By Pastor Stephen Hess – If you asked most Americans what person or figure they most associate with Christmas, my guess is that St. Nicholas or Santa Claus (as he is more commonly known) would be the number one response. As a Christian, I find our cultural obsession with Santa Claus frustrating. For many Americans, […]
A Christian View of Politics
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By Pastor Stephen Hess – As I write this article, we are just days away from yet another U.S. presidential election. One of the perennial questions Christians face when thinking about elections is: How should our faith shape the way we view politics? This is a complex question, and complex questions rarely have simple answers. […]
culture, politicsCreed or Chaos
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By Pastor Stephen Hess – In 1949 the British author Dorothy Sayers wrote, “The reason why churches are discredited today is not that they are too bigoted about theology, but that they have run away from theology.” If Sayers’s words were true in 1949, they are even more true in 2020. Over the past several […]
sermon series, theologyHonoring Christ on Social Media
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By Pastor Stephen Hess – We live in a world that is dominated by social media. Although platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are still relatively new, they have rapidly become part of our everyday lives. Many people check their Facebook account numerous times a day and spend significant time scrolling through their newsfeed or […]
discipleship, social media, the christian lifeWhen Christians Disagree
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By Pastor Stephen Hess – The year 2020 will forever be remembered as the year that began with the coronavirus pandemic and introduced us to a set of questions that most of us had never wrestled with in our lifetimes. Churches, too, have had to wrestle with new and complicated questions such as: When is […]
coronavirus, current eventsOne Nation Under God?
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By Pastor Stephen Hess – One of the things I remember learning in elementary school was the pledge of allegiance. Each morning we would start the school day by standing, placing our hands over our hearts, and reciting the pledge. Recently my son also learned the pledge of allegiance as he entered kindergarten, and this […]
america, cultureDaniel: Encouragement for Exiles
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By Pastor Stephen Hess – On Sunday May 31st we will begin a new journey as we kick off a sermon series on the Book of Daniel. This book takes its name from the prophet Daniel who lived during the sixth century B.C. while God’s people were living in exile in the land of Babylon. […]
book of daniel, sermon seriesWhen the Faithful Are Fearful
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By Pastor Stephen Hess – On a recent rainy day when we were all stuck in the house, I decided it would be a good afternoon for a movie. So our family watched the Disney/Pixar movie “Monsters Inc,” which my kids had never seen but instantly loved. For those who haven’t seen the movie, it […]
fear, sermon seriesFaithfulness in the Midst of a Pandemic
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By Pastor Stephen Hess – Over the past couple of weeks, our daily lives have been totally disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Many of the activities we have taken for granted such as going to a restaurant, getting together with friends, or attending church are no longer possible. Meanwhile the virus continues to spread, leaving […]
current events, sovereignty of God, sufferingProvidence and Suffering
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By Pastor Stephen Hess – I recently preached a sermon on the Biblical doctrine of providence and in that message, we saw that the Westminster Confession of Faith defines providence as follows: “God, who created everything, also upholds everything. He directs, regulates, and governs every creature, action, and thing, from the greatest to the least” […]
providence, suffering