Have you noticed that certain words suddenly become vogue in our vocabulary? When I first began to hear people use the word agency, I wasn’t quite sure I had a handle on the meaning of it. It’s a word that can be used in a corporate sense or government sense in that they have agencies to help people. However, I want to focus on individual agency, which is the capacity of people to act independently, make their own free choices, and shape their own lives despite social structures.

There are so many negative things happening in the world right now that if we are not careful, we can lose our sense of agency. …

Following Jesus isn't about adding more rules to our lives or trying harder to earn God's acceptance. In Colossians 2, Paul warns against empty philosophies, religious traditions, and human standards that can distract us from Christ. Through the cross, Jesus has already canceled our debt, defeated the powers against us, and secured our freedom. Religious practices may appear spiritual, but rules alone cannot transform the human heart. Instead of living in the shadows of empty religion, we're invited to build our lives on the reality of Jesus and grow deeper in our relationship with Him.

Sometimes, depending on how we are wired, we might mix up our standards with God’s standards. Let me give you an example. God’s standard in a nutshell is, love God with everything and love your neighbor as yourself. Of course that plays out in a number of ways throughout our life but at the end of the day that's God’s ultimate standard.

The greatest mystery of the Gospel isn't hidden knowledge—it's the incredible truth that Christ lives in every believer. In this message from Colossians 1:24–2:5, Pastor Steve reminds us that spiritual maturity comes from knowing Jesus more deeply, not from searching for something beyond Him. Paul encourages us to joyfully invest in helping others grow, remain rooted in Christ, and continue walking with Him every day. Rather than drifting toward false ideas, we're called to discover the endless riches already found in Jesus. When Christ is at the center of our lives, we have everything we need to grow and mature in our faith.

My typical morning routine goes something like this: coffee, read Scriptures, and pray. I also like to listen to worship music while I’m stretching out.
A while back I discovered a YouTube station with some really great morning worship. Many of the songs being played on this particular YouTube channel are new to me. Some songs are based on books from the Bible like James, the Psalms, and other books of the Bible. I’m amazed at how they can perfectly match the words of Scripture to some really catchy tunes. In fact, the production is so high quality it kind of blows my mind. Every note and every instrument is sung and played with absolute perfection. As the songs are playing, there are pictures of beautiful places but no pictures of people singing or playing instruments.

Who is Jesus, really? In The Supreme Life – Part 2, Pastor Steve explores Colossians 1:15–23 and shows why the answer to that question changes everything. Paul reveals four foundational truths about Christ: He is fully God, Creator of all things, Head of the Church, and our Redeemer. This message also warns against slowly drifting from our faith and encourages us to remain firmly rooted in the truth of the Gospel. When we recognize Jesus for who He truly is, it transforms the way we worship, trust, and follow Him.

In case you weren’t aware, the acronym FOMO stands for Fear Of Missing Out. I have to be honest, I struggle with FOMO. The problem is that there are so many streams of information coming at me from so many directions it makes me dizzy sometimes. To complicate things, I’m not sure if the information I’m getting is correct in the first place. There has never been a time like this in history, and I don’t think it’s helping us.

Following Jesus is a lifelong journey, and the goal is not simply to start well—but to finish well. Pastor Darrel Larson reminds us that faithful endurance comes from offering our everyday lives to God, resisting the pull of culture, and staying connected to the body of Christ. Rather than comparing ourselves to others, we're challenged to focus on our own spiritual growth and continue running the race with purpose. Most importantly, we're reminded never to let Satan define our past because Jesus has already redeemed it. By faithfully walking with Christ each day, we can finish the race with confidence and hope.

I’m not one to keep tabs on all the earthquakes or volcanoes or natural disasters happening around the world, but it seems to me, based on what I’m seeing and based on what’s being reported around the world, things of biblical proportions are happening.

Jesus gave many warnings about how things would look before his return. Earthquakes and various kinds of disasters were on that list, including an increase in wars, famines, pestilences (like a worldwide pandemic), and many other signs that we should be paying attention to.

Everyone is searching for a better life, but the Gospel offers something deeper than temporary happiness. In Colossians 1, Paul reminds us that the true Gospel continually bears fruit by shaping what we believe, how we live, and how we respond to God's grace. As our faith grows, it produces hope, love, wisdom, endurance, and gratitude. Most importantly, our transformed lives point others to the God who rescued and redeemed us. The Gospel doesn't simply save us—it continues to change us every day.

As a follower of Jesus and his teachings I think it’s important for us to understand what universalism is because I’ve known people who claimed to be followers of Jesus while at the same time holding universalist views. Generally speaking a universalist believes that all roads lead to God. Those roads could be through Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, or any number of religions besides Christianity.

Samson was known for his incredible strength, but his greatest battles weren't physical—they were spiritual. His life reveals how self-indulgence, bitterness, and carelessness can slowly weaken even the strongest person. Yet his story doesn't end in failure, because God's grace meets those who genuinely repent. Through Samson's life, we discover that true strength comes from self-control, forgiveness, and wholehearted commitment to God. No matter where you've been, God still offers the opportunity for a fresh start.

When the pandemic happened in 2020, the school we meet at was immediately closed down. Like many churches, we recorded our services in a studio, edited them, and played them at our regularly scheduled time on Sunday. It was a strange time for our family watching a prerecorded service but it was better than having no service at all.

When things began to open up we decided to live stream our services. Many people were not comfortable coming to church so having a live service was a real blessing to those choosing to stay home. We continued to live stream our services until last week.

Faith is often tested when life doesn't go according to plan. Abraham faced major change, delayed promises, impossible problems, and circumstances that simply didn't make sense. Through each test, he learned to trust God even when he couldn't see what was ahead. Faith doesn't mean having every answer or never struggling with doubt. It means trusting God's character enough to keep moving forward. Sometimes the greatest expression of faith is simply saying, "I believe; help me overcome my unbelief."

In 1972 Josh McDowell wrote a book called, Evidence That Demands a Verdict. It was basically a defense of the Bible and Christianity. It was the best apologetic work of that time and has been updated several times since it was published.

Many years ago I studied apologetics. It was one of the approaches I used when sharing my faith with people who claimed to be atheist or agnostic. To be honest I didn’t have much success with that approach. It usually turned into a war of words and a clashing of egos as to who had the best argument. I’m not saying Christians should never use apologetics to defend the faith but personally I didn’t have much luck with it.

Many people believe God only uses those who are exceptionally gifted or spiritually mature, but Noah's story tells a different story. In a world filled with corruption, Noah simply made himself available to God, chose to live differently, obeyed faithfully, and refused to give up. His life reminds us that God is not looking for perfection but for willing hearts. When we trust Him one step at a time, He can accomplish extraordinary things through ordinary people. The same God who used Noah still wants to use our lives today.

Have you ever heard of a trust fall? A trust fall is an activity where a person deliberately falls backward without bracing themselves, relying entirely on another person or group to catch them. When I was a youth pastor, we would invite students to volunteer for the trust fall to demonstrate what faith looks like. Some students could not bring themselves to trust the process. They looked back at the last second and braced themselves for the fall. The students who trusted the process usually walked away saying something like, “Wow, that was so cool.”

Last week we started a new sermon series called “The Art of Being Unordinary.” In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews there is a list of people who had unordinary faith. They chose to believe God against all odds when faced with enormous problems and what appeared to be insurmountable circumstances.

God created each of us to be original, yet the pressure to fit in can cause us to lose sight of who He made us to be. Moses faced his own identity crisis when he had to choose between the privileges of Egypt and identifying with God’s people. His life teaches us the importance of being ourselves, taking responsibility for our choices, and establishing values based on God’s Word. Moses chose God’s purpose over popularity, people over pleasure, and God’s peace over possessions. Even when the journey became difficult, he continued moving forward because he kept his eyes on God. His example challenges us to stop following the crowd and become the people God created us to be.

Through the years I’ve been asked if it’s necessary to go to church to be a Christian. Before I answer that question I think it’s important to bring some clarity about what a church is.

The majority of people, even many Christians, think of church as a place you go to on Sunday to worship the Lord. It’s unfortunate that our word for church has come to mean that because that’s not what church meant when it was used in the first century. In the original language of the New Testament the word for church was Ekklesia, which means an assembly or called out gathering of people, not a building. In other words the church is people, not a building. Not just any people, but the people of God who have committed themselves to following Jesus. What this means is that church is not a place you go to but rather an assembly you are a part of.

We conclude our journey through Mark by exploring the surprising nature of God's Kingdom. While the world pursues power, success, and recognition, Jesus invites us into a revolution marked by humility, sacrifice, and love. His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane demonstrates that God's greatest victories are often accomplished through surrender rather than force. This message challenges us to examine which kingdom shapes our daily choices and values. As followers of Christ, we're called to live differently, trusting the Holy Spirit to help us reflect the character of our King in every area of life.