By Pastor Stephen Hess – Every few years it seems like there is a courtroom trial that captures the nation’s attention. Courtroom trials fascinate us because they often involve fascinating people, shocking stories, and compelling arguments. But the moment most people look forward to in a courtroom trial is the verdict. That moment when a […]
easter, good fridayBy Pastor Stephen Hess – I recently came across a headline about a large church in the Nashville area that was making waves on social media by promoting the idea that the Bible is not really the word of God. One of the church’s provocative statements said, “The Bible isn’t the Word of God, self-interpreting, […]
christianity, cultureBy Pastor Stephen Hess – At the end of 2020, the Gallup organization released a stunning report on the state of Americans’ mental health. For nearly twenty years Gallup has surveyed the mental well-being of Americans and one of the key findings of last year’s survey was that mental health in 2020 was lower than […]
church, fellowship, mental health, worshipBy Pastor Stephen Hess – The beginning of a New Year is often an occasion for people to make a fresh start in their lives. It is a time when many people ask the question, “What do I want my life to look like this year?” and when they set goals or resolutions for the […]
book of ephesians, sermon series, the christian lifeBy Pastor Stephen Hess – If you asked most Americans what person or figure they most associate with Christmas, my guess is that St. Nicholas or Santa Claus (as he is more commonly known) would be the number one response. As a Christian, I find our cultural obsession with Santa Claus frustrating. For many Americans, […]
christmasBy Pastor Stephen Hess – As I write this article, we are just days away from yet another U.S. presidential election. One of the perennial questions Christians face when thinking about elections is: How should our faith shape the way we view politics? This is a complex question, and complex questions rarely have simple answers. […]
culture, politicsBy Pastor Stephen Hess – In 1949 the British author Dorothy Sayers wrote, “The reason why churches are discredited today is not that they are too bigoted about theology, but that they have run away from theology.” If Sayers’s words were true in 1949, they are even more true in 2020. Over the past several […]
sermon series, theologyBy Pastor Stephen Hess – We live in a world that is dominated by social media. Although platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are still relatively new, they have rapidly become part of our everyday lives. Many people check their Facebook account numerous times a day and spend significant time scrolling through their newsfeed or […]
discipleship, social media, the christian lifeBy Pastor Stephen Hess – The year 2020 will forever be remembered as the year that began with the coronavirus pandemic and introduced us to a set of questions that most of us had never wrestled with in our lifetimes. Churches, too, have had to wrestle with new and complicated questions such as: When is […]
coronavirus, current eventsBy Pastor Stephen Hess – One of the things I remember learning in elementary school was the pledge of allegiance. Each morning we would start the school day by standing, placing our hands over our hearts, and reciting the pledge. Recently my son also learned the pledge of allegiance as he entered kindergarten, and this […]
america, culture