Below are Pastor Ben's sermon notes from this past Sunday, in case they may be helpful for further study. Intro: (1) intro to PS/Easter (2) set up Acts 2Jesus’ death is for all kinds of people (2:1-8): (1) Pentecost = harvest — spiritual “harvest of souls” marked by diversity (2) “regular folks” speaking in non-native languages (cf. Canfields) — opposite of Tower of Babel (3) God desires all peopl...  Read More

Below are Pastor Ben's sermon notes from this past Sunday, in case they may be helpful for further study.Intro: (1) series recap (2) practical wrap-up thoughtsTruth and marriage: (1) Eph. 4:15 (2) marriage the “closest and most inescapable of all relationships” —forced to deal with flaws and sins (3) examples — fearful, inflexible, undisciplined, perfectionist, critical, people-pleaser, needy, in...  Read More

One of the most striking takeaways for me from our recent trip to Thailand was the plethora of Buddhist shrines and temples. This particularly stood out as we drove three hours through the mountains of northern Thailand to get to the town where the Canfields live. Jutting out of the side of virtually every mountain was a large shrine or temple. There were also shrines along the highway that were c...  Read More

Below are Pastor Ben's sermon notes from this past Sunday, in case they may be helpful for further study.Intro: (1) series recap (2) Good Wife's Guide from 1965The command of submission (22)1.Husbands: (1) wives commanded to submit to husbands — no reciprocal command to husbands, (2) recognition of unique role of servant leadership given to husbands (3) what submission is NOT — all women to all me...  Read More

Below are Pastor Ben's sermon notes from this past Sunday, in case they may be helpful for further study.Intro: (1) Keller book (2) cupidoscopeThe Foundation of Marriage (5:25) — the gospel: (1) decline of marriage — divorce rate, births to married couples, percentage of population married (2) shift from “permanent union of mutual love to temporary sexual contract designed for immediate gratifica...  Read More

In 1 Corinthians 13:11, Paul famously writes, "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.” One of the realities of growing up is increasing in responsibility. While we certainly gain more freedom as we get older, that freedom brings with it a greater need to be responsible. However, responsibility can be tricky and can be approa...  Read More