Why Suffer? 7/27/14

Suffering is often avoided. Who really wants to suffer?

Yet suffering plays a critical role in the Christian life. Why? This message wrestles with this question.

Effective Submission 7/20/14

God wants you to live a good, awesome life, and for this to be noticeable to others. What's it take? Submission.

The Christian submits to God's ways. The effect on life is that it's filled with joy, hope, and meaning.

Christianity isn't just a religion promising eternal life. The church (God's followers) is offered the gift of a different life NOW.

Life is Short 7/13/14

If you knew that you only had one more day to live what would you do? My hunch is that this might alter your original plans for the day!

To live the Christian life requires keeping at the forefront of your mind the temporary character of life. This temporary character makes us (in Peter's words) "foreigners" and "exiles" in this life. This temporary character keeps us sober to the fact that we are responsible to serve God through our witness (what others find us doing). Even stronger, Peter calls us to consider ourselves God's "slaves!" Yes, very strong language.

The Misguided Church 7/6/2014

Where does God ask the church to stand in society? Is it on the other side of the valley, atop a cliff next to the Cross of Christ, holding the Bible in one hand and pointing a judgmental finger with the other? Where should the church stand in this world? On the other side of the valley from society where the church is safe, or "saved," seeking to as comfortably as possible put up with the delinquency of humans and unpredictability of mother earth?

If this doesn't sound right, and also sounds all too common, let's allow Peter to talk with us. In this message Peter tells the church who we are, where we must stand.