffering, and hardship in the world, people often choose to 1) blame God, 2) deny God exists, or 3) ignore God entirely. In John 5, Jesus dispels these responses. We can’t blame God because the “Father is working” in the world (v. 17). Nor can we deny God exists, for his work is restoring life to this world, just as the lame man experienced. Finally, we cannot ignore God… like the lame man did initially. Jesus made sure this man didn’t ignore what Jesus had done in his life. Let us also not miss his work. Next week: Romans 8:18-25

In Him Was Life - Down To Earth: John 1-6

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 12:00:00 GMT

What if Jesus had never performed any miraculous signs… would you still come to him? For many in John’s Gospel, this was the main draw to him. They wanted (maybe even needed) signs to give him any honor at all. And yet the honor they gave wasn’t true honor. It wasn’t faith that would bring life. However, this wasn’t always the case. In this passage we meet a man who needed life, but not for himself; he needed life for his son. In coming to meet Jesus, he got what he was seeking… and then some. He himself found life in the truest sense. Next week: John 5:1-18

Are You Ever Really Satisfied? - Down To Earth: John 1-6

Sun, 22 Mar 2020 12:00:00 GMT

The question of satisfaction can be thrown at us in many arenas. Were you satisfied with your shopping experience? Complete this survey for a chance to win a gift card. Were you satisfied with your dining experience? Leave a review online. Satisfaction at a consumer level will vary from person to person. But what about at the spiritual level? Are you ever really satisfied? Too often the answer is no and we seek to find satisfaction from the variety of offerings the world has for us—much like the woman Jesus met at the well. In John 4 we learn that only Jesus satisfies our deepest needs. Further, those who embrace this truth will bring others to him to experience true and lasting satisfaction.

Above All - Down To Earth: John 1-6

Sun, 15 Mar 2020 12:00:00 GMT

After the significant conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, the story turns back to John the Baptist. His disciples notice that people are starting to go to Jesus. How does John respond? Is he jealous? Is Jesus his rival? Not at all. John’s role was to point people to Christ. For John, it isn’t about his popularity or his significance. His witness has been consistent: “I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him” (3:28). Said differently, Jesus is better, and it ain’t even close.

A Conversation with Jesus - Down To Earth: John 1-6

Sun, 08 Mar 2020 12:00:00 GMT

One of the Bible’s most beloved and well-known verses comes from this passage. A secretive meeting by night between a teacher of Israel and the Son of God. Nicodemus wants to understand how Jesus is doing these signs, yet Jesus exposes him to a greater truth—in order to see and enter the Kingdom of God, one must be born from above. Jesus explains that it can be done by God alone; this is why he sent his Son into the world.

The Meeting Place of God and Man - Down To Earth: John 1-6

Sun, 01 Mar 2020 12:00:00 GMT

John’s Gospel continues revealing Jesus to us. So far we have been told: Jesus is the eternal Word that was with God and also is the eternal God; he then took on flesh to dwell among us (1:1-18). Jesus is then declared the “lamb of God who takes away sin” by John the Baptist, who redirects his own followers towards Jesus (1:19-51). Jesus goes public, performing his first miracle at a wedding and demonstrating that he himself is the eternal Bridegroom (2:1-12). But then… just as we thought we knew this Jesus, we’re confronted with another side we have not yet seen. Has Jesus taken his reaction too far?

A Gospel Centered Church - Recalibrate

Sun, 23 Feb 2020 12:00:00 GMT

At the beginning of the year, we discussed our “recalibrated” core values. These didn’t represent major directional changes for us as a church but merely adding clarity to what we truly value as a church. Throughout the year we will do a deeper dive into each of these values. This week we highlight the value of gospel. We want to be a gospel-centered church and bring the gospel to bear on all of life, all the time.

Hometown Glory - Down To Earth: John 1-6

Sun, 16 Feb 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Here we see the beginning of Jesus’s public ministry and the first “sign” that John records Jesus doing. The purpose of the sign is to reveal Jesus’ glory so that the disciples might believe (2:11; See also John 20:30-31). How does wine at a wedding do that?! It’s all about symbolism; Jesus reveals himself here as the true Bridegroom who is going to bring about something new and better than ever for his people. If we see this right, we should never look at Jesus, or a wedding, the same way ever again.

The Power of Pointing - Down To Earth: John 1-6

Sun, 09 Feb 2020 12:00:00 GMT

John (the author) is still just beginning to introduce us to Jesus by telling us the story of John the Baptist. John the Baptist helped prepare the way for Jesus, both by pointing away from himself and pointing us to who Jesus is (the lamb of God, the Son of God, the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit, etc.). Jesus, in turn, points people to himself, as he confronts our expectations and lays claim on our lives when he says, “Come and see” and “Follow me.”

Heaven Came Down - Down To Earth: John 1-6

Sun, 02 Feb 2020 12:00:00 GMT

This week we begin our new series, “Down to Earth” through the first six chapters of John. Here in this introduction, John tells us why we should pay attention to who he is telling us about. John is introducing us to the Word - the One who existed from all eternity past, who created heaven and earth; the One who stepped down from heaven to earth in order to make God known to us. This One came to us in the person of Jesus so that we could believe in His name and have life.

Who We Want To Be (Part 2) - Recalibrate

Sun, 26 Jan 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Every one of us has values that shape the way we make decisions and navigate relationships; they inform what we see as treasure or trash. However, for many of us, they remain invisible or unspoken. As we take this month to recalibrate as a church, we want to think together about the values that shape the kind of people we want to be and the kind of church we want to be. Last week we began with (1) gospel, (2) scripture, and (3) prayer. This week, we’ll finish with: (4) compassion, (5) relationships, (6) multiplication, and (7) God’s glory.

Who We Want To Be (Part 1) - Recalibrate

Sun, 19 Jan 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Everyone of us has values that shape the way we make decisions and navigate relationships; they inform what we see as treasure or trash. However, for many of us, they remain invisible or unspoken. As we take this month to recalibrate as a church, we want to think together about the values that shape the kind of people we want to be and the kind of church we want to be. Over the course of the next two weeks, we will look at seven different values. This week, we’ll begin with three: (1) the gospel, (2) scripture, and (3) prayer.

To Make Christ Known - Recalibrate

Sun, 12 Jan 2020 12:00:00 GMT

As we begin a new year (and a new decade!) we are taking the month of January to “Recalibrate” together as a church. We want to think together about where we are headed both personally as individuals and corporately as a church. After discussing “the one thing” upon which we must focus—that is, to know Christ—we turn to the one activity that rightly follows from knowing Christ: we make him known to others. Embracing this important mission is not just given to us as a church, but as individual disciples as well.

To Know Christ - Recalibrate

Sun, 05 Jan 2020 12:00:00 GMT

As we begin a new year (and a new decade!) we are taking the month of January to “Recalibrate” together as a church. We want to think together about where we are headed both personally as individuals and corporately as a church. In order to do that effectively we need to be able to answer the question, “What is the one thing we all need to give ourselves to?” Thankfully, we are not left in the dark; God has given us the answer to that question in his word. The one thing that we need to align everything on is this one simple, biblical, timeless goal: to know Christ.

A Faith Still Waiting

Sun, 29 Dec 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Message from Pastor Chris Amundson on December 29, 2019

Portraits of Grace: Mary - Advent 2019: Portraits of Grace

Tue, 24 Dec 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Our Portraits of Grace series concludes with the story of Mary.

Portraits of Grace: Bathsheba - Advent 2019: Portraits of Grace

Sun, 22 Dec 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Portraits of Grace: Ruth - Advent 2019: Portraits of Grace

Sun, 15 Dec 2019 12:00:00 GMT

This Advent we are looking at the very first Christmas passage in the bible: Jesus’ family tree (Matthew 1:1-17), which highlights five women, whose surprising inclusion in this tree serves to highlight God’s grace. This week we look at the story of Ruth, a widow from Moab that entrusts her life to the LORD and pledges her life to care for her mother-in-law who has also been widowed. How will they survive? Through Ruth’s courageous steps of faith, the LORD meets her and Naomi’s needs while also demonstrating his steadfast love to his people by providing King David through whom eventually comes King Jesus.

Portraits of Grace: Rahab - Advent 2019: Portraits of Grace

Sun, 08 Dec 2019 12:00:00 GMT

This Advent we are looking at the very first Christmas passage in the bible: Jesus’ family tree (Matthew 1:1-17), which highlights five women, whose surprising inclusion in this tree serves to highlight God’s grace. This week we look at the story of Rahab. She was an outcast in almost every possible way. But God used her in a very surprising way (1) to build strong and courageous faith in his people, (2) to deliver them, and (3) to use her family line to bring forth Jesus, the King and Savior of the world.

Portraits of Grace: Tamar - Advent 2019: Portraits of Grace

Sun, 01 Dec 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Sunday officially marked the beginning of the Advent season. This year, we’ll look at an unfamiliar Advent text: the genealogy (family tree) of Jesus that opens the Gospel of Matthew, which contains a very surprising element: five special women used by God to further his unfolding plan of redemption. We begin with the story of Tamar, a woman who risked her life in order to secure justice. God used this surprising situation to further the line of Judah, a line that would one day lead to Jesus, the King and Savior of the world.

The Greater Vision of an Established Faith

Sun, 24 Nov 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Colossians has taught us what it looks like to be established in Christ. But a rooted and mature faith is not one that only focuses on inward growth, but turns outwardly as well. In this passage, Paul calls the Colossians to a diligence in prayer—both for the protection of their faith as well as for the further reach of the gospel (4:2-4). In this same vein, he instructs them “walk and talk” with those outside the gospel in mind, calling them to see their own evangelistic responsibilities. Lastly, he gives them some final instructions as well as brings greetings from those who labor alongside of him. All of this serves to remind God’s people of the end to which he has called us: To see Christ exalted throughout the earth.

Christ in All of Life (Part 2)

Sun, 17 Nov 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus we have not only been forgiven of our sins but have been given new resurrection life. Therefore, we do everything in His name (3:17). Last week we saw this applied to marriage & family (3:18-21). This week it extends to our “work” - to whatever it is that we do (3:22-4:1). We are to honor those “over us” by being obedient, hard workers, and those “under us” by being just and fair bosses (3:22; 4:1). Ultimately, we are to do our work for Christ (3:23-24) and we are to work in light of what we get from Christ (3:24-25). In the end, it is Christ who gives meaning to our work.

Christ in All of Life (Part 1)

Sun, 10 Nov 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Colossians gives us one of the clearest pictures of the supremacy of Christ in who he is and what he has done (see chapters 1-2). All throughout chapter 3 Paul has been opening our eyes to the implications of Christ’s supremacy for how we live our lives now, culminating in 3:17: we should do everything in the name of the Lord. This week Paul applies that general principle to areas where we spend most of our lives: in our marriages (3:18-19) and our families (3:20-21). Next week this will also extend to our work (3:22-4:1). As the risen and exalted Lord, we need to recognize Christ’s authority over every aspect of life.

Who You Are In Christ (Part 2)

Sun, 03 Nov 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Throughout Colossians Paul has shown us that in Christ we have become new creations; just as Christ died and was raised to life, so we died to our old selves and have been raised to new spiritual life in the here and now (Col 1:13-14; 1:21-22; 2:13-14; 3:4-5). Last week Paul’s focus was “putting off” the old reality (3:5-11). Here in this passage Paul repeats the theme but focuses on “putting on” the new reality of our life in Christ, by demonstrating his character in our lives (3:12-14), by living under His peaceful rule (3:15), by being at home with His word (3:16) and doing everything for the sake of His great name (3:16).

Who You Are in Christ (Part 1)

Sun, 27 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Last week (Col 3:1-4) Paul urged us to focus on Christ, with whom we have died and have been raised to new life, which Christ himself is holding securely for us in heaven until he returns. Does that mean it doesn’t matter how we live now? Absolutely not. This week (and next) Paul tells us what it looks like to live the life we have in Christ in the here and now. That requires both actively putting off (killing!) our old nature (3:5-8) and living in the truth of who we are now (3:9-11). In other words, through the life, death and resurrection of Christ, we have been given entirely new identities—let’s live like it!

Your Life Is Christ

Sun, 20 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Colossians 3:1-4 reminds us in this passage of what Christ’s death and resurrection accomplished for us: (1) we died with him, (2) we have been raised with Christ, and (3) our lives are hidden with Christ in God. Since Christ has accomplished these things on our behalf, Paul is urging us to live our whole lives for him—for Christ is our life! He gives us clear instructions for (1) how to pursue maturity—seek and set your minds on the things above (3:1-2) and (2) what result comes from living in Christ—when Christ appears… you will appear with him in glory (3:4). Living lives that fully reflect Christ isn’t easy, yet the result makes it worthwhile; we will be with Christ in glory!

Is Christ Enough?

Sun, 13 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT

There are many pitfalls that await us on the path to following Christ. In last Sunday’s text, Paul addressed specific obstacles (philosophy, empty deceit, human tradition, etc.) that take our focus away from Christ (2:6-10) while also making the case that Christ is wholly sufficient for us (2:11-15). In this Sunday’s passage (2:16-23), Paul builds upon the previous section by confronting imitations that seem good—even spiritual—but will ultimately distract us from Christ.

What You Have In Christ

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT

To establish our roots down in Christ, so we can grow up in maturity in Christ, because Christ is our life. This is the BIG IDEA of Colossians. In this week’s passage, the primary charge or instruction of the letter is given to us—walk in him. Paul provides clarity about how we are to do this, what the risk is when we’re not doing this, and (most significantly) why we are to do this. The bulk of the passage highlights Christ’s glorious nature, person, and ministry, which is to compel us to obey this instruction: Walk in Christ.

The Christ-Shaped

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 12:00:00 GMT

What is the goal of the Christian life? Having meditated on the person and nature of Christ, Paul shifts gears to discuss how his ministry intersects with those following Christ. That is, he states the function and purpose of his ministry—to those he knew and those he hadn’t met face to face; the purpose or goal was maturity in Christ. For us who are united with Christ, the hope is that we are “encouraged, … knit together in love…, reach[ing] all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ” (Col. 2:2).

Big, Big Jesus

Sun, 22 Sep 2019 12:00:00 GMT

The Father has moved believers from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of the beloved Son (1:13). Who is this Son? Over what does he reign? How are we impacted by our dwelling with him? Our passage this week answers these questions.

Filled Up, Walking Out

Sun, 15 Sep 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Following Paul’s greeting and thanksgiving comes his prayer for the Colossian church; this prayer is where our focus will be in this week’s passage.

Gospel Gratefulness

Sun, 08 Sep 2019 12:00:00 GMT

This week we begin a study through Paul’s letter to the Colossians. This study will carry us through the fall up to the time of Advent.

Living in Kingdom-Oriented Community

Sun, 01 Sep 2019 12:00:00 GMT

This Sunday’s sermon is a one-off sermon built around the idea of community. Part of the intended outcome is for the congregation to see the importance of how we treat one another as we reflect the Father’s love, mercy, and forgiveness that he displays towards us.

His Kingdom Will Endure Forever

Sun, 25 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Having completed our study through 1 Samuel, we take this Sunday to go through the entire book of 2 Samuel as it pertains to and informs our understanding of 1 Samuel.

The Mighty Have Fallen

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT

As 1 Samuel concludes we see the inevitable outcome that was anticipated for Saul. Did his demise make him a hero?

Turning Point

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT

As we near the end of 1 Samuel the contrast between David and Saul continues to sharpen. “Where do you turn in the face of destructive opposition?” David as the LORD’s anointed provides a faithful witness for how to turn to the LORD regardless of the circumstances.

Living in Light of Our Redemption

Sun, 04 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Pastor Danny D’Acquisto from Redemption Church returned to bring God’s word to us this past Sunday. This sermon serves as a one week break from our study of 1 Samuel.

The Wonder of God's Providence

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

We return to David’s plight with Achish and his expectation for David to go out to fight with the Philistines. What will become of the LORD’s anointed as he is expected to go into battle against his own people—people that he is expected to one day lead?

A Dark Night

Sun, 21 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

The author of 1 Samuel left us with a cliffhanger at the end of chapter twenty-seven as we await to see David’s outcome with Achish and the Philistine army—would David commit treason or not? Chapter twenty-eight records Saul’s response to his own fear of the Philistines and his own unkingly behavior.

When Faith Falters

Sun, 14 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

As we return to 1 Samuel we witness David and his behavior out of step with his role as the LORD’s anointed. As we see this divergent image of David when compared to the composite image previously established in this book, let’s consider what we can learn from David’s mistakes and rejoice in God’s providing us with perfect Anointed One who came to redeem us.

God's Glorious Grace & Purpose

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 12:00:00 GMT

We are taking a one week break from our 1 Samuel series to hear from Ephesians 2:1-10.

The Righteous & Faithful King

Sun, 30 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Chapter 25 of 1st Samuel provides us with a story that finds David out of character with how we have seen him up to this point. His run-in and response to this foolish man named Nabal almost serve to derail his journey as God’s Anointed and future king of Israel. It shows us God’s providence in his using an unlikely source to avert the disaster that David was about to bring on himself.

It Matters How You Get There

Sun, 23 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Mercy Better Than Life

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

David is still on the run in chapters 23 and 24 and his struggle appears far from over. Not only is he still on the run from Saul but he is also directed by God to save the people of Keilah from Philistine invaders. David’s trust in the Lord during these events appears to be foolish to the men around him. But it is a reminder to us of how faith in the living God often contradicts worldly wisdom.

Safe in the Shepherd’s Arms

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Chapters 21 and 22 of 1st Samuel give us a view of the first events of David’s life as a fugitive of King Saul. There is nothing glamorous or attractive about the circumstances that David is going through but we can see God’s hand in all of it from our vantage point. Stories like these should bring us encouragement that God is always in control and will bring ultimate good through all events to his people.

A Friend That Sticks Closer

Sun, 02 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Hardship and danger were regular occurrences in the life of David. In the chapter, we see David having to evade Saul in fear for his life. But what we see in the midst of this turmoil is the deep, committed friendship of David and Jonathan. In its own right, it is an example of biblical friendship. But it also points us in the church to the relationship that we have in Christ.

The Kingdom of Saul & The Rule of David

Sun, 26 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Chapters 18 and 19 of First Samuel offer us a series of events that show us the divide that is widening between David and Saul. Though Saul is still the active king of Israel, we see examples of allegiance to God’s true anointed. Though this passage is describing events from long ago, it challenges us in how we think of our own allegiance to the King of Kings.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

Sun, 19 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Chapter 17 gives us one of the most well-known stories of the entire Bible. The battle between David and Goliath is so common to our collective understanding that even popular culture will regularly reference it to describe the victory of an extreme underdog to a much superior foe. But, as we heard on Sunday morning, that is not the message actually being presented to us in this passage.

The Unexpected King

Sun, 12 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

In chapter 16 we approach another crucial turning point in the book of First Samuel and the history of Israel altogether. The anointing of David marks the beginning of, what is often referred to as, the golden age of the Kingdom of Israel. In line with God’s consistent character, this king after God’s own heart is not what the people expected.

The Rejected King

Sun, 05 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Chapter 15 of First Samuel marks one of the most difficult passages for modern minds to navigate. It deals with aspects of God’s character that we either don’t understand fully or may naturally want to reject. But the bigger point of the story is the outright disobedience of Saul and the posture of his heart toward the Lord. If there was any question over the future of Saul’s kingdom left unanswered from chapter 13, it is answered in this week’s story.

The Crown Begins to Crumble

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Happy Easter! This week we take a short break from First Samuel to look at the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus after Jesus had been raised from the dead. It is a unique story of two men who failed to recognize the Lord they loved even though he was present with them. It is a story that tells us what it really takes to see the risen Christ for who he is.

He is Risen Indeed!

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Following the True King

Sun, 14 Apr 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Chapter 12 brings us Samuel’s final address to the people of Israel as their leader. It is not the sentimental type of outgoing speech that we have come to expect from our leaders before they leave their post. Instead, Samuel reminds them of the unrighteous demand for a king that has brought them to this moment. Although the people tremble at the reality of their wickedness, Samuel assures them of God’s continued faithfulness and love.

The Saving Power of God

Sun, 07 Apr 2019 12:00:00 GMT

We dive back into 1st Samuel with the story of God’s deliverance of his people through Saul. It is a rare story where Saul is the protagonist and faithfully serves God in his position as king. But the focus is on God’s power to save his people. A truth that we stake everything on as followers of Jesus Christ.

Delight, Discipline, Display

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 12:00:00 GMT

This week our guest speaker is Julio Chiang, Pastor of City Church: Lima, Peru.

Lost Donkeys & A Missing King

Sun, 24 Mar 2019 12:00:00 GMT