Church Blog

Were you in the congregation when Pastor Sunday had us repeat out loud 2 Chronicles 20:12? It's the prayer of Jehoshaphat when the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir came against Judah. He cried out to God saying, "We are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." David had us repeat these words s...

How good is "good enough"? What is God like? Who is Jesus and what has he done? These are some of the BIG questions of life and eternity that Exploring Christianity posed to 25 guests and then sought to answer over a five week period as roughly 20 hosts and discussion leaders shared a meal and interacted together. ...

Thanks to the encouragement of some friends, I enjoyed running a marathon last weekend. I know...for some of you, just seeing those two words together-enjoyed and running-makes you wonder if I'm certifiably crazy. But for me, the challenge of finishing a long race became an exercise in endurance....

The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are worthy of worship is one of the main points made in Revelation 5 & 6. Worship is the central or defining act of the church. It's who we are. It's why we exist. God created us to worship him. The living creatures and the elders confess that God is worthy of worship because he's the Creator (4:11)....

In his sermon, Andy encouraged us to pray, "Lord, let me make a difference for you that is utterly disproportionate to who I am." I wrote it in my Bible, and I've been riveted by that text and that idea ever since....

Many people are willing to give God a try; but few people are willing to give God their trust. We like to approach God the way I approach entering into Lake Michigan-I stick my toes in to see how it feels before I'll commit to diving in. Don't we often treat God the same? "If I start to feel better-if my marriage starts to improve-if my financial situation changes-then...

In 1961 J.B. Phillips wrote a powerful little book: "Your God Is Too Small". He asked one question in his study: What is your view of God? Phillip's believed most believers and skeptics alike made the same mistake. We put God in a box. We made Him fit our view. Our God ended up being much smaller than the God revealed in Scripture....

Leaning forward, you strain to hear. The fresh, cool breeze of the garden morning brushes your cheek. Bending, you look into that open, black-dark mouth of the tomb, its only light the sun's thin finger reaching past your shoulder to touch the corner of a bone box. But the bones for which it waits have changed, gotten up and walked away. No smell of death; only the sweet s...

My heroes have always been cowboys. Like the song says, "I grew up dreaming of being a cowboy, and loving the cowboy ways." My childhood days were spent pursuing the life of my heroes in the woods, streams, and fields around my home. My brother and I, along with our buddies, spent our days building forts, blazing trails, and establishing hideouts. Every day was a new adven...

It's always a refreshing experience to read a book that takes thoughts you've had brewing in your own mind and elucidates them with clear and compelling words. You find yourself saying, "Yes! That's exactly what I've been thinking, but I couldn't have said it so well!" Last week I finished such a book. It thrilled me with its loads of illuminating insight....