By Pastor Stephen Hess – You’ve probably heard the story before. It’s a story that has been retold in books, television shows, and countless articles. The story is that Christmas wasn’t originally a Christian holiday but has its origins in paganism. The Romans celebrated a seven-day winter festival called “Saturnalia” during which they would worship […]
advent, christmas, HolidaysBy Pastor Stephen Hess – When Jesus was on trial before Pilate, the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (Jn. 18:33). Pilate had heard that Jesus was claiming to be a king, and he wanted to determine whether Jesus was guilty of trying to stir up an insurrection. In Pilate’s mind […]
discipleship, politicsBy Pastor Stephen Hess – I once heard it said that our prayers tell us a great deal about ourselves and our faith. Alistair Begg writes, “Our conversation with God in private reveals what is in our hearts. Listen to someone pray—or listen to yourself pray—and you gain a window into the very center of […]
prayer, the christian lifeBy Pastor Stephen Hess – One of the things you will notice if you look at the Apostle Paul’s lists of spiritual gifts in the New Testament (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:7-10, 27-31) is that he never mentions the gift of prayer. This is not because Paul thought prayer was unimportant, but because he didn’t […]
discipleship, prayer, sermon series, small groups, spiritual disciplinesBy Pastor Stephen Hess – Every two years Ligonier Ministries conducts a national survey exploring the theological beliefs of the American public. In their most recent survey, they asked participants to respond to the following statement: “Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.” The results of the survey showed that 66% […]
reformed theology, theologyBy Pastor Stephen Hess – If someone were to ask you what the central part of a Christian worship service is, how would you respond? Some Christians might say that the music is the most important part of the service and that the primary reason we gather is to sing. Other Christians might say that […]
bible, preaching, reformed theology, sermonsBy Pastor Stephen Hess – 2024 is an election year, which brings with it countless advertisements from candidates who are running for various offices in local, state, and federal government. An “office” is a role of authority that someone in leadership holds. Just as there are important offices in our government today, God established three […]
christ, doctrine, jesus, reformed theology, theologyBy Pastor Stephen Hess – One of the primary images used to describe the church in the New Testament is the image of a human body. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so […]
church, church membership, fellowship, the body of christ, the christian lifeBy Pastor Stephen Hess – Many people today are living without hope. In the United States, depression rates are at an all-time high. According to one recent study, roughly a third of American adults report being diagnosed with depression at some point during their lifetime—a figure that is rising. Hopelessness drives some people to substance […]
hopeBy Pastor Stephen Hess – This year our church has been taking a journey through the Book of Exodus. One of the things that has always stood out to me in the early chapters of Exodus is the ability that God gives Moses to perform miracles. By turning his staff into a serpent, turning his […]
bible, exodus, miracles, moses, old testament