You are not the salt shaker; you are salt. You are not the flashlight; you are light. What does Jesus mean by this? Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on Matthew 5:13-16.
On Racial and Religious Reconciliation
“But, God, they’re not like me! They come from a different place and worship differently than I do!”
Yet God says, “Take a look around yourself. Pay attention to the people you meet. Watch what I’m doing. And be ready to change your mind and your behavior when you see what I’m up to.” Continue reading
Being Blessed for the Kingdom
The way of the kingdom of God runs counter to the way of the world. How does Jesus intend his followers to live? Listen in as Pastor David explores the first portion (Matthew 5:1-12) of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), which will be our focus all summer long.
Eulogy for James
My friend James died this past Sunday at 10:45am. He died of a rare and aggressive form of leukemia that whittled away at his strength for the past couple of years. James did not want a funeral or memorial service. He will be cremated, and the world will move on.
Most people would not care to know James. Let me introduce him to you. James was an ex-con, incarcerated on three separate occasions: once for statutory rape, once for breaking and entering, and once for check fraud. His last conviction was his “third strike,” and he spent twelve years in prison as a result. Continue reading
Hear and Forgive
When you pray, how do you expect God to respond to your prayer?
Once upon a time, when the Israelites completed the temple in Jerusalem, King Solomon offered a prayer of dedication. This prayer is recorded in two different Old Testament books (1 Kings 8:22-53 and 2 Chronicles 6:12-42). Solomon’s prayer reflects his desire for God to keep the nation strong for many years to come. Yet it contains clues about how the ancient Israelites thought about prayer – clues which can influence how we pray today. Continue reading
You Also Must Testify
Pentecost: God speaks through his people about the truth of Jesus. How does this relate to our prayer lives – and church scandals? Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on John 15:26-27 and 16:5-15.
Order Matters
Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.
When I was a math teacher, one thing I taught frequently was the “order of operations” – the rules of the language of math. The mnemonic device to remember these rules is the word “PEMDAS,” which stands for “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.” In math-speak, “PEMDAS” means “Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication & Division, Addition & Subtraction.” You always do parentheses before exponents, and so on. Continue reading
Mission Under One Banner
The Christian flag is only about 120 years old, but the name of God is much, much older – and more powerful to unite God’s people together! Listen to this week’s sermon on John 17:6-19.
Mission in the USA
Based on John 15:9-17, Pastor David argues that there is no such thing as a Christian nation. Instead, we are all missionaries wherever we find ourselves – for the sake of the kingdom of God!
Mission in Guatemala
Disciples of Jesus who are most fruitful are those who are most closely connected to him. David Beam, missionary to Guatemala, is an example of just such a person! Listen in to this sermon on John 15:1-8, which includes a video message from David Beam.