christ Archives

Why Doesn’t God Always Heal the Sick? by Dr. Sam Storms

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this [thorn], that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” 2 Corinthians 12:8–9
God loved the Apostle …

What is the Bible? by Mark Driscoll

Why are there so many Bible translations, and how do we choose between them? Can the Bible be trusted as accurate? In this new blog series, Pastor Mark Driscoll offers a guided tour of how the Bible has been transmitted, translated, and trusted by Chr…

You can’t Lead Where you Haven’t been by Nick Lathe

Nick Lathe is the worship director for Mars Hill Sammamish. He and his band, The Dispatch, are releasing a new EP on Tuesday, August 20. (You can listen to the single here). We recently asked Nick what he wish he had known about leading wor…

Living Community Part Five

(18) Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it. (19) When we love others, we know that we belong to the truth, and we feel at ease in the presence of God. This is fundamental to all that Jesus taught. Love each other, don’t simply talk […]

Living Community Part Four

So HOW do we go about loving one another? The idea of ‘what is love’ is tainted by the influences of our culture. Some may say that sex is love or that love is found in the giving of extravagant gifts. John makes it real clear in his letter: “We know what love is because […]

Living Community Part Three

Now the bar is raised even further. In the words of Jesus, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the […]

Still Here…Living Outside the Box

The Apostle Paul was inside-the-box (ITB) until his encounter with Christ on the Damascus road. He fully renounced his ITB credentials in his letter to the church at Philippi. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort […]

Living Community Part Two

Not only is love foundational from the beginning of time but Jesus Christ further brings it into perspective when He walked the earth. He was confronted by one of the religious teachers and asked to identify the greatest commandment. His reply, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. […]

Living Community Part One

The next few posts will be about what it means and requires to be a true and living “community.” To move beyond oneself and truly engage the world around us. To realize that there is more to life than simply waking up, going to work, coming home, and doing it all over again the next […]

Conformity 3

Conformity in the Church Actually we are to conform to the holy life described in the Scripture. Sadly this has been perverted in some church environments resulting in unbearable legalism. Wny? In Scripture, the church is called a “body”, comprised of different and distinct parts each serving a specific function ultimately serving for the benefit […]

Outside the Box-3

Freedom to Choose Life is all about choice. Especially in America. It’ is our badge of honor, our right, to have the ability to choose. As such, we find that life rarely comes at us in black and white, with a clear yes or no, right or wrong. So, it becomes about the journey, the […]

Outside the Box-2

Freedom to Own your Own Faith People long ago lived by a system of rules and regulations that told them how to live their lives, and they used priests as intermediaries between themselves and God. Simply read through the Old Testament and be thankful that we no longer operate under this burdensome system. We are […]

Darkest Hour

At one time or another, we have all likely found ourselves asking, as David did, “How long, O Lord?” (Ps. 13:1). We rightly ask God to end the suffering we experience, but in our struggles do we ask what they may be preparing us for?…

Community 3

There is a common phrase I head from pastors, “as we grow larger, we must grow smaller.” This is typically around the implementation of home-based groups as a means to facilitate relationships, personal ministry, and try to develop a sense of community within the corporate whole. While I agree this is a great means by which to accomplish […]