The Gospel of Peace - Luke 2
Pastor Dennis Bone
12/27/09
God’s Christmas message to us in Luke 2 – at the birth of His Son – wasn’t about people living in peace; it was the declaration of the good news of peace towards men and women on earth. It was the good news of peace with God, which makes all other kinds of peace possible and meaningful. more...
He is Peace: The Peace of Advent - Various Scripture Verses
Pastor Dennis Bone
12/24/09
Many people think that they have to find their way to God. They have to make their peace with God by doing something – by going to church; by giving money to the poor; by doing good deeds for others; and the list goes on and on – in order that God will accept them. more...
He is the Lamb of God: The Lamb of Advent - John 1:29-36
Pastor Dennis Bone
12/20/09
The Old Testament said that the Messiah would come as a king; and He did, but not the kind of King the people expected or hoped for. This King came as the Lamb of God. His kingship and His kingdom would be achieved through His sacrificial death. more...
He is the Purifier: The Purifier of Advent - Malachi 3:1-4
Pastor Dennis Bone
12/13/09
But amidst a message of anger and judgment God provides a message of hope. In fact it’s much more than a message, it’s a messenger of hope, one who comes not to punish but to purify; one who comes not to judge but to redeem. One who comes to change and transform sinful people, so that our attitudes and actions may be acceptable and pleasing in His sight. more...
He is our Shepherd: The Shepherd of Advent - Various Scripture Verses
Pastor Dennis Bone
12/6/09
The message of the gospel and the message of Christmas is that Christ, the Good Shepherd – the great and glorious Shepherd – has come to save lost and lonely sheep; and through the gospel, we who have heard His voice, call others to look to the Shepherd and find the goodness and mercy that will led you in this life, and the true hope and security that will be yours all the days of your life and forever. more...
He is Light: The Light of Advent - Isaiah 9:1-7
Pastor Dennis Bone
11/29/09
Jesus said that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son; but then goes on to say that men loved darkness instead of the light; and will not come to the light for fear his deeds will be exposed. You see we don’t come to the light, the light comes to us – the light of Christ’s redemption, the light of God’s new creation – and He opens up the eyes of the blind, and hearts full of darkness. more...
An Anniversary Charge - 2 Timothy 4:1-8
Pastor Dennis Bone
11/22/09
As we today celebrate and rejoice around our church anniversary, may we be renewed and revived around this charge given to the church – to preach Christ and His Word – to know our responsibility; to communicate the truth of Christ’s Word; to refuse the foolishness of man; and to focus on Christ, the author and finisher of our faith; and to serve Him faithfully in anticipation of a glorious and eternal future with Him forever. more...
Jars of Joy - John 2:1-11
Pastor Dennis Bone
11/15/09
We won’t find true joy in the symbols of religion or even in the works of religion, but we find joy in the person and work of Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him. more...
Always Remember God's Word - Psalm 119:169-176
Pastor Dennis Bone
11/8/09
Many people read the Bible regularly but then forget what it says; many hear it taught and preached regularly but fail to apply it or put it into practice. Remembering God’s Word means that we know what it says – we remember it’s promises and principles – and that we do what it says – we put its principles and promises into practice in our lives. more...
Reformation Reflections - Romans 1:16-17
Pastor Dennis Bone
Most people think of the Reformation as Protestant verses Catholic; but in reality it was Catholics seeking to change or reform the corruption and false teaching within the church – their church. The intent was not to start a new church or denomination, but to get back to the foundation of biblical Christianity, which Catholicism had drifted far from in many crucial areas. more...
A Strong Defense - Psalm 119:153-168
Pastor Dennis Bone
Oct-28-2009
In all of life, not just school, we will experience different types of “bullies” – different kinds of people and situations and circumstances that seek to intimidate us, or oppress us, or frighten us – and we need to have a strong defense in order to stand up to them so that they don’t make our life miserable. more...
Getting Things Right - Psalm 119:137-152
Pastor Dennis Bone
10/18/09
If you don’t see God as holy, righteous and perfect; then why would you see a need to obey Him? Many people today like the fact that God is love, but would rather not talk about His righteousness. Some people act as if obedience to God isn’t that important, because God will forgive us anyway; and, “We can’t be expected to keep God’s law anyway.” more...
Divine Intervention - Psalm 119:121-136
Pastor Dennis Bone
9/11/09
We sometimes attribute “divine intervention” to stunning events or unexpected happenings when we are not sure how else to describe what has happened or occurred. We also often look for “divine intervention” when we have no control over situation or circumstance, and need God to act or to show us a solution to a problem or an issue. How often do we wish that God would do an intervention on our kids or intervene in a bad relationship or intervene in a physical illness? more...
Am I a Credible Witness - II Corinthians 13:1-6
Elder Ron Vess
10/4/09
What do you think about when you consider examining yourself, your actions and your motives? We generally take one of two approaches to self-examination. The first is something on the order of, "I'm no good. I've never lived up to my expectations. I'm just worthless." The second approach to self-examination is just the opposite. Here we give ourselves a quick once-over and go on our way. more...
Our Primary Source - Psalm 119:105-120
Pastor Dennis Bone
9/27/09
Anxiety about what is going to happen paralyzes us and often keeps us from the direction of obedience. It’s this anxiety or worry that we, like the Psalmist needs to be protected from – not because there is no danger in the future, there always is – but because God knows the future and His word is our best source of defense, not our worry. more...
A Passion for Perfection - Psalm 119:89-96
Pastor Dennis Bone
9/20/09
How often have you heard or used the phrase, “I’m not perfect, just forgiven?” Although this is true, shouldn’t we add, “But I’m going to work harder not to sin because I’m forgiven?” Shouldn’t we be as disappointed over our sin as we are excited over our forgiveness? more...
Deliver Us From Evil - Psalm 119:73-80
Pastor Dennis Bone
9/13/09
God’s comfort is what enables us to be patient, because often the trials of life and the consequences of evil last longer than what we had hoped, so we need to again remember that our hope is not in the circumstances changing or in people changing, but in God’s Word; and in His sure promises to us. more...
The Discipline of Contentment - Psalm 119:57-64
Pastor Dennis Bone
9/5/09
The Word of God is what gives us contentment, and what enables us to keep and maintain this contentment as we live our lives in a world of discontentment; in a world of people and circumstances that often try to rob us of our contentment; and tempt us to look for contentment in the things of this world instead of in the person of God and the power of His Word. more...
Blessed are the Bold - Psalm 119:41-56
Pastor Dennis Bone
8/30/09
You may not think of “boldness” as a spiritual trait or quality, but this boldness is essential for us to be an effective Christian in this world. It’s essential to our witness – we are to be bold in sharing about Christ; it’s essential for our worship – we are to be bold in praising and honoring Christ; and it’s essential to our well-being – we are to be bold in our praying through Christ our mediator and great high priest. This boldness – true boldness – the kind of boldness that comes from knowing and worshipping and praying to God, through the study and meditation of His Word; produces humility, honesty, hope and holiness. more...
Understanding and Accepting God's Ways - Psalm 119:25-40
Pastor Dennis Bone
8/23/09
It’s our self-centeredness; and our preoccupation with our self and what we want and desire that leads us to pursue hollow or trivial things, instead of the things of God. Think about all of the things that take us away from God’s Word and that compete for our time, our money, our allegiance; and then ask yourself, “How many of those things are of any real value?” more...
The Strength of My Life - Psalm 119:9-24
Pastor Dennis Bone
8/16/09
We often have poor memories when it comes to re-calling God’s Word, thus as the apostle Paul tells us, we must continually be letting the Word of Christ dwell in us richly. It must become more and more a part of us, because God’s Word is the best prevention against offending God. more...
A Tribute to the Word of God - Psalm 119:1-8
Pastor Dennis Bone
8/9/09
When you are distracted or divided over your allegiance to God’s Word, your joy will diminish because you are allowing other things to compete for the attention of your heart. This happens at times to all of us. We get emotionally involved in a person, or a hobby, or a cause, or maybe even an addiction, and it becomes a greater priority than God’s Word and convinces us to compromise or even break God’s law. more...
The Greatness of Our God - Psalm 48
Pastor Dennis Bone
8/2/09
The Bible is full of verses and references to God’s greatness; we sing songs about God’s greatness; we all believe and say that God is great, but at times we forget how great. In times of struggle or opposition, we often see the people or the opposition as greater then God, or at least we feel that way. more...
Love One Another (Part. 2) - 1 John 4:7-21
Pastor Dennis Bone
7/26/09
As I talked about last week, true love is sacrificial in that it acts on behalf of other people and in the best interest of others. Yet biblical love always does this with discernment and understanding, which is based upon God’s truth. True love is not blind; it doesn’t enable sin; and it doesn’t ignore truth. That kind of love operates from a false premise and faulty definition. more...
Love One Another - 1 John 4:7-21
Pastor Dennis Bone
7/19/09
The problem with “love” is that most people want to define it in ways that work for them; and that will justify their feelings and actions. We see many examples of this in the Bible, as well as history, not just our contemporary culture. This is why we hear people say all of the time, “I don’t feel like loving;” or “I lost that loving feeling.” When did love become optional? more...
John Calvin: Servant of Christ and His Church - Various Scripture Verses
Pastor Dennis Bone
7/12/09
This sermon is not about Calvin – you can read some of the facts about his life in the bulletin insert – but this message is about the God he sought to honor and glorify; about God’s Word he faithfully sought to teach; and God’s church which he passionately sought to serve and minister to for the sake and for the glory of our Savior Jesus Christ. more...
Live Free; Not Fake - Galatians 5:1-11
Pastor Dennis Bone
7/5/09
When you live free – in Christ’s freedom – you will demonstrate by your attitudes and actions the fruit of the Spirit operating in your life. But like some of these Christians in Galatia, we often have things going on in us and around that try to suck the freedom right out of us. Do you ever feel burdened or weighed down by fear, or guilt, or sin? more...
The Trouble With the Truth - Acts 17:1-15
Pastor Dennis Bone
6/28/09
A twelve year old boy was an important witness in a lawsuit. One of the lawyers, who was cross-examining him, said to him, “Your father has been telling you how to testify, hasn’t he?” “Yes,” said the boy. “Now just tell us how your father told you to testify,” the lawyer asked him. “Well,” replied the boy, more...
The Glory Road - 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17
Pastor Dennis Bone
6/21/09
A couple of years ago a movie came out called “The Glory Road” about the Texas Western’s men’s basketball team winning the 1967 NCAA college basketball championship. This was like the Jackie Robinson story of college basketball in that it was the first time that a college basketball team was made up primarily of more...
The Work of the Word - I Thessalonians 2:10-16
Pastor Dennis Bone
6/14/09
Throughout our culture “hero-worship” is rampant. The worship and often imitation of movie stars, athletes, pop and rap music stars is certainly not novel to our generation but in most cases it’s the ungodly and immoral who get the press, the pub, and the following by adoring and undiscerning fans. Again, it’s always been this way as Puritan writer Thomas Brooks said many years ago, “Sinful people are wonderfully in love with bad examples . . . more...
A Model Church: Motive and Manner - 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Pastor Dennis Bone
6/7/09
President Harry Truman said the following when asked to comment on the importance of polls when it came to leadership and decision making: “I wonder how far Moses would have gone if he’d taken a poll in Egypt? What would Jesus have preached if he had taken a poll in Israel? Where would the Reformation have gone if Martin Luther had taken a poll? It isn’t polls or the public opinion of the moment that counts, it’s the more...
The Impact of Pentecost: Then and Now - I Thessalonians 1:2-10
Pastor Dennis Bone
5/31/09
How many of you remember those car commercials on TV during Christmas with the new Lexus in the driveway with the bow on top? It was the perfect gift for Christmas. I suppose that most people would be very surprised and really happy if they looked out their door at Christmas or any time and saw a brand new Lexus as a gift. But what if you loved the color of the car and then went inside the car and felt good about the look of the interior and the comfort of the seats, and then went to turn the key and nothing happened? more...
Change You Can Really Believe In - Acts 2:37-41
Pastor Dennis Bone
5/24/09
Often times change is thrust or forced upon us by people or circumstances. Maybe by government or by an employer or a parent; sometimes it’s necessary change and sometimes unnecessary; sometimes it’s positive and other times negative. But true change – true spiritual change – can only come from God’s Spirit working in you through His Word. more...
The Testimony of David - Acts 2:25 -36
Pastor Dennis Bone
5/17/09
You have all probably heard it said that you cannot rightly or properly understand the Old Testament without understanding the New Testament; but it’s just as true that you cannot properly understand the New Testament without understanding the Old Testament. more...
The Explanation of Pentecost - Acts 2:14-24
Pastor Dennis Bone
5/10/09
The Holy Spirit was given to the church because of what Christ did – His death and resurrection is what triggered or activated this promise – and now based upon this event at Pentecost all of us as Christians now have the same presence and power of the Holy Spirit available to us. As I said last week, it’s not that we need more of the Holy Spirit; it’s that the Holy Spirit needs more of us. more...
The Spirit of Pentecost - Acts 2:1-13
Pastor Dennis Bone
5/3/09
It’s unfortunate that at the turn of the 20th century a group of over zealous Christians labeled themselves “Pentecostalists” which lead to a movement that has confused people for the past hundred years. The Spirit of Pentecost is not the property of one group or denomination; nor is the day of Pentecost an event that needs to be repeated or reenacted. The message of Pentecost is not about tongues, it’s about Christ; it has nothing to do with Christians speaking in tongues but has everything to do with Christians speaking about Jesus Christ. more...
Preparation for Impact - Acts 2:12-26
Pastor Dennis Bone
4/26/09
In the world of fundraising as well as church planting today there is a lot of preparation that goes into crafting the right message and the right mailer and the right image, in order to get people to respond to your request in the right way – the request to give money to your organization; the request to come to your church – proper preparation is the key to positive and successful results. more...
After the Resurrection - Acts 1:1-11
Pastor Dennis Bone
4/19/09
Someone said, “No one graduates from Bible study until he meets the author face to face.” For it’s as we “see” Jesus in the Scripture, and learn from Him, we are preparing ourselves to see Him face to face. more...
Hope That Never Disappoints - Romans 5:1-5
Pastor Dennis Bone
4/12/09
. People are looking for things that are secure in insecure times; people are looking for things that they can trust in times of deceit and false promises. People often equate hope with change, but it’s not the outward changes that bring true hope, but it’s the inward change that occurs in a person’s life that gives them the hope to live in a positive and victorious way in the face of whatever outward changes occur. more...
Passover: Revisited and Revised - Mark 14:12-26
Pastor Dennis Bone
4/5/09
Jesus Christ is the ultimate deliverer and the final Redeemer. It’s not the blood of a lamb that causes God to pass over His judgment, but it’s the blood of Christ, the very Lamb of God, that spares and saves His people from final judgment and the oppression and bondage of their sins. The Passover Feast sets the stage for Christ’s death and resurrection. more...
Presence, Power and Persecution - Acts 5:17-41
Pastor Dennis Bone
3/29/09
One of my friends has a phrase posted on the wall in his office that says, “If you lack enemies, you are not doing something worthwhile.” The most worthwhile activity that we can do as Christians is to proclaim or share the gospel of Jesus Christ, and this activity will inevitably cause us to have enemies. more...
Watch Out! - Mark 13:1-37
Pastor Dennis Bone
3/22/09
The same dangers that faced these first disciples and the early church, following Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, face us also as Christians 2,000 years later. We need to watch out and be on guard as well, not for the same historic events or people that impacted the 1st century disciples, but for the same type of obstacles that have challenged the church in every generation. more...
Close to the Kingdom - Mark 12:28-32
Pastor Dennis Bone
3/15/09
A well known philosopher once said there is a vast difference between knowing God and loving Him. We might agree with this because we know a lot of people that we don’t love. Yet is it truly possible to know God yet not love Him? One of the reasons this philosopher said what he said is because he saw the disconnect between people who said they knew or believed in God intellectual, yet these same people didn’t live like they loved Him. more...
Greatness in God's Eyes - Matthew 20:17-27
Pastor Dennis Bone
3/8/09
Who said, “I am the greatest; and I said that even before I knew I was.” Muhammad Ali, formally Cassius Clay, considered himself the greatest boxer of all time, but the once arrogant and proud man is now the crippled man, humbled by Parkinson Disease. Like this world, human greatness is temporary. This sadly reminds us that the common definition of greatness revolves around money, power, and fame. These things drive our pride, but don’t make one great in God’s eyes more...
The Equality of God's Grace - Matthew 20:1-16
Pastor Dennis Bone
3/1/09
Jesus uses a typical everyday scene to point out a spiritual truth. He tells a story that will get everyone’s attention so as to explain what the kingdom of God is like. It’s like a landowner who went out to find people to work in his vineyard. He has a plan and a purpose for who he hired, when he hired them and the terms of their employment. more...
The Wrong Side of Mercy - Mark 11:12-33
Pastor Dennis Bone
2/22/09
The word “mercy” is used over 200 times in the Scriptures and usually refers to God’s loving kindness and compassion towards people who don’t deserve His love or forgiveness. Our God is a God of grace and mercy and He demonstrates this throughout the Old and New Testament Scriptures, but nowhere is it demonstrated more clearly and vividly than in the person of His Son Jesus Christ. more...
Making the Impossible Possible - Mark 10:17-22
Pastor Dennis Bone
2/15/09
I’m reminded of the response of Jesus’ disciples, and most of the people in the crowds that followed Him, when they heard Him talk about money and material possessions. They had an uninformed and bias view of money and wealth. Thus when they heard Jesus speak about money and riches – which He did more than any other topic – they were often surprised and confused by His statements and declarations. His approach to this topic, in the eyes of many, was “impossible.” more...
Commitment, Not Convenience - Mark 10:1-16
Pastor Dennis Bone
2/8/09
Divorce and adultery are common place today, it might make the gossip tabloids but it’s pretty much accepted in our society, which is not much different than first century Rome. Although the religious leaders of the day may not have endorsed it, they didn’t exactly speak out against it. The same is true today of most mainline religious leaders. more...
The Sabbaath and the Superbowl - Isaiah 58:13-14
Pastor Dennis Bone
2/1/09
The Super Bowl personifies the city of man and highlights everything that the kingdom of this world is about – money, advertising, entertainment and pleasure – while the Sabbath personifies the city of God, and highlights everything that the kingdom of God is all about – worship, service and joy in the Lord. Can the two things co-exist? more...
The Work of the Shepherd - John 10:1-21
Pastor Dennis Bone
1/25/09
Isaiah says, “All we like sheep have gone astray and turned to our own way.” If you know anything about sheep you know that it’s not complementary to be called one. Last week in Sunday school we looked the parable of the lost sheep, and in one sense we are all lost sheep who have gone astray. We all have a natural tendency or sinful nature to go our own way. more...
Celebrating Life - Psalm 139:13-18
Pastor Dennis Bone
1/18/09
Whatever the Founding Fathers view was towards God, it certainly wasn’t secular or atheistic, nor did they ever envision a society or country where God was on the outside looking in; nor a place where His laws were being dismissed and trampled upon under the pretense of “separation between church and state.” more...
Jesus: Friend of Sinners - Mark 2:13-22
Pastor Dennis Bone
1/11/09
Why would the coming of God’s perfect Son and loving Messiah be such a source of controversy? What’s there not to like about Christmas? But every year we see and hear more and more about conflicts over even saying the word “Christmas” and legal confrontations over what schools and cities and businesses can do and say. more...
Pointing People to Christ - Mark 1:1-13
Pastor Dennis Bone
1/4/09
The work of the church from the beginning, and still today over 2,000 years later, is to point people to Jesus Christ. Our job is not to point people to the church so they can be religious, or to point people to the law so they can live better, or to point people to self-help groups so they can feel better, but our task and mission as Christians is to point people to Christ – the Lord and Savior – so they can be saved and changed. more...
Pastor Dennis Bone
12/27/09
God’s Christmas message to us in Luke 2 – at the birth of His Son – wasn’t about people living in peace; it was the declaration of the good news of peace towards men and women on earth. It was the good news of peace with God, which makes all other kinds of peace possible and meaningful. more...
He is Peace: The Peace of Advent - Various Scripture Verses
Pastor Dennis Bone
12/24/09
Many people think that they have to find their way to God. They have to make their peace with God by doing something – by going to church; by giving money to the poor; by doing good deeds for others; and the list goes on and on – in order that God will accept them. more...
He is the Lamb of God: The Lamb of Advent - John 1:29-36
Pastor Dennis Bone
12/20/09
The Old Testament said that the Messiah would come as a king; and He did, but not the kind of King the people expected or hoped for. This King came as the Lamb of God. His kingship and His kingdom would be achieved through His sacrificial death. more...
He is the Purifier: The Purifier of Advent - Malachi 3:1-4
Pastor Dennis Bone
12/13/09
But amidst a message of anger and judgment God provides a message of hope. In fact it’s much more than a message, it’s a messenger of hope, one who comes not to punish but to purify; one who comes not to judge but to redeem. One who comes to change and transform sinful people, so that our attitudes and actions may be acceptable and pleasing in His sight. more...
He is our Shepherd: The Shepherd of Advent - Various Scripture Verses
Pastor Dennis Bone
12/6/09
The message of the gospel and the message of Christmas is that Christ, the Good Shepherd – the great and glorious Shepherd – has come to save lost and lonely sheep; and through the gospel, we who have heard His voice, call others to look to the Shepherd and find the goodness and mercy that will led you in this life, and the true hope and security that will be yours all the days of your life and forever. more...
He is Light: The Light of Advent - Isaiah 9:1-7
Pastor Dennis Bone
11/29/09
Jesus said that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son; but then goes on to say that men loved darkness instead of the light; and will not come to the light for fear his deeds will be exposed. You see we don’t come to the light, the light comes to us – the light of Christ’s redemption, the light of God’s new creation – and He opens up the eyes of the blind, and hearts full of darkness. more...
An Anniversary Charge - 2 Timothy 4:1-8
Pastor Dennis Bone
11/22/09
As we today celebrate and rejoice around our church anniversary, may we be renewed and revived around this charge given to the church – to preach Christ and His Word – to know our responsibility; to communicate the truth of Christ’s Word; to refuse the foolishness of man; and to focus on Christ, the author and finisher of our faith; and to serve Him faithfully in anticipation of a glorious and eternal future with Him forever. more...
Jars of Joy - John 2:1-11
Pastor Dennis Bone
11/15/09
We won’t find true joy in the symbols of religion or even in the works of religion, but we find joy in the person and work of Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him. more...
Always Remember God's Word - Psalm 119:169-176
Pastor Dennis Bone
11/8/09
Many people read the Bible regularly but then forget what it says; many hear it taught and preached regularly but fail to apply it or put it into practice. Remembering God’s Word means that we know what it says – we remember it’s promises and principles – and that we do what it says – we put its principles and promises into practice in our lives. more...
Reformation Reflections - Romans 1:16-17
Pastor Dennis Bone
Most people think of the Reformation as Protestant verses Catholic; but in reality it was Catholics seeking to change or reform the corruption and false teaching within the church – their church. The intent was not to start a new church or denomination, but to get back to the foundation of biblical Christianity, which Catholicism had drifted far from in many crucial areas. more...
A Strong Defense - Psalm 119:153-168
Pastor Dennis Bone
Oct-28-2009
In all of life, not just school, we will experience different types of “bullies” – different kinds of people and situations and circumstances that seek to intimidate us, or oppress us, or frighten us – and we need to have a strong defense in order to stand up to them so that they don’t make our life miserable. more...
Getting Things Right - Psalm 119:137-152
Pastor Dennis Bone
10/18/09
If you don’t see God as holy, righteous and perfect; then why would you see a need to obey Him? Many people today like the fact that God is love, but would rather not talk about His righteousness. Some people act as if obedience to God isn’t that important, because God will forgive us anyway; and, “We can’t be expected to keep God’s law anyway.” more...
Divine Intervention - Psalm 119:121-136
Pastor Dennis Bone
9/11/09
We sometimes attribute “divine intervention” to stunning events or unexpected happenings when we are not sure how else to describe what has happened or occurred. We also often look for “divine intervention” when we have no control over situation or circumstance, and need God to act or to show us a solution to a problem or an issue. How often do we wish that God would do an intervention on our kids or intervene in a bad relationship or intervene in a physical illness? more...
Am I a Credible Witness - II Corinthians 13:1-6
Elder Ron Vess
10/4/09
What do you think about when you consider examining yourself, your actions and your motives? We generally take one of two approaches to self-examination. The first is something on the order of, "I'm no good. I've never lived up to my expectations. I'm just worthless." The second approach to self-examination is just the opposite. Here we give ourselves a quick once-over and go on our way. more...
Our Primary Source - Psalm 119:105-120
Pastor Dennis Bone
9/27/09
Anxiety about what is going to happen paralyzes us and often keeps us from the direction of obedience. It’s this anxiety or worry that we, like the Psalmist needs to be protected from – not because there is no danger in the future, there always is – but because God knows the future and His word is our best source of defense, not our worry. more...
A Passion for Perfection - Psalm 119:89-96
Pastor Dennis Bone
9/20/09
How often have you heard or used the phrase, “I’m not perfect, just forgiven?” Although this is true, shouldn’t we add, “But I’m going to work harder not to sin because I’m forgiven?” Shouldn’t we be as disappointed over our sin as we are excited over our forgiveness? more...
Deliver Us From Evil - Psalm 119:73-80
Pastor Dennis Bone
9/13/09
God’s comfort is what enables us to be patient, because often the trials of life and the consequences of evil last longer than what we had hoped, so we need to again remember that our hope is not in the circumstances changing or in people changing, but in God’s Word; and in His sure promises to us. more...
The Discipline of Contentment - Psalm 119:57-64
Pastor Dennis Bone
9/5/09
The Word of God is what gives us contentment, and what enables us to keep and maintain this contentment as we live our lives in a world of discontentment; in a world of people and circumstances that often try to rob us of our contentment; and tempt us to look for contentment in the things of this world instead of in the person of God and the power of His Word. more...
Blessed are the Bold - Psalm 119:41-56
Pastor Dennis Bone
8/30/09
You may not think of “boldness” as a spiritual trait or quality, but this boldness is essential for us to be an effective Christian in this world. It’s essential to our witness – we are to be bold in sharing about Christ; it’s essential for our worship – we are to be bold in praising and honoring Christ; and it’s essential to our well-being – we are to be bold in our praying through Christ our mediator and great high priest. This boldness – true boldness – the kind of boldness that comes from knowing and worshipping and praying to God, through the study and meditation of His Word; produces humility, honesty, hope and holiness. more...
Understanding and Accepting God's Ways - Psalm 119:25-40
Pastor Dennis Bone
8/23/09
It’s our self-centeredness; and our preoccupation with our self and what we want and desire that leads us to pursue hollow or trivial things, instead of the things of God. Think about all of the things that take us away from God’s Word and that compete for our time, our money, our allegiance; and then ask yourself, “How many of those things are of any real value?” more...
The Strength of My Life - Psalm 119:9-24
Pastor Dennis Bone
8/16/09
We often have poor memories when it comes to re-calling God’s Word, thus as the apostle Paul tells us, we must continually be letting the Word of Christ dwell in us richly. It must become more and more a part of us, because God’s Word is the best prevention against offending God. more...
A Tribute to the Word of God - Psalm 119:1-8
Pastor Dennis Bone
8/9/09
When you are distracted or divided over your allegiance to God’s Word, your joy will diminish because you are allowing other things to compete for the attention of your heart. This happens at times to all of us. We get emotionally involved in a person, or a hobby, or a cause, or maybe even an addiction, and it becomes a greater priority than God’s Word and convinces us to compromise or even break God’s law. more...
The Greatness of Our God - Psalm 48
Pastor Dennis Bone
8/2/09
The Bible is full of verses and references to God’s greatness; we sing songs about God’s greatness; we all believe and say that God is great, but at times we forget how great. In times of struggle or opposition, we often see the people or the opposition as greater then God, or at least we feel that way. more...
Love One Another (Part. 2) - 1 John 4:7-21
Pastor Dennis Bone
7/26/09
As I talked about last week, true love is sacrificial in that it acts on behalf of other people and in the best interest of others. Yet biblical love always does this with discernment and understanding, which is based upon God’s truth. True love is not blind; it doesn’t enable sin; and it doesn’t ignore truth. That kind of love operates from a false premise and faulty definition. more...
Love One Another - 1 John 4:7-21
Pastor Dennis Bone
7/19/09
The problem with “love” is that most people want to define it in ways that work for them; and that will justify their feelings and actions. We see many examples of this in the Bible, as well as history, not just our contemporary culture. This is why we hear people say all of the time, “I don’t feel like loving;” or “I lost that loving feeling.” When did love become optional? more...
John Calvin: Servant of Christ and His Church - Various Scripture Verses
Pastor Dennis Bone
7/12/09
This sermon is not about Calvin – you can read some of the facts about his life in the bulletin insert – but this message is about the God he sought to honor and glorify; about God’s Word he faithfully sought to teach; and God’s church which he passionately sought to serve and minister to for the sake and for the glory of our Savior Jesus Christ. more...
Live Free; Not Fake - Galatians 5:1-11
Pastor Dennis Bone
7/5/09
When you live free – in Christ’s freedom – you will demonstrate by your attitudes and actions the fruit of the Spirit operating in your life. But like some of these Christians in Galatia, we often have things going on in us and around that try to suck the freedom right out of us. Do you ever feel burdened or weighed down by fear, or guilt, or sin? more...
The Trouble With the Truth - Acts 17:1-15
Pastor Dennis Bone
6/28/09
A twelve year old boy was an important witness in a lawsuit. One of the lawyers, who was cross-examining him, said to him, “Your father has been telling you how to testify, hasn’t he?” “Yes,” said the boy. “Now just tell us how your father told you to testify,” the lawyer asked him. “Well,” replied the boy, more...
The Glory Road - 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17
Pastor Dennis Bone
6/21/09
A couple of years ago a movie came out called “The Glory Road” about the Texas Western’s men’s basketball team winning the 1967 NCAA college basketball championship. This was like the Jackie Robinson story of college basketball in that it was the first time that a college basketball team was made up primarily of more...
The Work of the Word - I Thessalonians 2:10-16
Pastor Dennis Bone
6/14/09
Throughout our culture “hero-worship” is rampant. The worship and often imitation of movie stars, athletes, pop and rap music stars is certainly not novel to our generation but in most cases it’s the ungodly and immoral who get the press, the pub, and the following by adoring and undiscerning fans. Again, it’s always been this way as Puritan writer Thomas Brooks said many years ago, “Sinful people are wonderfully in love with bad examples . . . more...
A Model Church: Motive and Manner - 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Pastor Dennis Bone
6/7/09
President Harry Truman said the following when asked to comment on the importance of polls when it came to leadership and decision making: “I wonder how far Moses would have gone if he’d taken a poll in Egypt? What would Jesus have preached if he had taken a poll in Israel? Where would the Reformation have gone if Martin Luther had taken a poll? It isn’t polls or the public opinion of the moment that counts, it’s the more...
The Impact of Pentecost: Then and Now - I Thessalonians 1:2-10
Pastor Dennis Bone
5/31/09
How many of you remember those car commercials on TV during Christmas with the new Lexus in the driveway with the bow on top? It was the perfect gift for Christmas. I suppose that most people would be very surprised and really happy if they looked out their door at Christmas or any time and saw a brand new Lexus as a gift. But what if you loved the color of the car and then went inside the car and felt good about the look of the interior and the comfort of the seats, and then went to turn the key and nothing happened? more...
Change You Can Really Believe In - Acts 2:37-41
Pastor Dennis Bone
5/24/09
Often times change is thrust or forced upon us by people or circumstances. Maybe by government or by an employer or a parent; sometimes it’s necessary change and sometimes unnecessary; sometimes it’s positive and other times negative. But true change – true spiritual change – can only come from God’s Spirit working in you through His Word. more...
The Testimony of David - Acts 2:25 -36
Pastor Dennis Bone
5/17/09
You have all probably heard it said that you cannot rightly or properly understand the Old Testament without understanding the New Testament; but it’s just as true that you cannot properly understand the New Testament without understanding the Old Testament. more...
The Explanation of Pentecost - Acts 2:14-24
Pastor Dennis Bone
5/10/09
The Holy Spirit was given to the church because of what Christ did – His death and resurrection is what triggered or activated this promise – and now based upon this event at Pentecost all of us as Christians now have the same presence and power of the Holy Spirit available to us. As I said last week, it’s not that we need more of the Holy Spirit; it’s that the Holy Spirit needs more of us. more...
The Spirit of Pentecost - Acts 2:1-13
Pastor Dennis Bone
5/3/09
It’s unfortunate that at the turn of the 20th century a group of over zealous Christians labeled themselves “Pentecostalists” which lead to a movement that has confused people for the past hundred years. The Spirit of Pentecost is not the property of one group or denomination; nor is the day of Pentecost an event that needs to be repeated or reenacted. The message of Pentecost is not about tongues, it’s about Christ; it has nothing to do with Christians speaking in tongues but has everything to do with Christians speaking about Jesus Christ. more...
Preparation for Impact - Acts 2:12-26
Pastor Dennis Bone
4/26/09
In the world of fundraising as well as church planting today there is a lot of preparation that goes into crafting the right message and the right mailer and the right image, in order to get people to respond to your request in the right way – the request to give money to your organization; the request to come to your church – proper preparation is the key to positive and successful results. more...
After the Resurrection - Acts 1:1-11
Pastor Dennis Bone
4/19/09
Someone said, “No one graduates from Bible study until he meets the author face to face.” For it’s as we “see” Jesus in the Scripture, and learn from Him, we are preparing ourselves to see Him face to face. more...
Hope That Never Disappoints - Romans 5:1-5
Pastor Dennis Bone
4/12/09
. People are looking for things that are secure in insecure times; people are looking for things that they can trust in times of deceit and false promises. People often equate hope with change, but it’s not the outward changes that bring true hope, but it’s the inward change that occurs in a person’s life that gives them the hope to live in a positive and victorious way in the face of whatever outward changes occur. more...
Passover: Revisited and Revised - Mark 14:12-26
Pastor Dennis Bone
4/5/09
Jesus Christ is the ultimate deliverer and the final Redeemer. It’s not the blood of a lamb that causes God to pass over His judgment, but it’s the blood of Christ, the very Lamb of God, that spares and saves His people from final judgment and the oppression and bondage of their sins. The Passover Feast sets the stage for Christ’s death and resurrection. more...
Presence, Power and Persecution - Acts 5:17-41
Pastor Dennis Bone
3/29/09
One of my friends has a phrase posted on the wall in his office that says, “If you lack enemies, you are not doing something worthwhile.” The most worthwhile activity that we can do as Christians is to proclaim or share the gospel of Jesus Christ, and this activity will inevitably cause us to have enemies. more...
Watch Out! - Mark 13:1-37
Pastor Dennis Bone
3/22/09
The same dangers that faced these first disciples and the early church, following Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, face us also as Christians 2,000 years later. We need to watch out and be on guard as well, not for the same historic events or people that impacted the 1st century disciples, but for the same type of obstacles that have challenged the church in every generation. more...
Close to the Kingdom - Mark 12:28-32
Pastor Dennis Bone
3/15/09
A well known philosopher once said there is a vast difference between knowing God and loving Him. We might agree with this because we know a lot of people that we don’t love. Yet is it truly possible to know God yet not love Him? One of the reasons this philosopher said what he said is because he saw the disconnect between people who said they knew or believed in God intellectual, yet these same people didn’t live like they loved Him. more...
Greatness in God's Eyes - Matthew 20:17-27
Pastor Dennis Bone
3/8/09
Who said, “I am the greatest; and I said that even before I knew I was.” Muhammad Ali, formally Cassius Clay, considered himself the greatest boxer of all time, but the once arrogant and proud man is now the crippled man, humbled by Parkinson Disease. Like this world, human greatness is temporary. This sadly reminds us that the common definition of greatness revolves around money, power, and fame. These things drive our pride, but don’t make one great in God’s eyes more...
The Equality of God's Grace - Matthew 20:1-16
Pastor Dennis Bone
3/1/09
Jesus uses a typical everyday scene to point out a spiritual truth. He tells a story that will get everyone’s attention so as to explain what the kingdom of God is like. It’s like a landowner who went out to find people to work in his vineyard. He has a plan and a purpose for who he hired, when he hired them and the terms of their employment. more...
The Wrong Side of Mercy - Mark 11:12-33
Pastor Dennis Bone
2/22/09
The word “mercy” is used over 200 times in the Scriptures and usually refers to God’s loving kindness and compassion towards people who don’t deserve His love or forgiveness. Our God is a God of grace and mercy and He demonstrates this throughout the Old and New Testament Scriptures, but nowhere is it demonstrated more clearly and vividly than in the person of His Son Jesus Christ. more...
Making the Impossible Possible - Mark 10:17-22
Pastor Dennis Bone
2/15/09
I’m reminded of the response of Jesus’ disciples, and most of the people in the crowds that followed Him, when they heard Him talk about money and material possessions. They had an uninformed and bias view of money and wealth. Thus when they heard Jesus speak about money and riches – which He did more than any other topic – they were often surprised and confused by His statements and declarations. His approach to this topic, in the eyes of many, was “impossible.” more...
Commitment, Not Convenience - Mark 10:1-16
Pastor Dennis Bone
2/8/09
Divorce and adultery are common place today, it might make the gossip tabloids but it’s pretty much accepted in our society, which is not much different than first century Rome. Although the religious leaders of the day may not have endorsed it, they didn’t exactly speak out against it. The same is true today of most mainline religious leaders. more...
The Sabbaath and the Superbowl - Isaiah 58:13-14
Pastor Dennis Bone
2/1/09
The Super Bowl personifies the city of man and highlights everything that the kingdom of this world is about – money, advertising, entertainment and pleasure – while the Sabbath personifies the city of God, and highlights everything that the kingdom of God is all about – worship, service and joy in the Lord. Can the two things co-exist? more...
The Work of the Shepherd - John 10:1-21
Pastor Dennis Bone
1/25/09
Isaiah says, “All we like sheep have gone astray and turned to our own way.” If you know anything about sheep you know that it’s not complementary to be called one. Last week in Sunday school we looked the parable of the lost sheep, and in one sense we are all lost sheep who have gone astray. We all have a natural tendency or sinful nature to go our own way. more...
Celebrating Life - Psalm 139:13-18
Pastor Dennis Bone
1/18/09
Whatever the Founding Fathers view was towards God, it certainly wasn’t secular or atheistic, nor did they ever envision a society or country where God was on the outside looking in; nor a place where His laws were being dismissed and trampled upon under the pretense of “separation between church and state.” more...
Jesus: Friend of Sinners - Mark 2:13-22
Pastor Dennis Bone
1/11/09
Why would the coming of God’s perfect Son and loving Messiah be such a source of controversy? What’s there not to like about Christmas? But every year we see and hear more and more about conflicts over even saying the word “Christmas” and legal confrontations over what schools and cities and businesses can do and say. more...
Pointing People to Christ - Mark 1:1-13
Pastor Dennis Bone
1/4/09
The work of the church from the beginning, and still today over 2,000 years later, is to point people to Jesus Christ. Our job is not to point people to the church so they can be religious, or to point people to the law so they can live better, or to point people to self-help groups so they can feel better, but our task and mission as Christians is to point people to Christ – the Lord and Savior – so they can be saved and changed. more...
