" Where is your faith?" he asked them. The disciples were filled with fear, NOT faith as their boat was tossed about in the raging storm. Did Jesus' presence in the very same boat, although sleeping, indicate nothing to them? Even the chosen twelve needed to be reminded that the 'faith over fear' mantra is not just for a t-shirt.
Generosity denotes the spirit in which one performs an action - a voluntary, unselfish giving of time, money, attention or other resources. Generous people are especially willing to share their resources with others. How do we engage generously within the Church and within our own local communities and congregations?
Jesus, in startling detail, lays out the events surrounding his own death. It's an uncomfortable truth because moving forward, the choice to follow him would come with 'strings'... uncomfortable and even painful personal losses. What are we willing to lose in order to follow Him? In today's culture, following Jesus often comes at great personal sacrifice.
Reading the bible and listening to what it tells us are key to our relationship with God. There is no better way to get to know someone than by listening - really listening - to what they say. But then what do you do with what you've heard?
The primary way the scriptures refer to God is as our Heavenly Father. Unfortunately because so many of us have not had good fathers we can struggle with having a positive view of God as our Father. But what if we could begin to see ourselves the way our Heavenly Father sees us? How would our lives change if we truly believed our Heavenly Father was absolutely crazy about us? What if we began to live like we were His beloved child?
On the last day of Easter, something was brewing. Luke writes about the people - from every nation under heaven - that had come together and experienced something truly transformative. What do they do now? Where do they go from here and what will life look like on the other side of the day of Pentecost? It is truly the BIRTH day of the Church and it has been 'growing up' ever since!
We warmly welcome our guest speaker this morning, Ron Frost . How does the spiritual practice of reading scripture teach us important things about about God, His character and His promises? How does understanding the scriptures makes God's word so personal and active in our lives?
Jesus had promised his disciples that they would receive the Holy Spirit to empower them to be witnesses to all the earth. Get ready, because it’s happening! The event known as Pentecost marks the arrival of the Holy Spirit, where God's presence is intimately experienced by believers and empowers them to fulfill the Great Commission. And wow, what a sight it would’ve been!
Jesus’ apostles could have only had questions… nothing was clear and they were patiently waiting. But waiting for what? They were waiting for Jesus, risen and alive, to make things right and restore His kingdom. How long would they have to wait? What would waiting look like? Very likely, none of them could have even imagined.
It’s hard to let go of our kids. As they get older, they step forward… and away. They assume more responsibility and more autonomy. As parents, we know this has been our most important job - to take these precious gifts from the LORD, and point them in every way we can to Jesus and to a deep and abiding trust in Him. Moms… we experience all the feels. Love, appreciation, pride… and the accompanying sadness that comes with letting go.
Imagine being so invested in one thing that it's all you can do... all you can think about. You ate it, drank it... lived it. Luke is describing this very thing - a "fellowship of believers" - whose only pleasure was to "praise God and enjoy the favor of all the people" (vs. 47a).
Peter nails it, doesn’t he? After reminding people of Jesus’ ministry - his life, death and resurrection - he tells them how they should move forward. “Repent and be baptized, every one of you… and you will receive the Holy Spirit.” He assured them, for their children and generations beyond, that they would have the same access to Jesus’ saving grace that Peter himself saw first hand. They began living a new kind of life together - one filled with a different kind of joy. How could they not?...
It's as if it were too good to be true... "On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus." (vs.1-3) Then those women were asked, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!" (vs.5b-6a)
This week is a big one... we refer to it as Holy Week but that is definitely a term applied in hindsight. Luke, in his gospel, outlines these days from Jesus’ triumphal entry through the gates into Jerusalem to his betrayal, arrest and brutal death. But Sunday is coming! What appeared to bury their hope that Jesus was who He said He was became the greatest victory in the history of the world. We know the end of the story… but the tension is still present. How will you focus your thoughts during ...
Having experienced a pivotal point in his ministry and with his disciples, Jesus continues to color outside the lines of tradition. But while He incurs the disdain from the political and spiritual leaders, Jesus is reaching people with God’s truth and the reality of eternal separation from Him if they do not repent and believe… hanging out together is not enough. Jesus is keenly aware of those who would revel in His death, but the path set out for him will not be altered.
Something is happening in the hills surrounding the villages where Jesus performed so many miracles. His followers had recently witnessed an unmistakeable turning point in Jesus' ministry and now this... can they understand or explain something so incredible? What does it mean for the future as they continue to follow Jesus?
Jesus continues throughout the countryside and into villages performing miracles, healing and speaking in wonderful parables to large crowds who gathered to listen. His 12 apostles have been called to his side now, and by Jesus’ power and authority, they will also proclaim God’s kingdom and heal those afflicted by evil. Jesus is “doing” the ministry we are used to hearing about… but what about the faith of the people? Do we today, believe or do we doubt? Can doubt be a positive part of affirming...
The word was getting out. So much so that crowds of people were gathering to hear Jesus speak and to be healed. What important thing was he saying, though? "Come to me and be healed", or was it "come to me and be forgiven of your sins." Were the people satisfied with the former, or did they desire the latter? Ask Levi, the tax collector, which one he chose...
Jesus emerged from his time in the wilderness, having cast aside a crafty enemy, to began his Galilean ministry. He went out into the whole countryside, preaching to everyone, everywhere. Many praised his gracious manner and listened with rapt attention as he spoke in the synagogue. Let's stop there. Even though they recognized him as a home-town boy, the listeners took issue with his words. "No thanks", they said, and tried to facilitate his demise (for lack of a better phrase). Jesus went on h...
We are diving into the first of nine Spiritual Practices we’ll study this year. These habits of the faith help us grow in our knowledge of scripture and strengthen our relationship with Jesus. Fasting is our body’s natural response to difficult spiritual situations like illness, death, sin, etc. Involving our bodies in this form of “lament” is the same as involving them in praise like raising hands or kneeling. Let’s dig in and discover something new!
As we get a bit further into the book of Luke and specifically the example of Mary & Martha, how do the Psalms allow you to focus and reflect on your relationship with God? The writers that so beautifully crafted this book were desiring to be closer to God. The worship and praise, despair and lament contained in its verses speak to a deep longing that God, in his mercy, would hear and respond to.
Never has there been a more important time to be the best at something. Jesus was facing a powerful adversary at a time when his body was weak, but his mind and his heart were filled with the promises of his Father. Jesus knew the truth - the power was his and where all others had failed, he would succeed. Evil had no power over him.
As a complement to the theme “The One Thing” for this year, the first Sunday of each month will highlight important habits of the faith that increase awareness of God’s presence, promote individual spiritual growth and a deeper relationship with Jesus. Do you consistently read your bible? Do you take opportunities to pray and confess your sin? We look forward with great anticipation to what God will teach us this year!
Remember John, son of Elizabeth and Zechariah? Just like Jesus, he’d grown up and was now preaching in the surrounding country about repentance and the forgiveness of sins. He told the people what they should and should not be be doing and to say he was getting folks fired up is an understatement, but to what end? What was all the fuss about?
”And as Jesus grew up, he increased in stature, wisdom and favor with God and man.” It seems like a natural progression that, in our own ‘growing up’, we should both grow physically but as believers in Christ, also increase in biblical knowledge, wisdom and foster a closer relationship with the him. But is that actually what happens? How do we meet that goal?
Mary or Martha? It’s tough, sometimes, to choose stillness rather than dashing around to prepare for the next thing. “But, it’s got to get done…” we tell ourselves. “I’ve got a list!” What if it was actually better… in all the ways that really matter… to set the ‘to do’ list aside and instead, discover THE ONE THING worth being concerned about? We are taking a deep dive into the book of Luke in 2025. Our prayer is that each of us would learn to sit more often at the feet of Jesus, spending less ...
The magi... they were travelers from the east who'd arrived in Jerusalem asking some unpopular questions. Clearly, word had gotten out that a baby - THE baby that was the Messiah - had been born. What should have been a serene, blessed event turned into unrestrained jealousy and evil... a path not so different from our much more recent past and even our present.
5th Day of Christmas Imagine the shepherds, awestruck over what they’d just witnessed. They were 'in the fields, abiding' as the song goes and has just witnessed a great spectacle of heavenly glory. They did not waste any time to go check out what they’d been told about the baby. What did they see and experience once they got to him?
4th Sunday of Advent The appearance of the angel in Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus is where all these songs originate. The angel proclaims the good news of Jesus’ birth to a small group of shepherds who likely envisioned their night going a bit differently. And then, “suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others - the armies of heaven - praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.” Luke 2:13 Then it’s all over and the an...
3rd Sunday of Advent Gather ‘round ye children, come Listen to the old, old story Of the power of death undone By an infant born of glory Son of God, Son of Man So in heaven and earth and below Every knee would bow and worship And every tongue would proclaim Jesus, He reigns with the angels (c) Andrew Peterson What a beautiful picture of Christ - for those we love and who we want to love & follow Jesus.
