Each month we want to share a word of encouragement and offer some resources from like-minded believers for your profit. These articles are available in print upon request. This article is a re-post because it is so clear and concise and get’s right to the heart of this week’s sermon on the priorities for the church. -Kurt Bekins, Pastor of Family Ministries and…
We exist to display God's glory, declare God's truth, delight in God's Son, and disciple God's people
We exist to display God's glory, declare God's truth, delight in God's Son, and disciple God's people
Posts by KurtBekins
Each month we want to share a word of encouragement and offer some resources from like-minded believers for your profit. These articles are available in print upon request. Hiding God’s Word in Our Heart: Although there are many reasons, here are some of the key purposes of Jesus’ birth: Ephesians 6 tells of several defensive weapons to stand firm against the schemes of…
The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment. By Tim Challies This is an excellent book. It speaks to the need today for Christians to be discerning. The author defines discernment as “the skill of understanding and applying God’s Word with the purpose of separating truth from error and right from wrong. It is a task in which we attempt to see things as God sees…
The Enemy Within: Straight Talk About the Power and Defeat of Sin. By Kris Lundgaard If God has redeemed me from sin, and given me his Holy Spirit to sanctify me and give me strength against sin, why do I go on sinning? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Have you ever wondered why the very sin that you thought you had…
Each month we want to share a word of encouragement and offer some resources from like-minded believers for your profit. These articles are available in print upon request. The Reason for Christmas: Although there are many reasons, here are some of the key purposes of Jesus’ birth: Reality: Read: Remember: Respond: C oming King Matthew 2:2, 6; Luke 1:32 His reign is Eternal.…
God in the Manger. By John MacArthur With Christmas fast upon us, it is so easy to get lost in all the hype, all the commercialism, and all the presents, parties, and seasonal decorations. Such distractions cause us to miss the enormous impact of the reality behind this season. For that reason, we who are believers, need fresh reminders of the fact that…
Preparing to Cross the Finish Line The following address was delivered to a local church men’s group in October 2015. The speaker, Ken, was diagnosed with a brain tumor six months earlier in April 2015. In May, Ken traveled to the University of Michigan Hospital for a six hour surgical resection of a golf ball-size tumor from his left temporal lobe. In…
The God Who is There. By D. A. Carson Have you ever wondered what the overall purpose of the Bible is? Have you struggled to make sense of how the books fit together and contribute to that overall purpose? Do you really know what the Bible is about? Do you understand the story of God and how you fit into that? If any…
Each month we want to share a word of encouragement and offer some resources from like-minded believers for your profit. These articles are available in print upon request. Beloved Congregation, I am writing to you out of love for you and because I believe that we need a reminder on how to warn people of the coming days. We are told in scripture…
The Gospel at Work. By Sebastian Traeger and Greg Gilbert What you do from 9 to 5 matters for the sake of the Gospel! Unfortunately, that’s not how most people think about their jobs. On the one hand, some employees are so committed to their vocations that it amounts to idolatry as they seek to find their satisfaction and fulfillment in them. …
How to Walk into Church. By Tony Payne Think about those Sundays where we came into a morning worship service expecting to be served, hoping we won’t have to talk with anyone, hoping we get our favorite seat, or coming in late and rushed and stressed from an awful morning. Maybe we don’t always think to pray for the people we are about…
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God’s Battle Plan for the Mind: The Puritan Practice of Biblical Meditation. By David W. Saxton Meditation in our Christian circles has gotten kind of a bad rap. The popular idea of meditation has been misshapen by mysticism, New Age, and Eastern religious notions. There is nothing more beneficial for understanding the truth and growing in sanctification than careful reflection on the…
June 26, 2015 SCOTUS RULING Our pastoral staff would like to offer to you a number of resources regarding the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on so called “same-sex” marriage. We hope you find these beneficial! History, Sympathy, and Sovereignty: A Biblical Response to Homosexuality: Genesis 19 Leviticus 18:22 Leviticus 20:13 Deuteronomy 22:5 Romans 1:26-27 1 Timothy 1:9-10 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 …
When a Nation Forgets God. By Erwin Lutzer The things that concern Christians today: government finances, laws that go against biblical morality, revision of history by special interests, the attacks against families, authority, and common sense aren’t new. These same factors lead to the establishment of National Socialism in Nazi Germany leading up to World War II. Evolutionary thought changed the way laws…
Trusting God. By Jerry Bridges Life is not easy. The Christian life is not easy either. And if we are honest, we have found ourselves in circumstances where we have asked questions like, “Why is God allowing this?” or “What have I done wrong?” When unexpected situations arise that appear unjust, irrational, or even dreadful, we feel confused and frustrated. Before long we…
Personal Evangelism If you are in Christ and know the forgiveness of sins, it’s because at some point someone told you about the truth of the Gospel. Praise the Lord they did and that you know the hope of eternal life! Someone took the time to tell you about the bad news of sin and its consequence of eternal judgment, and the…
The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment. By Tim Challies The church today is bombarded with a deluge of information on how to live the Christian life, how to do church, how to impact culture, and how to think about a variety of issues. Numerous books and a multitude of resources are available online and in bookstores. Have you ever wondered how to wade through…
Each week we want to share a word of encouragement and offer some resources from like-minded believers for your profit. These articles are available in print upon request. Spring Growth Beloved Congregation, “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness…
Stop Loving the World. By William Greenhill We read in 1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world.” But the world is urging Christians today to love all that it has to offer, to fix our thoughts on the philosophies of men, and to set our Bibles aside. Adoration of stuff, love of gifts more than…