Category: Messages

Keeping What is Ours

04/10/11 7:19 PM admin

Journey in the Word…

The history of the church is marked by traditions.  We often have traditions about the way we celebrate communion, practice baptism, take up an offering, dress for “church,” teach from the bible, encourage people to faith, etc., etc.  In the best senses of the term, “traditions” are positive things.  They are forms, routines or manners of behavior which are intended to preserve and emphasize things of worth and value.

However, sometimes traditions become so prominent in our thinking that they become unhelpful at best and destructive at worst.  Whereas their original purpose was to help us understand what it means to live a life of faith in Christ – they (the traditions) have become a focus of faith and confidence.  When that happens, we are led towards a soul-wearying life of bondage to dead religious rituals and value-empty routines.

That is just part of what we’ll consider today in our Journey in the Word as we think about Paul’s proclamation that in Christ alone we are given fullness of life and that He truly is all we need.

Blessings,

Will (for the pastors)

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Living in Deeply Connected Relationships

04/3/11 7:16 PM admin

Journey in the Word…

People who teach the Bible and seek to help others understand what it means to live like Christ often find themselves confronted with a dilemma.  The people they’re trying to help often have a real confidence in God.  They often want to please Him and obey his word.  But sometimes it is true that these same people are handicapped in their own growth in life because they have bought into ideas that on the surface sound Christian, but are in fact false.  So part of the challenge of helping others grow is debunking these “myths” about Christian life.

One of these myths goes like this: “If I have God, I don’t need people.  If I really depend on God, I don’t need to depend on others.  People disappoint us, people fail us, but God never fails us, so we should look to God and not to others to meet our needs.”

That may sound good, and as with most Christian myths there is a kernel of truth in it, but it’s a lie.  It is a boldfaced, community-damaging, life-crippling lie. Why? Come along for our Journey in the Word today and we’ll see why – together.

Hoping for your courage,

Will (for the pastors)

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Can We Really Trust the Bible?

01/30/11 8:15 PM admin

 We’re continung our sermon series today called “The Reason for God” which deals with popular objections that people have to the Christian faith. I don’t know if you’ve thought about it or not but if you try to share the Gospel with someone who has deeply seated objections to major tenets of the Christian faith your words are not likely to be listened to very carefully.

Actually, we have something in our culture that has been referred to as “defeater beliefs.” Deafeater beliefs are pressuppositions that, if held, make the Christian faith seem implausible. Therefore, an  important element of being an effective witness is overcoming defeater beliefs as you witness to someone. That is, you want to gently and yet convincingly show someone how their convictions (which are contrary to God’s revelation) may actually be flawed. 

Today our subject is, “Can we trust the Bible.” If someone said to you, “I don’t believe the bible?! You don’t actually believe that is God’s Word do you? It was just written by mere men who were trying to gain control over other people” how would you respond? Hopefully, today will give you some answers beyond, “Well, I do believe it’s God’s Word and that’s all there is to it.”     

By the way, Small Groups which officially began last week are following complimentary studies of the questions we’re partially answering on Sundays. Today is the last day for Small Group signup. Please take an opportunity to get connected with some other believers mid-week. It will give you the opportunity to give the gift of  real friendship to someone else.     

God gives His best to you and is incapable of anything less, 

Will (for the pastors)

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Not Good to Be Alone

01/16/11 10:43 AM admin

It is time for Small Groups to begin again – and what we’ll be thinking about today as we Journey in the Word is the significance of deep, rich, God-focusing relationships with other people. Actually, the reason we do Small Groups at PCC is not because they are just “a” way to study the bible but because Small Groups seem, as close as possible, to provide the types of opportunities for living life together with others that the bible describes as Jesus’ plan for those who follow Him as Lord.    

Small Groups meet three to four times each month, are normally two hours long and include times for Bible discussion and prayer, times to build caring relationships with others in the group and times of service to others (outreach).

Small Groups are not just another thing at PCC – they are the main opportunity for discipleship and care for every person who intends to be a serving, contributing partner of the PCC family. So today’s sermon is not just a “think about it deal” – it’s an invitation to come and join in . . .  

Love one another, (Jn 13:34)

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