Songs for Our Temple (Week 9: Psalms 25-27)

Join me on this uncertain week in our world, we turn to the next three Psalms, which remind of us God’s faithfulness to His people.

Songs for Our Temple (Week 8: Psalms 22-24)

Jim Krenning shares from Psalms 22-24 — some of the most familiar words in the Psalms — this week as we continue our exploration of the Psalms this year.

Self-Sacrificial Love

To love someone, and to have those feelings returned — romantically or platonically — is a beautiful thing. And there is much joy to be found in it. But the everyday level of actually loving differs greatly from what has come to be the airy concept of love. Cupid’s bows and love without obstacles make for pleasant fairytales, but real love requires work and self-sacrifice.

A beautiful essay on love, reflecting on one of the best episodes in all of Trek. It nails the powerful picture of love and friendship in “Measure of a Man,” where Cmdr. Riker must take up the role of prosecutor against his friend Data in a place that lacks one or Data will receive a devastating summary judgment in lieu of a trial. Riker has to choose between the comfortable, but self-preserving path versus a deeply personally painful route that offers Data hope:

It’s also about how we love when we are stuck between difficult choices. How we love when that loving gives us back precious little but pain.

We as humans are called to do this, but it is mighty hard. Yet, we learn how to do it more as we follow the Savior who perfectly demonstrates what we can only achieve through Him in this life.

Grace from Fall (July 19, 2021)

Do I see myself as I am? Do I see how God sees me? Tonight on Steadfast, we look at those important questions and how God turns the “Fall from Grace” on its head.

God Keeps the Water Running (July 12, 2021)

Why did God create me? How does understanding who God is help us to better understand His love for us? As we begin a new series looking at core beliefs the Bible teaches, we start at the one who starts everything: God. (If you’re interested, we’re working our way through the Little Hills/FaithTree statement of faith — you can check that out and then we’ll cover a portion of it each week by looking at what the Bible teaches on that subject.)

Will I Pass the Final Exam? (July 5, 2021)

Jesus tells us He will return and judge the world. What does that really mean? Should we be afraid? As we wrap up “the Future is Here,” these are the questions I delve into.

Church's Got Talent (June 28, 2021)

What does waiting for Jesus’s return look like? Are we just trying to “make it through” until the end? This week we turn to Matthew 25:14-30, looking at the “Parable of the Talents” and what it says to us about what God calls us to do with our lives right now. (Tonight’s live stream was interesting to say the least — part of the system crashed midway through the livestream. The stream kept going, but it was definitely stressful! 😬)

The Midnight Oil (June 21, 2021)

What makes us foolish vs. wise in God’s eyes? That’s the question of the night as we dig into Matthew 25:1-13 (The Wise and Foolish Virgins). Got a few minutes? Please join me.

When Do I Need to Start Loving Cubs Fans? (June 14, 2021)

Are we prepared for Jesus’s return? Pastor Tim continues our series in Matthew 24-25, looking this week at Jesus’s call that we always be prepared.

The Future is Here

Wondering about what the Bible says about the End Times? That’s the subject of the new Steadfast series that starts this Monday at 7 pm (Central). If you have questions about the end times, please leave them in the comments or send me an e-mail — I’d love to try to address as many of your questions as I can as we go through what Jesus says on the topic in Matthew 24-25.