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Baptism

Sunday, June 17: Baptism Happy Father’s Day! I don’t know if you have any Father’s Day traditions, but we do at church! On Father’s Day, we like to celebrate new life in Christ with baptisms. This week we are going to baptize a number of people who want to make their faith in Jesus known. […]

Daily Devotionals Witness

Witness – Acts 6:1-7

Sunday, June 10: Witness Acts 6:1–7 One of the things that sticks out about the early church is how quickly it grew. In the first 5 chapters of Acts, at least 8,000 people become Christians. That’s exciting!But a question for you: How many of those 8,000 can you name? I’ll answer it for you: None. […]

Daily Devotionals Witness

Witness – Acts 4:23–37

Sunday, May 20: Witness Acts 4:23–37 And with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. Acts 4:33 Occasionally someone will ask me the question, “Are you a Spirit-filled church?” I’m always a bit conflicted. The correct answer is, “Yes,” but I know […]

Daily Devotionals Witness

Witness – Acts 4:1–22

Sunday, May 6: Witness Acts 4:1–22 The first three chapters of Acts are pretty good for the church. They receive the Spirit, they speak in tongues, they heal people, and they live in peace and harmony. It’s miracles and salvations all around! Well, that all changes in chapter 4 when the church experiences its first […]

Daily Devotionals Witness

Witness – Acts 3:1–26

Sunday, April 29: Witness Acts 3:1–26 Imagine for a second that you have been wheelchair-bound your whole life.You have never been able to walk. Now, imagine one day that you are instantly and miraculously healed so that you have full use of your legs. What would be the first thing you would do? This was […]

Daily Devotionals Witness

Witness – Acts 1:1–11

Sunday, April 8: Witness Acts 1:1–11 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Samaria,  and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8 Last Sunday we celebrated Easter. This week we’re launching a new study series called Witness, based […]

Easter 2018

Sunday, April 1: Easter Happy Easter! We have a lot going on this weekend as we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. First, join us on Friday for our Good Friday service when we remember the cross. This year, we will emphasize its liberating effects—Jesus has rescued us from sin and death. It is no coincidence […]

Lifewater – March 4th, 2018

Sunday, March 4: Lifewater This week we will be joined by Sean Martin from Lifewater. Lifewater is a Christian organization that brings clean water, improved health and hope to women and children living in extreme poverty. We are partnering with them this year and raising $12,000 to dig a well that will provide clean water […]

Joseph – Genesis 44:1–34

Sunday, February 25: Joseph Genesis 44:1–34 In his book on Joseph, God Meant it for Good, R.T. Kendall writes about the material in Genesis 44, “[Y]ou cannot have your life to live over again. What is done is done. Even the blood of Jesus cannot undo the past. It can forgive the past and make you […]

Joseph – Genesis 43:1–34

Sunday, February 18: Joseph Genesis 43:1–34 Last week, we saw a famine strike the whole world, forcing ten of Jacob’s sons to go to Egypt for grain. (Benjamin stayed behind, of course. He was the favorite and Jacob didn’t want to put him in danger.) Unbeknownst to the brothers, their long-lost brother Joseph had ascended the ranks […]

Joseph – Genesis 42:1–38

Sunday, February 11: Joseph Genesis 42:1–38 When we think of the faithfulness of God, it’s easy to think of the Bible’s “Main Characters.” The big names of the Bible get their own cartoon movies: Moses and Joseph, or even Dave and the Giant Pickle, if you prefer Veggie Tales. We understand how God was faithful […]

Joseph – Genesis 41:1–57

Sunday, February 4: Joseph Genesis 41:1–57 What God does in us while we wait is as important  as what we are waiting for. Ben Patterson I don’t know about your Bible, but in mine there is about an inch of white space between Genesis chapters 40 and 41. It doesn’t look like much on paper […]

Joseph – Genesis 40:1–23

Sunday, January 28: Joseph Genesis 40:1–23 It was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirring of good. Gradually, it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through […]

Joseph – Genesis 39:1–23

Sunday, January 21: Joseph Genesis 39:1–23 Last week, we continued our study of the life of Joseph and saw him sold into slavery by his brothers. Our passage ended with Joseph on the slave train to Egypt.This week, we pick up the story in Genesis 39. Joseph is in Egypt and he finds himself a […]

Joseph – Genesis 37:12–36

Sunday, January 14: Joseph Genesis 37:12–36 How do we keep our faith when times are hard?That is going to be our question over the next two weeks as we continue our study of the life of Joseph. Last week, Gary introduced the story. We saw that years of favoritism had created a rift between Jacob’s […]

Joseph – Genesis 37:1–11

Sunday, January 7: Joseph Genesis 37:1–11 Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.Genesis 37:8 A lot of people are familiar with Joseph but for a lot […]

Baptism December 31st 2017

Sunday, December 31: Baptism Acts 2:38 Do you remember the day you were baptized? Was it in a lake, or a river, or a stream? Perhaps even a horse trough? No matter where you were baptized, it’s probably a day that you will remember for the rest of your life. It’s the marker between an […]

Christmas – Luke 1:26-38

Sunday, December 24: Christmas Luke 1:26-38 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.” (Luke 1:30, 31) God is in the habit of doing a certain thing […]

Champs & Misfits Square

Champs & Misfits – Hebrews 12:18–29

Sunday, December 10: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 12:18–29  As we enter Advent, we tune our hearts toward expectation. We celebrate Jesus’ first coming because it reminds us that He is coming again. Jesus’ incarnation was a rescue operation: He rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into his kingdom. We remember that […]

Champs & Misfits Square

Champs & Misfits – Hebrews 11:23–31

Sunday, November 19: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 11:23–31 In Matthew 13, Jesus tells this story about a guy considering a piece of property. He goes out to inspect the land and decide whether or not it’s worth the asking price. While he’s poking around in the dirt, he notices something shiny. Curious, he digs around […]

Champs & Misfits Square

Champs & Misfits – Hebrews 11:4–7

Sunday, November 5: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 11:4–7 In Hebrews 11, the writer introduces us to a long list of people who lived “by faith.” At the same time, these same people, were considered weird, if not crazy, by the world around them.Noah’s neighbors no doubt believed he was certifiable when he began building a […]

Champs & Misfits Square

Champs & Misfits – Hebrews 11:1–3

Sunday, October 29: Champs & Misfits Hebrews 11:1–3 There are a lot of ideas floating around about what faith is. Some are metaphorical: “Faith is the heart of the soul.” (Anonymous) Some are theological: “Faith is to believe, on the Word of God, what we do not see and its reward is to see and enjoy what […]

Freedom Sunday

Freedom Sunday

Sunday, September 24: Freedom Sunday For nearly two decades we, as a church family, have been ministry partners with the International Justice Mission. Freedom Sunday is a movement to end the violent exploitation of over 45 million men, women and children trapped in slavery around the world. This Sunday, it will be our privilege to […]

Who is This Man

Who is This Man – Philippians  2:3–8

Sunday, August 13: Who is This Man? Philippians  2:3–8 The True Human The great 21st century theologian, Jeremiah Hinton, in his recently released devotional, Who is This Man? writes: “I Corinthians introduces the idea of Jesus as the ‘last Adam,’ a perfectly obedient son who demonstrated how humans should have related to God.”Precisely. The Bible teaches that Jesus […]

Who is This Man

Who is This Man – August 6th 2017

Sunday, August 6: Who is This Man? The Suffering Servant Lord of Hosts. Bright Morning Star. Good Shepherd. These are a few of the many wonderful names for Jesus found in the Scriptures. He’s also known as the: Wonderful Counselor Alpha and Omega Mighty God Emmanuel Messiah Prince King Lion Man of Sorrows Wait. “Man […]

Who is This Man

Who is This Man – John 17:9–23

Sunday, July 30: Who is This Man? John 17:9–23 Jesus the High Priest/New Aaron Do you pray for your children?If you do, what do you pray? Maybe you pray for their health or safety. Maybe you pray that they’ll make good decisions. Maybe you pray that they’ll make good friends or find a good spouse. […]

Who is This Man

Who is This Man – John 2:1–11

Sunday, July 2: Who is This Man? John 2:1–11 The Miracle Worker “Dearly beloved, we are gathered together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in holy matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God at the time of creation for the […]

Who is This Man

Who is This Man – Matthew 7:24–29

Sunday, July 9: Who is This Man? Matthew 7:24–29 Last week Jeremiah introduced us to a new sermon series called Who Is This Man? All summer long, we are going to look at the biblical portrait of Jesus.We have a particular view of Jesus in our heads. For some, it’s Jesus the suffering servant. For others, […]

Who is This Man

Who is This Man? – John 14:6

Sunday, July 2: Who is This Man? John 14:6 In our upcoming series, we’ll be taking a closer look at the person and work of Jesus, by echoing the question about him, “Who is this man?”To start things off, we’ll explore some of the ways we already see Jesus, the familiar patterns we have in […]

Sacred Spaces

Sacred Spaces – Hebrews 8:1–13

Sunday, June 25: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 8:1–13 This week we conclude our Sacred Spaces series by looking at Hebrews 8:1–13. Starting next week, we are launching into a summer series on Christology (what we believe about Jesus) called “Who Is This Man?” I am looking forward to spending the summer talking about Jesus!Before we launch […]

Baptism – June 18th 2017

Sunday, June 18: Baptism You don’t want to miss this week. You have plans? Cancel them. This week we are going to baptize a number of people who want to make their faith in Jesus known. This is an extra special event for our congregation, as it marks not only an important step in faith […]

Sacred Spaces

Sacred Spaces – Hebrews 7:1–28

Sunday, June 11: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 7:1–28 “The gulf between God and us is still wider than we have so far considered. It is the chasm that yawns between us as rebellious creatures and God our righteous judge. It is not only that we lack the mental equipment to conceive him, but we lack the […]

Sacred Spaces

Sacred Spaces – Hebrews 5:11–6:20

Sunday, June 4: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 5:11–6:20 In Numbers 13–14, the Israelites come to the cusp of the Promised Land and send spies to check it out before they move in. While the spies return all agreeing that it is an amazing land flowing with milk and honey, ten of them consider the inhabitants too […]

Sacred Spaces

Sacred Spaces – Hebrews 5:1–10

Sunday, May 28: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 5:1–10 In one of the Chronicles of Narnia, The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis, there’s a little girl named Aravis who has a slave girl. She treats her terribly. Aslan, the Christ figure in the Chronicle series, comes to Aravis and scratches her. She asks why he […]

Mother’s Day and Baby Dedication

Sunday, May 14: Mother’s Day, Baby Dedication and a Message for Everyone We get to celebrate Moms and dedicate some babies this Sunday, which is always delightful and meaningful, but we will also have a message based on a story in the Bible. It’s about a young woman who becomes a mother and a mother who […]

Sacred Spaces

Sacred Spaces – Hebrews 4:1–13

Sunday, May 7: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 4:1–13 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. We live in a world that works really hard to wear us down. Perhaps you have noticed. Life, in our fallen […]

Easter 2017

Sunday, April 16: Easter Three year old Nicole was as anxious for Easter to come as she had been for Christmas to arrive. One day, as Nicole and her father stopped at a store to buy her a new pair of shoes, for the tenth time she said, “Daddy, I can’t wait for Easter!”“Honey,” her […]

Bolivia Update

Sunday, April 9: Bolivia Update We have spent the last few weeks in the Book of Hebrews in a series we have called Sacred Spaces. In it, we have been talking about ways to encounter God in the everyday. Encountering God means living the way that Jesus lived—with eyes open to the hurts of the […]

Sacred Spaces

Sacred Spaces – Hebrews 2:5–9

Sunday, April 2: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 2:5–9 We are in the third week of a series called “Sacred Spaces,” about the high priestly ministry of Jesus as described in the Book of Hebrews. When we speak of “sacred spaces,” we mean the places where we encounter God—the places where heaven and earth seem to overlap. […]

Sacred Spaces

Sacred Spaces – Hebrews 1:1–14

Sunday, March 19: Sacred Spaces Hebrews 1:1–14 Hebrews has a message for the people of God who live in a world that refuses to acknowledge God: God has spoken. Gareth Cockerill The Epistle to the Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who found themselves hanging on to hope by their fingernails. Nero, the cruel despot […]

Jacob

Jacob – Genesis 48–49

Sunday, March 12: Jacob Genesis 48–49 Last week, we saw Jacob come into his own—he became one of the great patriarchs of Israel. But what of the promises made to Abraham and Isaac? Did they come true, or did Jacob the rascal squander God’s favor? Further, what does all of this mean to us?In Genesis […]

Jacob

Jacob – Genesis 35:1–29

Sunday, March 5: Jacob Genesis 35:1–29 When we think of Jacob, we think of him as one of the great patriarchs. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were the fathers of the Jewish nation—the great patriarchs of the people of God. However, to this point in his story, Jacob hasn’t acted very patriarchal. In fact, he’s been […]

Jacob

Jacob – Genesis 33:1–20

Sunday, February 26: Jacob Genesis 33:1–20 Jacob is on his way home. Twenty years before, he defrauded his brother and was forced to run for his life to escape his wrath. Esau, in fact, had promised to kill him. Esau is a big, strong, hairy guy with bow hunting skills. To make matters worse, Jacob has […]

Jacob

Jacob – Genesis 32:1–32

Sunday, February 19: Jacob Genesis 32:1–32 If there was ever a man who found himself between the proverbial “devil and the deep blue sea,” it’s Jacob between the day he leaves behind his father-in-law, Laban, and the day he meets up with his brother, Esau.At the end of Genesis 31 Laban is behind him and […]

Jacob

Jacob – Genesis 31:1–55

Sunday, February 12: Jacob Genesis 31:1–55 Jacob’s story begins with a word from God that his older brother Esau will serve him. But even from the beginning, it’s difficult to imagine how this might be. Esau is older. He’s stronger. He’s bolder and braver. His father is on his side. He doesn’t look ready to […]

Jacob

Jacob – Genesis 30:25–43

Sunday, February 5: Jacob Genesis 30:25–43 We have been journeying through the life of Jacob for a few weeks now. From his angel-heralded birth, to his deception of Esau and Isaac, to his vision of God, Jacob’s life has been full of drama. Now we’ve know from the beginning that Jacob would inherit the blessing […]

Jacob

Jacob – Genesis 29:1–30:34

Sunday, January 29: Jacob Genesis 29:1–30:34 As we return to our study in Genesis, Jacob has left home to escape the wrath of his bow hunting brother. Esau would like nothing better than to turn him into a human pin cushion for stealing his blessing. So, out of fear, he walks 50 miles on his […]

Jacob

Jacob – Genesis 28:1–22

Sunday, January 22: Jacob Genesis 28:1–22 There is no event so common place but that God is present within it, always hiddenly, always leaving you room to recognize him or not… because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace. Frederick Buechner “There are two great tragedies in life,” […]

Jacob

Jacob – Genesis 26–27

Sunday, January 15: Jacob Genesis 26–27 Have you ever found yourself saying that you have been blessed by God? What does that mean?Is blessing proof that God loves us more than others? Is blessing a sign that we are better or more righteous than most people? What about those who don’t experience blessing? What about […]

Jacob

Jacob – Genesis 25:19–34

Sunday, January 8: Jacob Genesis 25:19–34 Last year we studied the life of Abraham. It was an awesome glimpse of a man of amazing (albeit inconsistent) faith. There were times when Abraham trusted God with the impossible. There were other times when he thought things were too perilous even for God and he decided to […]

Christmas Eve Service

The Whisper of Christmas There was a great and powerful wind, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle […]

Christmas Service

Sunday, December 18: Christmas Service Ephesians 1:3–10 Christmas is coming! I know it seems like it is still a long ways off, but this Sunday is actually the last Sunday before Christmas. It’s almost here! Leading up to Christmas, we have been studying the Book of Ephesians. This is fitting because the book is all […]

One: Ephesians

Ephesians 6:10–24

Sunday, December 11: One Ephesians 6:10–24 “Now, I want you to remember that no [one] ever won a war by dying for his country. . . .”“Brothers, what we do in life echoes in eternity.” “ . . . [T]hey may take our lives, but they will never take OUR FREEDOM!” I considered painting my […]

One: Ephesians

One – Ephesians 4:17–32

Sunday, November 20: One Ephesians 4:17–32 Two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to a struggling church in Ephesus—a major city in what is now Turkey. Ephesus had a great history. It was the capital of Asia Minor, both politically and economically. It was the third largest city in the Roman Empire. […]

One: Ephesians

One – Ephesians 4:1-16

Ephesians 4:1–16 To dwell above with saints we love, That will be grace and glory. To live below with saints we know, That’s another story. In the first three chapters of Ephesians we’ve been learning about the formation of the church, the body of Christ, made up of all Christians everywhere, no matter how diverse […]

One: Ephesians

One – Ephesians 2:11-22

Sunday, October 23: One Ephesians 2:11–22 We are just a couple of weeks away from the Presidential election. Is everybody excited about this? One thing that came up early on in the debates was the idea of building a wall on the border between the U.S and Mexico. It’s an idea that has been both […]

One: Ephesians

One – Ephesians 2:1-10

Sunday, October 16: One Ephesians 2:1–10 Ephesians 2:1–10 is one of the most famous passages ever penned by Paul. In it, the apostle succinctly explains God’s work in our lives through the death and resurrection of Jesus. It’s a familiar passage to many of us (and for good reason!).But, like the ideas of many familiar […]

One: Ephesians

One – Ephesians 1:15-23

Sunday, October 2: One Ephesians 1:15–23 It’s been said that, “Prayer is the point at which heaven and earth share contiguous borders, where we take counsel with God on matters of eternal importance.”We often forget that, don’t we? Either that, or we don’t believe it. But the Apostle Paul believed it. When it came to […]

One: Ephesians

One – Ephesians 1:1-14

Sunday, October 2: One Ephesians 1:1–14 What’s another word for Thesaurus? Why is abbreviation such a long word? If nothing sticks to Teflon, how do they stick Teflon to the pan? Why do kamikaze pilots wear helmets? Is it possible to be totally partial? If nothing else, those questions remind us we don’t know everything. […]

Generosity 3

Sunday, September 25: Generosity Micah 6:6–8 “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? But to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly before your God.” Micah 6:8 If you have been with us the past few months you know that we did a […]

Generosity 2

Sunday, September 18: Generosity Luke 19:1–10 We have an awesome opportunity in Gig Harbor. We live, work, and play among some of the smartest, most talented, and most powerful people in the world. This city has amazing potential and a lot of assets. But Gig Harbor also has a reputation of not having a lot […]

Plowshares and Pruning Hook – Haggai

Sunday, August 7: Plowshares & Pruning Hooks Haggai “Give careful thought to your ways.” Haggai 1:5 As we have gone through eight of the Minor Prophets so far, there has essentially been a singular theme: “God is back and, boy, is He mad.” To his rebellious kids, God has given way more warnings than they […]