Articles

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m too far gone to be saved”? It’s almost always an ashamed individual looking over their life and thinking that they have sinned too much. They carry too much baggage for God to handle. They truly believe in their hearts and minds that God could and will never forgive them. One can understand how someone who has lived a particularly sinful life could feel this w...

Faith is trusting God about what he has said. Faith is believe believing in Jesus, even though you weren’t there when he walked the earth. You did not see his cross, but you believe he was crucified in your place. Your voice was not heard outside the empty tomb, but you will say with everything in you that you believe he stepped out of it fully alive. You haven’t seen heaven where your name is wri...

Jesus asked a woman for a drink of water. She responded by asking him why a Jew would ask a Samaritan woman (which she was) for a drink, since Jews and Samaritans were not known to get along. Leaving her question hanging, he went on to make a much more profound point. He said, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would hav...

In the early 2000’s, Christian music was at the forefront of mainstream music. It wasn’t uncommon to turn on the radio to kj103 and hear your favorite Christian band. In 2001, there was a Christian band our youth group liked to listen to called Relient K (yes, like the Chrysler k cars). One of their songs that has stuck with me through years is called Pressing On and these lyrics specifically, “To...

A carpenter would never complain about hammer because it wouldn’t cut wood. A cook would not throw away a wooden spoon because they can’t boil an egg in it. These may seem like pointless observations, but consider how we often diminish our value because we can’t do what some others can. Hammers and wooden spoons have specific purposes. So do you. Do you know what you’ve been designed and gifted to...

This last weekend, the youth group and several members of the congregation went on a retreat. The theme was from Philippians 1, “To Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain” and our goal was to focus on what it truly means to live for Christ every day. We had some great lessons and group discissions that I believe were effective, I know they were for me. One particular lesson has stuck with me, and I would ...

I love this time of year. There are pros to every season, but fall is my personal favorite. We get football, playoff baseball, and a new basketball season all at once. We can start to make those food dishes for warm weather we don’t crave in the heat (I’m looking at you chili - and yes, with beans). Pull out your hoodies, sweatpants, and beanies, fall is here! Oklahoma is emotional and we don’t kn...

(a question much too complex for a bulletin article cover) No other people are as uniquely related to God as the Jews. He specifically called Abraham to create through him a nation that would bring his son and therefore eternal life to the entire world. The message of John 3:16 makes it succinctly clear that God’s eternal focus was never on one nation, but on the coming of his Son for the world. A...

In the society we live in, there is this term called ‘cancel culture.’ The term springs from people who have lost jobs, contracts, businesses, future livelihood opportunities and sometimes families for standing up for what they believe to be true. This term has been politically charged in our society and has encouraged people who have the opportunity to stand against evil to do nothing. Like all o...

Ministry is possibly the most important job a person could ever have. If you scroll through the latest reels on your favorite social media platform, you’ll likely come across videos of people in their worship buildings listening to a minister saying something seemingly profound but something that clearly misses the mark. Recently, I came across a video where the man ‘preaching’ said that people wh...

Fellowship is the condition of being together or sharing similar interests as do members of a profession, religion, or nationality; companionship. 1. Our fellowship must be with God and Christ (1 John 1:3). As children of God, we have fellowship with those in His family, including the Father and His only begotten Son. 2. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship w...

Above is the wisdom of Solomon regarding generosity. He says our bread will return to us after many days (Ecclesiastes 11:1). In fact, a dandy bit of “bread” returned to us just this week. We received a very nice card and a generous contribution from a congregation of the Lord’s people in Owatonna, Minnesota. In that card, several members expressed the following sentiments….. “Thank you for your w...

There are at least 46 verses in the bible that contain the word “zeal.” The definition of zeal is, a strong feeling of interest and enthusiasm that makes someone very eager or determined to do something. This word is often used to describe people in the church as well as local churches themselves. One would think that a word like zeal would always be a good thing for the Christian, but that isn’t ...

Jesus said many wonderful and glorious things. He is God in the flesh, after all. To me, there is one statement Jesus makes, that has encouraged me over and over again. A statement many of us know and quote with the idea in mind that Jesus truly is the son of God. However, there is so much more to this statement than its use of proof. This statement is a guide for us in our faith for Jesus says in...

Guest Speaker: Barry Day This morning our guest speaker will be Barry Day. He will be preaching on “Being an Influencer for Christ”. He will also be wrapping up our Wednesday night Summer Series: Bridge Builders with the subject of “Repairing Broken Bridges”. After 40 years of preaching, teaching, and ministry with his wife, Karen, Barry recently stepped down from being the preaching min...

Have you ever faulted yourself for taking something for granted? You might presume, even subconsciously, that your ability to see is a given. You accept the gift of sight without considering the cause behind it. We are taught that such blessings are from God as James wrote: “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no va...

Have you ever felt like you are ‘lesser than?’ Many, if not all of us have. I’ve noticed that people tie significance to recognition. If they are recognized for their efforts, they feel significant. If their efforts go unnoticed, their view of themselves wanes. People measure their self-worth based on how others view them, which isn’t bad if the outside influence is God. Think of Seth in Genesis 4...

"If you want to experience the life of Jesus, you must adopt the lifestyle of Jesus.” I came across this line in my reading this week and in true preacher fashion I let out an audible, “wow.” It’s obvious, yet I’m not sure I’ve ever thought of it that way. We look at the life of Jesus, see a man who is full of peace, love, mercy, and assurance, and we want that. We see His life bearing fruit in nu...

One of the things about ministry that gives me great joy is showing the love of God and His son, Jesus, to those lost in the world. I remember helping a gentleman who was homeless and not a Christian, and he told me something that stuck with me as we parted ways, “It was nice to be treated like a human being.” In the Wednesday teen class, we have been learning a simple yet powerful statement. “If ...

Remember these lines? “Think about it, there must be a higher love Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above Without it, life is wasted time, Look inside your heart, and I'll look inside mine Things look so bad everywhere, In this whole world, what is fair? We walk the line and try to see, Fallin' behind in what could be” “Worlds are turnin', and we're just hanging on Facing our fear, and sta...