Run, Mary, Run!
Pastor Doug Dent
Mary crosses the finish line strong, as the very first apostle. Although she struggled at mile 20, she flies past mile 26.2, carrying the message that she saw the risen Jesus. Easter is an invitation to all Christians, both men and women, to run together. We are people equally recognized by Jesus, and equally sent […]
The Towel of Jesus
Pastor Doug Dent
True Disciples of Jesus are those who bear the True Likeness of Christ. We are true image bearers when we bring good news to the oppressed, bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim release to the captive (Luke 4:18-19). We are true image bearers when we give the hungry food, give drink to the thirsty, visit […]
The Great Divestiture
Pastor Doug Dent
On Palm Sunday, we remember how Jesus rode into Jerusalem, acclaimed by the crowds as the promised Messiah who would free them from oppression. We remember, too, how quickly the crowd turned on Jesus, completely misinterpreting and condemning him for his mission of service. Paul reminds us, however, that a life devoted to serving others […]
Always a New Day
Pastor Doug Dent
Our future is filled with promises: the promise of faith; the promise that God is not finished with us yet; the promise that one day all that is now blurry will become clear; the promise of new and eternal life in Jesus Christ. We hear those promises and believe them to be true, which is […]
The Embassy of Heaven
Pastor Doug Dent
Reflecting on this passage, Bible scholar N. T. Wright writes: “The world has never before seen a ministry of reconciliation; it has never before heard a message of reconciliation. No wonder the Corinthians found Paul’s work hard to fathom. It didn’t fit any preconceived ideas they may have had. He was behaving like someone who […]
Your Future Self
The ministry of Jesus reminds us that if we put too much focus on our current self, we short-change ourselves and our church. When we put our future self in charge, focusing on crucifixion and resurrection, we can love one another with sacrificial love and experience new and liberating life. In this season of Lent, […]
Welcome to Church
Pastor Doug Dent
Do you remember the first time you walked through the church door? For some of you, this has been your church family since you were born. Others of you came to our congregation more recently. It makes no difference when you started, you found welcome here. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have stayed! This is […]
Such an Imposition
Pastor Doug Dent
Ash Wednesday is all about impositions. In a few minutes we will impose ashes on our foreheads to remind us that we are “ashes and dust,” mortals whose life is finite, human creatures of a sovereign God. Smearing ourselves with ash is not something we typically choose to do, so the church imposes them upon […]
Lifting the Veil
Pastor Doug Dent
It is in the context of this new, unveiled reality that we do our ministry as disciples of Jesus Christ. Paul writes, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond […]
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