Several years ago, I read an article that was written to help folks struggling with pornography. One piece of practical counsel it offered was simply “walk outside.” In other words, one simple way to flee the false offer of experiencing beauty is by learning to enjoy the true beauty of God’s creation. In Matthew 28:18-27 we find three references to God’s creation that may be helpful for us as we l...  Read More

The Women’s Ministry theme this year is “Journey On.” As followers of Jesus, we’re on a path toward God, through triumphs and trials. Thankfully, our Shepherd has equipped us for our earthly journey with all we need—the Word, the Holy Spirit, and each other.This marks the 30th year the Women of Grace have gone on a retreat to focus on our relationship with God in the midst of community. One of our...  Read More

In his conversation with the Roman centurion recorded in Matthew 8, Jesus makes a reference to hell. While the word “hell” is not actually used, the same characteristics used to describe hell in other parts of Scripture are used here by Jesus. Here are three key takeaways about hell from these two verses:1. “The sons of the kingdom.” This phrase in this context refers to Jews who reject Jesus. Tho...  Read More

Over my years as pastor, I have come to notice that certain conversations circle back around among staff and elders. One of those has surfaced again recently: the dreaded topic of announcements at our weekly corporate worship service. For some reason, this quirky space in our service has almost become a rite of passage into ministry. I did it for 8 years, Tim Wilson is in his 7th year of doing it,...  Read More

If Matthew chapters 8-10 teach us how to live with Jesus, chapters 5-7 teach us how to learn from Jesus. More specifically, Jesus invites us to experience him in seven key ways:1. Being transformed by him from the inside out (5:1-16)2. Being made righteous by him in order to live obedient lives (5:17-20)3. Being obedient to him from the heart (5:21-48)4. Showing us how to relate properly to God an...  Read More

1. Love one another2. Be unified with one another3. Teach one another4. Greet one another5. Comfort one another6. Put up with each other7. Encourage one another8. Submit to one another9. Forgive one another10. Think how to motivate one another11. Honor one another12. Meet with one another13. Confess your sins to one another14. Be hospitable to one another15. Serve one another16. Be humble toward o...  Read More