If our hearts can deceive us and the world can mislead us, certainly the church is a good source of truth. Well…maybe. Since the hearts of church leaders can be deceived and many people can follow their teaching, God wants us to be people who cling to his Word, respectfully listening and diligently testing those who claim to speak the truth. John urged and the Bereans modeled this Word-first search for truth.

Jesus, the prophets, and the apostles warned us about looking within ourselves for truth. So, should we look out to our friends, family, and culture? Jesus’ friend John would stiffen up at that assertion. John knew the world is often filled with an immoral majority. In this message, John warns us about what is popular in the world and turns us back to what is preferable to God.

If one message has been repeated to this generation, it is “Be true to yourself.” Since churches, religions, and families are so obviously flawed, we are taught to turn inward in order to find it what is true, beautiful, and right. But how do we sift through the countless (and sometimes conflicting!) desires that we find within? And how can we tell anyone to change their behavior if they are just doing what their hearts desire? This message explores one of the most important claims of our time and urges us to look elsewhere to find certain truth.

“Life” is one of the Bible’s most loaded words. Jesus called himself “the Life,” offered people “abundant life,” and often spoke of “eternal life” through faith in his name. But what does that all mean? This message discovers the true meaning of life so that we can enjoy every moment of the eternal life we have through Jesus.

“Life” is one of the Bible’s most loaded words. Jesus called himself “the Life,” offered people “abundant life,” and often spoke of “eternal life” through faith in his name. But what does that all mean? This message discovers the true meaning of life so that we can enjoy every moment of the eternal life we have through Jesus.

“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement.” Few sentences are as important as this one from Romans 3. But its beauty and power depend on our understanding of the very technical word “atonement.” On this Good Friday, let’s slow down long enough to grasp what atonement means so we can appreciate all that the cross of Jesus has to offer.

Any Christian who has celebrated the Lord’s Supper has heard the phrase “the blood of the (new) covenant.” What percentage of Lord’s Supper-takers who could define these loaded words, however, remains in question. Let’s unpack Jesus’ loaded words from the night he was betrayed and enjoy the Supper like our Lord always intended.

Few things are as trendy as the cross. Pastors, bikers, and pop stars tattoo the cross on their bodies, an artistic shape that seems to mean all things to all people. But what did the cross mean in Jesus’ die? When we confess that Jesus was “crucified under Pontius Pilate,” what images should come into our mind? This message goes back to the origins of the cross and the stunning message that the King of Heaven died on one for the forgiveness of our sins.

Sanctify is a highly technical term that is rarely, if ever, used in our day-to-day conversations. Yet its meaning is beautiful and intensely practical for those who long to live with a clean conscience as they follow Jesus. The author to the Hebrews explains how we became sanctified and the freedom Jesus gives to his sanctified people.

Jesus loved to teach about the Kingdom of God. More than love, more than grace, more than forgiveness, more than heaven, and more than hell, Jesus was caught speaking of the Kingdom. But, for 21st century Americans, the idea of a “kingdom” feels more cloudy than clear. So, what did Jesus mean? What challenge is there in the message of the kingdom? What comfort?