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Yesterday in our Sunday service, we spent our time in Mark 9.14-29. In this passage, Jesus responds to the pleas of a faithful Father and heals his demon-possessed son. His disciples had attempted to help the boy while Jesus was on the mountain. They had been authorized and empowered to "cast out demons" by Jesus (Mark 3.15; 6.6.7) but could not help this particular boy. The disciples privately asked Jesus why they could not cast out this demon. Jesus responded by saying, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer."...
Fearless, Hopeful and Helpful - Part 1 In the summer of 1854, a cholera epidemic hit London, where a 19-year-old Charles Spurgeon had recently begun his pastoral ministry. He would go on to have a prolific preaching ministry becoming known as the ‘prince of preachers.’ In a sermon given on February 18th, 1855, Spurgeon said,...
Fearelss, Hopeful and Helpful - Part 2 While we see clearly that we are not to fear death, we also see in Scripture that we have gospel-centered reasons to participate in the efforts to preserve lives. The reasons we see in Scripture for working to preserve lives are all rooted in love for others. Jesus said that the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbors, and Christians who work to preserve lives are often doing so in fulfillment of this commandment. Let’s consider the reasons that Christians have for helping to preserve lives....
Fearless, Hopeful and Helpful - Part 3 We see in Scripture that we should not fear death and we see that we have Christ honoring reasons to help preserve lives. As we make efforts to preserve lives, we are called to look for opportunities to labor for the gospel. With this in mind let’s consider how we can apply these truths to our lives in the midst of the current pandemic....
Dear church family, As many of you know, Governor Inslee issued a statewide mandate requiring facial coverings in public, which is set to take effect on Friday, June 27th. The statewide mandate requires people over the age of 5 to wear face coverings generally while they are in any indoor or outdoor public space. Masks will not be required outdoors when people can stay more than 6 feet apart from each other, while indoors at home with others, or while alone in a vehicle. Unlike previous requirements, there appears to be no discrepancies between the application of this mandate for businesses and churches....
There are always two ditches on the sides of every road. These ditches usually represent extremes we want to avoid but, on occasion, find ourselves stuck in. There are all kinds of roads with their different ditches: religion and irreligion, self-indulgence and self-righteousness, or even "blow-anger" and "no-anger", etc. Our hope is to navigate the tension of the middle, whether it is walking the line of the gospel, self-denial, or "slow- anger" just as Jesus did. ...
It goes without saying that our world is broken and full of injustice. As leaders in our homes and pastors in this church, we work hard discern what injustices to address, when to address them, and even how. Rather than hastily post our reactions on social media, as our world is prone to do, we feel it is important to be slow and deliberate in our responses so as to be helpful to those in our care....
Making decisions can be hard, especially when things are not black and white. Decisions in the gray often generate deeps feelings of ambivalence where two options appear equally positive and negative. Our current pandemic has created a very gray environment. Not only has number of decisions we have to make been exponentially increased, the process of decision-making has been exponentially complicated. All people, be it pastors, parents, or parishioners, are trying to make the best decisions they can with limited or incomplete information. Decision making is hard in itself, decision-making in the gray is even harder. ...
In recent weeks, I have had more than one conversation about how this COVID-19 pandemic is negatively impacting the church. Every new restrictions brings two new conspiracies and three new opinions. Sides are being chosen, teams are being made, post are being "liked" and people are being "unfriended."...
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray that this letter finds you trusting in the goodness of God’s purposes and hoping in the certainty of God’s promises. It has been over a month since our last update concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Since that time, various social restrictions have expanded, and stay-at-home orders have been extended multiple times. In our first update following the initial shutdown, we expressed our great hope to resume gathering on Easter Sunday. As you know, this did not come to pass. In compliance with our government’s orders, we have chosen to gather virtually for the safety of ourselves and our community. While we are thankful for the technology that makes connection possible, we all recognize the relational deficiencies of this medium. ...
Even if we have not been exposed TO Covid-19, we have all be exposed BY it. As time goes on, who we truly are and what we truly believe is being revealed. All suffering and trials do this. Paul Tripp in his book, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands rightly notes: "We don't radically change in a moment of trial. No, trials expose what we've always been. Trials bare things which we otherwise would have been blind to."...
Already, we have a ‘before’. Just as certainly, there will be an ‘after’. What it meant to live before Covid-19 is already going to print in history. What it will mean to live after, has yet to be written. A thousand threads will be woven across a globally connected world to create what this will be, and we all are eager to arrive there. Who will we be, as individuals and therefore as a church, as we have been changed by this?...
Everyone has an opinion about how to confront the COVID-19 pandemic. Conspiracy theories abound regarding the motives of decision-makers but, apart from those who believe the earth is flat, I am convinced that the "powers that be" are doing their best to do what they believe is best. Every decision-maker has a definition of best, and everyone impacted by their decisions have an opinion on what is lacking in their definitions. What is best medically? What is best educationally? What is best socially? What is best politically? What is best economically? The list goes on. ...
In a world where we are told what is "essential", Jesus reminds us of the one truly essential thing....
Why do we exist? The pursuit of an answer to this universal WHY question reveals our deep need for meaning in life. We wrongly, but naturally, attempt to find our ultimate purpose in what we do as individuals and as the church. In truth, what we do is a product of who we are. We are saved by Jesus and sent by Jesus....
The Scripture tells us that if draw near to God, he promises draws near to us. And he does, especially in these extended quiet times. But even when that happens, many discover that even with God there remains, at times a emptiness...a distance...a loneliness. It seems we may need something more than God. I realize that to suggest that we need something more than God may sound heretical. This is not to suggest that God is somehow insufficient in himself. It doesn't speak of God's insufficiency at all, but our own. ...
Making decisions can be hard, especially when things are not black and white. Decisions in the gray often generate deeps feelings of ambivalence where two options appear equally positive and negative. Our current pandemic has created a very gray environment. Not only has number of decisions we have to make been exponentially increased, the process of decision-making ...
Keep Reading In recent weeks, I have had more than one conversation about how this COVID-19 pandemic is negatively impacting the church. Every new restrictions brings two new conspiracies and three new opinions. Sides are being chosen, teams are being made, post are being "liked" and people are being "unfriended."...
Keep Reading Even if we have not been exposed TO Covid-19, we have all be exposed BY it. As time goes on, who we truly are and what we truly believe is being revealed. All suffering and trials do this. Paul Tripp in his book, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands rightly notes: "We don't radically change in a moment of trial. No, trials expose what we've always been. Trials bare th...
Keep Reading Already, we have a ‘before’. Just as certainly, there will be an ‘after’. What it meant to live before Covid-19 is already going to print in history. What it will mean to live after, has yet to be written. A thousand threads will be woven across a globally connected world to create what this will be, and we all are eager to arrive there. Who will we be, as in...
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"The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you are already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you will be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function. All war depends upon it."...
Keep Reading Everyone has an opinion about how to confront the COVID-19 pandemic. Conspiracy theories abound regarding the motives of decision-makers but, apart from those who believe the earth is flat, I am convinced that the "powers that be" are doing their best to do what they believe is best. Every decision-maker has a definition of best, and everyone impacted by their decisions ...
Keep Reading In a world where we are told what is "essential", Jesus reminds us of the one truly essential thing....
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The Resurrection of Jesus is the most important event in the history of the world. Even though the tomb is still empty, Christians often live as if Jesus is still dead and buried. Some Christians find themselves stuck on a perpetual Friday, enslaved to their guilt and shame. Other find their way to Saturday, hoping what Jesus said is true, but living as if they don't reall...
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