Posts from 2021 (Page 3)
03.09.21 Feed
GHOST STORIES Teens love to watch movies about paranormal activity and frighten their friends with scary ghost stories. It’s surprising then, that Christians have labeled the presence of God in our very lives with this same title – the Holy Ghost! Perhaps that’s why we’re not as comfortable with the workings of the Spirit as I think Jesus wanted for us. But this week’s message challenges us to step into our relationship with Holy Spirit and to trust God to…
03.02.21 Feed
SAVED… FROM WHAT? The common expression Christians use to describe their decision to follow Jesus by telling others they are “Saved” has deep roots in the Bible but fails to connect with those outside our own faith. All through scripture we see Jesus as the hero, the Savior, the Messiah who comes to rescue his people from their sin, death, and more specifically, from the flames of Hell. Unfortunately, this story seems to be uncompelling to the watching world who…
Peanut Butter Drive
At Ashworth we strive to make an impact in our community and this year we want to do that by stocking the shelves of the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) food pantry with Peanut Butter. Through COVID, peanut butter has become a popular item and so the price has increased to $1.50 a jar or $18 a case (12 jars). While the price has increased, so has the need. That’s why this year we want to purchase an entire…
02.23.21 Feed
NOBODY PUTS JESUS IN A CORNER Whether you are a Christian or not, the universal impact he made on this earth requires every single person who hears his name to make a decision. Who is he? And if he is who he says he is, what are you going to do about it yourself? This is the crux of the Christian faith. Without Jesus, we have no Christ, no Christianity, and no good news. All too often we think of…
02.16.21 Feed
MADE TO BE LIKE GOD I assume God hates the cold too, afterall, we are made in his image! This past Sunday’s message, which covered hell while most churches used Valentine’s day as an opportunity to preach on Love, showed us the full scope of what it means to be human. We learned about the incredible potential we have as God’s pinnacle of creation who are made to be like him, but unfortunately made a mess of ourselves as we…
02.09.21 Feed
UNDERSTANDING GOD While Pastor Brent gave it his best effort to cover the essential doctrine of God in 30 minutes this past Sunday, I think we can all admit, that was an impossible task. God, being infinite, is simply beyond our grasp. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. And it doesn’t mean that God didn’t do all he could to show us who he is by coming to this world as Jesus. And yet, there will always be a chasm…
02.02.21 Feed
Unity and Diversity This past Sunday we launched a new message series called The Essentials where we discussed the gray areas in the Bible and how that leads thoughtful Christians to sometimes hold different beliefs. At Ashworth, we want to be a place to allow freedom on the non-essentials of our faith while still drawing lines and finding unity on those few beliefs we deem as essential to our faith. If you click only one link below, I highly encourage…
01.26.21 Feed
CHOOSE LOVE God is love. And so people who love God should love like he does. And in today’s climate we offer several articles about what it might look like to love others well. You could heal a divide between somebody with different beliefs than you through listening and empathy. Or you can pray short prayers asking God to help you stay focused on what really matters – loving him and others. Or find a way to be hospitable in…
01.19.21 Feed
PRAYER FOR OUR NATION Wednesday will be an important day in American politics. Many are upset with the outcome of the election. Many are looking to the new administration to be a savior. And still others are worried about what chaos might erupt on this important day. Regardless of where you land, we need to be people who pray for our country, pray for our leaders, and pray for people to come to know the peace that is found in…
01.12.21 Feed
ALL GOD’S PEOPLE GOT JUNK In the message this past Sunday we discussed how we all silently carry around unresolved emotions and how it can make a mess of our lives. I truly hope, if you haven’t already, that you will think about the baggage you carry around with you and walk through the 5 steps to unpack it at move forward. And if you would like to read further on this topic, I encourage you to read the book…
A Prayer of Confession
Abba Father, Forgive us, we pray. We have sought power in politics and not in surrender and service to you and to one another. We have looked to politicians and judges for salvation and been willing to overlook and even make excuses for blatant behavior that reveals a heart far from the character of Christ. We have looked the other way so that we can grab and hold on to power. We have put down and desecrated others who have…
01.05.21 Feed
NEW RHYTHMS, NEW YOU It’s a new year and hopefully if you are reading this, then you’re the type of person who wants to be growing and changing and looking more like Jesus each and every day. And while there is no magic in the turning of the calendar page, it does offer a great time for us to slow down and evaluate where we have been and where we want to go. If you haven’t done that already, then…