On Sunday, December 12, Pastor J.R. helped us think about how we should go about giving a gift to our Savior. Why do we give gifts? What could Jesus possibly need from us? What are his interests? Click the link below to hear J.R.’s message on this topic.
Prepare the Way
John the Baptist came proclaiming the coming of the kingdom of heaven. And even then the Pharisees and Sadducees didn’t like the message! How can this story help us tackle the question of God’s justice vs. God’s lovingkindness? Click the link below to hear Pastor David’s sermon on this topic.
Preview: Prepare the Way
This Sunday, we will worship the Lord and investigate a peculiar passage of scripture: Matthew 3:1-12. As we celebrate the Christmas season, we will spend time considering John the Baptist, Jesus’s cousin who proclaimed a strong message in the years before Jesus’s own ministry. Come worship with us!
–Pastor David
Celebrating Birthdays
‘Tis the season… to celebrate birthdays. We are in the season of Advent, in which we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. As if that were not enough reason for me to celebrate, today (which will have passed by the time you read this) happens to be my thirty-first birthday. If you will humor me, then, I will try not to draw too strong of a comparison between the two birthday boys.
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The Birth Foretold
At our Hanging of the Greens service, Pastor David read Isaiah 53:1-6 and offered a meditation on the meaning of this passage for our celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth. Click the link below to hear this brief message.
Ready or Not, Here He Comes!
November 28 was the first Sunday of Advent. We remember to celebrate the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, but do we remember to celebrate and anticipate his return at the end of the age? Click the link below to hear Pastor David’s message on Matthew 24:36-44 – and to listen to a game of hide-and-seek in the sanctuary.
Moving Away from God
In a perfect world, I would be writing about the joys and challenges of Thanksgiving, since that is the holiday of the week. But this is not a perfect world, and I ran across an article this week that describes something quite significant for us. Are you concerned by the absence of young people from churches? Have you ever wondered why “Young Doubters Exit the Church” in great numbers today? The magazine “Christianity Today” recently published an article by Drew Dyck asking that very question.
Jesus is King!
It’s the week of Thanksgiving, and we have much for which to be thankful. Just as we should watch our physical diets, we should be careful that our spiritual intake is healthy. Click the link below to hear Pastor David’s sermon on Colossians 1:11-20, a passage about the supremacy of Jesus Christ.
Preview: Jesus is King!
It’s the last week of the church year! We will celebrate the conclusion of another year by rejoicing together in the majesty and reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. Come fellowship with us this Sunday as we worship God and study Colossians 1:11-20, a passage dedicated to honoring Jesus Christ as our only Lord.
–Pastor David
Hunting Season
As many of you know, Tara and I are new to the area, and we are just beginning to learn what mid-November is like in central Michigan. We are used to hearing gunshots in inner-city Indianapolis, but now we are hearing gunshots with a different purpose. Regardless of how you feel about hunting animals, I hope we can all agree that this use of gunpower is preferable to the alternative!