We live in a time where ministry has become very challenging as there are those within the local churches fighting for tradition, religion, and many have good intentions that just aren't fruitful. But as Christians and a church we have been commissioned by Jesus to proclaim his resurrection and continue to make disciples. This means that when there's a collision between mission and tradition, and religion, as well as good intentions, we have to return purely to the Great Commission.

We have been speaking to cultural issues the last couple weeks. This week we will speak to the fact that it's okay to have Jesus and a therapist. Some might say that "All I need is Jesus." But we want to encourage people that they need the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They also need the body of Christ, and gifted people to help mentor them, as well as wise people to help with the needs and cares of life. The church has made some mistakes in making mental health issues something we shouldn't talk about. Mental health is a real issue and Christ, his Church and good counselors are available to help.

In what we would call "recent years" we have seen a rise in "deathworks." A "deathwork" is something that radically rejects what is sacred and tramples upon it, rendering it repulsive and vile. An example of this is abortion. It takes life which is sacred and makes it a right to kill life and celebrates the very act. Another example of this is found in the rise of pornography. It takes the sacredness of purity, marriage, and sex, and perverts it into lust and promotes casual sex while objectifying the participants and ultimately desecrating what is holy.

Stockholm Syndrome happens when a person may have positive feelings toward their hostage-taker. Spiritual Stockholm Syndrome is very similar in that people have positive feelings toward their old life in the enemy's camp. The Israelites often recalled living as slaves in Egypt as a positive thing in contrast to their new freedom with God. Today we will learn to not go back.

Join us for a message from Pastor Mary Schmidt.

We have completed our series on the life of Jesus with celebrating the fact that Christ is alive and in last week's sermon we dealt with the evidence and that Christ invited us into his life. This week we will deal with some extra biblical evidence for the resurrection and the Shroud of Turin, and also emphasize eternal life and evangelism.

It's Resurrection Sunday and we have arrived at the final message in our series, "The Life of Jesus". In today's message, we will talk about the very fact that Jesus is ALIVE and there is much evidence for the resurrection, or as Luke says, "He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs." And we are to believe and join him in the life he lives.

It's Palm Sunday, yet in our series Jesus has already arrived in Jerusalem. The people welcomed him and shouted "hosanna". He would  cleanse the temple and teach there daily. Jesus institutes the Lord's  Supper. He is betrayed, arrested, denied, mocked, and led through an  illegal trial. Even Pontius Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent.  Pilate had Jesus scourged and wanted to release him, but the people wanted Barabbas (a known criminal). In this we see a portrait of what  Christ came to do. He took our place. The innocent died so the guilty can go free.

Join us this week for a sermon from Pastor Mike.

Jesus is in Jerusalem. The chief priests and scribes were plotting to have him killed and Judas approached them with the opportunity they needed. Though the Last Supper was a wonderful and intimate time with the disciples, everything is about to change. Jesus will be betrayed, arrested, denied, and mocked. As the prophet Isaiah wrote, "He was despised and rejected by men..." And the truth is that all those who choose to follow him will also experience similar things in this world.