The reaction of the people to Jesus reading in the Temple was interesting. How many times have we expected Jesus to do something for us? The answer Jesus gave to them show remind us that the picture is bigger than just us, or just our circle, our family, our town.
Luke 4:14:21 shows the beginnings of the ministry of Jesus. Pastor Nathan Willowby uses this passage to focus on the what of His beginning. What did Jesus do, according to the plan?
God uses many ways to break into our world and our lives -- sometimes He uses friends, sometimes strangers, sometimes the means are not human at all but rather something else that just suddenly comes to our attention. His spirit changes us when he participates in our stories. And Pastor Nathan Willowby uses the story of the baptism of Jesus to remind us that in this, at least, we can match, in our life, at least a piece of His story.
Pastor Nathan Willowby takes the first verses of John as a beginning. Beginnings are exciting. Everything is new. Right after Christmas we start a new year, a time for new beginnings. What will you begin, or rather, what will Christ begin in you?
Jesus seems to go from the manger into adulthood in most of the Gospels. But Luke contains one story about the twelve-year-old Jesus. As Jesus the fully human, He must have gone through His formative years, as well all do.
Mary's task wasn't an easy one. Yet she faced it full of faith. Luke 1:39-56
Pastor Nathan Willowby uses Luke 1:67-80 to talk about Advent, the season of preparation for the coming of Christ.
Guest Speaker Wanda Lamon delivers a message that God is coming, that He will save you. Luke 21:25-37
What is a king? What kind of Kingdom is God's? Pastor Nathan Willowby explores the questions raised by John 18:33-7 as Jesus faces Pilate.
In Mark 13:1-8, the disciples talk about the magnificent buildings, and when Jesus tells them the buildings will be torn down, all they can think of is "When?" There's a difference in perspective between them and Jesus, between us and God.
The death of Lazarus is the topic today (John11:22-34). Pastor Nathan Willowby takes us through how the passage about Lazarus takes pains to show us the reality of death, and the very real victory over it.
"There are some scriptural passages that is you read in church, you 'd better be preaching on them." Relationships have always been a tricky thing. Pastor Nathan Willowby serves up the tenth chapter of Mark, in context, as he talks about Jesus' attitude on relationships.
There is a frame of reference implicit in everything. You may be in quite good condition for a normal person of your age, but if the frame of reference is shifted to professional athletes, you may seem overweight and out of shape. Pastor Nathan Willowby leads us through the fifth chapter of James, where everything is framed by faith; all the reactions are based first in faith.
Guest Speaker Mark Mallwitz takes Matthew 9:35-8 as a text to show us how important it is to God that we go, and tell. (Apologies for technical difficulties, the mike wasn't picking up Mark's voice very well.)
Who is Jesus? He's been looked at in many different ways through the years. In Mark 8, Jesus asks, "Who do you say I am?" Pastor Nathan Willowby ask us if we see Him for who He is, and do we follow Him consistently?
In James 2 we read the Apostle saying "You show me your faith without work; I'll show you my faith by my works." What we believe should influence what we do; if it doesn't, the question arises, "Do we actually believe it?" Pastor Nathan Willowby explores how and why our faith should both shape our works, and be evident in them.
In Mark 7 Jesus states that it is not what goes into a person that defiles, but rather what comes out. Pastor Nathan Willowby follows that line from Jesus into what purity is.
Solomon had a lot on his plate for such a young man. His request of God can serve to light our way in seeking help with our own plates.
We are called firstfruits. What does that mean for us? Pastor Nathan Willowby talks about this in the context of James 1:16-17 and 2 Thess. 2: 13
Pastor Nathan Willowby uses the book Song Of Solomon to show us some of what God is like; how God's vision of Love, for example, diminishes Neither the lover nor the loved.
The Preacher in Ecclesiates says all is vain. Does it really have no meaning? Or is it rather than everything has its meaning in season? What is vanity?
In Proverbs chapters 7 and 8 we are presented with the image of two women who call to us from the street. The one we listen to decides whether we are bound for life or death.
The Wisdom literature is especially for those times in our lives when angels are not coming to dinner and water isn't springing out of the rocks; those moments in our normal lives when the presence of God is not outlined in neon.
The Holy Spirit works inside our lives and on us individually and collectively. Today Pastor Nathan Willowby talks about our individual relationships.
Waiting for the end times. What do we read? How do we comport ourselves during the wait? Matthew 24 and 25 (Apologies for the technical difficulties. A new noise entered the system this morning and we couldn't get it out.)
From bumper stickers to policy, there are many views about the End Times running through the church. (When) Do they make a difference?
Pastor Nathan takes Romans 8 for his text on this Pentecost Sunday, Using it to show how we can see God putting creation back together for us and in us.
