By Pastor Stephen Hess – When the Apostle Paul visited the city of Athens in Acts 17, he noticed that the city was full of idols. On one occasion he was given an opportunity to speak before the Areopagus, which was a group of leading philosophers in the city. He began his address by saying, […]
christianity, culture, religionBy Pastor Stephen Hess – What does it mean to be a Christian? That may seem like a simple question but in our modern society the word “Christian” has become increasingly confused and can mean different things to different people. Some people think being a Christian means believing certain things. They assume that if you […]
discipleship, sermon series, small groupsBy Pastor Stephen Hess – One of the most fundamental questions that human beings have asked for centuries is a question about identity: “Who am I?” Although many people don’t realize it, underneath some of the hot-button conversations in our modern culture there are competing views about identity. For instance, debates about sexuality and gender […]
culture, identityBy Pastor Stephen Hess – Since the early part of this year, one of the stories that has been dominating the headlines has been the massive advancements in artificial intelligence technologies. New chatbots such as “Chat GPT” have shocked the world with their ability to generate information and engage in conversation with human-like abilities. Many […]
culture, technologyBy Pastor Stephen Hess – Throughout the centuries, the Book of Psalms has been a place in Scripture to which Christians have continually turned for comfort and encouragement. One of the things that makes the Psalms so rich is that they reflect the full range of human emotions. The great church father Athanasius of Alexandria […]
psalms, sermon seriesBy Pastor Stephen Hess – In the early 1800s there was a Scottish minister by the name of Robert Murray M’Cheyne. M’Cheyne was an extraordinarily gifted young man. He graduated from university as a fourteen-year-old and was pastoring a Presbyterian congregation of over a thousand people by the age of twenty-three. However, he worked himself […]
By Pastor Stephen Hess – Throughout the history of the church, there have been two things that God has used more than anything else to build, renew, and revive his church. These two things are the Word of God and prayer. Pastor and author Kevin DeYoung once said, “If a church’s supposed success is ultimately […]
bible, holy week, scripture, spiritual disciplinesBy Pastor Stephen Hess – For 2,000 years, Christians have affirmed a belief in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The Apostles’ Creed—one of the earliest creeds of the Christian church—states, “On the third day he rose again from the dead.” But in recent years some have asked whether it really matters if Jesus […]
easter, resurrectionBy Pastor Stephen Hess – If you walk into a grocery store during the month of February, an entire section of the store will be filled with chocolates, flowers, and pink greeting cards. The stores are preparing, of course, for what is commonly known as Valentine’s Day—a day celebrating romantic love and relationships. Many people […]
HolidaysBy Pastor Stephen Hess – When you think of “good news”, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s the birth of a child. Maybe it’s a raise or a promotion at work. Or maybe it’s a biopsy that comes back negative. These are all certainly types of good news, but the Bible says that there is […]
