This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "The Christmas Story". [Watch video]Why shepherds? Why did the first public announcement of the birth of Christ go to shepherds? The usual reason given is because they were “lowly shepherds,” and Jesus came to the lowly. There is some truth...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Season of Sanctity". [Watch video]Joseph and Mary are an example of a godly couple who lived out what it means to be “one flesh.” Fine for them, and fine for those married couples who can learn from them. But what...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Chris's sermon entitled "Seasons of Sacrifice". [Watch video]When Satan is up at night worrying, I imagine it is often about men like Joseph. Men like (and this is the name that really makes him shudder) Jesus. Men who are meek. More on this in...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "A Life of Fullness". [Watch video]More on the filling of the Spirit... Certainly, when the Holy Spirit is working unabated there will be realization that God is doing something unique and supernatural. J.I. Packer in his excellent book, Keep in...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "The Walk of the Wise". [Watch video]If you’ve ever traveled on the Tube, London’s underground rail system, you’ve heard this recorded warning to “mind the gap!” Each time you get on or off a train you are warned of the...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Light, Dark & Shades of Gray". [Watch video]It really is quite simple. Christians are to be light in a world of darkness. One of our immediate thoughts is that this is about “witnessing.” Perhaps. We should always be looking for...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "The Great Imitation". [Watch video]The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:1, “Be imitators of God as beloved children.” We saw Sunday that beloved children will imitate their fathers naturally and willingly. God is our Father, but also our God....

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Ephesians 1-4 Rewind". [Watch video]As I said Sunday, Ephesians 2:1-10 is the most personal passage in the book for me.Ephesians 2:1 states, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you formerly walked…” We used to “walk”...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Praise for Grace & Mercy". [Watch video]We are frail, God is eternal. That is the gist of David’s words in Psalm 103:15, 17, “As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes....

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Praise!". [Watch video]Psalm 113 calls us to praise God at all times in all places. But shouldn’t our life match what we say? In our sermon prep time last week Chad Ingalls made this point rather well. He said, “You...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Drawing Near to a Holy God". [Watch video]Often quoted are the words of the Rollings Stones, “You can’t always get what you want.” Now the Rolling Stones are certainly no font of godly wisdom, but these words are certainly true....

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Time Flies, So What?". [Watch video]Psalm 90 is a wake-up call to the brevity of our lives. I believe this past Sunday many of us were challenged with the call to “teach us to number our days, that we may...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Election Year Hope". [Watch video]Psalm 33 gives us confidence that God is ultimately in control of politics. We can wring our hands, be confused and worry about the present state of politics in our nation, but what does that do?...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Glory: The Purpose of Praise". [Watch video]This past Sunday we introduced some practical ideas about preparing to worship before you arrive on Sunday morning. Here are a few: 1. Spend 15 minutes praying for the service Saturday night or Sunday...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "The Glory of Children is their Fathers". [Watch video]We saw Sunday in Psalm 127, “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward” (v.3). This means that God is the Giver, and we...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Steps to Forgiveness". [Watch video]This past Sunday we wrapped up a mini-series on forgiveness that was based on Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” I’ll end...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Forgiveness in 3D". [Watch video]Sunday we listed a number of common statements people make about forgiveness. One of them is, “We should just forgive and forget.” James Oglethorpe once said to John Wesley, “I never forgive and I never forget.”...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "On Vices & Virtues". [Watch video]This past Sunday we saw the list of vices we are to excise from our lives: bitterness, wrath, anger, shouting, slander, and malice (Ephesians 4:31). But we must realize that these are more than bad...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Chris's sermon entitled "The Art & Science of Words". [Watch video]On Sunday, we saw Paul’s encouragement to skillfully speak words that are the right words (edifying), at the right time (for the need of the moment), spoken the right way (to impart grace).After the...

This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Give or Take?". [Watch video]In our message this last week we saw how the subject of laboring with our hands is found throughout the scriptures. God has given us work as a way to find meaning and significance in life,...