An Animated Tour of PhilippiansThe Bible Project is a great resource for studying God’s Word. It is a collection of videos that provide simple yet visually engaging ways to interact with the Bible. Below is a link to their overview of Philippians. It’s less than 10 minutes and will give you a great background for this letter we are jumping into over the next several weeks. Enjoy!...  Read More

Discovering Spiritual GiftsHow to discover one’s spiritual gifts is always a popular topic, one filled with a lot of interest and questions. So, here’s a few reminders from a sermon on spiritual gifts last year: Spiritual gifts are intended to express both unity and diversity in the body of Christ, unity through the common source of the Holy Spirit, and diversity through the variety of expressions...  Read More

As we approach the prayer service, we have decided to write a song from a psalm with the purpose of praising our God for the blessings he has given our church this year. Psalm 33 is the psalm I chose for its powerful words in describing how the Lord cares for his children and how he displays his glory. Our intention is for the congregation to do exactly as the psalm says, sing a new song of praise...  Read More

Four Pictures of Christ’s Triumph over SinSin is described through a number of different pictures in the Bible. Below are four of the most common descriptors, along with how Christ’s death and resurrection addresses each one:1. Slavery: In John 8:34 Jesus says that “everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” The picture of bondage or slavery is often used to picture those in sin as those who c...  Read More

Simply put, the term “prosperity gospel”, also referred to as “name it and claim it” or “health and wealth” theology, is based on the idea that believers should expect the Lord to give them a lot of money, perfect health, and freedom from struggle/hardship. It is also often grounded in exhortations to change our lives for the better simply through positive thinking and increased self-esteem.Biblic...  Read More

Summer time creates opportunities for me that are not typically available. A few weeks ago my schedule worked out in such a way that I was able to take my six year old to breakfast. Just me and him. No phones, no distractions, no agenda. Just dad and son time. Time to be guys together. As I delivered the news to him that morning, and he raced off to get dressed, his enthusiasm was obvious. As we c...  Read More