Please join us this Sunday as we discuss The Gift-- the most important one, the best one, our gift from above. As we enter into the Christmas season, hopefully we will get some new insights into the depth and true meaning of this gift.
Friday, December 27, 2013
The Gift
12/22/13 Listen to, "The Gift" by Randy Reynolds
Have you ever thought about why we give gifts and why we get gifts?
Have you ever thought about the best gift you've ever received?
Please join us this Sunday as we discuss The Gift-- the most important one, the best one, our gift from above. As we enter into the Christmas season, hopefully we will get some new insights into the depth and true meaning of this gift.
Please join us this Sunday as we discuss The Gift-- the most important one, the best one, our gift from above. As we enter into the Christmas season, hopefully we will get some new insights into the depth and true meaning of this gift.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Seeing Beyond Instagram: Revelation 12
If you're like me, you are probably looking at the biggest problem in your life through a telephoto lens. Rather than seeing the whole picture, you have zoomed in on the predicament. That's normal, but it doesn't give you the most accurate perspective. It's like seeing a dot where there's really a line.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Revelation for Beginners: Revelation 10-11
If you had a choice between a jigsaw puzzle with 100 pieces and one with 1,000, which would you choose?
Me, I'm a 100-piece guy. I prefer simplicity to complexity. Which may
be why I'm not naturally drawn to the Book of Revelation. The level of
difficulty is just too high. But as we tackle one of the most
perplexing sections of the book (chapters 10 and 11), we're going to see
that we don't have to put every piece in place to see the big picture.
Even if you are prophetically challenged, you will be transformed by the
simple truth popping out of this complex puzzle.
Monday, November 18, 2013
God's Loving Wrath: Revelation 8-9
You've been praying for them for years, maybe decades, but they seem further away from God than ever before. And you know, because the Book of Revelation says it clearly and repeatedly, that time is running out.
What if God's wrath comes before they turn to Christ? Will they still have hope? Or will the deadline have passed? Exactly when will God's patience give way to punishment?
It's a critical question. In this message we'll get a clear answer.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Fear Factor: Revelation 7
Listen to, "Fear Factor: Revelation 7" by Greg Sidders, Sunday, 11-10-13
Revelation can be a frightening book, can't it? Especially when you consider the possibility that it might be describing our generation! How anyone could superimpose themselves into the world described in that book without fear creeping in, I can't imagine.
That's why I love chapter 7. It's timely reassurance that will give us the peace we need to keep our eyes and ears open in the weeks to come. Trust me, you'll be encouraged.
Monday, November 4, 2013
The American Dream: Revelation 6
Most of us, despite the trials we have endured, would say that we are living the American dream. We live in nice homes in safe neighborhoods in the most prosperous county of a beautiful state.
That's why reading Revelation 6 is like watching a horror flick. It's so frighteningly worse than real life that your only relief is to remember it's fiction.
But in this case, it's not. It's a vision of what really will happen in our world between now and The End. And watching the footage, as surreal and scary as it is, will help you to live happily ever after.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
On Earth as in Heaven: Revelation 4-5
Does worship really matter? Does it matter whether we do it? Does it matter how we do it?
If you're someone who gets to church early and sings your heart out and thinks about how great it's going to be in heaven where we'll never stop worshiping, such questions sound almost blasphemous, but chances are there are people you know who are unmoved by worship as you are edified by it. To them, these are sincere questions.
In this message we'll find answers in an unconventional way: By taking a peak into heaven, to see how they worship up there.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Just Do It: Revelation 2-3
Have you ever pursued a goal that turned out to be so much harder to achieve than you anticipated that relief became more attractive than success?
I think there are times in the life of every Christian when that happens. We set out to follow Jesus faithfully for a lifetime, but then we encounter fierce resistance. What keeps us going during times like that? A clear vision of the rewards of perseverance!
That's what Jesus will give us in the verses we will be studying in this message. From the other side of the finish line, He will remind us of what we have to look forward to if we overcome the temptation to quit too soon. I hope you'll listen, especially if you need a second wind.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Knock, Knock: Revelation 2-3
Has God ever knocked on your door?
I don't mean that literally, but there are times when we know the Lord is trying to get through to us, aren't there? Sometimes we answer the door, and sometimes we don't.
In this message we are going to watch Jesus knock on the door of five different churches, giving them the choice to either heed or ignore his painful but life-giving words. I hope that you'll listen and that if He happens to knock on your door, you'll trust His love enough to invite Him in.
Knock, Knock: Notes and Discussion Questions
"Knock, Knock: Revelation 2-3" by Greg Sidders, White Pine Community Church, Sunday 10-13-13
Monday, October 7, 2013
Surviving The Attack
Wouldn't it be nice is life was perfect? If only we knew all the answers and never made any mistakes!
Why do we get confused about what is true and tempted to do what we know is wrong? Because we are being attacked! Someone is out to harm us! We need to know how to put up a fight and survive the assault. We will find out in this message how we can be successful in following Jesus when it seems so challenging.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
How To Make Jesus Smile
Do think Jesus ever smiles?
More importantly, do you think He smiles when He thinks of you? I think that depends on whether you are living for the dot or for the line.
But what does living for the line look like? What specific things can we do to put a smile on Jesus' face, both now and when we stand before Him on Judgment Day? We'll find out this message that I think is one of the most encouraging messages in our series on Revelation.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Jesus Unveiled: Revelation 1:9-20
Someday, everyone (including you) will come face-to-face with Jesus Christ. How does that thought strike you?
Your answer to that question is no doubt influenced by your mental
picture of Jesus. It's how you see Him now that impacts how you feel
about seeing Him later.But what if you don't see Him as He really is? Better to have your vision corrected now than to be shocked later, right?
In this message, we will study together Revelation 1:9-20, a passage that shows us a current portrait of Jesus--one that will prepare us for our upcoming face-to-face encounter.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Live For The Line: Revelation 1:1-9
On the timeline of eternity, your earthly life is only a dot. Are you living for the dot, or for the line?
I realize that a question like that is no casual one, and that it may surface other questions, like Why should I live for the line? and Who says I can't do both? and What does living for the line look like?
Would you believe that the clearest answers to questions like those come from what for many of us is the most confusing book of the Bible? It's when we read Revelation as it was meant to be read that the fog clears. Join us as we venture into this mind-blowing and life-changing book.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Silent No More
Isn't it ironic that we say the least about what matters most? Our faith in Jesus has changed our life and our destiny, and we ache for others to get in on this outpouring of God's grace, yet we can't muster the courage to tell them about it.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Why You Exist
Listen to, "Why You Exist" by Greg Sidders, form Sunday 09-01-13
Sunday 09-01-13
"Oh I'm lookin' for my missin' piece
I'm lookin' for my missin' piece
Hi-dee-ho, here I go,
Lookin' for my missin' piece."
So sings the almost round character in Shel Silverstein's children's story, beloved by adults because we are familiar with the search for whomever or whatever it is that we know would makes us whole, if only we could find him, her or it.
Have you found your missing piece yet? I think we'll all find what we've been looking for in Greg's message.
Sunday 09-01-13
"Oh I'm lookin' for my missin' piece
I'm lookin' for my missin' piece
Hi-dee-ho, here I go,
Lookin' for my missin' piece."
So sings the almost round character in Shel Silverstein's children's story, beloved by adults because we are familiar with the search for whomever or whatever it is that we know would makes us whole, if only we could find him, her or it.
Have you found your missing piece yet? I think we'll all find what we've been looking for in Greg's message.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
The Game of Life, Part 2: Aggravation, When You Have to Start Over
There's nothing more aggravating than having to start over.
It happens to all of us. We slowly gain hard-earned momentum in an
important area of our life, only to be blindsided by something or
someone, and we find ourselves back at Square One. How can we recover
from that kind of setback, and how can we make up the ground we've lost?In this message we're going to see how five biblical characters overcame personal setbacks to achieve impossible goals. I hope the lessons in their stories will speed up your comeback!
Thursday, August 8, 2013
The Game of Life, Part 1: Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit is a good name for a board
game, but it's no way to live a life. We all want to live our one and
only life purposefully, fulfilling the unique plan God has for us.
But how do we find that plan so that we can pursue what really
matters? In this message Pastor Greg will share with you some practical
ideas that I hope will help you to live the rest of your earthly life in
the bull's eye of God's will.
It's Part 1 of a fun summer series called The Game of Life.
It's Part 1 of a fun summer series called The Game of Life.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
"Fresh Bread: What's God Teaching Me?" / Joe Campbell / 07-28-13
I've been thinking a lot about true worship lately. (That's weird, right?) David wrote in the Psalms, "I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth". We need to move beyond a view of worship that's based on location, time and approach, and see that worship can take place with every part of our lives if we are willing to bring all of who we truly are into communion and intimate contact with all that God truly is. I am looking so forward to exploring this with you. We were made for this!
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Fresh Bread: What's God Teaching Me? / Sunday 07-21-13
Some people wish that God would simply show Himself so that we could know Him. Throughout the Bible it is clear that He has been trying! It didn't take much reading for me to come to the conclusion that God desperately wants us to know Him. From Creation up to the present, God has been working to reveal Himself to us. The question is, "When will we turn to Him, and take the time to know Him?"
In this message we will be focusing on how God has revealed Himself to us. We are going to follow last week's format by listening to a few volunteers share how God has revealed Himself to them personally. It is always exciting to see God at work!
Monday, July 15, 2013
What God is Teaching Me / 07-14-13
Have you ever wondered how pastors decide what part of the Bible to teach every Sunday? We ask one simple question: What does God want to say to His people? We don't always get it right, but our goal is to apply the timeless truth of Scripture to the specific needs of the people we serve.
But in this message, Pastor Greg does something he rarely does, he's just going to share with you what God is teaching him, trusting that there's some overlap between the way God is working in his life and the way He is working in yours. Pastor Greg also asks a few others to share what God is teaching them.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Quitting Is Not An Option
"The cost of discipleship" is a phrase that many Christians use but few understand. How can it be costly to follow Jesus when salvation is a free gift? Some say that discipleship is different than mere Christianity--a second step of commitment following the first step of faith. I don't think that's it. I think the key to harmonizing the no-cost gospel and the high cost of discipleship is in Luke 14:25-33, the passage we will be studying together this message.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Extraordinary
God specializes in using ordinary people to do extraordinary things. But why does He use some ordinary people instead of others? We'll find out in this message, and I think you'll be surprised by the radical simplicity of the answer. This is one message when I so hope you will listen with an open heart, because what you do with the truth you hear just may alter the course of your one and only life, from ordinary to extraordinary.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Doug Erdmann: Missions / Sunday 06-23-13
It's one thing to know what God is doing in the world, and something else entirely to be involved in what He is doing.
Doug and Joyce Erdmann, our missionaries to Singapore, are on the front lines of ministry, and this Sunday at White Pine, you will learn from Doug how to overcome the obstacles to participating in God's world-changing plan.
You may think you're not the kind of person God wants to use, but are you willing to find out?
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
How To Help Your Kids Love God
What other people have had the most powerful impact on your life, positively or negatively?
I'll bet your short list includes your dad. Fathers play an enormously influential role, but no man I know has ever taken a class on how to be a good dad. Especially when it comes to being a spiritual leader, most men are woefully undereducated. No wonder we are so unsure of ourselves in this area!
In this message Greg will be giving to fathers (and to all who want to influence young people spiritually) the tools they need to help kids love God.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Helping Others Live Forever
Sunday 06-09-13
When you know you're going to heaven, you want to take as many people with you as possible. The problem is, others don't seem to want what you've got, and even if they did, you're not sure you could tell them how to get it.
But despite their lack of interest and your lack of confidence, God's plan is to use you to help rescue them. And you will see, in this message, that what it takes to change their destiny, you can do.
Come learn how to help others live forever.
Monday, June 3, 2013
When Life Doesn't Go According To Plan
Listen to, "When Life Doesn't Go According To Plan" by Greg Sidders
Jesus said that He came so that we could have a better life than we ever dreamed of (John 10:10, MSG). Is that what you are experiencing?
If you ever feel like He over-promised and under-delivered, it may be because of unrealistic or misguided expectations. In this message we are going to learn how to enjoy an abundant life even when it doesn't go according to our plans.
Whether you're in need of pre-trip direction or mid-course correction, I hope you'll listen!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Staying Clean
It's easier to get clean than it is to stay clean.
That's not only true physically; it's also true morally. Not long after you have been cleansed by the blood of Christ, you find yourself repeating the same mistakes that sent Him to the cross, and feeling as distant from Him as you did before you were forgiven.
How many showers of grace do you get before God says, "Enough!" And how do you break the cycle so that you don't have to keep asking for forgiveness for the same old sins?
Monday, May 20, 2013
Life Is War
The screen on which you are reading these words looks simple enough, but you know that what you are seeing on this flat facade is the visible result of a complex invisible process going on right now inside your laptop/iPad/smart phone. There is more going on than meets the eye, isn't there?
The same is true in your spiritual life. The choices you make, the temptations you face, the trials you endure ... every twist and turn in your life is affected by what is going on in a realm that is invisible to you. And the more you understand what's happening there, the better you will navigate the challenges of living here.
Check out this message as Greg lifts the cover off the physical world to get a rarely seen glimpse of the spiritual world.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Beautifully Imperfect
On Mother's Day, we love to tell our moms how beautiful they are, inside and out--but their imperfections still haunt them. How can a mom break free from performance anxiety? How can she look at herself in the mirror without fixating on her flaws?
Those aren't just mom issues, are they? All of us are in need of self-image detoxification. That's what Greg is talking about in this message, as we see ourselves from a whole different perspective ... God's.
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