Our Generous God. Worship: September 24, 2023

One denarius, that's what each worker receives in the story Jesus tells. It is a full-day's wage, even for those who work only one hour. God generously gives us a gift no one could earn: life and salvation. That is unbelievably generous. Following Jesus’ example means being the one who is generous with compassion and forgiveness, help and support, even when other people don’t deserve it. 

The Gracious Way of Our God. Worship: September 17, 2023

Our God is abundantly, outrageously generous in His love for us. Jesus came to tell us about God’s gracious way and then make it so by His sacrifice and triumph. The gracious way of God is ours today and forever.

God Creates Anew. Worship: September 10, 2023

God is creative. The Bible tells us from its first pages that God has infinite power to make new things. He can also renew and recreate. When Jesus finds his disciples squabbling about who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven he invites them to think about themselves as children. In thinking of ourselves this way we prepare ourselves for the newness of life God can create. By his Spirit God can bring newness in wonderful, graceful, and eternal ways. Today as we begin new things we pray, “God, come among us, and create anew”.

The Amazing Way of God. Worship: September 3, 2023

Photo Credit: Aimee Munson, 2024 The North Face Glacier

God works in the simple natural order of things most of the time, but God’s way is also sometimes amazing and unexpected. Jesus willingly went to the cross when His disciples could not see what that would accomplish. His sacrifice made the way that leads to our salvation. St. Paul tells us in Romans how it is that what looks like a loss can be the very way in which we gain something great from God. Our God is awesome, surprising, and amazing. We pray for His Spirit now to bless us in God’s amazing way.

God Completes Us. Worship: August 27, 2023

[Image courtesy of Steven Teagarden.com.]

Jesus changes the way his disciple Peter thinks about himself and the world around him. He gives him a new identity and a new mission. God builds our faith and our lives by His infinite grace and eternal wisdom. we can celebrate this, saying "To Him be glory forever. Amen."

This week’s audio service is a rebroadcast from 9/4/2022

God’s Great Mercy. Worship: August 20, 2023

A woman comes to Jesus to plea for her daughter’s well-being. Jesus gives them his compassion, healing, and mercy. God has abundant mercy for everyone who calls upon Him in faith. This means we can be bold with God and bring him our needs. So great is God’s mercy, that from Him we can be inspired to be merciful and care for the people in our lives.  

This weeks audio service is a repost from August 28, 2022

Nothing is Impossible for Our God. Worship: August 13, 2023

God has no limitation. He can walk on water. He can create a splendid world out of nothing. He can even declare us holy and set apart simply because He wants to. We are not alone if we struggle with understanding the nature of God. We join Peter and Job, and Paul who all were amazed to see that indeed, God has no limitation. In God’s unlimited strength, care and love we can have courage.

This weeks audio service is a repost from August 21, 2022.

Jesus gives Nourishing Strength. Worship: August 6, 2023

 Remote island off New Zealand Coast. Image: Aimee Munson 2009

 A crowd follows Jesus out of town. As long as they can see Him they feel like they can go anywhere. He takes them to a remote place. Somehow it was easier to listen and absorb the strength of His spirit here. Jesus had everything they need for body and soul. We too can rejoice in this: Our God is leading us and provides all that we need.

This weeks audio service is a repost from August 14, 2022

The Treasure of God’s Love. Worship: July 30, 2023

Hearts of Carlsbad, CA featured hand-blown glass hearts, courtesy of Barrio Glassworks.  

God’s Word gives us an amazing array of statements about the love of God. “Nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.” God is “keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations.” Jesus tells us several parables trying to convey that this love is the greatest of treasures in all the world. He wants us to embrace the idea that God’s love is the most vital thing for each of us. It makes an eternal and infinite difference in every way and in everything.

Faith in God’s Good Harvest. Worship: July 23, 2023

Child riding tractor in front of corn field. Kamrar, IA 2019. Photo Credit: Aimee Munson

Jesus saw the farm fields around him as a place of drama. In many of his parables Jesus would point to those fields to illustrate the essence of God’s relationship to His Creation. As Jesus looked at those fields he could see the whole of God’s plan, from beginning to end. In the parable Jesus tells about Weeds we hear that despite every challenge God is still bringing in the harvest of what he wanted from the beginning. Even though there are weeds, God is growing wheat and He will bring it to harvest. Jesus is telling us that we can trust that God is carrying us toward His triumphant and amazing harvest.