After having a missions service the previous week, Pastor Mark challenges us this week to

When people hear the word 'Christian,' what comes to their minds? Do they think of a certain type of building, cross shaped jewelry, angry preachers waving their bibles, or people who condemn everyone else's sin? Every Christian has the responsibility to display the character traits of real followers of Jesus. In today's text we look at four of these traits that Christians should be known for.

In Matthew 13:24-52, Jesus continued to teach in parables as he revealed to his disciples the Secrets of the Kingdom. What were these secrets? In what sense was this “new truth” for his disciples? What are the lessons for the church and kingdom workers today?

This is the second of two messages from Philippians 3. In this message (The Road Ahead) we follow Paul as he describes the journey forward from his Damascus Road experience. That day, he gave up his confidence in his own efforts and performance and entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ. But was that the end of the story? Find out in this message!

In this message (He Spoke to Them in Parables) from Matthew 13:1-23, we study the Parable of the Sower, one of Jesus’ most famous parables, and wrestle with several key questions. Why did Jesus use parables? How does the context of Matthew 12 help us understand this dramatic new development in Jesus’ ministry? How did this parable help Jesus’ followers know what to expect in the development of God’s kingdom? How does it help us as we engage in kingdom work? And then a probing question for self-evaluation �

This message (Sitting in the Right Chair) is the first of two messages from Philippians 3. If you were sitting in a waiting room between heaven and hell - and you were asked, “Why should you be allowed to enter heaven?” how would you answer? All answers ultimately fall into one of two categories. We are all sitting in one of two chairs. Which one are you sitting in?

In a person's life, skills and experience are important ... but the heart is of paramount importance. Scripture reveals that the heart is the center and seat of the spiritual life. If we fail to cultivate and guard our hearts we are in danger of ruin and we may not fully enter into all the God would have for our lives. In this message, Pastor Mark helps us to see how important the heart (character) is in the Bible and, 1) What it means to guard the heart, 2) Why you should guard your heart, and 3) How you should guard your heart.

Show me your checkbook, and I will show you your priorities. What you spend your money on can reveal a lot about what you love and what matters most to you. Too often as Christians we avoid the topic of how God would have us spend our money because we are afraid we might have to modify our priorities. In Luke 16, Jesus taught that you cannot serve both God and money, but you must serve God with your money.

Matthew wrote his gospel with a Jewish audience in mind. He was particularly interested in tracing the reaction of the Jewish leaders and the nation to Jesus’ Messianic claims. In Matthew 12, Jesus makes some dramatic claims. In this sermon entitled Something Greater... we explore those claims and the Jews’ response to them. As we do so, we are challenged to examine our own reaction to the claims of the Messiah.

Have you ever lost something important? You anxiously search for the thing while it is lost. But if you find it, your anxiety turns to joy. In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables that illustrate the intense joy of God when people lost in sin are found by faith in Jesus. God's pursuit of the lost and joy when they are found have profound implications for us as Christians that we cannot ignore.