Please, Come Visit!
Pastor Doug Dent
Today is the first Sunday of Advent. We are preparing for God to visit once again. We know there is going to be a reopening. “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel which means, ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23). We know that God did, indeed, tear […]
Recognizing Jesus
Pastor Doug Dent
When we serve children, guests, and the poor, we are really serving Jesus. When we welcome strangers, feed the hungry and care for the sick, we are really helping Jesus. The good news for today is that vulnerable people give us a chance to identify Jesus, alive and well in the world today. We can […]
Servant Eyes
Pastor Doug Dent
Our congregation’s plan for 2021 is Preach, Teach, and Reach. We will preach Christ crucified and raised for the forgiveness of sins and the promise of new and better life now and in the future. We will teach the Word of God, which says that all God’s people are equally precious. We will reach out […]
The Power of the Hidden Influencer
Pastor Doug Dent
Some of us might conclude that we do not affect the church much at all, and that is fine, if we are correct. Not everybody is an influencer. But others of us may realize that our impact is indeed outsized, which can be a good thing. We might even consider it a spiritual gift. Among […]
The Cooperation Imperative
Pastor Doug Dent
The challenge for churches today is to be solid at the center and soft at the edges. We must be solidly devoted to the worship of the One Triune God: Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit. At the same time, we must be soft at the edges, willing to collaborate with all people to serve a […]
The Greatest Tweet
Pastor Doug Dent
When Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God. You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” he is not just tweeting. No, he is giving us the center of who he is, and he is backing it up with his own life. Jesus went to the cross filled with love; he loved the Lord […]
Leveraging Our Assets
Pastor Doug Dent
The American church typically describes good stewardship as taking care of facilities, properly accounting for income and expenses, and clearly communicating with members and donors. Those things are all well and good. But going forward, our understanding of good stewardship should also include the biblical expectation of knowing what to do with the assets entrusted […]
The Permission Givers
Pastor Doug Dent
God’s grace is not a gussied-up version of the “God knows I’m weak, and God will excuse me for being human” rationalization. Make no mistake, God will hold us accountable for our sins. God must uphold God’s justice if God is to be trusted. Rather, grace is the assurance that our salvation is not dependent […]
Generations Together
Pastor Doug Dent
The church is like an extended family, with many generations worshiping and working together toward a common goal. The fifth commandment provides a way to tap into the resources of the extended family, even if we do not live under the same roof: Honor one another. Value one another. Take one another seriously. Do not take each […]
Time-out or Time-in?
Pastor Doug Dent
The Bible says we should give thanks in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18). God did not cause the roof to leak; give God thanks that you have a house on which a roof can sit. God did not give you cancer; give God thanks for the skillful and compassionate care of oncologists and nurses. God did not […]
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