Retirement Planning
Some people can’t wait to retire. They have visions of a condo on the beach and sleep uninterrupted by alarm clocks. In this dream, retirement is where the business of work ends and the business of life begins. That’s not the case for King David. Retirement isn’t an...
Thankful in all Seasons
When I went home for Thanksgiving last week, I was hoping to find peace and joy. I was finally going to see my family, see my friends and just celebrate the blessings that God has given me.
How Bizarre
Have you ever noticed that sometimes nature is really weird? Maybe you’ve seen the viral video of turkeys walking in a creepy circle around a cat (look it up if you haven’t – it’s pretty wacky!). Animals do some pretty bizarre things. The Bible has some strange animal...
Upgrade
If you don’t know it already, you will need to upgrade your cell phone. It may not be today, or even this year, but an upgrade is in your future. Your phone might shut itself off for no good reason, the battery will drain quickly, or the apps will begin to glitch...
No Pressure
You and a friend sit down at your favorite coffee shop. You get your latte, she’s sipping her coffee. You catch up about your families, work, and she asks how that book you’re writing is going. There’s a brief, thoughtful silence in your conversation. She leans in...
Who’s Going to Clean Up This Mess?
As a child, I was a slob. I’m sure there was carpet in my room, but it was unseen for all the clothes, old candy wrappers, and used dishes I kept on top of it. As you might imagine, this was a breeding ground for all sorts of creepy crawly things: ants and spiders to...
O Come Emmanuel
The Origin StoryOriginally an ancient Latin text, O Come O Come Emmanuel celebrates the promise of a Savior that is foretold in the book of Isaiah, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will...
Thankful Now
Around this time of year, it may be easier for us to have thankfulness on our minds. But do we regularly give thanks throughout the year? What about when things don’t go our way? It seems like we wait to really give thanks until certain things happen the way we want...
The Big Picture
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. ~ John 1:14 The apostle John lived with Jesus for more than three years. He walked, talked, ate, slept and followed Rabbi Jesus. When God’s Spirit moved John to tell his story about Jesus, he went all the way back...
Even in Betrayal
Jesus spoke these words to Peter, knowing that just hours later Peter would betray Him, denying he ever knew Jesus. Jesus looked into the eyes of his betrayer, his friend, and told him He had prayed for him. Peter was one of the three – Peter, James, and John – who were in Jesus’ inner circle.
Game Ready
The results on the playing field are largely determined off of it. In sports, in work, on the battlefield, even in our relationships, much of our success in the moment of engagement is determined by the work we did or didn't do preparing ourselves for it. In short,...
The Best Possible Time in History
I recently heard a pastor say “We are living in the best possible time.” On first thought, I was sure he was exaggerating. How could this be the best possible time in history? I turn on the news or scroll on Twitter for less than five minutes and I hear about another war, injustice or humanitarian crisis.
Dispersion and Descent
Last week, we watched Noah, the preacher of righteousness, become the participant in a God-initiated, God-sustained covenant. We also watched as the second Adam descended into sin, resulting in a curse on his son's son. This week we will examine the curse of Ham's...
Your Part to Play
One eager to please God is determined to get out of the bleachers and into the game. But our involvement in serving doesn’t have to be random or chaotic. God has given each believer a spiritual gift—a specific, supernatural ability for building up the body of Christ....
Praying in Community
We sat, huddled, with our heads bowed. I could hear the shallow breathing of the person next to me. Another’s voice quivered as she struggled to formulate her sentences. Someone was crying; it was me. I opened my eyes and saw a tear splatter on the floor and felt the warmth of a hand on my back. This was prayer. This was community.
God’s Covenant with Noah
Last week, we followed Noah and his family through the floodwaters. When we wrapped up our time together last week, the passengers of the ark were about to emerge into the sunlight of a post-flood Earth. Imagine having spent over a year enclosed in a boat, tasked with...
God Calls Us to Serve
Jim and Sue Sproat have been attending LifePoint for about 17 years. They have volunteered from the beginning from LP Students to most recently Trunk or Treat. Finding a place to volunteer brings joy to their lives and fulfillment to their faith. Find out more about...
Get Your Hands Dirty
Following Jesus calls us out of the bleachers and into the game. But being in the game means we have to get out of our comfort zones and get our hands dirty. This willingness to lay aside ourselves is at the heart of volunteering. In this message, we’ll see how Jesus...
Privilege, Presence, Passion & Power
“Prayer… is the root, the fountain, the mother of a thousand blessings… The potency of prayer has subdued the strength of fire, it has bridled the rage of lions… extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the gates of heaven, assuaged diseases… rescued cities from destruction… and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt.”
The Flood
This week we turn our attention to Noah, a righteous man living amidst crookedness and depravity, a man whose name significantly connotes relief, comfort, rest. We will spend this week paying close attention to the structure of the narrative. Just as you did with the...
From Spectators to Servants
It doesn’t take much energy to be a spectator. Just watch the action on the field. Then you can cheer when you approve and boo when you don’t. But following Jesus was never meant to be a spectator sport. One eager to please God is determined to get out of the...
Transforming Light
The autumn color has burst into glory these past two weeks. As I drive to work in the mornings, the early morning light splashes across the colorful trees, seeming to set the leaves on fire in their brilliance. I am filled with awe and wonder.
Named and Known
In last week's study, we watched the efforts of sin on the next generation of Adam's descendants. How quickly the act of placing human will above God's will degraded into the act of murder. This week, we will watch the continued spread of wickedness along with the...
the god of success
If there is a god most near and dear to the heart of our culture it is the god of success. The god of success promises us the control, allowing us to make our own way; the approval of others who recognize what we've done; and the access to whatever pleasures we may...
Cain and Abel
In Genesis 3, we watched our parents live out the fundamental definition of sin: placing our wills above God's will. This week we will look at the fallout of their defiant act. We'll see how quickly sin took hold within only one generation. Clinging to the promise...
the god of pleasure
If given the choice between good feelings or bad, we would usually choose good. Let’s face it, good feelings are pleasurable. But pleasure as a life-goal leads to bad things. All around us are false gods that scream for our attention and devotion. And pleasure can...
Christ-like Community
Something God has been teaching me in this season of life is that I cannot pour all my energy and encouragement and love into those around me without being filled and poured into by my own community.
Paradise Lost
At the end of Genesis 2, we find ourselves in a perfect garden, an ordered creation pronounced unequivocally good by its Creator. But human experience tells us that we are far from such a place now. In Genesis 3, we are given an explanation for the brokenness, sorrow,...
the god of approval
We all want approval. At some level, we all want to be liked and affirmed. Seeking approval by itself is not necessarily bad, but seeking it in the wrong source is. When we make human approval our ultimate value, then we make approval into an idol, worshipping a false god. In this message, we’ll see how God’s approval is available and all that matters.
The Most We Can Do
When a loved one is sick or hurting the first thing I offer is prayer. “I’ll pray for you,” I reply. But I quickly follow that up with, “What else can I do?” I’ve noticed, that I’m often left with a feeling of disappointment or even helplessness if there isn’t a task assigned to me.