Weekly Bulletin

Various traditions describe the holy grail as an object with miraculous healing power, sometimes providing eternal youth or sustenance in infinite abundance. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the holy grail as any elusive object or goal of great significance may be perceived as a “holy grail” by those seeking such. The search for this object throughout…

This past Saturday, Jeanean and I were having a conversation about social media andhow sometimes those replying to other people’s posts are a bit harsh. As Christfollowers, we should be gracious with our words, using the opportunity for Christ’skindness to shine through, especially in a public or even virtually public setting, so thatothers might see…

We must practice Spiritual disciplines to be like Christ. 1 Peter 1:14-16 (ESV) As obedientchildren, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who calledyou is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I amholy.”Jesus implies that we…

This is perhaps an odd pivot from the downhome title of this blog, but I’d like to talk a little bit about a Catholic saint, Francis de Sales. He lived during the tumultuous time of the Protestant Reformation, which feels relevant already, but his spiritual formation is what is of interest for me. When he…

Submitting to God’s will and living our lives accordingly, which in turn produces the fruits of the Spirit, is the life that God intends for us.  Pastor Mark kicked off our next eight weeks of study around the fruits of the Spirit noted in Galatians 5:22-23 this past Sunday, using the fruit of patience as…

These are two words that do not seem to go together AT ALL. In this election year, many of us rather feel more like Habakkuk: “How long, Lord, must I call for help,    but you do not listen?Or cry out to you, “Violence!”    but you do not save? Why do you make me…

Living with joy should be a discipline we seek to employ in our everyday lives, just as is praying and meditating on Scripture.  God has enabled us, through Christ, to live this way.  In Nehemiah 8:10 the prophet says the joy of the Lord is our strength.  In his book, The Life You’ve Always Wanted,…

There is sometimes confusion in Christian circles when we talk about “fruit.” You may hear the term applied to pastors whose churches are growing. People may say that they are bearing “fruit.” But Galatians 5:22 makes it clear that the fruits we are to bear are of the Spirit, and that they are love, joy,…

From his psychological clinical practice of over twenty years, Larry Crabb, the author of the book Inside Out, found that people live their lives in an attempt to satisfy basic longings, which he sorts into three categories, which are (1) making/spending money/achievements, (2) relationships, and (3) God.  If we are living our lives the way…

Joy…as Pastor Lawrence reminded us Sunday, it is not circumstantial, but from the Lord. And Paul exhorts us in the imperative to “rejoice” multiple times throughout the New Testament. It is something we know we should do, and have, but how to actually obtain it? As per usual, I find a quote from C.S. Lewis…