This is Our Story
September 15, 2024 • Pastor Peter Damaska • Ephesians 1:3–14
Chances are there are parts of your story that you love and, if you're honest, parts of your story you'd rather not bring out. There are parts of our story we broadcast through a team jersey, the car we drive, the ink on our skin, or the grey in our hair. Other parts of our story get tucked away in a journal, in a prayer, as a secret, or lost in memory. God is a composer of a story. The Apostle Paul reminds the church in Ephesus, as well as believers today, that regardless of the story we've lived in our personal lives, all those in Christ share a common story with a common purpose.
Hi. Hello.
August 25, 2024 • Pastor Peter Damaska • Mark 10:13–16
We can all fall into the trap of approaching God through prayer and treating Him like a magic genie or a vending machine. On one side, it's about those three lucky wishes and making them count. On the other, it's about giving God the correct payment (good works, good words, lots of words, etc.) and getting from Him what you want. But what if prayer is much more than that? What if prayer involves the learned skill of back and forth communication, just like in the best relationships you have in life?
What Has Happened To Me?
August 18, 2024 • Pastor Peter Damaska • Philippians 1:12–26
It's common to ask others for help. It may have happened in your life this week when your car broke down, when you needed a pen at school, or as you were running behind on a project at work. It's also very normal to ask God for help. We seek His direction, His healing, and His gifts. It's not wrong to ask—in fact He tells us to do so. However, we've all experienced unanswered prayers. How do we respond when He doesn't seem to be responding?
Royal Posture
July 14, 2024 • Pastor Peter Damaska • Psalm 99
They show up in fairy tales, on magazine covers, and on the big screen. We talk about them from time to time not always knowing how they connect to us or bring meaning to our lives. “They” are Kings & Queens. They are royalty—romanticized figures who seem out of touch and out of place in everyday life. But thankfully, the Psalms don’t overly romanticize the image of God as our King. Rather, we see how serious God is about affecting our world and about our response to Him. His posture toward us is an invitation to partner with Him.
Sound Observations
June 9, 2024 • Pastor Peter Damaska • Psalm 19
Psalms, the ancient prayer book in the Bible, showcases the interactions of people with God. In these poems, the beauty of creation is highlighted, the dynamics of relationships are exposed, and the characteristics of God are on display. Psalm 19 highlights the Word of God and invites the reader to respond. Will we welcome wisdom or choose something else?
The Better Way
May 5, 2024 • Pastor Peter Damaska • Matthew 9:10–13, Hosea 6:6
To both the religious insiders and the moral outsiders, Jesus gives a goal—a better way to orient our lives. Some people pursue the correct church behaviors, while others are just living for what the weekend has to offer. But what if there’s a better way? What if we were created for more than the weekend? If we’re willing to learn it, Jesus has a life lesson for all of us.
More Than Meets the Eye
April 14, 2024 • Pastor Peter Damaska • 1 Kings 18:16–46
It seems like nothing could be worse than nothingness. Seriously, what good could ever come out of being alone, being in the dark, being out of the loop, being the last one standing? How can something come out of nothing? In counterintuitive ways, God repeatedly teaches Elijah a valuable lesson—a lesson that gives him the perspective he needs to face what is in front of him.
Invited to the Movement
March 24, 2024 • Pastor Peter Damaska • Exodus 35:3–4, Matthew 21:1–6
It’s an (almost) impossible thing to imagine that the God of the universe is interested in people like us. And not only is He interested, but He extends an invitation to us to participate! What could we possibly offer that would please Him? The answer may surprise you, but it won’t disappoint you.
Trust and Obey. Who, Me?
March 17, 2024 • Pastor Peter Damaska • Exodus 20, Exodus 19
Common to each of us is the experience of comparison. And if you’ve ever disqualified yourself from something (either publicly or privately), your reasons likely stem from seeing yourself not as good as ______________. (You fill in the blank.) But we are invited to much more than the habit of personal/early disqualification. Today’s snapshot of Moses at Mount Sinai is filled with encouragement for those moments we want to back away from what is coming our way.
God is Love, But What About Us?
February 18, 2024 • Pastor Peter Damaska • 1 John 4:7–21
Love is a fashionable word. We hear it repeatedly in music, in poetry, in the Scriptures, and even when eating our favorite pizza. If repetition helps get a point across, John is definitely trying to get our attention and educate us about love—true love. God is love, but what about us?
Option BE
January 21, 2024 • Pastor Peter Damaska • 1 John 2:18–27
John describes in stark contrast the present circumstances of a group of believers in Jesus. His words accentuate the pressure they face, he reminds them time is ticking away, and he encourages them to apply the truth they have accepted to their everyday life. But a choice remains. The hours of our days are not unlike theirs, and we too have the same choice—Option A or Option BE.
Finding the Elusive Jesus
December 31, 2023 • Pastor Peter Damaska • Luke 2:41–52
Seeking Jesus is an incredible gift from God. Along the way, it means dealing with questions and frustrations. It could even mean we will overlook Him from time to time. That’s not surprising knowing our own shortcomings. But what if it is Jesus who is being elusive? What then? Will we be motived to seek and find Him even when it is difficult?
Discovering How God is at Work
December 17, 2023 • Pastor Peter Damaska • Luke 2:21–40
Two simultaneously stunning aspects are true of God. First, He is involved in our lives. How sweet that is! Second, we don’t automatically see His involvement. Ugh! However, as we continue seeking Jesus, we discover how God is at work. Through the snapshot of two individuals in the Scriptures, we see how God is at work in, through, and for us.
We Find Meaning in the Middle
December 3, 2023 • Pastor Peter Damaska • Luke 1:1–25
Do you ever feel like the middle has no meaning? The middle of the road trip, the middle of the line, the middle child, the middle of my education/career/life… The middle can leave us wondering, "What’s the point of all this?" The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth helps us know what to do and what to expect as we continue seeking Jesus, even in the middle.