Sometimes it may seem hard to share our faith. Yet, that’s exactly what we’re supposed to be doing—all who are a part of the Body of Christ! Folks, there’s one more thing that we need to get right, as we look to becoming an Essential Church here in Southwest Wisconsin: our actions. Here’s what we’ve covered so far: We talked about getting our structure right—simplifying, if you will… We talked about getting our content right—going deeper into God’s word and our walk with God, maybe more than ever before… We...
Karen & Jennifer are best friends. Their friendship began in the 7th grade and continued throughout high school & college. In fact these two women chose a college where they could pursue their individual academic goals, yet still stay together as friends. They chose Union University in Jackson, Tennessee—both doing well in their respective fields. Karen & Jennifer are extremely smart individuals, finishing their course work in 4 years each. This was actually easy for both, but graduation was difficult for them. They had 5 job offers between them,...
The summer that Jane and I met, we were both on staff at Asbury Acres United Methodist Church Camp, Almond, Wisconsin. When we could, we attended church on Sunday mornings as a staff that summer. That was the summer that I learned what kind of a pastor I never wanted to be… Oh, I stayed involved in the church even that summer—as a guest. I and others from the staff would do special music and help out where we could. The pastor, however, seemed to spend most of his...
Folks, as we begin today, listen to what was on Jesus’ mind as he contemplated his last hours on earth… “I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me because of their message. 21 I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me. 22 I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that...
Folks, what is the purpose of the Church? Since God’s chosen matrix—the Jewish nation—didn’t really work out so good, God now uses the Church as his matrix to reveal himself to the world! That’s what we’re supposed to be about! So, evangelism—sharing our faith—is really what will help to grow the Kingdom, to make the Church healthy and essential once again. The Early Church knew the Good News … and they shared it. Just listen to what happened: “Peter made his appeal to them and with many other words he...
The age-old adage rings true for churches, too: If you are not moving forward, then you are moving backward. Stagnation, folks, is synonymous with … dying. There’s no two ways about it… In light of that, What kind of legacy do we want to leave for the future? Appealing to those of the Baby Boomer Generation and up, today, what do you want your life to be remembered for? If I may be so bold, the only kind of legacy worth leaving, folks, is one that is eternal! So, will...
At the very end of my 8th grade year in school, I learned an incredible lesson. I learned there are real-life consequences to our actions! As an 8th grader, my priorities were not those of either my parents or my teachers. My priorities were popularity, my social life, and how I could stay ahead in that game. So, other things in my life suffered. Youth group at church was a fine thing; but that was a part of my social life at the time, so it fit in nicely into...
Folks, today we’re going to be talking about the kind of relationship that God wants deeply to have with each one of us. But, there’re two sides to it, as usual. God wants to give us his incredible blessing over our life. Today, we’re going to learn together that if we approach life knowing that we are really nothing—spiritually speaking—without the One who is able to meet all of our needs, then we will know Christ! Then, we will experience the blessing of God as only God can give! Then,...
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. There was no one there.” I always liked that saying. But, in light of that, let me ask you this: What is it that you fear today? Well, whatever your utmost fear might be, I will guarantee you—as your pastor—that FAITH is the answer to your greatest fear today! But, like most things in our life with God, there are two sides to this equation: God’s and ours! FAITH is a gift from God, but whether we...
One of the most powerful ways to get through any crisis or time of difficulty in life … is to know that you’re not alone in the midst of whatever it is that you’re going through; having someone to lean on makes difficult times of life bearable. THE most powerful way, then, to get through our Red Sea moments in life is to acknowledge God’s presence with us … and we need to learn to do just that… In John 1:18, God’s word teaches us that one of the...
