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, theologyBy 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 lifeBy 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 eventsBy 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, cultureBy 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 seriesBy 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 seriesBy 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, sufferingBy 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, sufferingBy Pastor Stephen Hess – Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers made headlines recently when he was interviewed by his girlfriend Danica Patrick for her podcast. During the interview the conversation turned to the subject of religion and Rodgers shared that he was involved in the church and other Christian organizations as a young person, […]
apologetics, culture, current events, sportsBy Pastor Stephen Hess – One of the distinctives of Presbyterianism is that our churches are governed by elders. In fact, the word “Presbyterian” comes from the Greek word which simply means “elder.” The New Testament teaches that churches are to be governed by godly leaders who are gifted, called, and qualified to lead God’s […]
presbyterianism