"This Man Really is the Savior of the World" March 19 Worship

“Really”. That is what we say when we mean it. When we think something is absolutely true, the certainty we feel inspires confidence. Jesus arrived in a Samaritan village and in just a couple of days he had people saying, “really, truly, this man is the One sent from God to save us.” We want to build our faith on something other than our feelings and emotions. Some days we will not feel so excited and inspired. But the certainty of who Jesus is does not change. He really is the Savior of the world, and that really changes things.

Teacher of Eternity, March 12th Worship

Nicodemus was a wise and curious man. But he had his reputation to consider, so he met with Jesus in the night. Nicodemus also wanted time with Jesus, away from the busy hustle of the day. He would need the quiet of the night to really hear Jesus. During the season of Lent we each want to give God a chance to speak to us. God alone knows what your soul needs to hear. The words Jesus gave to Nicodemus that night are still speaking to us of God’s great love and grace.  

God Leads Through the Desert Wilderness, March 5th Worship

A desert wilderness. In contrast to the lush garden of creation in which the fall of Adam took place, Scripture characterizes the world after the fall as a barren wilderness into which God's Son breaks in so that He might undo what sin has done.  The devil tempts us, our sins convict us, and death is sin's curse upon us.  Into this wilderness, God sends His Son who is tempted in our place and found faithful---even to death on the cross.  This great news can be cherished even as we pass through the desert wilderness. Christ took our place, fought for us, and now there is glory before us, as Christ leads us home to the promise of the Father.

Just One Glorious Thing, February 26th Worship

This time of year we are looking for that first sure sign of spring. Even just one sight of something ready to start growing would be a glorious sight. When facing something difficult or uncertain we need assurance that we can continue to move forward. At this point in the church year, as we follow the life of Jesus, we have come to a mountaintop. Like his first disciples we have followed this amazing man as he began to reveal himself to those who were increasingly curious about where all this was leading. Now we stand on a mountain unsure of where we are being led. Here Jesus shows us His glory in all of its splendor and light. As we look out at where God will now lead us we must hold onto the vision of light and goodness. As we descend, the valley below looks dark and uncertain. This is when faith must actively remember who God is, what He has done, and will surely do again. God can lead us into the unknown assuring us that we will see His eternal the light.

The Perfection of God, February 19th Worship

When we say that something is perfect it is often with surprise and delight. We know that anything even close to perfect is temporary and fleeting. The Bible explains that because we live in a broken world everything is imperfect. This is why it is such a burdensome mistake to ever think that we can be perfect. The brokenness runs deep. It is a trivial view of sin to think that we can tidy up a few things and life will be perfect. Many people travel through life thinking that perfection is just barely out of reach. They think if only I had this one thing, then it would be perfect. In contrast, God’s Word tells us to look at our lives with absolute honesty. It is much healthier to expect imperfection. It is exhausting to pretend that perfection is possible. Relationships are much sounder when we expect other people to fail us and know that we will fail them. We have this wonderful and amazing thing to share. We have our perfect God. He can redeem everything. He can seal us in His grace so that the imperfection does not destroy us. Seeing God’s perfect love for us in Jesus Christ is the beginning of an amazing journey to when we will finally see the full perfection of God.   

Only God, February 12th Worship

Things can get frustrating. We can try hard to get things right and still nothing comes from our efforts. Paul reminds his friends in Corinth that we can trust God. As we each faithfully continue to plug along in our efforts, ultimately it is only God who can make things grow and succeed. This means we are called to walk humbly doing what we can and letting God decide what He will bless. Jesus reminds us that the Ten Commandments give us vital clues as to how we can make choices that God will bless. The gift of a discerning conscience is God’s way of saving us a lot of frustration. Only God can give us real life, right, true, and eternal.

God Will Answer, "Here Am I" February 5th Worship

Isaiah the prophet had watched people who were seeking God. Desperate to see the Divine Eternal One they would try anything. Isaiah declared, “God will answer, ‘Here am I.’” Paul tells us that the secrets of God had been hidden, but in the arrival of Jesus His glory from before time began would be revealed. In Him the deep things of God are given to us. Jesus tells us that we can be salt and light to those around us because God has answered us, “Here am I.”

Blessed are You, January 29th Worship

Jesus said a lot of amazing things, but in the speaking of what we call the Beatitudes he almost seems deliberate in wanting to surprise us. He is trying to tell us that God’s love and compassion for us is so deep that he will bless us even in the most unexpected situations. Do we have the courage to look for God’s blessing and be consoled with that alone? May God so bless us with such discerning hearts of wisdom to be able to see that we are truly blessed in infinite and eternal ways by God above all else.

The Light Enters In, Worship January 22nd

Jesus walked north to Galilee and did many things. There he claimed to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, that light would shine on those living in darkness. Jesus then called four fishermen to be His first four disciples. Jesus then healed “every disease and sickness among the people.”  Jesus was beginning what God is still doing today, caring for us, in infinite and eternal ways.

The Light Revealed, January 15th Worship

The light of Christ expands throughout the Epiphany season as God reveals more ways in which His joyous light of glory has come among us. His light illuminates even the darkest of days and ultimately guides the way to eternal light. As we gather for worship, we celebrate that we are children of the light in eternal and infinite ways.