Church

Everyone has a worldview whether they know it or not. A worldview is simply your way of viewing the world.  How do you interpret events?  What assumptions do you have about reality?  Why is one thing right and another thing wrong?  A worldview is a lens through which you see, hear, and experience your environment. We are surrounded by competing worldviews from the movies we watch to the books we read.  A movie that glamorizes adultery is selling you a worldview that fidelity doesn't matter.  Advertisements that promise a happier life if you use Crest toothpaste are offering a worldview that places happiness purely on the surface.  Lady Gaga is offering a worldview that allows you to view more than you ever wanted to view. One of the tasks of the church is to help Christ-followers follow Christ.  The process of discipleship is a matter of mentoring them in a…

Abraham was seventy-five years old when God made him this promise: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:2-3). When the promise arrived, Abraham and Sarah (then known as Abram and Sarai) did not have any children of their own.  Becoming a "great nation" would require this to change.  More to the point, it would require having children.  In this same chapter (12), God promises to give Abram's offspring the land occupied by the Canaanites.  Again, offspring indicates children. A few years pass and Abram is growing concerned: "“Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate…

There are many things I'd like to be looking forward to when I'm 75 years-old but having a baby isn't one of them. The story of God's promise to Abraham and Sarah is quite amazing.  In a divine visit, God promises this elderly couple a baby and then waits over two decade to fulfill the promise.  To wait so long almost seems cruel, especially when you consider how long they had already waited. What would you do if the answer to today's prayer came twenty-five years later? Not only did Abraham and Sarah have to wait, they had to continue to believe in God's honesty and integrity.  It's one thing to be hoping for a child when you're ready for retirement; it's an even greater test to wait patiently and faithfully for the Lord to move. This weekend's message looks at the example of Abraham's faith -- strong, courageous, unwavering…

I recently started reading Anne Lamott's book, "Plan B," a book that offers an insight into her personal spiritual journey.  Last night, I came across this line: "Things are not perfect because life is not TV." What a great line - and a great lesson. Since the 1950's, we've been raising generations who tune into the tube.  While the lineup has increased from three networks to unlimited cable and YouTube, the same temptation exists: to define reality as something other than it really is. Reality is not perfect, white teeth and unblemished skin. Reality is that the good guy (or girl) doesn't always win; in fact, it's hard to find on TV a really "good" guy or girl who represents sound Christian values or morals. Life is not TV.