Church: You are Chosen by God

Let’s read Psalms 69:7 Passion for your house has consumed me. NLT Last week Sam talked about the Church and the tension the local church faces in North America.  The tension is that God’s kingdom and our world’s kingdom are opposed to each other.  That means that what our world values and cares for is the opposite of what God values and cares for.  And that gap is widening.  So how do we attract people to the Church . . . Read More »

“This, Then, Is How You Should Pray…”

I am going to start a little differently today.  I’m going to ask you three questions as we get started.   Now, these three questions are personal, and I will admit, this may be a little intense for an introduction to a talk but your answers to these questions are so important and I will tell you why.  It’s because how you answer these three questions determines so much about your life from how you process information, to how . . . Read More »

Greatest Relationship Principle When Things Get Messy

Welcome to our deep dive into Proverbs.  We are slowing down and looking at the major themes we see in Proverbs and talking about them.  We talked about words.  We talked about the battle between humility and pride.  What Godly success looks like.  Last week Sam talked about the fact that we can’t hide who we really are, it comes out.  Remember the one statement he kept repeating?  You simply can’t hide your heart.  It comes out, it . . . Read More »

The Greatest Challenge to Life Isn’t Other People

I have 3 questions for you today. Question 1: When we look back on our lives, in general, what is it that we can think about, focus on and feel?  We tend to remember our hurts, wounds, and regrets.  If we aren’t forgiving, we can hold grudges against people.  And if we don’t forgive ourselves, we can live in regret for our bad choices. Question 2: When we look into the future, in general, what is it that . . . Read More »

Are You Experiencing The Overwhelming Victory That is Yours Through Jesus?

It’s Easter Sunday, which is a day of celebration.  It’s often a busy day of family get-togethers, Easter baskets, and Easter Egg Hunts.  For many, it’s a day to dress a little nicer to go to church, and for some, it’s a tradition to go to church on bigger holidays like Christmas and Easter.  So, for many inside their churches, it’s an exciting day with visitors and more attendance and energy around the church services.  And all this . . . Read More »

God’s Offer: Forgiveness, Grace, Righteouness

I have three questions for you to begin today. Question 1: Have you experienced God’s forgiveness?  That means you lived with guilt and shame because you knew you had sin in your life, and you couldn’t do anything to get rid of it.  That guilt and shame seemed to stick to you like cement boots.  They wore you out.  Then you prayed and asked God to forgive you and you felt God forgive you.  The cement boots were shattered.  . . . Read More »

What If You Viewed Church As God’s Word Says We Should?

Welcome to a brand-new series in a brand-new year, and I’m just going to say it’s a very important series built around a very important question.  What is the point of church?  This is a conversation that Ken, and I have been excited to talk about for a couple of reasons.  First, this conversation is really the next step or just simply a continuation of what we were talking with you about this fall.  If you remember all . . . Read More »