The Hope of Heaven, Through the Eyes of a Lion, Part 4Dear Church Family and Friends,  This Sunday, we’re diving into the unshakable hope of heaven. It's a place of complete healing, eternal peace, and perfect joy in the presence of God. So buckle up! No matter what you’re carrying right now, my prayer is that you leave with renewed excitement and expectation of the things to come.“No eye has seen...  Read More

Hurting with Hope, Through the Eyes of a Lion, Part 3Dear Church Family and Friends,  There is no easy way around it. Everyone experiences hurt in this life. We who have placed our faith in Jesus experience pain and grief in a different way. We hurt with hope, but hurting with hope still hurts. How do we still hold onto Jesus' hope when the hurt feels like it's too much? How does Jesus meet us in ...  Read More

The Invisible World, Through the Eyes of a Lion, Part 2.Have you ever compared a picture of space from the Hubble telescope to what you see from Earth with your natural eye?  It looks like two different universes!  332 miles from Earth, the telescope opens up our understanding by having a less obstructed view of deep space. We see not just planets and stars, but also galaxies and an increasingly e...  Read More

Turn Off The Dark, Through the Eyes of a Lion, part 1"Why do you think so many children are afraid of the dark? Were you scared of the dark when you were young? If so, how did you cope with your fear?" God has brought light into this dark world. Through Jesus, God has stepped into the painful mess of this world in rebellion against Him and enables us the opportunity to see things the way they real...  Read More

Impossible Pain - Incredible Power, an introduction to "Through the Eyes of a Lion."Think of the times in your life when something incredibly painful happened that you either did not expect or did not want.   How did you feel?  Describe how that reality impacted you. What does getting a healthier perspective on your painful reality do for you?  God meets us in our incredibly painful moments with i...  Read More

Beating the algorithm Dear Church Family and Friends,  On a scale of 1-10, how comfortable are you with AI? Regardless of your feelings about it, one thing for certain is it’s here to stay. So can we beat algorithms and find authentic community in an artificial era?After all, the most popular verse in the Bible isn’t, “For God so loved the world, He sent an algorithm…”Join this Sunday as we look a...  Read More

Rejoicing FaithDear Church Family and Friends,  God calls us to rejoice always! Rejoicing in a peace and hope that only he can give. A rejoicing that is evident in our gentleness to others. A rejoicing that is evident in how we share our faith. To rejoice always is a difficult commandment to live out in the face of hardship. Yet, God gives us that ability through his peace. A peace that is accesse...  Read More

Marriage Matters Blog, 007Strong Marriages Are Built One Day at a TimeEvery strong marriage isn't built in a single moment—it's built through thousands of ordinary moments. A kind word. A patient response. A shared prayer. A date night that stays on the calendar. A choice to forgive instead of keeping score.No marriage is perfect because no two people are perfect. Every couple faces challenges, se...  Read More

The Greatest RoleDear Church Family and Friends,  As I read through the gospel accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus and His 12 closest followers, it's fascinating to see how belief, belonging, and behavior intersect. Questions arise as I read about Jesus letting the Disciples belong, way before they believed or behaved. Join this Sunday as Jesus uses a heated conflict between the Disciples t...  Read More

The Greatest CommandmentsDear Church Family and Friends,  We get easily confused and distracted from the things that are most important.  We need constant reminders to stay focused on what is central to life and relationships. Reminders and simple summaries are helpful.  Jesus gave us a simple summary of what is most important.  He wrapped up everything that was taught in the Law into two simple s...  Read More

The Greatest CommissionDear Church Family and Friends,  We are in a crisis of purpose.  Humanity's recognition that we need one has led to the adoption of a lot of temporarily worthy causes.  On the other end of the spectrum, lots of efforts that have no sane foundation are being undertaken with passion in popular culture.  Our timeless purpose, a mission worth living for, comes from outside of us...  Read More

Remember & Return!Dear Church Family and Friends,  We are forgetful, stubborn creatures.  How many of you remember the last non-negotiable directive of your boss?  Of your wife or husband?  Of a parent?  If you do remember, where are your heart and actions right now in regard to that issue?  Are you honoring that directive, desire, or request?  Why not?  God has given all of humanity a sense of wh...  Read More