As Americans the “pursuit of happiness” is something that is part of our cultural identity. We live in the greatest country in the world, with the greatest opportunities for success and happiness, and yet so many Americans are anything but happy. It almost seems as though the more our society gains materially the less happy we are. When our founding fathers used that term, “the pursuit of happiness”, I don’t think they believed happiness came from material things. No, they believed happiness was rooted in our individual autonomy and freedoms, given to us by God. And they were correct in that belief.
In our text this Sunday, as we continue through John 15, we will see the source of true and lasting joy is in direct proportion to our reliance upon Christ as our source for all we need. That need begins with Christ’s unique ability to deal with our sin problem through His sacrifice on the Cross. True and lasting joy can only be known through the new life we can have in Christ. But even Christians can experience unhappiness if we are not fully relying on Jesus as the source for all things. When Christians believe they need certain things from this material world in order to know joy or feel happy they instead will find disappointment that results in shame, sadness and depression. Join me this Sunday as we pursue unparalleled joy from our life in the vine.

This Sunday we will celebrate Communion – The Lord’s Table. Growing up my mother was insistent on proper table manners from her two very active boys; I’ll share a bit more about that on Sunday. My mother did this because she believed certain manners at the dinner table made for a better dining experience for everyone. Every culture has its own unique table manners, and those manners reveal what is important to those people. In 1 Corinthians 11 the Apostle Paul shares some table manners for coming to the Lord’s Table. How should we prepare ourselves? What is the purpose of the meal? How do we best participate in the meal? These table manners will make the Lord’s Table a better experience for everyone.

This Sunday we will also celebrate Believer’s Baptism with Ed Kohl’s baptism in the ocean after our Beach Church service. Join us as Ed publicly shares his faith in Christ through his obedience in baptism.

The story of Superman has intrigued us for generations. A man from a different world that seemed uninhibited by things that would kill most humans. He was super fast and could even fly. He was super strong and bullet proof. He had super hearing and could send lazer like rays out of his eyes. Superman was unstoppable, until he was stopped. We all know that when Superman was exposed to Kryptonite he became weaker than the average human. That word “kryptonite” has become synonymous with something that steals another person’s power.

Materialism can be a powerful force in a person’s life. Material things appeal to us as humans because we are very much a part of this material world. Material things can bring pleasure and even joy for a season. Many people find security in material things, and others take pride in all that they have been able to accumulate. The message of materialism is that it will meet all of your needs and provide the greatest fulfillment of life. Like Superman, it seems unstoppable, until it comes to an end. There’s no question that Jesus and the general teaching of the Bible warns against being materialistic. Is there a kryptonite for materialism? In this week’s text Jesus points us to the only thing that will stop the relentless pursuit of materialism – generosity!

I’m sharing this message in conjunction with our special offering “Debt No More in 2024.” God has been faithful to this church in not only meeting the needs of our congregation, but at the same time expanding the reach and influence of this ministry. This Sunday I am asking you to be generous for the sake of the gospel and the continued growth of our ministry. Giving sacrificially is a good spiritual exercise that not only supports the work of God, but to do a work in you by removing the desire for material things. Join me this Sunday as we explore Generosity, the Kryptonite for materialism.

As we celebrate Father’s Day this Sunday it is difficult to separate the role of a father and what it means to be a man. Historically, men have found a lot of their value and worth in physical strength and size. Men are typically bigger and stronger than women and in the ancient world at least, the bigger the man, greater would be his position in the society. In the book of 1 Samuel, King Saul is a good example of this. The Israelites wanted a king like other nations, so they chose Saul who just happened to be a full head taller than the average man in Israel at that time. Even in our modern time there is a bravado that is expected to come with male leadership in our society. Society looks to an authoritative kind of male leadership that has been successful in the military, the business world or the world of sports as the benchmark of leadership. Once again, scripture turns the societal norms on its head, projecting a kind of spiritual leadership that is counter cultural as it reflects and glorifies God.

The Bible definitely describes a unique role of male leadership for our homes, churches and communities. But if you are trying to understand that leadership through the lens of secular leadership, you will be disappointed. Scripture calls men that have first surrendered to God to be a leader after the pattern of how Jesus led. In addition to being our Creator and redeemer, Jesus is also the ultimate example of servant leadership: Jesus came not to be served, but to serve the needs of others. What our families, churches and communities need are leaders that will follow the example of Jesus and be loving leaders to those God has called them to serve. Join me this Sunday as we take a fresh look, and for some of you, a completely new look at what God has called men to do and to be as husbands, fathers, and members of society.

Finding the correct motivation to do something is an essential key to success in that endeavor. Students attending college only because their parents want them to be there usually will not do as well academically as those that are there because they want to learn that specific discipline. On sports teams, a good coach will give their team motivation to execute their position well and help the team win the game. This week was the anniversary of D-Day in France, where soldiers were motivated to fight in order to not only save their lives but preserve freedom for future generations. The same is true in the church. If the church is lacking motivation or has the wrong motivation, they will become stagnant, stop growing and eventually die.

In Matthew 22:34-40, Jesus makes a statement that identifies with great simplicity what should motivate a church in our mission. In a word: LOVE! The Beatles had it right when they recorded the hit song “All You Need is Love.” My wife Sue says people will do things out of either fear or love. Being motivated by fear is never a good thing so love is the motivation we need. Jesus was specific that the Church is to first love God, and then love our neighbors as ourselves. When we join the mission of God, motivated out of love for God, we will develop a compelling love for other people. And with the correct motivation, mission becomes a delightful thing to do. Join me this Sunday as we explore the reason for mission.

Sunday I will be preaching from Matthew 28:16-20; The Great Commission. In this sermon series titled – “Mission: God’s Purpose for the Church,” we are working our way through various passages related to mission, and there is none that is more familiar or used more than Matthew 28. When it comes to this passage and mission, many people focus on the word “GO” . . . that you have to go to some place in order to participate in mission. Go is not the primary action of the text. The great commission given to the church by Jesus in Matthew 28 is to “make disciples of all nations.” Do you see the word “mission” in the word “commission”? What Jesus has commissioned us to do is the mission of making disciples of all nations.

There are a lot of things a church does. Churches are known for our programs, ministries, services, campaigns and all the volunteers it takes to do all of those things. But at the end of the day, there is really only one thing the church is commissioned by Christ to do: Make Disciples. I would go so far to say that if any of the other things we are doing as a church are not participating in the mission of making disciples of all nations, there is really no point in doing it. When the church added the title “The Great Commission” to Matthew 28:19-20 we could assume it was called great because all the nations of the earth are great in number. But that is not why it is great. Great is the mission because there is no greater purpose to your life than to be part of making disciples of all the nations. You may have done greatly in your profession, or with your finances. You may have great family members and friends. But nothing will bring a greater sense of purpose to your life than participating in making disciples. Join me this Sunday for a fresh look at Matthew 28 – Great is the Mission.

This weekend our nation celebrates Memorial Day as a time to remember and honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom. If the intent were simply to honor the dead, then a one-time event would have sufficed. But our nation has chosen to honor every year those that died for a deeper reason. The circumstances that necessitated our nation entering into war at times in our history were so important that we were willing to place the lives of our citizens at risk of death for the defense of what our nation values. People in general are forgetful, so we have Memorial Day in order that current and future generations will remember the horrors of war and the great sacrifice that was paid for our freedom.
As we recognize Memorial Day this weekend at our services, we will look at Joshua 4 where the Israelites placed memorial stones, taken from the bottom of the Jordan river, to help future generations remember the amazing thing God did when He parted the waters of the Jordan and they walked across on dry ground. A challenge every society faces is the ability to pass on to the next generation the values of past generations. In Joshua 4 we will see principles of establishing memorial stones in our lives that give us the opportunity to talk with younger generations about the things that we value. For us Americans who are also Christians, it is important that we establish memorial stones that speak to the shared values we have. Values that are based first on our relationship with God and then how that relationship with God has shaped the values we have as a country. Join me this Sunday as we see the importance of having memorial stones.

Throughout our marriage, Sue and I have lived about a third of that time in fairly rural, farming areas. There are two things I came to understand about farmers: 1) once the seed has been planted they always want you to pray for rain and 2) they want you to pray for no rain when the crop is ready for harvest. When harvest time came there was excitement and pressure to get the crop harvested. And it was all hands on deck! Everyone associated with the farm was expected to play a role in the harvest from the farm hands to the wife and children, and yes, sometimes the local preacher. Harvest time is a window of opportunity when the crop is ready to be harvested that can’t be missed or great loss will result.
When Jesus was on earth he spent most of his ministry doing three things: teaching, proclaiming the gospel, and healing people.(Matthew 9) And people responded to his ministry by trusting Him as their savior. This was Jesus gathering the harvest of His kingdom and he called His disciples to pray for more laborers in the harvest. What’s interesting is the ones Jesus called to pray were the same ones he sent out as part of the harvest. Harvest time in the mission of Jesus is the opportunity to go into the world to gather those that God has called to himself. And it is all hands on deck! Everyone associated with the Kingdom of Christ is expected to play a role in the harvest because if the opportunity to harvest is missed, it will result in great loss. We live in a time when the harvest is plentiful and Christ calls us to pray for laborers to go into the harvest. Join me this Sunday as we continue our series on Mission by considering specifically the Mission of Jesus.

“I couldn’t see the forest for the trees!” 

“Right under your nose.” 

“Hidden in plain sight.”

These are all terms we use to describe a condition known as Inattentional Blindness, or perceptual blindness; a psychological lack of attention that is not associated with any vision defects or deficits.  I’m sure we can all relate to this condition because of being inflicted with it ourselves or living with someone that has this. 

Sunday is Resurrection Day when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ and all that is accomplished by it! Easter is the high point of the Christian calendar and should always be a meaningful day for us as followers of Christ. In our text this Sunday, Luke 24:13-35, we meet two disciples that are afflicted with the above mentioned condition. They were with Jesus, but were not able to recognize him. Jesus was hidden to them in plain sight. 

We may be able to reason and even understand this is a condition people deal with today because Jesus is not walking alongside us as he was for the disciples on the Emmaus Road that day. But it wasn’t the physical presence of Jesus that led them to see the resurrected Christ. It wasn’t the nail prints in His hands or the scars from being tortured. No, it was something totally unexpected. They didn’t see the resurrected Christ until they sat at a table with Him where Jesus broke bread with them. The breaking of the bread took them back to the day Jesus fed the 5000 and showed He could meet their deepest needs. Jesus reminded them that He came to have a relationship with them, and in that relationship He would meet their every need for time and eternity. So it is for people today. People come to see the resurrected Christ not because of some compelling argument or physical evidence. They see the resurrected Christ when they discover what it means to have a relationship with Him, and that relationship becomes the basis of meeting every need of the human heart for time and eternity. Join us this Sunday and see the resurrected Christ.

The Small Group Sue and I belong to has just completed a study based on Tim Keller’s book “The Reason for God.” It’s an excellent study for your small group if you want to know how to address some of the objections society has against Christianity. One of the sessions addressed the question “How can you say there is only one way to God? What about other world religions?” In the course of discussion our group leader, Art Paschal took us to John 14:6 where Jesus states “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” And that is my text for this Sunday. Jesus is Exclusively and Entirely the only way to come to the Father.
In response to the question, “how can Christianity say there is only one way to God?” it needs to be acknowledged that all religions are exclusive in the claims they make. All religions believe they are right and other religions are wrong. The question people need to decide is which one will I believe – where will I place my faith for my eternal soul?
Christianity is different from other world religions in that the way to God is not through the religion itself, or by obeying a set of rules, or by our own good works, or by some act of fate. Christianity says the way to God is Exclusively and Entirely through Jesus! That is the claim Jesus makes in John 14 and it is the foundation upon which the church is built. Some people think you just need to add a little Jesus to your already good life, but that is not the claim of Christianity. The true gospel is more than just a little Jesus, it’s Exclusively and Entirely Jesus!