Author Archives: Charles Anderson

This week Dave Cover preaches a sermon entitled, “You are Light” from Ephesians 5:8-14. The Scripture reads,

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

Ephesians is a rich book that depicts the big, wide story of God saving his people. Since we are dipping into Ephesians for this one sermon, you might enjoy getting an overview on the whole book. This Bible Project video would be well worth your time to understand the book better.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y71r-T98E2Q]

Here’s our song list for this Sunday (with links to lyrics and music):

This week Keith Simon preaches a sermon entitled, “The Size of Your Cross Matters” from Luke 7:36–50. The Scripture reads,

36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Here’s our song list for this Sunday (with links to lyrics and music):

This week Shay Roush preaches a sermon entitled, “A Heroine of the Faith” from Esther. The book is too large to put it all in this blog post, but if you have some time, I would say sit down and read the whole thing through. It’s a great, engrossing story, and will take you about 15–20 minutes.

You can watch this great video that tells the story of Esther, complete with drawings, part of The Bible Project (which is worth checking out for all its other amazing videos).

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JydNSlufRIs]

Here’s our song list for this Sunday (with links to lyrics and music):

This week Dave Cover preaches a sermon entitled, “Do You See Yourself with a Big But?” from Ephesians 2:4–10. The Scripture reads, 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have

This week Keith Simon preaches a sermon entitled, “What We Need to Learn from Ronda Rousey” that draws from three biblical passages. They are

This week we continue our sermon series, “Risking Reality,” as Dave Cover preaches a sermon entitled, “Living into God’s Better Story” from Hebrews 11:39–40. The Scripture reads,

39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

We will take communion together this Sunday. God gives us communion to feed our faith, to help us trust in Christ’s death on our behalf. That means we have to reflect on why Christ died for us. We have to look again at ourselves and recognize our sin and ask God for forgiveness. A great way to get ready for communion, therefore, is to take some time this weekend to ask God to show you if there’s any sin in your life that you’re not seeing. Ask him for forgiveness. And if there are things you need to put right, in keeping with repentance, take the time today or this weekend to do that (e.g., Matt 5:23–24).

Here’s our song list for this Sunday (with links to lyrics and music):

This week we continue our sermon series, “Risking Reality,” as Keith Simon preaches a sermon entitled, “Could God Use You?” from Hebrews 11. Given the size of the passage, we will simply link to the whole chapter. We will take communion together this Sunday. God gives us communion to feed our faith, to help us trust

This week we resume our sermon series “Risking Reality” as Keith Simon preaches a sermon entitled, “FROG: Fully Rely on God” from Hebrews 11:29. The Scripture reads, By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. Here’s our song list

This week we continue our sermon series, “Risking Reality,” as Dave Cover preaches a sermon entitled, “The Big Story” from Hebrews 11:8–19. The Scripture reads,

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

We will take communion together this Sunday. God gives us communion to feed our faith, to help us trust in Christ’s death on our behalf. That means we have to reflect on why Christ died for us. We have to look again at ourselves and recognize our sin and ask God for forgiveness. A great way to get ready for communion, therefore, is to take some time this weekend to ask God to show you if there’s any sin in your life that you’re not seeing. Ask him for forgiveness. And if there are things you need to put right, in keeping with repentance, take the time today or this weekend to do that (e.g., Matt 5:23–24).

Here’s our song list for this Sunday (with links to lyrics and music):