In recent months, the topic of citizenship in the United States has been widely discussed ……. on every media platform available. Ephesians, 2:12-22... From what I have read, there are as many as 15 qualifications for citizenship. It is not my job nor am I interested in discussing that matter even though I do have opinions but let me assure you I don’t share those with you all this week. But I do want us to look at what it means to be a citizen of heaven – --- of the kingdom a

Why is repentance so important... and why did Jesus follow telling His audience that they needed to include belief with that repentance? About 10 years ago, there was a 67-year-old Belgian woman named Sabine Moreau. She had left home to travel about 1 ½ hours to Brussels (the capital city of Belgium). TWO DAYS LATER, after having crossed five international borders, she found herself in Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia, nearly 900 miles from her home. It was probably at tha

Mark's Gospel has been believed to have been written to the Roman people. So, why would Mark begin by declaring that he was going to tell them the "Gospel of Jesus Christ"... what did the Romans need to hear, and what do we need to hear from Mark's Gospel? In the book of Acts, we’re told the Apostle Paul preached at Troas, and he preached so long that a man went to sleep and fell out of the window. When the Pilgrims settled at Plymouth - their sermons lasted so long that the

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel." Only about 17% of church goers know what the Great Commission says. Why so few? And how can we not only know what it means, but do what it says? Just before midnight on April 14th, 1915 – the British Ocean Liner Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in less than 3 hours’ time. To this day, the tragedy of the (supposedly) UNSINKABLE Titanic still captures our imagination. On April 15, the news spread that the “unsink

Demons and Angels - are they real? And if they are, what significance do they play in our lives as Christians? The US Library of Congress has a list of about 27 categories of Supernatural beings and the list included Centaurs Fairies, Ghosts, Ghouls, Mermaids, Monsters, Vampires, Werewolves, and so on. And on that page (where they list all these creatures) they noted that the word Supernatural was “Used For: Imaginary beings; Mythical creatures”. In other words, the creatures

What is this wedding feast Jesus tells of, and what can I do to make sure I'm included? We begin a new teaching series this week. I have entitled it: "Look to the Future." Randy Alcorn told story about his friend Ruthanna Metzgar, a professional singer. She had been asked to sing at the wedding of a very wealthy man, and they were invited to the reception. It was being held on the top two floors of the Columbia Tower in Seattle - the tallest skyscraper in the Northwest - and

This teaching gives further evidence for why we as Christians are safe when we put our confidence in the Bible If I were to preach a message on our subject of Gods Word, it would be four words... “The Bible is true. We all believe it. Let’s go eat.” Short, simple and to the point. And some of you may have felt like that might have been more appropriate. Why do we need to hear a message on the truthfulness of the Bible? Why? Because everything hangs on it. Because many people

This teaching gives evidence for why our faith is solid when we put confidence in the Bible How many of you have had a Mormon come to your door? If your experience was like mine, then when they came, they offered you a copy of the Book of Mormon. They told you that the Book of Mormon is a further revelation of the truth about God. When you asked about the credentials of this book looking for reasons why you should believe it, they said: “’If you pray about it and ask the Holy

This teaching examines the question of whether or not Jesus claimed to be the only way, and if so, what evidence is there to prove that. The 2026 mid-term political elections are upcoming already, things in the political world are heating up. All the candidates will be making accusations back and forth on issues such as health care, defense, education and the economy. And the way that they believe about each of these issues is very different from one another. They do all thi

This teaching is the first in a series dealing with tough questions.We begin this week with one deals with God’s existence and whether or not He cares about our lives. Two young brothers had terrorized their neighborhood with their pranks and thefts. The parents didn’t know what to do. They finally decided to bring the boys to their pastor, one at a time, and see if he could help straighten them out. The younger brother, Billy, arrived and was ushered into the church office w

Jesus heals what is broken, restores what is lost, and sets the captive free. JESUS OUR HEALER: RESTORATION FOR BODY, SOUL, AND SPIRIT INTRODUCTION — THE HEALER WHO TOUCHES OUR LIVES Aloha family, I pray all is well and Lala did not harm you much. Praying for all of you. Long before Jesus began His ministry, the world was full of sickness, suffering, and sorrow. People struggled with pain that no doctor could cure and burdens that no human hand could lift. Into that brokennes

Peter made one of the greatest decisions of his life when he decided to leave everything and follow Jesus. My transformation to the Lord is not a dramatic as Peters but it did change my life, DRAMATICALLY. It happened in San Diego, in 1987 at at Billy Graham crusade. As with Peter, I too was seaching for something. I did not know what, but Jesus did. He brought the Grahams into my life at a time that I did not know what to do. I had contemplated suicide and was at my wit

The call of Jesus to every person in every generation is profoundly simple and eternally life-changing: “Follow Me.” Two words that rescue sinners. Two words that redirect destinies. Two words that produce disciples. Two words that define Christianity. “GO! AND FOLLOW JESUS: THE CALL THAT CHANGES YOUR LIFE DISCIPLESHIP (FOLLOWING JESUS)” As we begin this teacing series, we step into a journey that is both ancient and urgently needed—the journey of discipleship. Not a program

God tells us to seek out the "ancient paths" and walk in it. Why should we want to to do that... and what would it look like if we managed to do it? When my son, Shawn was young, one of his favorite TV shows was “Man vs. Wild”. It featured a guy named Bear Grylls and it was a sort of reality show where this man would be dropped off in an isolated area carrying a knife, a water bottle, some flint (to start a campfire), a waterproof bag, a multi-purpose tool, and even a Bible.

Isaiah said that "the Branch" (the Messiah) would be our shelter and refuge. What does that mean, and what difference could it make to how we live our lives? The year was 1777. A British army of 13,000 men marched on Philadelphia, and the American Congress had fled the city. The Continental army fought valiantly to hold back their enemy, but they were outflanked and outfought and eventually the English took the city. But before the Philadelphia was abandoned, Congress ordered

David wrote that God's word is the lamp for our feet and the light for our path. What does this mean and how do we put that to use in our lives? Consider these thoughts from our Family Minister, Scott Jewell. The alphabet has always been foundational to learning. If you’ve ever watched The Sound of Music, you probably remember the scene where Maria is teaching the children to sing. She tells them, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. When you read,

What would it mean to have more (Smore) of Jesus and less of me? And how would I know if I lived my life that way? A man told of having some friends over for a barbeque in his back yard, and they’d just passed out marshmallows and long roasting forks ready to make S’mores. At that point, 2 fire trucks raced by and stopped at a house just down the street. He and his friends and ran down the street and found the owners of the house, standing helplessly as their home was engulfe