The book of James is a study in the fact that faith works. This has a two-fold meaning: faith acts and faith is effective. Genuine faith results in good works, and genuine faith gives us stability in times of trouble. This letter has been called the Proverbs of the New Testament. More than half of the statements in […]

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The Ascension of Jesus Christ sometimes fades into the shadow of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. But it is no less important. Jesus physically ascended into heaven. Why is that important to us today?   In part one of this two-part message, Pastor Mike uses Mark 16:9-20 and Acts 1:6-11 to show us that the ascended Lord […]

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The Ascension of Jesus Christ sometimes fades into the shadow of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. But it is no less important. Jesus physically ascended into heaven. Why is that important to us today?   In part two of this two-part message, Pastor Mike uses Acts 1:6-11 and Hebrews 4:1-4 to show us that the ascended […]

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Mr. Hooper, one of the first human characters on Sesame Street- The actor that played him, Will Lee, passed away in 1982 and Sesame Street faced a dilemma in dealing with the loss of the character. They decided to be direct and say that Mr. Hooper died. Big Bird had drawn a portrait of him […]

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In Chicago in 1910, Thomas Jennings became the first man to be convicted of a crime on the basis of fingerprint evidence.  Since then, the practice of gathering fingerprints at a crime scene has become commonplace, and the science of forensics has increased exponentially. In this message, Pastor Mike revisits the scene of the crucifixion […]

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The right to a fair trial is considered a basic human right. But legal experts who have taken the time to examine the trial of Jesus as recorded in the gospels would agree that Jesus did not receive a fair trial. He was falsely accused. There was a lack of evidence and a lack of […]

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Most of us are familiar with the phrase, “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” But victory is often preceded by the agony of preparation and anticipation. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus experienced extreme agony as he prepared to face the trial that was before him.  The anticipation of being crushed and […]

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In John 13:1-20, Jesus performed an act that only the lowest of servants would be required to do – He washed the feet of His disciples. In the middle of the Passover meal He took the time to teach His disciples an important lesson.  He had told them that the Son of Man hadn’t come to be served […]

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In this sermon series, titled Final Hours, Pastor Mike looks at the 94 hours from the Last Supper to Resurrection Sunday. The first message in the series takes a closer look at the Last Supper as recorded in Mark 14:12-25.  This last Passover meal Jesus shared with his disciples reveals Careful Preparation, Self-examination, a Powerful Representation, […]

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The ancient city of Laodicea was a prosperous city. It was known for its banking, textiles, and medical school. But for all its wealth, it lacked a local supply of drinking water. Aqueducts carried water from nearby hot springs and cold springs. By the time the water reached Laodicea, however, it lacked the healing nature […]

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