God’s grace to us is an invitation to be amazing. It’s our chance to extend to others what God has freely extended to us. But while most of us are full of something . . . it’s usually not grace. So what are you full of? And what would it take for you to give someone what they don’t expect? Or deserve? ----------------------------------- TAKE YOUR N…

The kingdom of God is characterized by unsettling generosity—the kind of generosity that gives the undeserving what they don’t deserve and, regardless of how unright we’ve been, makes us right with God. So what do we do when we’re faced with this “math” that doesn’t add up? And how do we respond to this unfair, unsettling system that Jesus came to …

There is an unsettling solution for just about everything, and we can sum it up in one word—grace. It’s the undeserved, unearned, unearnable favor that Jesus came to offer us. So why wouldn’t we want Christianity to be true? And where should you start if grace was never part of the equation for you? ----------------------------------- TAKE YOUR NEX…

We are wrapping up our study of 2 Corinthians this Sunday. As we come to the end of Paul's letter, we find him boldly declaring what an authentic following-Jesus-way-of-life looks like and challenging his readers to evaluate whether the truth of the gospel has transformed their lives, or if they're still stuck in old patterns of sin. It was an urge…

Have you ever had someone unfairly criticize you? Or maybe misrepresent you? Maybe even flat out lie about you? How did you react? Did you sling some accusations of your own? Let it go? Ignore it? Or just boldly declare that it doesn't matter what anybody else says or thinks? Except the truth is, it does. It matters because as followers of Jesus, w…

It's giving season again. The holidays are on the horizon and your email inbox and regular mailbox are most likely stuffed with catalogs, advertisements, and special offers for all the newest, hottest, most-wanted Christmas gizmos and gadgets of the year. What's the best gift you've ever received? I love to give gifts that are significant or meanin…

Freedom... it's a concept that we cherish in our country. But not everyone thinks about freedom the same way. Some think of freedom in terms of what they are released FROM; things like obligations or limitations. Others look at freedom in light of they are released FOR - a purpose, calling or passion. As followers of Jesus, we are both... free from…

Actions speak louder than words. We've all heard that before. And we would probably all agree... in theory. But it's a lot easier to talk the talk, than it is to walk the walk. As we continue in our study of 2 Corinthians this week, we find the Apostle Paul emphasizing the importance of using what we've been given - our fragile, earthly bodies - to…

We are often tempted to view ourselves through the lens of what is wrong, broken, or inadequate. When life presses us, we naturally focus on our limitations—our human fragility. But Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 3 and 4 turn that thinking on its head. He speaks to a reality that is as radical as it is liberating: God’s glory is most powerfully reve…

What's your favorite smell? Most people would agree that there are certain things that smell good... freshly baked cookies, clean laundry, and bacon on my plate. And there are other things that definitely do NOT smell good... diesel exhaust, skunk spray, and the bedrooms of teenage boys. But there are also things that smell good to some people and …

As I sit in my office this afternoon, it is 65° in our corner of the northwest; the skies are blue, the breeze is calm. The only debris in our parking lot is from the fall leaves that are starting to drop. But in the southeast corner of our country, things are very different. A couple weeks ago, Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc as she tore her way ac…

I've had the privilege of traveling by air quite a bit in my life. Along the way, I've experienced the variety of accommodations that various airlines provide. Domestically, flying with Delta is always my preference. And flying Comfort+ (or better) is definitely worth the extra expense. But airlines in other countries don't always offer the same up…

Are you a go-until-your-gas-light-comes-on kind of driver or do you head for your favorite gas station when you're at about a quarter of a tank? Or maybe you're like me, and prefer to fill up when you hit the half-tank mark. Whatever your habit for filling your tank, imagine what it would be like if you pulled up to the pump and only put in .08¢ wo…

Elijah was one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament. Yet even he wasn’t immune from the effects of burnout. As he reached the desert, he was literally running on empty. Physically, emotionally and spiritually spent. Done. If you’ve ever felt like Elijah, you understand the overwhelming, hopeless feeling that comes when you’re ready to give…

Your car might have a leak in the radiator, or maybe the engine is leaking oil, or the power steering fluid is seeping out somewhere. For those things, there are Stop-Leak products that can be helpful - at least for a bit. A leaky tire can be remedied with a can of Fix-a-Flat or FlatOut... it'll at least get you to the nearest Les Schwab. These pro…

Have you ever noticed how many stories in the Bible are about emptiness and how God fills it? In every instance of emptiness, when all had been poured out, used up, exhausted, depleted… God stepped in bringing fullness, light, hope, and joy. And not just a little bit… but abundant, overflowing, unimaginable fullness and delight. Are you running on …

We are wrapping up our sermon series, Colossians: Stay the Course, this Sunday. As Paul brings his letter to a close, he leaves his readers with some very practical instructions for doing life like Jesus. Because this like-Jesus life is about more than knowing, it's about growing and being like Him... being His hands and feet at home, at work, in y…

To all the parents navigating the back-to-school shopping season, you have my heartfelt sympathies. Been there, done that. So glad to not be there anymore! But the memories of this busy season - the replacing of backpacks and jackets, stocking up on notebooks, pencils, and crayons, buying new water bottles and lunch boxes, and the inevitable purcha…

"Welcome to the club!" Has anyone ever said that to you? Perhaps upon reaching a milestone birthday or becoming a grandparent for the first time? There are clubs of all kinds someone might be part of... maybe you're part of a book club, or a classic car club. Perhaps you're a member at a gym or a golf club. You might belong to a union or just be a …

Have you ever plugged a specific destination into your GPS, only to deviate from the designated route for a lunch break, to get gas, stretch your legs, or the inevitable bathroom break? What happens? An automated voice, in the accent of your choice, will persistently remind you to 'return to the route.' I wonder... what would it be like if there wa…

Who are you, really? Beneath the job title, your birth order, relationship status, family connections, organizational involvements… at your core, what values shape who you are? And does the person you are in public match the person you are in private? The character of a person matters deeply to God. ----------------------------------- TAKE YOUR NEX…

There is a deep longing in the human heart for justice. But often our culture defines justice differently than God does. What does justice look like for the one who follows Christ? And how do we pursue biblical justice in our world? ----------------------------------- TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP ---------------------------------- Let us know that you were …

Freedom of speech has long been an important value in the United States. But it doesn’t mean we can say whatever we want. In our increasingly divided nation, it is vitally important that we understand the power of language and use that power in ways that honor God and people. ----------------------------------- TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP -----------------…

Benjamin Franklin said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” These days, people don’t even bother to pick up pennies off the ground! There’s been a big shift in our culture around the concepts of work and wealth. Where is the healthy middle ground between workaholism and laziness? Between getting a hand up or a handout? We need a biblical perspective…

It’s been said that the more things change, the more they stay the same. In other words, trends come and go, but human nature is pretty constant. When it comes to figuring out how to navigate life, it can be a challenge to sort through the sea of ‘expert’ opinions to find timeless truth. We need a rock-solid source we can depend on. ---------------…

As we come to the end of Paul’s letter, we will discover that joy is inextricably linked to peace. But as we have just discussed… peace is in very short supply! Fortunately, there is a solution. The good news is that peace is possible; in us and in the midst of our circumstances, and through us, in the midst of our conflict-ridden world. Let’s lear…

We are working our way through the apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians this month and this Sunday, we’re digging into chapter 3. This portion of Paul’s letter is filled with words of encouragement and exhortation. But tucked in amongst the affirmation and instruction are some words of warning that we might be tempted to skim over. But just lik…

We are mid-way through our June sermon series on the book of Philippians, Joy In Every Circumstance. As we continue this week, we’ll be taking a look at the power of a radical idea. The kind of idea that motivates someone to do something that seems irrational, unbelievable, incomprehensible, to others. But that, when carried out can turn the world …

Don't Forget Your Passport Philippians: Joy In Every Circumstance June 9, 2024 This week, the Apostle Paul addresses the topic of citizenship. It’s a pretty personal topic for him – after all, he has had his rights as a Roman citizen violated and had to stand up for himself. But, as we will see, Paul has a whole other perspective on the subject of …

Make Up Your Mind Philippians: Joy In Every Circumstance June 2, 2024 This Sunday we are beginning a new sermon series on the New Testament book of Philippians. We’ve subtitled it: Joy In Every Circumstance. The good news is, joy is more than a fleeting emotion. It’s not dependent on how we feel, or even, what we know. It can’t be bought, but it ca…

Made For Intimacy Made For Good May 26, 2024 Everyone wants to be wanted… to be needed and known, to have a deep sense of belonging. We were designed for intimacy. But in our culture, the word ‘intimacy’ has become synonymous with sex. And though it can be used to describe a physical relationship, intimacy is much more multifaceted than we typicall…

A picture is worth a thousand words… or so the saying goes. We also use phrases like, ‘picture this…’ or ‘do you get the picture?’ Pictures can help us understand things in ways that words can’t. It helps to have an example to look at! It’s why children’s books come with illustrations and IKEA directions come with diagrams! Visible representations …

Made In His Image Made For Good May 5, 2024 According to Mother Goose, little boys are made of frogs, snails and puppy dog tails, while girls are a combination of sugar, spice, and everything nice. Though the nursery rhyme sounds sweet, it subtly reinforces long-held, unhelpful stereotypes. What does it mean to be a boy or girl, a man or woman? Doe…

Made In His Image Made For Good May 5, 2024 “Why, oh why…” it’s the question we all ask. For centuries, humans have created stories to help them explain the ‘whys’ of life. From Greek mythology to children’s fairy tales, Aesop’s fables to a good country song… we love a story that help us make sense of the world. The problem is, sometimes the storie…

Messy Grace Ridiculous Grace April 28, 2024 As we are wrap up our series Ridiculous Grace, this Sunday, we’ll be taking a look at the idea of messy grace. We all know that life is messy. Our world is broken, our systems are broken, WE are broken… all of us. Some of us disguise our messiness better than others, but that doesn’t make it any less true…

The Aroma of Grace Ridiculous Grace April 21, 2024 We are in the middle of a series we’ve called Ridiculous Grace. This week, we’re taking a look at the aroma of grace. Most things have a distinctive smell. But though our human sense of smell is incredibly sensitive, it is also easily fatigued. The common scents we encounter every day, we hardly ev…

The Scandal of Grace Ridiculous Grace April 14, 2024 Last Sunday we learned that grace is an undeserved gift; free to the recipient, but costly to the giver. We learned that grace has many facets… patience, kindness, compassion, forgiveness and love. And we learned that grace is always active, never passive. Grace always takes the initiative, makes…

The Aptitudes of Grace Ridiculous Grace April 7, 2024 We are beginning a new sermon series this Sunday that we’re calling Ridiculous Grace. If you watch the evening news or scroll through social media, you know we live in a very narcissistic, me-first, entitled culture. The messages all around us tell us we deserve more, better, and faster. Grace i…

An Invitation to Believe Easter Sunday March 31, 2024 More than two thousand years ago, Jesus gave His followers another kind of forecast. One they should have known they could be certain of. But things in their world got dark and scary really fast, and they lost their grip on that hope-filled forecast. Things didn’t play out the way they expected …

All That and a Bag of Chips Greater: The Supremacy of Jesus Through Hebrews March 24, 2024 Over the past 3 months, we’ve been on a journey through the New Testament book of Hebrews. We’ve spent weeks unpacking deep theological truths that have helped us to better understand why we believe what we believe, and given us a solid foundation for living …

Run For Your LifeGreater: The Supremacy of Jesus Through Hebrews March 17, 2024 There’s a famous line in the movie, Chariots of Fire, that has Eric Liddell saying, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure.” God did make him fast and he ran for God’s glory, but Liddell never said that. What he did say and what most people don’t know, i…

Faith For Today Greater: The Supremacy of Jesus Through Hebrews March 10, 2024 Over the past couple of months, we have been digging deep into the book of Hebrews in a series we’ve called, Greater: The Supremacy of Jesus through Hebrews. And, we covered some pretty heady theology. But now, we’re making a shift. We’re getting to the part where the ru…

We’re discovering all the ways in which Jesus is greater than the Old Testament system of relating to God. Originally written to a group of Jewish Christ-followers who were experiencing difficulty and persecution for their faith; this letter was meant to encourage them to keep their eyes on Jesus, to hold tightly to their faith, to keep on keeping …

Since the first of the year, we’ve been taking a deep look at how Jesus and the new covenant way of relating to God that He makes possible is greater than the old way. This week we’re looking at how Jesus changes the access we have to God and the difference that makes in our lives. ----------------------------------- TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP -----------…

Obsolete Greater: The Supremacy of Jesus Through Hebrews February 18, 2024 We are mid-way through our series, Greater: The Supremacy of Jesus Through Hebrews. Over the last several weeks, we’ve been taking a deep look at how Jesus is greater than the Old Covenant system that the Jews were so familiar with. They were comfortable with they way things…

Melchize-who? Greater: The Supremacy of Jesus Through Hebrews February 11, 2024 In Bible times, names of people and places were very much given with the meaning in mind. There were even occasions when God changed someone’s name to reflect a new direction or calling He had given them. Sometimes it’s a nickname that holds deep significance – whether …

We are working our way through the New Testament book of Hebrews in a sermon series we’ve called Greater. The unidentified author of this letter is making the case that Jesus is greater than anything – than any other hope, dream, or system; prophet, priest or king. He’s about to take his readers to the next level in his rationale, when he realizes …

We are studying our way through the New Testament book of Hebrews in a series we’ve called, Greater. This letter was written to Jewish Christ-followers who found themselves experiencing hardships that had them longing for the old days. “It would be so much easier if we could just go back to the way things used to be!” But God had called them to som…

The Myth of Greener Pastures Greater: The Supremacy of Jesus Through Hebrews January 21, 2024 We are studying our way through the book of Hebrews in a sermon series we’ve called Greater. The letter of Hebrews was written to encourage Jewish followers of Jesus who were at risk of forgetting all that they had received in Christ and returning to the c…

Catch Your Drift Greater: The Supremacy of Jesus Through Hebrews January 14, 2024 There is something appealing about the idea of just drifting along, going wherever the tide or breezes carry you. On the surface it sounds relaxing or refreshing. After all…navigating the demands of daily life is hard work. We can feel pulled in a million difference d…