Church Blog (Page 2)

Church Blog (Page 2)

Pause and Pray

To be honest, I haven’t been a big fan of prayer techniques. My attitude has been when I want to pray, I’ll do it with my words when I want and where I want. The downside of that has been an undisciplined prayer life. That’s not a good attitude to have about communication in any relationship. Imagine the husband that declares, “I told you I love you at our wedding. If it changes, I’ll let you know.” Such a cavalier…

Saved?

“Are you saved?” the street evangelist asked me. Raised in the church as the pastor’s son, I knew what he was asking, but in the moment it wasn’t a matter I was giving much thought to. In our tradition back then, one dipped in and out of salvation depending on how successfully they lived the “Christian” life. For us that meant thinking only holy thoughts, daily prayer and Bible reading, no bad words, no dirty jokes, no smoking, drinking or…

Ahead

Speaking of all the notables in the Hebrew Scriptures who had lived and died with unrealized goals, the writer of Hebrews made this observation in Hebrews 11:13-16: These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that…

Searching the Archives

Did you know our entire website is searchable, including over 5 years of blogs and messages? Perhaps you wish you knew more about a topic, but unfortunately, it’s not something we are currently teaching on Sundays. But that doesn’t mean we haven’t spoken about it in the past. Now you can see what we have said about any topic you have questions about. Below are two ways to search our website: Text Search From any page on the website, you…

A Long Road Together

For many teenagers, learning to drive and getting your first car is a turning point in your transition to independence. But for some youth, the journey is not so easy. Because of busy parent schedules and insurance issues or not having access to a car, some youth struggle to move towards reaching that important milestone of obtaining a license. Here’s where one incredible (and patient) youth worker took the opportunity to step in and help a youth reach that milestone.…

Be a Neighbor

Jesus told us that everyone we come in contact with is our neighbor. (Luke 10:25-37) But often, we see this as so broad, applying to so many people, that it doesn’t move us to actually care about those right across the street. When Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” he was calling us not to feel some gooey emotion that gives us goose bumps. He was calling us to action. To actually do something tangible that would show care…
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The Power of a Friendly Face

Recently I was in a conversation with a family who has been around Ashworth for about four years. I asked the wife/mom a question, “Your family came to Ashworth for the first time on an Easter Sunday. Why did you come back?” There was a pause and look of deep thought, and I said I would get back with her later. A few days later, she came to me and told me she had an answer. She said she came…

936 Weeks

All parents feel like their kids are growing up too fast, but how fast is too fast? It’s 936 weeks to be exact.  That’s how long you have between birth and high school graduation.  The question each parent must answer is, how are you using your weeks? I know you sometimes feel pressure to fill your summers with more than seems to actually fit: multiple camps, baseball games, vacations,  strawberry picking (my family favorite), and all sorts of other adventures.…

Top 3 Bible Reading Apps

Technology: For Good or Evil Technology is a double-edged sword.  It devours hours of our teenagers time, and yet it put important information at your finger tips whenever and wherever you need it.  Some people lament how the prevalence of tiny screens everywhere has damaged community while others couldn’t imagine a world without the conveniences technology offers us. The same tension exists when considering how technology affects Christians.  How ironic it is that the same tiny screen can offer a…