The Apostle Paul writes these words in Philippians 2:4: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” This command, as it sits in Philippians, is drenched in the almost palpable affection that Paul has for the church at Philippi. Based on the rest of the letter, this command is almost rhetorical–Paul knows that they’ll look to the interests of others,…

John Piper sums it up well when he says, “the realities of God and Christ, creation and salvation, heaven and hell are so great that when they are known truly and felt duly, they demand more than discussion and analysis and description; they demand poetry and song and music. Singing is the Christian’s way of saying: God is so great that thinking will not suffice, there must be deep feeling; and ta…

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”—Jesus, Sermon on the Mount   “Most of us treat ourselves badly. Intensely critical of our failings, we punish ourselves…; [m]ourning seems to be the last thing we come to. After we have worried, beaten ourselves up, heaped high inner abuse and kicked ourselves… what is left? Sadness is the appropriate response to looking our poor, mi…

On the evening of April 01, your Elders gathered eagerly in order to exercise their vows to govern and shepherd the church, according to the BCO and our gospel-driven mission. The significance of our time spent praying for members, visitors, and special needs, can never be overstated. Another high priority is discussing our initiatives to foster worship, discipleship, and mutual helps among the bo…

Retreats, both longer (like RYM) and shorter (like ROOTs), are really useful in the lives of students. I’ll confess that as a young youth director, I was deeply skeptical of both varieties. In my experience, they frequently played on emotions and created unsustainable expectations about the content of the Christian life once a student was back in their house, school, and otherwise ordinary life. …

Open the prisons and ring out the bells! Join the ransomed and free in celebration for what He has done. Jesus, the Christ, sets you free! Jesus has set you free!  Amen!!!   It’s almost Easter!  I love this time of year! Spring is here, the days are brighter and longer, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing. God’s glory is never more visible than in Springtime for us here on earth!…

Three gospels, while recounting the narrative of Jesus being led to his crucifixion, tell us that the soldiers compelled an unfortunate traveler named Simon to follow Jesus while carrying the cross on which he was to be nailed. Simon’s inclusion in the story only occurs in three verses, one in each gospel, but it presents us a vivid picture of discipleship. Jesus had already spoken it this way: “I…

From Rick:   On March 04, your Elders gathered jointly with the Deacons in order to exercise our unity and vows in governing and serving Christ’s church, in accordance to the BCO and our gospel-driven mission.  One critical turning point in the life of our church was having our new Administrative Director, Jesse Pawley, help us shift gears in more effective use of technology for information,…