- Feb 18, 2018Suffering with a Purpose: Don’t Waste Your Pain
Feb 18, 2018Suffering with a Purpose: Don’t Waste Your PainBy: Troy BurnsSeries: The Pursuit of JoyContinuing in our “Pursuit of Joy” series through the book of Philippians, Troy shares about the purposes of our suffering and he encourages us not to “waste our pain.” The apostle Paul used his chains—his imprisonment—to advance the gospel, as we read in Philippians chapter 1. It wasn't that he enjoyed being incarcerated, but he knew it could be turned to good purposes. In God’s hands, intended evil becomes eventual good.
- Feb 11, 2018A Partnership of Prayer, Growth, and Love
Feb 11, 2018A Partnership of Prayer, Growth, and LoveBy: Troy BurnsSeries: The Pursuit of JoyTroy kicks off our new series, “The Pursuit of Joy,” which will take us through the book of Philippians. Although the apostle Paul is imprisoned while writing to the church at Philippi, he wrote a letter that 2,000 years later is still known as the treatise on joy. As we learn from chapter one, verses 3-11, Paul helps us find joy and bring that same joy to others through “A Partnership of Prayer, Growth, and Love.”
- Jan 14, 2018Read Through The Entire Word
Jan 14, 2018Read Through The Entire WordBy: Troy BurnsSeries: Radical
For the second challenge in the Radical Experiment, Troy discusses the commitment we can make to “Read Through the Entire Word.” This means we systematically read through the entire Bible—Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 and all 31,102 verses in between—over the course of a year. Our brothers and sisters around the world often gather at the risk of their lives to hear God’s Word. If you and I will join them in radical obedience to Christ, we must start with our Bibles open and our minds engaged.
- Jan 7, 2018Pray for the Entire World
Jan 7, 2018Pray for the Entire WorldBy: Troy BurnsSeries: Radical
Continuing with our Radical Experiment, Troy focuses on the challenge: "Pray for the Entire World." If God's plan is for the disciples of Jesus to carry the message into all the world, and to tell others, who will in turn tell others until the last person in the farthest corner has heard the story, then we should be praying for the world and for God's plan to reach it. And apparently, Jesus' concern was not that the lost would not come to the Father; instead, His concern was that His followers would not go to the lost.
- Dec 24, 2017It’s a Wonderful Life: What if Jesus Never Had a Birthday?
Dec 24, 2017It’s a Wonderful Life: What if Jesus Never Had a Birthday?By: Troy BurnsSeries: StandaloneOn this morning of Christmas Eve, Troy uses the fictional character, George Bailey from the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life," to discuss the hypothetical question, "What would life be like if we were never born?" Like George, we would likely all realize how many lives we have impacted, and just how different those lives would be if we had never been born. Troy goes on to consider the question, "What if Jesus never had a birthday?" As we celebrate Christmas, it can be helpful to think about what life would be like if Jesus was never born. Perhaps we can appreciate His coming to the earth a little more, as we count the numerous blessings that resulted from His birth, life, death, and resurrection.
- Dec 17, 2017O Holy Night: Honoring the Birthday of Jesus
Dec 17, 2017O Holy Night: Honoring the Birthday of JesusBy: Troy BurnsSeries: StandaloneIn preparation for the week leading into Christmas, Troy shares some of the reasons he wants to honor and celebrate the birthday of Jesus: 1) He was born to become just like me (almost); 2) He was born to pay the price for my sins (a price I could never pay); and 3) He was born to rise again from the dead and live forever. Troy also suggests that one of the best ways we can honor Christ's birthday is to realize that Jesus continues to show up in our lives today, and not always to benefit us alone, but especially to benefit others through us.
- Dec 10, 2017Living When Dying is Gain
Dec 10, 2017Living When Dying is GainBy: Troy BurnsSeries: RadicalIn our last regular message from the Radical series, Troy discusses what it means to live our lives when "Dying is Gain," including an understanding of the risk and reward that goes along with it. He challenges us to ask ourselves the question, "Do we believe the reward found in Jesus is worth the risk of following Him?" And the bottom line is that the only way death can be a reward is if dying really is gain.
- Nov 26, 2017How Much is Enough?
Nov 26, 2017How Much is Enough?By: Troy BurnsSeries: RadicalIn our latest message in the Radical series, Troy helps us consider the question, "How Much is Enough?" He also challenges us to consider whether we have blind spots in our lives when it comes to caring for the poor and needy around us and throughout the world. As Americans, we live in relative luxury while nearly half of the world's people live in extreme poverty. Each one of us as Christians must wrestle with what Jesus is calling us to do with our resources as we follow Him.
- Nov 12, 2017Thanks for Nothing
Nov 12, 2017Thanks for NothingBy: Troy BurnsSeries: Standalone
In honor of our annual Thanksgiving meal and the fast-approaching holiday, Troy wants to say, "Thanks for Nothing." And here's what he means by "nothing:" 1) He's thankful for the "nothing" that Jesus made Himself; 2) He's thankful for the "nothing" that God remembers when it comes to our sins; and 3) He's thankful for the "nothing" that can separate us from the love of God.
- Oct 29, 2017Beginning at the End of Ourselves
Oct 29, 2017Beginning at the End of OurselvesBy: Troy BurnsSeries: RadicalContinuing in our "Radical" series, Troy shares about our need to give up on trying to do things in our own power. This is when God does His best work; when we come to the end of ourselves and choose to trust in His power, not our own. God does this if we are radically dependent on Him and if we are radically devoted to making much of Him.
- Feb 18, 2018Suffering with a Purpose: Don’t Waste Your Pain
- Feb 11, 2018A Partnership of Prayer, Growth, and Love
- Jan 14, 2018Read Through The Entire Word
- Jan 7, 2018Pray for the Entire World
- Dec 24, 2017It’s a Wonderful Life: What if Jesus Never Had a Birthday?
- Dec 17, 2017O Holy Night: Honoring the Birthday of Jesus
- Dec 10, 2017Living When Dying is Gain
- Nov 26, 2017How Much is Enough?
- Nov 12, 2017Thanks for Nothing
- Oct 29, 2017Beginning at the End of Ourselves