Following the life of Joseph is an extraordinary journey of seeing a life that exemplifies our Christ’s command. The command is found at the conclusion of the vineyard illustration given by Jesus in Matthew 20:16: Matthew 20:16“So the last will be first, and the first last.” Now aside from church members using this in frequency at a potluck meal, the idea is pretty simple. Pursue a path of humility and service while entrusting God to reward you in glory. We should all live ou

We have been in a sermon series called: Present Suffering Future Glory. We spent three weeks discussing a theology of suffering and how God uses suffering to conform us more and more to Christ. The past three weeks we looked at a theology of heaven. Much of that time has been trying to keep a forward glace at the life to come with Christ forever. Heaven seems so distant a thought to some, while ever present in the mind of others. Personally, heaven barely crept into my mind i

"It’s not about me…" This is the resounding thought in my mind when I study and deliver the Word of God. To do so, I actively avoid inserting my life, actions, or family (they are thankful for this) into illustrations. But on occasion, I come to an impasse where my experiences and the text collide. A few Sundays ago, in the text of 1 Peter 2, I shared my experiences on trying to suffer well under unjust accusations. For those that missed the illustration, I’ll recount it here

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for June 7, 2026: Present Faith Exodus 14

Many days, I sit in my office chair listening to the story of another, asking questions to elicit meaning and offering strategies with deep concern for my client’s wellbeing. There’s a heaviness in the room as they express the hurt and pain this world has offered them. There’s no question that suffering exists, and we try our best to come up with effective strategies to help us cope with the continuum of mild symptoms all the way to tragedy. And yet, as I sit there, I know co

After grumbling in my spirit over our ridiculously full social schedule for this first week of December, I felt like a total hypocrite. I had just done a podcast with a friend the day before, encouraging families in our church to keep their celebrations Christ-focused and to streamline their calendars and plans when necessary in order to honor Christ in every detail of this busy season. To be honest, it’s a fight. No matter what season of life we are in, keeping our celebrati

As a worship pastor, it is a great desire for me to see our congregation grow and flourish as Christ leads His church. If we want to see passionate worship in the hearts and lives of our people, we must first be growing daily in our walk with the Lord. “Spiritual growth” is a phrase that can be used a lot and, to be honest, is very vague. I would guess that it is something we all would want but might not know how to do. I hope to give and explain three things needed for every

Following my recent post on speaking boldly, Pastor John asked if I could extend the conversation into a two-part series, this time...

When you hear the phrase “godly example,” someone’s name probably comes to mind. Maybe it’s a mentor, a pastor, a parent, or a faithful...

How does one really get to the point where they see death as gain as Paul did? Much of our culture works hard at delaying death or even...

Have you ever wondered why we pray, especially since ( not if ) God is sovereign. First, let’s explain what God being sovereign...

The past nine weeks, I’ve had the chance to preach through Ruth. Just a short four chapters, it would be easy to overlook this book in...

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for February 9, 2025: Love Story Ruth 3:1-5

Is our worship merely a task to complete week to week, or a response to a God who is revealing Himself to us and who desires to walk with...

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for January 26, 2025: Love Story Ruth 2:1-13

Who do you worship? Is the God you worship real or not? Check out the Worship Devotional this week from Pastor Jonathan: "The Real God."...

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for January 12, 2025: Love Story Ruth 1:1-14

In his most recent sermon series, Pastor John charged the congregation with the goal of cultivating a deep knowledge and understanding of...

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for September 29, 2024: Raising Arrows Proverbs 17:1-3

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for July 14, 2024: Summer in the Psalms Psalm 23