John or JudasAuthor: Barb Barnhart, Preschool CoordinatorThe Plot - Part 2— “For you will certainly carry out God's purpose, however you act, but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John.” ― C.S. Lewis I love reading the Gospel of John. It is written by one who intimately knew Jesus. John went from being called by Jesus as one of the “Sons of Thunder” to the “disciple...

The Plot - Part 1— This Sunday, Pastor Tim kicked off our new collection of talks called “The Plot” about how Jesus handled the most difficult week of His life. He shared how the religious leaders of the time were far more concerned about protecting their power than being faithful to God. So much so that rather than welcoming the long awaited Messiah—they crucified Him! This talk served as a good ...

Legacy - Part 4— Growing up, I remember singing a lot of kids’ songs in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.  One song that we sang a lot was “This Little Light of Mine.” Perhaps you remember it— This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shineThis little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shineThis little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shineLet it shine, let it shine, let it shine I’m not sure...

Pastor Tim mentioned eight ways in which God can speak to us, but how do we know it's God's will? ...

Legacy - Part 2— Growing up, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I got older. When I was in elementary school, I wanted to be a missionary. As time passed, that changed to a nurse. I changed my mind again and again in college and considered becoming a paralegal, a teacher, or a professor.Were any of those roles God's will for me? I always struggled with that question. There were many times when...

"To serve the Lord is to follow His leading and the desire He places in your heart. It is your legacy to leave. Each of us has been created with gifts and abilities that are God-given. In our growing relationship with Him, He leads and guides us to the areas of service that will bring us the greatest joy."...

Who Am I? - Part 5— Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. – Romans 12:17-18 Man, that is hard for me to do. When someone shows evil towards me or someone I love, I want to fight back or shun them. If they are acting this way toward me then why do I need them in my life? The last thing I want to do ...

Such peace can be found in this promise. Tim shared in his message, if we have placed our trust in Jesus and become children of God, there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from His love. In Christ, we are secure; we can be certain that we will spend eternity in heaven. ...

Who Am I? - Part 3— Growing up, my family was a part of a very strict religion. The rules and restrictions that were in place  shaped my faith and my picture of who God was. Fear, shame, and guilt were what I thought a relationship with my heavenly Father was supposed to be like.The guidelines to abide by and things to abstain from were many, but there is one in particular that I can vividly remem...

Even though it is my heartfelt desire to see him win and be victorious every single game, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. As we walked to the car, I put my arm around him, told him I loved him and I’m proud of him, and reminded him that he had a game tomorrow and he would have another opportunity to win. As believers, the Bible is clear that God’s heart and desire is for us to be victori...

I began to question God. How can He be good? How can He love me and let me feel like this? What did I do to deserve this? I was so sick of the pain and unsure if God was good that I wondered if the devil is even that bad? I knew that Satan and the world could offer things that would bring me pleasure, but then the Holy Spirit that God placed inside of me reminded me that only God is good. Even so,...

Many of us struggle with our identity. We spend most of our lives attempting to answer the question: “Who am I?” We search anywhere and everywhere for an adequate answer. We are bombarded with ideas from every direction. Our family, friends, society, social media, all tell us who they think we are or who we ought to be. However, the truth is we are who God says we are....

Take Time, Part 3— Again, I saw futility under the sun: There is a person without a companion, without even a son or brother, and though there is no end to all his struggles, his eyes are still not content with riches. “So who am I struggling for,” he asks, “and depriving myself from good?” This too is futile and a miserable task.Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their ef...

Take Time, Part 2— How can I take a Sabbath? That is a question I ask myself a lot. I feel like life is sometimes so busy that it is hard to just rest. Between working, doing house chores, prepping dinner, my husband coaching, and my son’s after-school activities, life can feel very overwhelming.I have never liked sitting still, but sometimes I wonder if I am doing too much and not getting enough ...

Take Time, Part 1— “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” –Matthew 5:6 What does it mean to “hunger and thirst for righteousness?” Our bodies need food and water to survive. God designed hunger and thirst to be mechanisms that alert our minds to the reality that in order to continue, we need to eat and drink! Thankfully, most of us rarely experience t...

Homecoming, Part 7— I cannot preach on hell unless I preach with tears.–Dwight L. Moody I love Jesus. He is my Savior. I choose to recognize that my problem is sin and that the solution is found in the person of Jesus. I believe in Him. The thought of living eternally with God is the source of joy and peace in my life.The source of sorrow in my life is for those who have not realized and not acted...

Homecoming, Part 6— During our sermon series titled “Homecoming,” Pastors Tim and Josh have taught us all about heaven. They have taught us why it exists, what it will be like, and how we can get there. When I was a kid, I would imagine what heaven would be like. The streets of gold, giant mansions, maybe candy for dinner. I have since moved on from that last one, but as a kid, it was enticing. Pa...

Homecoming, Part 5— Home is where the heart is…It’s a saying I’ve heard all my life. The saying is meant to be symbolic of an emotional state, meaning you have a deep love for where you are, even if it’s not your actual home. But for me, there’s truth in this statement in a realistic way.In my home are the people I love most in this world, my husband and two children — my heart. My passion (heart)...

Homecoming, Part 4— Growing up, whenever my family was on the road, we almost always had on a Christian radio station … specifically K-Love, for those who are familiar — it was my family’s go-to. There was one song that the younger me always raised objection to when it came on. I remember telling my mom that I did not like it. It was a song by Building 429 called “Where I Belong.” The reason I did...

Type your new text here. Homecoming, Part 3— At the Pittsburgh Zoo, there is an amazing exhibit built to look like a tree house. Kids have the opportunity to imagine what it would be like to observe animals in the wild from the tree tops, with elevated walking paths that include a wooden swinging bridge. This is probably my least favorite part of any trip to the zoo. While my boys delight in runni...