9/18/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Virtuous Equilibrium

Patience

The last virtue in our summer series is patience. You have certainly heard the phrase and may even say it, “Patience is a virtue”. This is usually flippantly said when someone is about to explode in anger at a person or situation that is annoying. The use of this phrase is not usually very comforting as we know its expected of us; but life is filled with too many unmet expectations. Patience is part of the fruit of the Spirit and is also an important character trait of God…

9/11/2016

Missionary Family Josh & Heidi Ausfahl

John 14

Missionaries

Final Report

Missionaries to South Africa, Josh & Heidi Ausfahl present their final report as they begin their transition to pastoral ministry in Bellingham, Washington.

9/4/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Virtuous Equilibrium

Courage

The one virtue that is universally admired inside and outside of Christianity is courage. No one wants to be called a coward or viewed as being afraid. Some are greater risk takers than others, but courage is more than simply looking at risk and laughing at it. Courage from a Christian perspective is grounded in our understanding of who God is and what He has promised us…

8/28/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Virtuous Equilibrium

Temperance

Perhaps one of the most misunderstood virtue is temperance. For many years in the church the temperance movement enforced the concept of temperance as the total abstinence from alcohol. In many Baptist circles it included anything considered worldly so such activities as movie attendance, playing cards, dancing and using tobacco were also thrown in for good measure. A better understanding of this virtue is needed for 2016 and beyond…

8/21/2016

Pastor Mark WIlliams

Guest Speaker

The Life of Samson: Part 2

Guest speaker Mark Williams returns to the book of Judges and continues to expound on the life of Samson.

8/14/2016

Pastor Mark WIlliams

Guest Speaker

The Life of Samson: Part 1

Guest speaker Mark Williams shares with us from the book of Judges about the interesting & sordid life of Samson.

8/7/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Virtuous Equilibrium

Diligence

To be found diligent, working hard for the master is a virtue all of us should strive for. Did you ever have a time when you truly were working hard for a teacher or employer and you were simply taking a quick break and they unexpectedly showed up? How did you feel about taking a minute or two to recover? God knows we need balance in our work ethic and He wants us to avoid both overwork and underwork…

7/31/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Virtuous Equilibrium

Humility

Humility, a virtue that seems to be in great need but short supply today. Humility is what we like to see demonstrated in our enemies but shrink away from seeing it in the mirror. Humility is usually understood as a sign of submission or weakness; and while most leadership books describe it as a necessary characteristic of an effective leader, hardly any leaders today demonstrate it…

7/24/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Virtuous Equilibrium

Respect

R-E-S-P-E-C-T Otis Redding wrote in 1965 and Aretha Franklin recorded in 1967. Perhaps one of the most iconic songs of that era, they pleaded with the desire to simply be treated fairly and justly as they treat others. What we all want is to be respected and seen as valuable by someone, especially by those we love and care about…

7/17/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Communion

Communion

We remember the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in song, word and by partaking of the communion elements together.

7/10/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Virtuous Equilibrium

Love

What the world longs for is love. We look for it in all the wrong places and in all of the wrong forms. The Bible tells us that God is the definition of love and as we move further away from Him, we sense the missing element of love in our lives. You and I are called to love because He is love and He first loved us. We are to love the world, not its things or its philosophy; but its people because God loves them. We are to be characterized and known for our love...

7/3/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Virtuous Equilibrium

Discernment

Being balanced in life requires great skill and wisdom. Using that wisdom wisely means that we have discernment. Discernment is the ability to look at situations/circumstances and understand them as God would. God expects us to see the world as He sees it and has given us all that we need for a life of godliness and holiness. Too many of us though are affected by either not judging things well enough or judging them too well…

6/26/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Virtuous Equilibrium

Integrity

One of the simplest and yet most profound machines is the Pendulum. Properly designed and maintained, pendulums have been used as precise measuring instruments, machine engines, timing devices and many other uses. The pendulum swings because it is constantly seeking its state of equilibrium. God calls us to live in equilibrium as well, our summer sermon series will explore what living life in equilibrium looks like through the prism of virtues.

6/12/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Acts 28

The Acts of God through the Church

Paul in Rome

The ending of Acts finds Paul in Rome, awaiting trial with no resolution in sight. It would be a very dissatisfying end to a history book or an adventure series if that was what Acts was about. Instead we see the kingdom going forward and the gospel being preached despite massive obstacles. God is building His kingdo, and His church...

6/5/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Acts 27

The Acts of God through the Church

Paul’s Sailing Adventures

Paul’s trip to Rome was nothing but extraordinary. Facing death several times, but having an opportunity to demonstrate the power and care of God to a ship full of Romans; Paul was able to use adversity to proclaim the gospel.

5/29/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Acts 25-26

The Acts of God through the Church

Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice

Before Paul is sent on a long voyage to Rome, one more element of pageantry unfolds. In a dramatic show of authority, Paul is allowed to address a curious King Agrippa and his sister Bernice. Luke dedicates a large section of his book to this story, making it an important part of his message. What is he trying to convey? It is more than a good story Luke is telling, it is the progress of the gospel in strange and unforeseen ways…

5/22/2016

Missionary Todd Janes

John 17

Missionaries

In the World, but not of the World

Missionary to Cambodia, Todd Janes encourages us from John 17 to "put our Bible glasses on daily" so that we can see the world and ourselves in it rightly - to be in the Word while we are in the world.

5/15/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Acts 22-24

The Acts of God through the Church

Paul Before Authorities

Reading like an adventure story, Paul finds himself hauled from place to place. Always one step ahead of trouble, but never quite free from any of it; he learns to trust God. He is not always perfect in his responses, but he is humble enough to make things right…

5/8/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Acts 21-22

The Acts of God through the Church

Paul Arrested

Paul is arrested and barely escapes with his life. It would have been easy for Paul to ignore the plight of his nation and wash his hands of the whole matter; but his love for his nation compelled him to continue to preach the gospel. The peekaboo view of what is happening to the civility and culture of Jerusalem at this time is remarkably similar to what we see happening in America today…

5/1/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Acts 21

The Acts of God through the Church

Paul Travels to Jerusalem

Paul seems driven to go to Jerusalem. His friends do not want him to go and warn him repeatedly about the dangers of going. He presses on despite their concerns and ends up in prison before all is said and done. Was Paul right to go to Jerusalem? What can we learn about determining the will of God and trusting in God’s Sovereignty from this passage?