Good News, Great News!
August 25, 2024 • Charlie Koopman • Isaiah 54
Close your eyes for a minute and imagine that it is Christmas morning. You’re in your coziest pajamas with a steaming cup of fresh coffee, settled onto the couch with your spouse, watching your kids’ eyes light up. Their delight grows as they open the first few gifts. Then, imagine that you bring out a new wave of gifts. Bursting with excitement, they tear through them and are overjoyed with the abundance. Then, you bring out another wave, and another, and another. Can you imagine what that would feel like for them? And yet God is so much more abundant in His giving towards us! Tomorrow morning the good news will come wave after wave as we hear of God’s relentless, over-the-top love for His children.
Stupidity of Idols, Supremacy of God, Satisfaction in Christ
June 2, 2024 • Charlie Koopman • Isaiah 41:21—42:17
“Prestige, power, privilege—at what price?” The closing words of Psychology Today’s “The Problem with Rich Kids,” this question is a response to startling findings about the effects of affluence on the next generation. After more than a decade of research, the author reports disturbingly higher rates of substance abuse, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, cheating, and stealing among wealthy youth, as compared to their lower-income peers. Studies like these beg the question, does money really buy happiness? Join us this Sunday as our upcoming message, “Stupidity of Idols, Satisfaction in Christ,” challenges us to exchange empty promises and cheap substitutes for the real thing.
Be Filled with the Spirit
May 28, 2023 • Charlie Koopman • Ephesians 5:18–21
On the day of Pentecost each year, we want to place a particular focus on the Holy Spirit. This Sunday, we'll open the Bible to Ephesians 5 and observe the Apostle Paul's command to "...be filled with the Spirit." This phrase, interpreted quite differently over the years, may mean something other than you think. We will delve into the context of the passage and examine three characteristics of a life deeply guided by the Spirit.
The Freest Slave
February 5, 2023 • Charlie Koopman • Romans 6:15–23
“Hey buddy…wanna buy a watch?” Have you ever been on the receiving end of a bait and switch? You’re enticed to purchase an apparent bargain (say, a Rolex from a street vendor) but receive a vastly inferior product (it tarnishes quickly and doesn’t keep time). Sin is constantly making us such offers regarding our freedom. It promises greater liberties, but we end up more entangled. This week in our series, New or New-ish, the Apostle Paul encourages us to make an exchange that will bring true and lasting freedom.
The Pressure of Perfectionism
August 21, 2022 • Charlie Koopman • Ecclesiastes 11:1–8
Once considered a positive trait, perfectionism is on the rise in our culture. Unsurprisingly, anxiety, fear, and depression are at an all-time high. Despite what is on display in so many curated Instagram feeds, being flawless is an unrealistic goal, an illusion driven by the need to manage every aspect of our lives tightly. Again this week, we look through the lens of the "Teacher" in Ecclesiastes to wrestle with the question: Can I ever really have control of my life?