Go Deeper
A Worried Father
November 6th, 2024
The enemy's lies often lead me to believe that if I dwell on every "what if," every potential scenario, and all the things that could go wrong, I will be better prepared when these challenges arise. This tendency has been particularly evident during my wife Olivia's pregnancy. However, I have found support from others when I have struggled to bring my worries and anxieties about my wife and younge...
Suffering
October 30th, 2024
On Sunday, Pastor Josh Rhodes reminded us of an often-overlooked truth: suffering for our faith is not just something Jesus warned us about but something He shared in, for our sake. As Christians, we’re called not only to endure hardship but to see it as an honor—a mark of our shared identity with Christ....
Holy Living Starts at Home
October 23rd, 2024
When Pastor Josh said, "Holy living starts at home," it struck a chord in me. As he mentioned, home is where our guard is let down. As long as no one else sees the chaos, we can hide our weaknesses from the world by downplaying or justifying them. We often walk out of church on Sunday as if God stays at the church—but that is not the case; God knows and sees everything. ...
Residents of Earth, Citizens of Heaven
October 16th, 2024
This past Sunday, Pastor Josh taught from 1 Peter 2 how, as “citizens of heaven, we are to live honorably as citizens of earth.” I couldn’t help but think of the Olympians representing their countries in Paris this summer. Whether hailing from Germany, Spain, Greece, or the USA, they temporarily resided in Paris and, while there, represented their home to those around them. Even though we often d...
Hope Amid the Storm
October 9th, 2024
Given the absolute destruction Hurricane Helene has caused, my mind has been flooded with hopelessness for the past week; yet, amid the storm and beyond, many beautiful stories of hope existed. As powerful as it was, Hurricane Helene did not have the final say. In the same way, the trials and suffering we face in this life do not have the final word over our lives. Jesus does....
Leadership
October 2nd, 2024
People flourish, and organizations thrive when they have great leaders. Ultimately, Jesus is the leader and head of the Church, but He also established a need for local church leaders. On Sunday, Pastor Tim talked about the qualities of a Godly leader for the church. The most important quality is the leader’s character. ...
Important Qualities of a Church Family
September 25th, 2024
When I was about four or five, my neighbors invited me to church. They would allow me to go with them to church whenever I wanted. They were being the hands and feet of Jesus by showing me that I was important to God. My neighbors' simple invitation to church has impacted my life throughout my school years and even today....
Growing With God
September 18th, 2024
Where do you want to grow? Where is your life's foundation? Growing with God takes planning, diligence, and effort. It isn't just about hearing a message on Sunday; it's about digging deeper into His Word daily for a sound foundation....
The Gift Box
September 11th, 2024
When presenting the Gospel to young children, we often use a gift box to signify that God gives us the gift of Jesus. A few weeks ago, one of the four-year-olds turned to his leader and said, “I hate to tell them this, but Jesus is too big to fit in that box!” Often, we place Jesus in a small box in our lives. In the craziness of life, we don’t appreciate all that God has done for us....
Windows and Mirrors
September 4th, 2024
As you read through the book of Titus and really the entirety of the Bible, you can learn who God is, what He’s like, His attributes, and quite frankly, what He is not like. However, we often miss out on getting to know God as we read our Bibles because we don’t read our Bibles with the intention of getting to know God. See, the Bible functions in two ways: as a mirror and a window. Our probl...
Leading With Love
August 28th, 2024
This past Sunday, our church celebrated Pastor Tim Haring and what God has done through him over almost 40 years. Pastors Matt Santen, Seth Broadhurst, and Josh Rhodes shared about Pastor Tim’s faithfulness, but the overall theme was how much love Tim has. Our calling may not be to leave everything to start a church like it was for Pastor Tim, but we all have an opportunity to influence those arou...
A New Thing
August 21st, 2024
Are we so resistant and fearful of change that we are blinded to the miraculous things God has in store? God wants to do something new right now in each of our lives, but we need to trust Him. Instead of relying on ourselves, we must have faith in God's promises and eyes to see past our current fears and doubts to whatever path He opens....
A Heart of Contentment
August 14th, 2024
Comparison often breeds covetousness, the desire for what others have. This desire can quickly spiral into discontentment, causing us to question God's provision and goodness. But covetousness is a thief of joy. It blinds us to the blessings we already possess and sows seeds of bitterness in our hearts. ...
Wounds From a Friend
August 7th, 2024
This week, I was reminded about the importance of speaking up. I can remember occasions when someone spoke up for me when I was heading down a path that would have brought a lot of pain and regret. At some point, a friend pulled me aside and told me they were concerned. Looking back, I'm grateful that I surrounded myself with people who were willing to do what was difficult and called me out....
Love Includes Integrity
July 31st, 2024
Stealing is one of these things we like to adjust in our own eyes how severe the sin is because of the value of what we are stealing or who we are stealing from. We might think lightly of a kid stealing a candy bar because of how small the item is. We might not think much of lying on our taxes because "the government takes enough of our money." However, I encourage you to take this commandment, al...
The Ripple Effect
July 24th, 2024
Ones who have chosen to be in adulterous relationships can be forgiven. In seeking forgiveness, Warren Wiersbe states that the adulterer and adulteress must live with the sad consequences of forgiven sin. It is wonderful to be forgiven, but living with the consequences can be difficult. More than the adulterers are impacted. Family members, friends, and coworkers suffer from the consequences....
Searching My Heart Amidst Loss
July 17th, 2024
The loss of my cousin has taught me the importance of compassion and forgiveness. I have learned to extend grace to others, recognizing that life is too short and fragile. Each day is a true gift and pushes me to cherish my relationships more and more. Our lives have a purpose so much greater than we know, and even amidst pain and loss, we can rest on that promise....
Honor and Promise
July 10th, 2024
Andrew asked a pointed question toward the end of his talk. "Am I living a life worth honoring?" As a parent, I have tried to emulate for my children what my parents did for me—care, nurture, protect, teach, discipline, and love. Now that my kids are adults, how would they answer that? ...
Remember the Sabbath
July 3rd, 2024
Rest is something that we all crave and need. Because of our society, we are almost afraid to seek rest for fear that someone will see us as lazy and unwilling to give more of ourselves than is really needed. However, God knows that the renewing of life is through the leading of Jesus day-by-day. This journey to rest is purposeful and brings about refreshment to our souls....
Logs and Specks
June 26th, 2024
Do you ever find that when you’re sitting in church, and the pastor makes a great point, you immediately think of someone you wish could be hearing the message? By doing this, we are missing a vital step in Jesus’ process to encourage others to walk in the truth. However, when we begin in the mirror and look at the log in our eyes, we will understand that we are not quite as well off as we might h...