Search Results for: back off

Posted: 13 Nov, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

Have you ever felt judged by Christians? You vote one way, but they think you should vote another. You trick or treat, but they don’t. You have a Christmas tree and they seem to think you are worshiping the forest god in your living room. You public school and they home school. Paul addresses these […]

Posted: 12 Jun, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

We know that following God pays off in the next life, but does it pay off in this life? Can we expect a blessing in following God, or is that some sort of prosperity-gospel teaching? We need to be careful to avoid both extremes in this matter. We shouldn’t expect wealth and health from following God, […]

Posted: 12 Jan, 2020 | Author: Steve Nelson

Let the nature we see every day remind us that God’s thoughts are far above ours. He knows what he is doing. We can entrust ourselves to him!

Posted: 08 Mar, 2015 | Author: Steve Nelson

How do people fall away from the faith? What is it about beliefs other than the truth that is so appealing? And how can we as Christians watch ourselves to keep from veering off course?   Download Handout

Posted: 02 Jul, 2023 | Author: Steve Nelson

How can we share helpful truth to a world that is off the rails?

Posted: 01 Jul, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson

Love is complicated. Sometimes people can be so rude, mean, or insensitive! Yet understanding people’s back stories, helps make sense of why they do what they do. When grasp our own shortcomings, it helps us be sympathetic, because our struggles are not really all that different. Download Handout: With blanks / Without blanks Video from message: Chick-fil-A: Every […]

Posted: 03 Jun, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson

[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:7 NIV Is that the kind of love you desire? Sometimes instead of being “protected,” we get hurt by those we love. “Trust” is something that we value, but once that trust gets violated, it is hard to get it back. As long as […]

Posted: 14 Jan, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson

We are all good about praying when we are desperate. Can we bring that desperation back into everyday life? When we don’t know what to do, God is there for us! Download Handout: With blanks / Without blanks For further study: Prayer reference sheet  

Posted: 25 Dec, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

When a child turns his back on his parents, what gift should he give his father for Christmas? A tie? A shirt? Many of us will relate to this story from Steve’s childhood and may even see some of the same tendencies in our relationships with God. May this message help bring restoration with our […]

Posted: 24 Mar, 2019 | Author: Dove Cranson

We were each made for greatness. We were created to do great things, to bring good into this world. Sometimes, aware of this truth, I can shrink back and feel inadequate, overwhelmed, and then do nothing. Or sometimes I can overextend myself try to do too much and then become dry and empty and realize [ ]

Posted: 29 Dec, 2019 | Author: Bruce Bradford

If the message of Jesus is so good, why don’t people lean in and hope it is true? Why is there so much resistance? Can we go back to the original message and find a message that once again gives hope?

Posted: 24 Jan, 2021 | Author: Steve Nelson

One of the ways we respond to God's love is that we love him back. Practically, we do this by giving him our lives. 

Posted: 25 Sep, 2022 | Author: Steve Nelson

Jesus wants us to be fishers of men, telling others the life changing message of grace and forgiveness at every opportunity! 

Posted: 23 Sep, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson

Proverbs 23:19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path. NIV11 Once, when I was a kid, my family went to church at a drive-in theater. My dad pulled up, put the speaker on his partially rolled-down window, and we quietly sat through the service. We were on vacation […]

Posted: 10 Nov, 2019 | Author: Steve Nelson

In the midst of the heartache of life, we are loved by a God who gives us a living hope. And for that, we can give thanks.

Posted: 24 Nov, 2019 | Author: Steve Nelson

When we call evil good it is not loving. Rather it muddles lines—lines that God drew to bring us good.

Posted: 01 Mar, 2020 | Author: Steve Nelson

God’s Word is not everything that I want to hear from God, but it is enough to meet my deepest needs.

Posted: 21 Jun, 2020 | Author: Dove Cranson

Posted: 14 Mar, 2021 | Author: Steve Nelson

The new life in Christ is "with him," "in him," "as him," and "for him." It's all about King Jesus!

Posted: 06 May, 2024 | Author: Kathleen Nelson

Kathleen's apology to the yoga instructor whose confidence she breeched.

Posted: 09 Sep, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be […]

Posted: 26 Nov, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson

What does it look like to follow Jesus? In this message, Steve uses the story of Ruth to illustrate the devotion of a follower of Jesus. Ruth's heart was to follow Naomi into a completely new life. When we become Christians, we do the same. Baptism is simply our first step at following Jesus lead […]

Posted: 01 Jan, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson

The greatest disciples throughout history, from Jesus’ Twelve all the way to modern-day martyrs, have something in common. They don’t care. They don’t care about what others think, about their own personal gain, or even about their own lives. This one commonly held attribute allows them to live with abandon and care about the things […]

Posted: 31 Oct, 2015 | Author: Dove Cranson

Dove’s message about repentance, both at the initial point of salvation and daily repentance in your walk as a new creation. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” —Acts 3:19 Handout Disciple the Heart resource 2 – Repent – […]

Posted: 12 May, 2019 | Author: Steve Nelson

Colossians 1:10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way… NIV I recently started teaching ESL to Chinese kids online. When the students do a good job, I give them five stars. When I do a good job, the parents […]

Posted: 16 Jun, 2019 | Author: Dove Cranson

God has given us all that we have and He allows us to honor Him by giving some back.  And He blesses us in the process.

Posted: 15 Sep, 2019 | Author: Steve Nelson

A counterintuitive approach to a fulfilling life is to live for God and spend your life loving his people. Then you can truly take hold of life!

Posted: 02 Feb, 2020 | Author: Steve Nelson

In in times of struggle, it helps us to take heart when we remember the power, sovereignty, and compassion of God.

Posted: 18 Oct, 2020 | Author: Dove Cranson

May we have the faith to acknowledge our humanity AND look steadily at Christ from whom the love, hope, peace, and joy of God has come.

Posted: 17 Mar, 2024 | Author: Dove Cranson

Guilt is not a place we are supposed to live in, stay in, or wallow in. Christ came to set us free!