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By Pastor Chad The universe was created to be a tabernacle of worship. The very purpose of the heavens and earth was to be a domain in which God was consistently and perpetually worshiped. You—a creature created in His image—were created to worship God. This truth is evident throughout all of Scripture, and is woven into the very fabric of our existence. Let me explain.  In the ancient Jewish faith, the tabernacle or temple was the center of the Jewish worship. The tabernacle

By Pastor Chad Does blood sometimes make you queasy? The Bible talks a lot about blood. In fact, Jesus mediated the new covenant by the shedding of His blood, which cleanses all who are called. Blood, however, was also part of the old covenant. The author of Hebrews references the inauguration and confirmation of the old covenant by quoting Exodus 24 . There we read that when the Mosaic covenant was confirmed, “Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of th

By Pastor Chad In the very first Christian sermon ever preached, Peter makes the death and resurrection of Jesus the main focus of the message ( Acts 2:22-32 ).  We cannot overstate the impact of the resurrection. It is the culmination of all human history. And it is the greatest miracle to ever take place since creation came into existence. The resurrection changes everything about why we exist and how we live. If you believe in the resurrection – I mean truly believe – then

By Pastor Chad When I was a kid, I always hated being picked last during team selection. In the end, I found being picked last was a motivator for me to work harder and get better, but–at the time–it made me feel small and insignificant. No one wants to be the worst player on the team. No one wants to be picked last. Even as an adult, who wants to be the least valuable employee? Or who wants to be the neighbor no one ever talks to?   In Christianity, we claim all human beings

By Pastor Chad We have been discussing some very difficult and complex passages over the last several weeks. If you have hung in there with us, good job! I am sometimes asked why I preach through the Bible like I do. Why don’t I skip over hard, complex passages? Why spend weeks and months explicating dense passages about which most don’t care? Such an inquiry affords me an opportunity to share with you why I preach like I do. Admittedly, some consider such a preaching method

By Pastor Chad There are quite a few mysterious and unknown features within Scripture. Few are as mysterious and unique, however, as the enigmatic figure Melchizedek. Who is Melchizedek? And what in the world does he have to do with Jesus?  You all likely know that Abraham, the great patriarch of the Hebrew people, had a nephew named Lot. Abraham’s shepherds and Lot’s shepherds couldn’t get along. So, Abraham offered a piece of land around Sodom for Lot to dwell. In Genesis 1

By Pastor Chad Life is not easy. The world can be a scary place. It is natural to seek some sort of security in life. Many anchor their lives to (what is perceived to be) a reliable earthly foundation–financial stability, a secure job, or a diversified investment portfolio. What if it all vanished? What is your anchor? Where is your ultimate hope? On Sunday morning, I argued that the only sure and steadfast anchor upon which we can hope is Jesus. Why? Why should Jesus be our

By Pastor Chad Our walk with the Lord is fueled by, sustained by, and perpetually infused by the grace of God. Without His grace, we would neither be able to come to Him nor continue in the call He has placed upon our lives. This is not to overlook, however, the pressing passages that impose a standard upon those who follow Christ. Again, the same grace that saves us is the same grace that sustains us, but we are commanded to “mature” in our faith ( Hebrews 6:1 ). Thus, there

By Pastor Chad As a parent, one of my jobs is to raise my kids to be healthy, responsible adults. Though I would love if they stayed young forever, that isn’t the way things are supposed to be. In fact, if our children never did grow up, we know something would be wrong. We are all designed to grow and develop as we get older.  In a similar way, as Christians, it would be unhealthy if we never matured. We are supposed to grow–that is God’s intention. I am struck by the bluntn

By Pastor Chad What is required to save your soul? What does it take to forgive your sins? What did God do so that you can be saved? The simple answer is: God sent His Son to die so that you can be saved. As we discussed on Sunday morning, Hebrews 5:8–9 says, “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him…” Did you catch that? The source of eternal salvation is Jesus,

By Pastor Chad Sometimes reading through the Old Testament may seem laborious, but there is an important reason it is included in the Christian canon. The Old Testament points to Christ. Even what may be considered as small details and nuances of the Old Testament law and institutions, points to the redemptive work God would do through Jesus. God, in His sovereign providence, chose to use the Hebrew people to bring about His redemption to the world. And He used the culture an

By Pastor Chad Christians have many distinct and integral beliefs that make Christianity unique from all of world religions. One belief, however, that connects with the human condition is the personal nature of God. This personability of God is emphasized in the incarnation. Jesus, the Son of God, did not simply walk among us, He became one of us. And in so doing, He assumed all our human frailties and overcame our human depravity. He did this by resisting the very temptation

By Pastor Chad On Sunday morning, we highlighted that Scripture is living, active, piercingly sharp, and discerns the human heart ( Hebrews 4:12-13 ). Given the divine power infused within the script of God’s Word, it is imperative that we find ways to cultivate it into our daily lives. One such way in doing that is to have a daily devotional time. Below are some great devotions that are not only easy to use, but helpful in one’s walk with the Lord.  If you would like for the

By Pastor Chad Though God holds all of His attributes equally and infinitely, there is something about His display and attribute of love that pierces to the heart of mankind. Perhaps it is the fact that the attribute of love entails many other attributes (like goodness and righteousness) or perhaps it is because we all long to experience and receive love. It is like it is hardwired in us. And yet, it’s as if this world can never provide a suitable display of love to fully and

By Pastor Chad How does one have peace with God? An important question mankind has wrestled with for millenia. Of course, Scripture gives us the answer to the question over and over. As we discussed Sunday morning, David seems to answer this very question in Psalm 4 .  The culmination and purpose of the psalm is found in the last verse, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety” (v. 8). The psalm is actually a treatise on having

By Pastor Chad On our first Sunday of advent, we focused on the aspect of biblical or Christian hope. Hope is a distinct trademark of the Christian faith. We have hope that nonbelievers neither have nor understand. We hope in the redemptive work of our Savior. Hope in the fullness and purpose of God’s plan. Hope in the Second Coming of our Lord. Hope in His sovereign work within human history. Hope that life is guided and meaningful because it is in the providential hands of

By Pastor Chad I can never really rest on a plane. I just can’t get comfortable. To be honest, long flights are miserable for me; I just can’t sleep well. I need to stretch out my legs and lay somewhat horizontal to get adequately comfortable. Usually, on my flights back from the Middle East, I am exhausted by the time I get home. I just want to go to bed and sleep–I just want rest.  Longing for rest is something to which we can all relate. Everyone of us has a time we just w

By Pastor Chad It is no secret; the church has been a significant part of my life. I started going to church when I was still in the womb. There were weeks I was at church more than I was at home, and that trend continues to this day. As you likely can tell, I love the local church. I love the community of believers. I love the worship services. I love the Bible studies. I love hanging out with church people. I love potlucks. I even love just sitting in a quiet, empty church

By Pastor Chad Have you ever been in a spiritual slump? By that I mean, a time when you are not following the Lord as you should? Probably so. Most of us have. It is very common among believers. That doesn’t mean it is right, but–being honest–it is common. If you have been in such a state, it is also likely you were a bit spiritually restless at the time. In other words, you knew you weren’t walking with the Lord like you needed to and you were uncomfortable with the relation

By Pastor Chad The primary focus of the book of Hebrews is to argue to a Jewish audience that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. In Hebrews 1-2 , the author is arguing from the testimony of the Old Testament that Jesus is superior to angels and the one appointed by God to save the world. Chapter 3 begins a new section in the author’s discourse. At the beginning of the  chapter, the author of Hebrews encourages the believing reader by saying, “Therefore, holy brothers, you wh