Favoritism is Sinful
by Christina Cain, Women’s Ministry Director on December 27th, 2025
James 2:1“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.”Favoritism. As a grandmother, I know I’m not supposed to have favorites, BUT... last week, one of the grands guessed my age to be 41. That grand just might be my favorite! That’s a fun story, but there is another, and I have some regrets about it. It took place a quarter-century ago on a cold, ... Read More
God’s Plan is for Everyone
by Manning Brown, Care Pastor on December 26th, 2025
Galatians 3:8We’ve all heard the saying “There is something for everyone.” The implication is that everyone will find something that suits them. It is often a tag line for an amusement park or a movie. Sadly, modern churches are promoting the same message, conforming to cultural norms for the sake of being popular and accepted. I prefer to look at the Gospel, God’s plan, as “one thing for everyone... Read More
Jesus Loves Dirty Shepherds Too
by Ken Tison, Campus Pastor (ORT), Executive Pastor on December 25th, 2025
Luke 2:8-10 When Debbie and I were first married, she accompanied me on a Wyoming hunting trip. We were hunting mule deer on a cattle and sheep ranch that encompassed more than 150,000 acres. This was in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and was beautiful country. As we were entering a large, several-hundred-acre pasture, a herd of sheep heard us opening the gate and came racing over the hill l... Read More
The Gospel on Their Level
by Brianna Breen, Kids Director on December 24th, 2025
Acts 17Have you ever had to stand your ground against a group of people who don’t agree with you? Maybe it was arguing why the Lions are the greatest football team to ever exist against your entire family, who are tired of watching them lose year after year. Maybe you’re a die-hard fan of pineapple on pizza, but your spouse and kids can’t stand it. Maybe you value going to church on Sunday, and yo... Read More
The Struggle of Legalism
by Kyle Wendel, Connections Pastor on December 23rd, 2025
Acts 15 Have you ever played a board game with “house rules”? Each board game gives you a clear list of instructions on how to play the game exactly as it was made. A “house rule” is when someone adds a rule, takes away a rule, or changes a current rule. A common house rule in Monopoly is that any time you have to pay a tax or fee, the money goes to the middle of the board. If you land on the Free... Read More
The Salvation Story of Cornelius
by Alec Hraba, Youth Pastor on December 22nd, 2025
Acts 10God is so good! The Salvation Story of Cornelius is truly an amazing one, full of the Spirit and the work of God, and how he works to take care of those who seek Him. The first thing we find out about Cornelius is that he is a God-fearing man, even as a Centurion. He is not a Jew; he did not grow up hearing and believing the same things as the Jews or hearing about Jesus, but God knew Corne... Read More
