Garbology and God
Pastor Doug Dent
“Do not fear,” says God through the prophet Isaiah. “I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (43:1). With the help of God, we are never destined for the trash heap, no matter how messy our lives become. We recycle ourselves by seeking justice, practicing generosity, being changed by prayer, […]
No Faking It with God
Pastor Doug Dent
Jesus, on the other hand, wanted people to be treated fairly, in courts of law and everywhere else. Jesus worshiped God instead of money, and Jesus focused his ministry on healing, helping, and feeding the most vulnerable people around him. Honesty and justice mattered to Jesus, and he practiced these virtues in everything he said […]
So We May All Be One
Pastor Doug Dent
As Christians, we are united with one another by an even stronger bond. It is easy to forget, but the church is made up of people who have the most important thing in common: the forgiveness of sins and our love for Jesus Christ. Because of the work God has done in all our lives, […]
World-Changing Flights
Pastor Doug Dent
God’s flight over Egypt led to the flight of the people through the Red Sea. Together, these flights led to the liberation of the people from captivity. The people were ready for this trip, because God gave them instructions for how to eat the first Passover meal. “This is how you shall eat it,” said […]
Windcatcher
Pastor Doug Dent
We need to gather in numbers to be the church. Jesus is with us when we are together in community, just as he promised us in Matthew, saying, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (18:20). Assembling for community worship and Bible study gives us the most […]
Not Abandon, but Advancing
Pastor Doug Dent
Although it may appear that Jesus abandons earth at his ascension, nothing could be further from the truth. He leaves the earth not to escape it but to rule over it. Eastern Orthodox Christians capture this spiritual reality in their paintings and mosaics of “Christ Pantocrator” (Greek, “all-powerful”). Christ Pantocrator typically inhabits the domed ceiling […]
Jesus Is Not a Quiet Quitter
Pastor Doug Dent
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus uses an unexpected image to reveal his powerful love for his people. Speaking to the city of Jerusalem during the last week of his earthly ministry, Jesus says, “how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you […]
Well-Known Christians
Pastor Doug Dent
When we gather as God’s people, and we delve deeply into God’s Word and “our hearts burn within us,” and we break bread together and our eyes are opened, we recognize Jesus. But how much more astonishing and remarkable and transforming it is to know that when we love the people Jesus loves, then we […]
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