Together: Building a Healthy Body
Never Lose Your Song!
August 30, 2020 • Pastor Dave Engbrecht
Singing does a lot for the soul. The songs we sing say a lot about us. When times get tough, we never want to lose our song. Amidst the pressures of life, it’s not only possible, but necessary to maintain our joy. There’s a clear path to remain joyful in joyless times.
Act Your Age
August 23, 2020 • Pastor Dave Engbrecht
It’s called infantile regression. That’s when an older person reverts to immature, childish behavior. It’s unhealthy. It’s destructive. It destroys healthy relationships. Yet there is a better path. It’s all about maturity. It’s about dying to childishness. It’s about openly confronting sinful patterns of behavior. It’s about an internal transformation of the heart. It’s God’s plan for His children.
All In!
August 16, 2020 • Pastor Dave Engbrecht
Overwhelmed by all of the uncertainties of this season, it’s so easy to cry out and say, "I’m done!" I’m so done with _________. (Fill in blank however you want.) That feeling isn’t unique to us or people living through this pandemic. It happened in the early church. And God’s Word to them is His word to us—Live all in for Jesus!
Resurrection In My Veins
August 9, 2020 • Pastor Tim Veenstra
All it takes to unravel a ball of yarn is one good tug. All it takes for a giant collapse is to knock over one domino. Likewise, the entirety of the Christian faith hinges on the death and resurrection of Jesus. If there is no resurrection, the Christian faith unravels and collapses. Is it reasonable to believe in the resurrection? Paul has been building up to this moment in his letter to the church in Corinth. He saved the biggest and most important question for last—the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Common Good
August 2, 2020 • Pastor Tim Veenstra
One of the most mind-numbing thoughts in the Christian faith is that God chooses to use the Church to further His Kingdom. He chooses broken, flawed and ordinary people like you and me to do His work. His calling isn’t for a small group of elite believers. No, every believer has a role and responsibility in the Kingdom of God. Will you answer the call?
Love Never Fails
July 26, 2020 • Pastor Tim Veenstra
We love an underdog story. We love to cannonball in refreshingly cool water on a hot summer afternoon. We love grandma’s secret recipe, road trips with friends, and the family pet. We love a lot of things, but what is love? Are there different kinds of love? What does God mean when He said He so loved the world? In the thirteenth chapter of Corinthians, Paul speaks to a love unlike anything else we’ve ever experienced.
Thriving In Adversity
July 19, 2020 • Dr. Bob Andrews
The book of James was written to early Christian diaspora(those who fled due to adversity). Their land was stolen, they lost jobs, lived in danger, etc. In the context of their hard times, they were grumbling, biting each other, not sharing with poor, etc. Essentially, they became self-centered. This the context in which James was written. James Chapter 1 says not to flee trials, but rather to embrace them as character-builders... Also, be patient in trials. Seek MORAL wisdom in trials, because we tend to make immoral decisions when under pressure. We should confidently seek God's divine wisdom in adversity. This whole response is distinctly Christian - which is why it is in the New Testament. We are to operate in faith during hard times, a faith that faith transcends our basic instincts of self-preservation.
The Biblical Instruction to Build Each Other Up (and How to Do It)
July 12, 2020 • Pastor Don Rohrer
There is a lot of satisfaction in building something. In I Corinthians 8, Paul challenges us to love one another with a self-sacrificing love, a love that is focused on doing what is good for others. This love edifies or builds up. He suggests that the misuse of knowledge can hinder any effort to sacrificially love each other. In this day of social media, where thoughts and opinions can frustrate, confuse and often provoke to anger, we can relate. Today, we will look at some of the ways we misuse information and how we can recover a love toward each other that contributes to the positive building of our faith.
Wait Til Your Dad Gets Home
June 28, 2020 • Pastor Dave Engbrecht
Most children, at some point in their lives, have heard these words, “You wait until your dad gets home!” Those words signal that there’s trouble around the corner. Perhaps it’s only an idle threat, but often, those words are a clear warning of impending discipline. That’s the essence of Paul’s words to the church at Corinth. That’s the message wayward followers of Jesus hear in His desire to see them repent and turn to Him.
The Missing Link
June 21, 2020 • Pastor Dave Engbrecht
It’s often the forgotten component. In building a strong spiritual foundation, it’s absolutely essential to have many spiritual fathers and mothers. An independent spirit wants to go it alone. That’s a formula for disaster. The wise person surrounds themselves with wise, experienced people. Failing to do so leads to bad decisions with painful consequences. Everyone needs many fathers. Everyone needs to be a father.
Trenches and Tacos
June 14, 2020 • Pastor Tim Veenstra
Jesus once said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” Division is a detractor. Division is a destructive force. Division was never the intention. God’s calling for his Church has always been to come together, uniting under one name—the name of Jesus.
When Your Piece of the Puzzle Perfectly Fits
June 7, 2020 • Pastor Dave Engbrecht
It’s an amazing feeling to complete a 500- or 1000-piece puzzle. When all the pieces perfectly fit together, there’s a sense of completeness. Mission accomplished! But what happens when the pieces don’t fit? It’s a horrible feeling when we’re stuck and just can’t put it all together. In constructing the Body of Christ, the local church, each of us is a piece of the puzzle. Only through a deep work of the Holy Spirit can we find our perfect fit.
Together: Building a Healthy Body
May 31, 2020 • Pastor Dave Engbrecht, Pastor Tim Veenstra
It’s absolutely beautiful when done right, but a train wreck when done wrong. God, in His plan for His people, designed this thing called "Church." It’s not a building. It’s far more than an organization. It’s the gathering of believers who are empowered and equipped to encourage each other and impact the world. 1 Corinthians is a letter written to a local gathering of believers, teaching them to do Church right. It’s a great guide for us to build a healthy body.