Pressure is a thing. We are all under it in different areas of our life. People expect from us. People have perceptions about us. People even threaten us when they don’t get what they want. It’s in these moments where the truth of a person’s character rises or falls. I’ve watched sports my whole life. I’ve seen teams that were really good at “blowing out” inferior opponents, but when they faced a ...  Read More

Main Point and Overview:  There is not a single event in world history that can compare to The Cross of Jesus Christ. It is the greatest display of sacrificial love that there has ever been. What makes it so special is the magnitude of the price that was paid by a completely innocent man. Sometimes, we forget what Jesus went through, or at least, we block it out of our memories. Maybe it makes us ...  Read More

On Christmas Eve family and friends gathered in Emmanuel’s auditorium to commemorate the birth of Christ. The room was aglow with a backdrop of festive Christmas trees, there were many hugs and greetings being exchanged, and it was evident that the children and adults alike were brimming with the anticipation of Christmas. With candles lit and held high, the congregation raised their voices togeth...  Read More

Admit it or not, we all like it when we have clear directions no matter the circumstance. You may be on your way to a family vacation or making the last-minute trip to the grocery store for forgotten items. No matter what it is, the worse felling is not being productive in the task at hand. Today's verses we see Pete giving some powerful directions about faith. Petter says the following: “For this...  Read More

There is the old saying “Say what you mean, mean what you say.” It is easy to say you’re going to do something, but it’s a lot tougher to actually carry through and do it. A few years ago, Jennifer and I took a Caribbean cruise. One of the stops was in Belize. One of the great things about cruises is the excursions. Feeling adventurous, we went on the excursion that included rafting in an underwat...  Read More

Before we dive into the scripture for today…. I want to say that this passage of scripture has fascinated me for YEARS. I have researched and researched, because it leaves me with so many questions. If you don’t know this about me, I am what would be considered a cinephile (a lover of the cinema). This passage of scripture fills my mind with such imagery, and has the potential to be a truly great ...  Read More