We have dozens of regulatory agencies whose purpose is to make sure that our food and medicines are be free of contaminants. Every now and then you hear a report of a product that was distributed and found to be unsafe. Alarms ring and massive investigations follow. But there is no agency to protect you from tainted wisdom. How do we protect ourselves? James helps us develop some tests to distinguish between a worldly wisdom that can be deadly and the wisdom from God, which brings health and promise.

It’s easy to assume that as long as our speech is not peppered with vulgar words, it’s generally pleasing to God. In James 3:1-12 the Bible takes us deeper into this issue of speaking in a way that honors God. Join us as we do some self-assessment as we look at the power of words.

What is more important? What we believe or how we live? James addresses this very issue. His conclusion... both! They go hand-in-hand. Join us as we look at the relationship between faith and works!

Most of us have been in those awkward situations where someone demonstrated favoritism in a way that indicated we were second class people. But sometimes we find ourselves unwittingly following a culture that loves to relate to people according to status. Discover how God wants his people to approach this temptation to treat people with favoritism as we examine James 2:1-13 together.

James shares about a couple things that should mark a follower of Jesus - reflection and action. Join us as we look into how we can better listen and reflect on God's Word and the importance of putting it into practice - living it out!

Our world tends to dismiss problem of temptation or address it by trying to change the social environment. God takes a much more proactive approach to the things that lure us into failure, fruitlessness, and pain. James 1:13-18 offers some tactics in dealing with temptation that can work for you

We tend to view adversity only in a negative light. It's something we often wish would stay out of our lives completely. What would you think of someone who challenged you to consider it 'pure joy' whenever you face trials? That's precisely what James challenges us to do. This morning we will learn from James how to view adversity as constructive because of Christ's purposes in our lives.

Today, we wrap up our series on friendship by continuing to look at the relationship between Jonathan and David. In 1 Samuel 20:18-42, we can see many characteristics of friendship. These characteristics should also be present in our relationship with Christ. In fact, Jesus exhibited many of these traits as well. Join us as we look into these behaviors.

One of the challenges to honest friendships is that they include disagreement, even conflict. Because no two of us are wired exactly the same way, our priorities will class at points. We will gravitate toward different solutions. We will have different views of other people. In today’s study you will learn how Jonathan and David worked to resolve conflict that arose over Jonathan’s father King Saul. Jonathan and David worked through ways of dealing with their differences to the glory of God. We can to.

It’s easy to view spiritual success as a personal task. But God designed reality in such a way that we can be most successful spiritually as we partner with others and cultivate friendships built around His kingdom purposes. Join us as we look at the dynamics in the early friendship between David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 18.

Some of the friendships we enjoy are satisfying, but don’t seem to go anywhere. We can learn about each other’s tastes, preferences, and background without sensing any growth as a result of the relationship. Join us as we look at the amazing dynamic between Paul and Barnabas, and discover how to bring redemptive tools into relationships with others.

Most of us like the idea of friendships, but life sometimes gets in the way. We get busy. Others get busy. It’s easier not to make commitments and be intentional. And sometimes friendships get complicated and messy. Join us in this first sermon in our new series called “The Friendship Factor” as we look at the book of Ruth to discover how friendship gives us hope in tough times.

Heaven and Hell are literal places. Each person will go to one of the two places. How can you ensure you are going to Heaven? How should the reality of this affect how we live? Join us and find out!

Instant access to all the bad news the world can produce makes it seem like hope seems in short supply these days. For the Christian, the return of Christ offers an ultimate hope that is bigger than today' challenges. Join us as we look at the kind of hope we can enjoy in light of Christ's promised
second coming.

It seems like everyone has a different idea about what today’s church should be doing. Some like buildings, others detest them. Some argue for overseas missions, others would bring all missionaries home. Some favor small groups and no collective meetings, others prefer the impact that comes from massive worship services. Some push for social caring, while others put proclamation first. Wouldn’t be great if Jesus gave us direction about setting our priorities? The good news is that he did, in answer to a question in Matthew 22. Join us as we look at the nature of “Radical Religion” according to Jesus.

We were once broken, lost and confused, and God pulled us out of the mess and placed us in something beautiful that He is creating... His church. We have been called by God to do His work, and we need each other to accomplish what He has for us. In this message we look at what it means to be a part of the church, the body of Christ.

Have you ever given much thought to the Holy Spirit? When you look at the Holy Spirit, you see many similarities with that of a coach. Join us as we look at the work of the Holy Spirit, our personal life coach!

Jesus Christ invites his followers to share the message of reconciliation with the world. Many in our pluralistic culture, even in our churches, have different views about the afterlife and how we reach heaven—if there is a heaven. In today’s teaching you will discover how the teaching of the Bible sets itself apart from the speculation that tends to prevail in our time.

When something is at 100%, it is said to be “full”, nothing can be added. So, how can something be more than “full” without overflowing? It is said that Jesus is both fully God and fully man. How is this possible? Join us as we explore the person of Jesus, how He can be both fully God and fully man and why this matters to His followers.

Our understanding what makes people tick and how to relate to them shapes our lives. Our culture offers us competing views of the nature of man. Are we perfectible? Do we have real problems, or can we blame everything on our environment? If evil is real, what can we do to restrain or conquer it? Does sin exist? In this study we will help you think through these questions as we look at four common views about the nature of mankind.

You often hear people refer to the Bible as “God’s Word”. How can we be confident that the Scriptures are truly the word of God? How can we be confident that the translation we hold in our hand is consistent with what was written 2000 years (and more) ago? Join us as we look at the authority and reliability of the Bible!

It’s not uncommon to hear someone say, “My God would never do this.” or “My God would not act like that.” Each of us, no matter how devout, tend to shape our view of God around our preferences. This morning we look at the challenge to step back, ditch our designer God, and move from a ‘potato-head’ religion to something more majestic and real.

Lies and misleading statements corrode the trust we have in people and institutions. They undermine our willingness to consider what others say. These factors also create a skeptical attitude toward the Christ and the teachings of the Bible. Today’s teaching looks at Titus 3:1-14 to discover some simple steps we can take to respond to the skepticism of our age.

God’s grace is a wonderful gift. But sometimes it becomes little more than a gooey, sentimental word that implies God puts up with all kinds of nonsense from people. In reality, grace is a means God uses to promote transformation in our lives. Today’s teaching looks at the practical lessons grace teaches us.

Doing what comes naturally is easy for all of us. But it’s not always wise. Titus 2:1-10 looks at daily roles you and I have and challenges us to trade our normal choices for uncommon ones as men, women, leaders, and workers. Discover the exceptional choices God calls us to make in these everyday roles as his ambassadors.

When is the last time you walked into a convenience store and came out with an apple? It probably has never happened. We typically walk out with junk food. Why? Because it tastes good, it is easy and it satisfies our hunger. In the same way, we in the Church are bombarded with "Junk" theology – teaching that maybe sounds good and makes life easy, but it doesn’t line up with sound doctrine. Effective ambassadors for Christ recognize "Junk" theology and know how to combat it. Titus 1:10-16 shows us how.

“Some assume that commitment to doctrine makes people rigid and unlikeable. But Titus 1:9 reminds us that people who have strong kingdom convictions are the best ambassadors for Christ. In this message you will learn how kingdom convictions make you effective in helping others.”

When our media spotlights religious people who are strange, it gives the impression that Christianity is for oddballs. Christians who want respect can respond by trying to blend in with the culture. We tend to conform. But the more we conform, the less influence we bring to the culture. How can we stand out or be different in a positive way? That’s the question we will seek to answer in this study as we look at Titus 1:8.

One of the most embarrassing U.S. Ambassadors was a man named Vincent. Yet sometimes when we look around at the church we see lots of people who are poor representatives of Christ. This morning we examine some relational skills we can cultivate if we want to be better ambassadors for Jesus and his kingdom.

Matthew, part 14

Easter message

Matthew, part 13

Matthew, part 12

Matthew, part 11

Matthew, part 10

Matthew, part 9

Matthew, part 8

Matthew, part 7

Matthew, part 6

Matthew, part 5

The message from Pastor Jim Levitt during the candidate weekend.

Matthew, part 4

Matthew, part 3

Matthew, part 2

Matthew, part 1

2008 - Year In Review