"Thoughts from Pastor Steve" - 5 new articles
Growing in grace and knowledge...But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forevermore. - II Peter 3:18
This is how Paul ends his second letter. Much of this letter is spent telling the believers to watch out for false leaders and false prophets. There are people that will come, and perhaps were even there then, that will try to lead believers astray. One of the chief ways to prevent that from happening, from being led astray, is to be constantly growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. When we know His voice, when we know His commands, and when we are intimately connected to His Spirit, we will know when someone tries to mislead us in issues of faith. We need to be always looking for opportunities to grow in our faith, to understand our faith better, to know Jesus better and better. This is the most important step you can take in being able to identify false teachers. No matter where we are in our spiritual journey, no matter how mature we are in our faith, the sinful world will always try to challenge our beliefs. There is always room for growth. If every day brings new opportunities to draw nearer to Christ, we will be prepared to stand firm in all circumstances. So, if you don’t already, begin a reading program to spend a little time each day in reading the Scriptures. Set aside time everyday for prayer. And join others in a Bible Study. You would be surprised how much you learn by discussing Bible passages with others. The Alpha course is also a great way to grow. The talks each week in the Alpha course can help us to see things in a little different light. They can challenge us and help us as we grasp at the meaning of our faith. The Prayer Group that meets each week is a great way to be challenged in your prayer life. Whether you feel good about praying out loud or not, being together with others who are praying is extremely fulfilling. Sometimes we need to step outside our comfort zone. That’s how we grow, and growth is what living a life of faith is all about. Seek growth, and you will find Jesus.  What is really importantThe topic of Sunday's sermon message was the idea of identifying those things that are ultimately important in our lives. We are bombarded in news broadcasts with things that many feel are very important, but in the long run, not the most important. How do you tell? Is there a guide? What is really important. Here is an excerpt from the message...
What is important? I mean really important? I suspect that for most of us the answer to that question might depend the situation. It might depend on where we are at the time, or what we’re doing. Let’s face, there are times that it’s really important to get dinner on the table at a certain time because you have a meeting that night. Or if the kids are running late, it might be really important to get them going and off to school. If we’ve lost our jobs, and have been looking for while, it might be really important to find something, anything, to bring in some money and put food on the table. All those things are important. And they all seem really important at the time, but in retrospect, I wonder if they are the most important. If you would like to read more, or listen to the audio recording of the message, click here.  Where are you, God?This week has been a week full of suffering. Members of our church have some loved ones who are battling cancer, unemployed, and seriously struggling.  The Bread of Life...This Sunday is World Communion Sunday. The neat thing about this is that congregations all over the world will be celebrating communion, or the Lord's Supper, together. In a very real way, when we partake this Sunday, we will be united around the Table with Brothers and Sisters in Christ all over the world. Christian Unity takes on a whole new meaning.  We do need God...
Pope: Fall of Communism Proved Man Needs God I personally like this story. Communism created a system where the people worshiped they're leaders, and tried to purge any other religious pursuits from its people. Religion was seen as a "crutch for weak people." That concept failed, because man was created for a relationship with God. We cannot reach our fullest potential without that relationship, and more importantly, without the God who created us. More and more, I see America drifting further away from God. In fact, industrial countries all over the globe are drifting away from God. The concern is, if communism proved that trying to exist without God will fail, why are so many "intelligent" countries trying it?  More Recent Articles |
