Every good thing you have in the Christian Life comes through the Holy Spirit. Throughout Scripture and history, the Spirit of God has been actively at work. In the second verse of the Bible, we read these words: “The earth was formless and void and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:2) It was out of that hovering of the Spirit that Creation burst forth. The rabbis in Jesus’ day loved this picture of the Spirit of God hovering over the waters. They used to reflect on it and write about it. They would compare the Spirit to a bird because of that word “hovering.” One ancient rabbi wrote, “And the Spirit of God was brooding over the water like a dove which broods over her young.” Another wrote, “The throne of divine glory was hovering over the face of the waters even as a dove hovers over its nest.” There is a long period in the history of Israel when the Spirit of God seems to be quiet and the voices of the prophets cease. They wonder: “Will the Spirit ever hover again? Then this man, Jesus, comes. He goes to be baptized by John the Baptist in Luke 3, and God is once again creating something new. “And the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”” (Luke 3:21–22, CSB) The writers of the New Testament wanted to be clear. Once more, the Spirit of God—in the person of Jesus—is hovering over the waters. God is once again creating something new, creating something the world has never known before, and it has everything to do with Jesus. He is creating a new opportunity for life with God with complete access to the resources of God, just like that original couple in the garden. Join us this Sunday as Jesus will teach us about the role of the Holy Spirit in our own lives.

Baptism is a picture of a new life! This weekend we have the amazing opportunity to celebrate what God is doing here at SCC through the ancient practice of baptism. We’re used to thinking that baptism day is about us or the other people who made their declaration of faith alongside of us, but nothing could be further from the truth. Baptism is a celebration and picture of Christ’s loving work of salvation on the cross. It points us to His grace and power in our lives. For this reason, baptism is a reminder to keep our spiritual appetites sharp. It reminds us to never stop pursuing Christ, seeking to know Him, and letting Him fill us with His grace and mercy. Scripture reminds us: “For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time–to show us His grace through Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:9).

This Sunday, you don’t want to miss a powerful message about peace in troubling times—the kind of peace that doesn’t depend on what’s happening around you, but what’s happening within you. In a world filled with chaos, worry, and uncertainty, God offers a calm that defies all understanding—and we’re diving deep into how that actually works. If you’ve ever wondered how to hold on to peace when life feels heavy, this is your moment. Don’t sit this one out—come experience what could be the turning point your heart’s been waiting for. Your seat—and your peace—are waiting for you!

Why do 4 letter words have such power, and yet bring such confusion? I remember a time in my marriage that I believed I was “Help” my wife, only to realize what I meant by “Help” was not the same way she was defining “Help”. I had to learn what this 4-letter word meant for her and learn how to live in that with her. Love is another 4-letter word that has the same impact. I can say I “Love” someone, and yet by my actions they may not believe it. In any given moment, how I define “Love” may change because of what I want or how I want it to look. Culture tries to define “Love” for us through movies, music, books, and other means. No wonder why so many people get confused and hurt. The truth is, we always have to come back to the Bible to know what “Love” really is and what it looks like to live it out. The interesting part about this particular word is not only does Jesus define it, but He adds it is a command. By being a command, this isn’t about how I feel, or I get to choose if I do it or not. No, we are to love. We must love. This Sunday we’ll learn more about what this means and looks like. We hope you’ll join us as we continue to do this life together and learn together what it means to truly love, why we love, and how we are to love. We’re grateful for each and every one of you!

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the story of the football game between the large animals and the small animals. It was incredible. The large animals, as you might imagine, were just cleaning up on the smaller animals. It was no contest. They would kick the ball off to the rhino, he would receive the ball in the end zone and just rumble down the field. Nothing could stop him. Squirrels were hanging on his legs for dear life, birds were pecking at his horn, but nothing could stand in his way. At the end of the half it was 40-0, large animals. To make matters worse, the small animals had to kick off to the large animals to start the next half. So they kick off, and the elephant receives the ball in the end zone. He starts to rumble down the field, and BAM! He’s dropped dead in his tracks at the 5 yard line. The first play from scrimmage they hand off to the rhino, and BAM, he’s stopped immediately. The next play, they hand off to the lion, who runs off the tackle, and BAM, there is nowhere for him to go. Then they try the cheetah, cause, you know, they are the fastest runners in the world. But even the cheetah is brought down hard. On fourth down, the gorilla takes the handoff. He scrambles into the end zone to throw, gets hit, and the ball comes loose. There’s a mad scramble in the end zone. There are animals all over the place. The referees start pulling animals off this pile, until the last animal is left. It’s a tiny little centipede. Touchdown, small animals! The small animals can’t believe it! They say to the centipede, “Man, was that you that hit the elephant on the kick-off?” He goes, “Yeah, that was me.” Was that you that hit the lion in the backfield? “Yeah, that was me.” Was that you that hit the gorilla? Yeah, that was me.” They go, “Where were you in the first half?” And the centipede says, “I was getting my ankles taped!” Here is why I tell that story. This weekend, Jesus will call us to serve one another and show us the way. And some of us have waited far too long to get in the serving game. If you wait until you feel capable or ready or qualified to serve, you will never get in the game. But the good news is, there is another half of the game left. It’s not too late to begin to serve as our master has asked us to serve. It’s not too late to serve Our King by serving others. Because that is what our King has done for each of us.

There's an old story. A Sunday school teacher is explaining to children how they cannot get to heaven through human effort. They can't earn their way. So she begins by asking them some questions. "Can you get to heaven if you go to church often enough?" They said, "No!" "Can you get to heaven if you give enough money?" Again, they all say, "No!" "Can you get to heaven if you obey your parents and teachers enough?" For the third time, they all say, "No!" Then she asked them, "Well then how can you get to heaven?" One of them says, "You have to die first." That is certainly true. That is the way it works! One day Jesus made an observation about the way the world works that is so powerful, it will literally change your life. Here it is: “Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.” (John 12:24, CSB) Notice this isn’t a command. It an observation based on the way of things. And this observation will reveal so much about Jesus and it will also reveal so much about each of us. Join us this weekend as we ask what you may need to die to so that you can begin to really live.

In John 12, Mary, having witnessed Jesus raise her brother Lazarus from the stench of grave, brings a very expensive perfume to dinner and pours it over Jesus’ feet. She then bows and begins to wipe His feet with her hair and her tears. What is Mary doing exactly? What is the point? Well, it’s certainly an extravagant act of worship. That is clear. She loves Him. She believes He is the Christ, the Son of God, and in her worship, she is incredibly generous. We’re told in the story that this perfume was worth an entire year of wages. Think about a years-worth of your salary being poured out on someone’s feet in about 5 minutes. Who does that? And why? What Mary was doing in this story wasn’t just an act of worship, or the offering of an extravagant gift, or even an act of devotion to Jesus. It was certainly all of those things, but it was also something else. Mary was anointing Jesus. But to what purpose? Join us this weekend as we discuss the purpose of this anointing and the implications for each of us and all of us.

This Sunday, we're stepping back into our study in the Gospel of John! And we're picking back up with one of my favorite stories in scripture, the resurrection of Lazarus. The last time I taught from this story was when I officiated my grandma's funeral. And this story is so powerful when it comes to finding hope in a season of grief. But more than that, it's a story of how Jesus wants to use his people in the every day resurrection of those around us. Join us this Sunday as we talk about waiting, grief, and role we play in Jesus saving work in our world.

People sometimes say and do stupid things. Larry Walters was a truck driver who wanted to be a pilot, but he couldn’t pass the eye exam. So one day he went down to the local army navy surplus store and bought 45 weather balloons and a tank of helium. When he got home, he attached those balloons to a lawn chair, anchored the chair to the bumper of his jeep, and inflated all the balloons with helium. Then he packed some sandwiches and drinks, placed his BB gun rifle in his lap to pop a few balloons to help him return to earth, and cut the anchor cord to his chair. Larry’s plan was to lazily float upward a few hundred feet while sitting in his chair, but it didn’t work out that way. When Larry cut the cord, he shot upward as if shot out of a cannon! Nor did he just go up a couple of hundred feet. He kept climbing until he reached an altitude of 11,000 feet. At that height, he didn’t dare pop any balloons, so instead he floated for about 14 hours until he eventually drifted into the approach corridor for Los Angelos International Airport. At one point, a Pan Am pilot radioed the tower about passing a guy in a lawn chair, drinking beer with a gun on his lap. By late in the evening, Larry began to drift out over the Pacific Ocean, so the Navy sent a rescue helicopter out to get him. Unfortunately, the wind from their propellers kept sending him further out to sea. Eventually, they were able to get a rescue line down to him from above. The moment the helicopter landed, Larry was immediately arrested. As he was being led away in handcuffs, a television reporter asked him, “Why did you do it?” Larry replied nonchalantly, “A man can’t just sit around.” This is where something called self-control comes in. Join us this weekend as we discuss the fruit of the Spirit known as self-control. You may not have ever floated in a lawn chair for 14 hours at 11,000 feet, but I’ll bet you’ve said or done some things you regret.

In Colossians chapter 2, Paul commands us to be a people who are gentle with one another. He begins the command to gentleness this way: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy, and dearly loved…”. We are told three things about ourselves here as followers of Jesus. We are chosen. We are Holy. We are dearly loved. I don’t know if you feel chosen today, but God has chosen you. I don’t know if you feel holy today, but God has made you so. I don’t know if you feel deeply loved today, but nothing can separate you from the love of God. Some of us may even find these three truths hard to believe. This is why you may have to repeat those three truths to yourself over and over again. Every single day. “I am chosen. I am Holy. I am deeply loved.” Back in 2011, an excellent movie came out about life in the south in the early 60’s. It was called “The Help.” It is a story of the black maids of Jackson, Miss, and their struggles while working for upper middle class white women during the civil rights movement. In some cases, these maids would actually help raise the children for their employers. In one scene, one of the maids, Aibileen Clark is talking to little Mae, who is a part of the family she works for. Little Mae is sitting on her lap and Aibileen is leading little Mae through a kind of a mantra that went like this: “You is good. You is kind. You is important.” Like little Mae, you may have to repeat these truths to yourself daily: “You is chosen. You is holy. You is deeply loved.” Here is why that is so important. In order to practice gentleness, we first need to see ourselves and to see the world around us the way that God does—we need to see others as chosen and holy and dearly loved. And when we do—when we realize how God sees people, we will begin to believe that we must be gentle when we bump into people at church, or in the grocery store, and especially the ones with which we share a home. We will treat people as God has asked us precisely because we will remember that everyone we meet is dearly loved by God, and He has been so gentle with each of us.

God is Faithful. Do you Believe That? Our first response may be, “About what?” or “Related to what?” The Bible in both the New and Old Testaments just states, “God is Faithful.” It’s one of His attributes that is true about Him all the time! Even when Jesus appears in the end of time, the words, “Faithful” and “True” are tatted on His thigh. Well, they may not be tattoos, but they are visible for all to see. (Revelation 19:11,16) The Greek word translated “faithfulness” is the same word translated “faith” and "faithful.” It’s like God gives us “faith," then helps us be "faithful," and over a period of time we can look back at “faithfulness.” It all starts with Him, continues in Him, and will end with His grace and power. I hope you’ll be able to join us in person tomorrow at 9:00 or 11:00. We will also be introducing our new groups and group leaders at the end of the services tomorrow. We are expecting God to continue working in our lives and church family.

We are in a series on the “Fruit of the Spirit,” and so far each fruit has looked captivating and desirable. I mean, what’s not to like? We’ve talked about Love. Who doesn’t want that? Joy. We’ll do almost anything for it. Peace. We are desperate for Peace. Patience. I’d like some of that yesterday. Most of us would love to be more kind. But this weekend, we are talking about Goodness—not just being good, but doing good. The problem is we’re ambivalent about goodness. Even the word “good” itself seems a little dull and lackluster. I was a little upset with the person who assigned the topics until I remembered that I was the one who assigned the topics. In our culture, the word “good” has lost its luster. How was the movie? It was good, not great. One of my favorite books is called “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. That title works because good is OK, but not as exciting as great. In fact, the opening line of that book says, “Good is the enemy of great.” I also think most of us are ambivalent about goodness. Sure, we’d all like to be good, but not if it will interfere with things like convenience or happiness. We want a little bit of goodness, but not too much. We’re like the guy that Jesus has a conversation with about goodness in Mark 10. He wanted to be good, but not if it was costly. So join us this weekend as we listen in on a conversation between Jesus and a young man that changes everything you thought you knew about goodness.

Kindness is both a fruit of the Spirit and a command. It is not optional, because you and I are meant for kindness. In fact, God often uses the smallest acts of kindness to leave the biggest legacy. Take Tabitha, for example. She made clothing for widows. She does the same thing over and over, every single day. She sews. That’s it. It’s not glamorous. It may even be a bit monotonous. But God uses her service in an extraordinary way, not only to leave a legacy in the lives of others but to demonstrate God’s great power in Her life. Interestingly, the Greek word for “kind” looks almost exactly like the Greek word for “Christ”. There is only one letter different. In the first century, those early followers of Jesus were so kind to others that many people got confused as to whether their title was “follower of Christ” or “follower of Kindness.” They literally sometimes confused the two. Truth is, if we are followers of Jesus, we are also called to be followers of kindness. Because our Jesus is so, so kind. Join us this weekend as we explore the amazing power of kindness to bring hope, encouragement, and even new life to others. Remember, we are called to be kind precisely because of how kind God has been to us.

Waiting and patience aren’t part of our 2025 culture, which values speed and immediate results. It's about now! We want access now! We want our answers now! We want our deliveries now! We want spiritual growth now! We want weight loss now! (not so much that one) Patience feels increasingly countercultural. Yet Scripture mentions patience over 70 times, highlighting it as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 and a fundamental characteristic of godly living and Christian character. We are now “5G” people. 5G, refers to “fifth-generation” wireless technology. Our modern culture has created an environment where waiting has become almost intolerable. With one-click shopping, on-demand entertainment, and instant messaging, we've grown accustomed to immediate gratification. This cultural shift has fostered widespread anxiety and a sense of being left behind when things don't happen quickly.

I wonder if you’ve ever had a busy season or a busy day and you said something like: ”All I need is a moment of peace!” I remember a funeral for a young man that I was doing many years ago. Unfortunately, this young man had taken his own life. One of his friends just kept looking into the casket and saying, “All he wanted was a little peace.” He said it over and over again. Don’t we all? This brings us to one of the most incredible promises that Jesus has made to us, and the five words that can change your life. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27, NIV84) Notice that Jesus isn’t just giving you a peace. He is giving you HIS peace. Notice what else he says: “I do not give as the world gives.” In other words, the world can’t give you this peace and the world can’t take it away. It is not dependent on world events or what happens in the world. This makes the peace that Jesus gives different than the peace the world sometimes offers. It’s not dependent on a vacation, a chair on a beach, a drink in your hand, or drugs in your system. This peace is a gift that comes only from Jesus. What are the five words, you ask? I’ll give you a hint. They are contained in that promise. But if you want to know specifically what they are, you’ll need to be at worship this weekend or join us online.

If most people were asked to describe God, they probably wouldn’t use the word “joyful.” But that is exactly who and what God is! There is a great Christian thinker by the name of G.K Chesterton. As he is reflecting on the joy that children can have, he says this, “We have sinned and grown old and Our Father is younger than we.” His point is this: While we have grown old and tired and jaded and cynical, God has not. While we have spent our days overwhelmed, irritated, angry and stressed out, God knows none of those things. When he says that our Father is younger than we, he is referring to God’s sheer joy. One of my favorite authors is Dallas Willard. Here is what he said about God’s joy. “You’ll not understand God until you understand this about Him, God is the happiest being in the universe.” In fact, the reason that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit is because God himself is joy, and He will share that joy with anyone who would abide in His Son.

In John 13:34-35, Jesus told His disciples (and us), “ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” We’ve been commanded to love people like Jesus loved us. That is not just a tough command, but in our own resources, an impossibility! The Greek word for love in that command is “agape.” It refers to a type of love that is unconditional, sacrificial, and selfless, often described as God's love for us. It might have been a possibility if He had used "phileo" a Greek word that signifies affection, fondness, and liking. That's the type of love you have for friends, family members, and those you enjoy spending time with. Thankfully, God gives us the ability to fulfill that command through Holy Spirit Who lives and flows through us! Holy Spirit doesn’t just produce love through us, but also joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self control.

Have you ever wondered why people seem to have different personalities? A Greek physician, Hippocrates, lived 300 years before Jesus Christ and was one of the first to put names to the different observable traits. I think he was quite right in noticing different “humors,” as he called them, but quite wrong in suggesting that they were related to various bodily fluids inside us. The Psalmist had stated 700 years before Hippocrates that it was God who had created the differences when we were “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:4) David said that “his soul knew it quite well.” I don’t think David was just aware of his physiological make-up, but also who and how God had made him. Many other descriptions and insights can help us understand ourselves better and enhance our relationships with others. We all need that, I think! Peter told husbands in 1 Peter 3:7 to “live with your wives in an understanding way.” Yes, we all need to catch the teaching tomorrow at 9 or 11 AM. The teaching time tomorrow will be both humorous and applicable to each attendee. I think that God really does have a sense of humor as He teaches us to do life with others.

Have you ever considered getting a specific model of car? The more you think about that particular model, the more you see it everywhere! The term “SWEET SPOT” has been like that for me the past few weeks! The Pacers were said to be in their “sweet” spot. (I hope they can be there for one more game!!) A singer was singing a song which was in her range’s “sweet” spot. Both of those examples came to me while I was sitting in my sweet spot, in my recliner, in front of the TV. Our first summer series is talking about our MINISTRY “sweet” spots. We are all ministers. The acronym “S.W.E.E.T.” reminds us that we minister from our SPIRITUAL GIFTS, what we do WELL, from our EXPERIENCES, what we ENJOY, and through our natural TEMPERAMENT. When we operate, interact, and live in our sweet spots, we are more fulfilled and impactful people.

The opening week of 2025’s Major League Baseball season caused some excitement about the “new” torpedo bat. In the season’s opening game, the New York Yankees scored 20 runs with nine home runs! That was a record of some kind for sure. This “new” bat’s larger barrel increased the bat’s “sweet” spot to add more strength to more of the bat. The teaching time in the services this month will emphasize how we can experience more power, impact, and influence in our relationships at home, work, and at SCC as we know and understand our own “sweet spot. We will use the acronym “SWEET” as we talk about: S – Spiritual Gifts W - What we do well E – What we get enjoyment from doing E – What our experiences have prepared us for T – Temperaments and Personalities are God’s design Marriages are strengthened when we know and understand each other’s wiring and gifting. We can have better relationships with our kids when we know and understand other’s “Sweet” spots. At work, we can approach and reply to others better when we know and understand their spiritual gifts and temperaments. I trust that God will allow us to experience some Biblical and practical insights into having better relationships and significant impact with others. Hope to see you at 9:00 or 11:00 AM. You could be much better prepared to gain insights into the subject of SPIRITUAL GIFTS tomorrow by taking a couple of on-line spiritual gift surveys this afternoon or evening. They are “gifttest.org” and the other is “giftstest.com”. The “.com” address has the plural “gifts.” They’re both free. Find the button that says, “take or fill-out” and see what you might discover.