Hopeccdelco

You cannot force someone who has hurt you to join you in the pursuit of relational reconciliation. However, you can make certain that you have done everything in your power to make things right.

Some Christians believe that it is enough to simply forgive someone “in your heart.” Jesus challenges us to go beyond heart-level forgiveness and initiate actual reconciliation.

On the road to repairing a damaged relationship, the first step is forgiveness.

This Christmas, experience the gift of the presence of Jesus in your life.

It may not seem like it, but there’s actually a big difference between a gift and a reward. The gift that Jesus offers to us is far better than any reward we could earn.

Sometimes we shy away from praying over certain issues because we are afraid that God won't answer our prayers. However, we do not need to be afraid! We just have to present our requests to God and allow Him to answer our prayers as He sees fit.

The discipline of prayer is essential in the life of a believer. Fortunately, Jesus provides us with a map for how to pray.

How should Jesus followers manage money? How should we prioritize our spending and investing?

The local church should be giving to the community, not the other way around.

In times when our finances are strained, it's helpful to take a step back, gain some perspective, and choose to be thankful for however much, or however little, we have.

According to the Barna Group and Christianity Today, about 1/3 of Christians in the United States left their local church during the pandemic. Our church has not been the exception to that unfortunate statistic. In response to this departure, a few heartbroken and bewildered members of our church have asked me the question: Why would a member of our church family leave? As we conclude The Truth About Church series, I will attempt to answer that difficult question.

Over the past 10 years, my ability to preach, or lack thereof, has been a regular source of criticism among Christians, with some going so far as to accuse me of “UnBiblical preaching.” The accusation is understandable, considering that Christians are prone to identifying the style of preaching that they prefer as being “Biblical.” In this message we will explore how Biblical preaching has been defined and I will reveal the secrets behind my approach to preaching.

Jesus’ most well-known teachings all revolve around love. Jesus commands His followers to love one another, love our neighbors and love our enemies. Our love must contain two essential components in order to be complete. As a local church, if either of those components is lacking, our ability to truly love others becomes compromised and our church devolves into nothing more than a club for likeminded Christians

There are plenty of Christians who would disagree, but I believe the only reason the Church exists is to serve one purpose: to give God what He wants. So, what is it that God wants more than anything else, and how much are we Christians willing to sacrifice to give it to Him?

It is an absolute given, that when you endeavor to do anything good in this world, especially in the name of Jesus, you will face opposition. Over the past 10 years of pastoring a church plant, opposition has been a constant, and the source of that opposition may surprise you.

Growing up as a Christian, I was taught that there is no such thing as a perfect church. Having been a visitor, a member, and a pastor at multiple churches, I can state without question that I have never encountered a perfect church. But what is it that prevents us, as a local church, from being perfect? If not perfect, is there anything we can do to get us closer to the goal of becoming the ideal church?

At one point or another we all experience some kind of adversity in life. How should we respond? When we lean on the lord, we can weather any storm.

How do we practice hospitality and show love to others? The Bible provides us with the roadmap.

Human relationships inevitably break, fail, and end, but God does not leave his people abandoned. God has a plan to restore those who are alone to a place of belonging.

God's path towards purpose.