12/4/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

1Peter 2

1 & 2 Peter

Growing in our Salvation

Peter is not interested in converts, he is looking for disciples. Men and women who will have their lives radically changed and will lead lives of service to God. We marvel in our salvation, but it must change us. If we are not changed, we are not truly His…

11/27/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

1Peter 1

1 & 2 Peter

Living out our Salvation

Peter turns to the implications of salvation—we are saved so what! These introductory truths form the foundation of how we are to live in a place that is increasingly becoming hostile to the things of God and His people. While we can’t control others actions, we can control our reactions and learn to live out the great salvation we have received!

11/20/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

1Peter 1

1 & 2 Peter

Living godly in an ungodly society

We celebrate Thanksgiving as a nation this Thursday, but Peter begins his letter filled with Thanksgiving to God for His great salvation. These believers were facing tough times and persecution, yet Peter wanted to remind them of the incredible blessing they have in Christ. We too need to be reminded of all that we have in Jesus. We are to be the most thankful of all people, not for freedom or turkey or our soldiers; but for the blessings found in Jesus, no matter what our circumstances are!

11/13/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

1Peter 1

1 & 2 Peter

Living godly in an ungodly society

We begin a new series of messages today on the writings of Peter. His first book is written to encourage believers living in the face of persecution and pressure from a society that did not want them or their message from God. In many ways, the churches Peter was writing to were living in times like ours and this message is one that we need today. If our election and the uproar rising from its results is any indication; we are living in deeply divided times and need to know how we should live.

11/6/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

Communion

Communion Service

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.

10/30/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

The Believer’s Guide to Politics

Surviving a bad leader

No matter who is selected as our next President, they will be a deeply flawed and damaged leader. There are always threats of moving to another country if my person is not elected (of course only the rich and famous could do that, the ones least effected by bad leadership). There certainly will be hand-wringing and angst on both sides of the spectrum and the hopes and dreams of millions will be crushed. So how will we survive? What should be our disposition heading into November 8th?

10/23/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

The Believer’s Guide to Politics

Character versus Policy

How do you choose between 2 bad choices? What does God say about leadership? What kind of policies are more important than others? These are many of the questions we struggle with since we have been presented with the candidates for our nation’s highest office. We can draw some principles and look at some examples of both good, effective and bad leadership and then correlate that to our present situation…

10/16/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

The Believer’s Guide to Politics

Confessing National Sins

It is so easy to point out the flaws in both of these candidates. It seems like both sides are trying to see their candidate as less flawed as the other side as a way to justify a choice they would rather not have to make. We can sit in our living room and moan and complain about these choices, but I believe we need to take a closer look at the heart of the nation that would give us these 2 as choices. These 2 candidates are a reflection of and indictment against the electorate that would narrow it down to them.

10/9/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

The Believer’s Guide to Politics

Being Respectful when it is Undeserved

Well in politics they say, "Wait for the October surprise." Round 1 struck this week and there are still 4 weeks left before the ballots are counted! It is hard to be respectful towards these candidates, but one of them will lead this nation. How do we deal with politicans who are arrogant and loud mouthed reprobates who should be both behind bars probably? It once again comes back to the sovereignty of God and our trust in Him...

10/2/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

The Believer’s Guide to Politics

The Source of Earthly Authority—God

Last week we explored the foundational truth of the sovereignty of God who is the absolute and final authority in our lives; so how are we to respond to earthly authority like parents, employers, governors and presidents? If God is our boss (and judge), do I really have to listen to what they have to tell me? The short answer is yes, our text in Romans 13 explains the why—they are sanctioned as authorities over us by God Himself…

9/25/2016

Pastor Phil Perry

The Believer’s Guide to Politics

The Sovereignty of God

Election time often fills us with anxiety. We seem to be left with a lesser of 2 evils choice; Most Americans would like to vote “none of the above”. Voter apathy is at an all-time high and the truth of the matter is that whomever is selected will probably have the lowest percentage of eligible voters’ votes. How do we as followers of Jesus select whom to vote for? We will look at some of the issues and try to establish a biblical theology for Christians and voting over the next weeks…

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…