Philippians 2:1-13 Today’s text presents us with three notable insights into one of the earliest expressions of a healthy and mature church—the church in Philippi. First, we get a picture of what was being experienced. Second, we read the content of a hymn used in its worship. And third, we...
The theme for this week is living grace fully which encourages us to move through the world with more thoughtfulness and kindness. The message below is again taken from the Revised Common Lectionary. Ex. 14:19-31 and Ps. 114 tell the story of the parting of the Red Sea, and we can see how recognizing...
(Adapted from the Revised Common Lectionary for 9/6/20) Fulfilling the Law Through Love Rom 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall...
Steve Schantz As we come to Chapters 3 and 4 of The Gift of Being Yourself, The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery, we are encouraged to get to know the parts of ourselves that we would rather hide from. Our broken, or wounded, or shamed selves that we’d rather not...
In what other ways do we learn to experience God? Benner suggests that we practice finding God in everyday life. None of us is truly self-made. If all of our life is the gift of God, then so is our identity. The God in whom we move and breathe...
“Who Am I?” This self-imposed question erupts from deep within every human soul. While not every person may express the same degree of angst at every phase of his/her life, the way that we go about life casting ourselves in a certain role and presenting ourselves in a certain light reveals...
Steve Schantz – July 11th, 2020 If you could ask the Lord for just one thing, what would it be? Solomon famously asked the Lord for wisdom. But his father, King David, a man after God’s own heart, asked the Lord for one thing in Psalm 27:4. It wasn’t for good...
As Children of our Father, we have the privilege of intimacy. “By him we cry, ‘Abba’” (Rom. 8:15b). In the original language, “Abba” was an Aramaic term which is best translated “Daddy”—a term of...
Steve Schantz I’d like to introduce this message by reflecting on the power of a Psalm that many of you may remember hearing, (and singing) as we have gathered for worship together: Psa 133:1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 2 It is like the...
Acts 2:1-4 Steve Schantz When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that...