In the second chapter of Titus we find a lesson that we should never fail to remember, a lesson around which or upon which everything we do as Christians should pivot or rest. Paul, having exhorted Titus (did I say Timothy about a hundred times today?!)…having exhorted Titus to appoint elders to train the 3-week old church on the Mediterranean island of Crete, he goes on with further instructions for

Continuing thru Titus, we come quickly to a key intent behind this letter from Paul – to bring order to the young fledgling church, at least in part, by appointing Elders. We took some time this morning to extract some insight regarding the role, qualification and purpose of the Elders. Quite clearly, 1:5 suggests that then elders need to bring order. We assume order, not only in organization, but in

This Sunday Tim Stauffer brought the message, kicking off our 4-week study of the Letter to Titus. Paul wrote it. Not Tim’s message…the Letter! It was late in Paul’s life…he’d been following Jesus for the better part of 30 years, taking the Kingdom of God beyond Jerusalem, beyond the Jews, to the “entire world” of non-Jews…then referred to as Gentiles. Paul had pretty much canvased the entire northern coast of

Today we spent some good times together celebrating the first four years in the life of Vista, and what a grand time it was! I was especially happy that Pastor Jim, from our mother church – Heritage – could make it by with his wife, Beth, today. Much of whatever might be good about me as a pastor, comes from his influence. I also enjoyed, very much, the time we

We all have stories. Stories that threaten to sum up our lives. We have a story of strength or challenge: the successful CEO and the cancer patient. We have a family and a financial story…of independence and of unemployment. We have hobbies that reflect our passions and favorite TV stories that capture our imagination. We have a religious story or a non-religion story. Jesus loved stories. he would often start

Part of our role and purpose of followers of Jesus is to live in community with one another as, astonishingly , the embodiment…um…corporate personification…um…earthly living organism of God’s love.  Jesus followers are to resonate the profound love of God. That is to say, we are not called to the paltry purpose of being real nice people. When you read 1 John 4:7-17…particularly if you read it without pausing to process

At least in part, worship is about orientation. Orientation of man to God. As one of our core values, we realize that without a proper relationship with and to God, we have no chance at the life and purposes God has for us…individually and as a Church. Throughout scripture we are implored to worship God…to ‘kiss the ground beneath” Him. We are to approach with reverence…with a respectful and healthy

Embedded within the passage Psalm 43:1-5 are the Hebrew words Simcha and Gila. Combined the carry the sentiment Exceeding Joy. And, not surprisingly, we find a template to find such a thing in the words and posture of the Psalmist. First let me a bit of my own definition to what Joy may be: An internal (present) condition, built upon an iron-clad (eternal) conviction rather than external conditions. That is,

We don’t wait very well. Most of us will take a detour around stand-still traffic, even if it will ultimately take longer to get where we’re going. So, this season we call Advent can be unsettling, since it is essentially a time of waiting. Jesus promises to provide all our soul needs for wholeness – hope, peace, joy.  But we must be willing to wait, and wait well. Kind of

Three cheers for Tim! …and a big thanks from me for affording me a much needed breather. Tim did a masterful job of seamlessly putting together three essential Christmas ideas…Advent, Hope and Waiting. He started with the illustration of the 250-mile road north through the wilderness of Ontario, Canada to his wife’s parents home. It proved to be an apt metaphor for the loneliness and uneventfulness of what our experience

this week we finish not only a series, but an entire book. We’ve spent each autumn for the past four years exploring the Acts of the Holy Spirit…the book of Acts. In it we see the launching of Jesus church under the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Amazing things happened in those first few decades, but possibly more fascinating even than that is the momentum the Spirit brings all the

A different sort of a message…tag-team with our missionary, Jen Morgan! I began with an attempt to explain why we do missions… And it essentially comes down the fact that as a church…a gathering of followers of Jesus…we are about the business of God. So what is the business of God…the mission of God? Throughout scripture we see a dominant theme…one that casts God as Redeemer, Deliverer, Gatherer, Restorer,, Finder,

Acts 27 doesn’t include quite a lot of flash and bang. In some ways, we find it a quite ordinary sequence of events, chronicling the transport of prisoners, including Paul, by ship from Ceasarea to Rome.  And although there is certainly more to be discovered in God’s word here, it speaks of the power of ordinaryness. We have become accustomed to bigger, better, louder, faster, and it has dulled our

The squeaky  wheel through the discussion and teaching over the past few weeks has been, “Yeah, yeah, Jesus has condemned all sin in his work on the cross, but when do i get to confront those whom i know continue to sin?” NOw, I’m obviously saying this in a way most of us wouldn’t, but you get  the picture right? And it’s a legitimate question. Of course, God has provided

Near the beginning there was a tree. The Genesis account reminds us that God is Community and Creator. Father, Son and Spirit brought all things into existence, including humanity. It was God’s grand design that we would enjoy him forever. That we would fully experience him and all that he created. To live in perfect harmony with him in the cosmos. And as the created it was/is important that we

I mentioned at mikes3cents last week that I’m willing to go to the mat for only three things in my life: Family, the Church potential (your unique and unmatched value and purpose to the world), and not until just recently, three, faith in the reality and power of God’s forgiving grace. This third idea, I suppose, is best understood contrasted with our over-estimated capacity to help change another person’s heart.

A continuation of last week and a summary of sorts of the series thus far, we’re talking about reconciliation this week. Not necessarily the sort of reconciliation that immediately pops to mind. We typically think of reconciliation in the context of a broken relationship – some sort of unresolved interpersonal conflict. And reconciliation certainly comes into play there, but this is a bit different. Remember from your reading of Acts

Acts 21:17ff  Paul returns to Jerusalem with a handful of new gentile elders and a monetary gift for the Jerusalem church.  The money is not a bribe as some would surmise – nothing in all of Paul’s writing ever suggests that he has anything but fond affection and deep support of the church which initially accepted him (the enemy of the church), and discipled him. The Jerusalem church may have