Sunday, December 27, 2015
Married For Life
One thing
many of us want more than any present that can fit under a Christmas
tree is to have our marriage last our whole lifetime.
God wants that too, but in our day it is quite rare. So this Sunday at White Pine we are going to interview a couple that has made it to 50 YEARS of marriage! They don't view themselves as experts, but they want to encourage younger couples and to share some of the keys to a healthy marriage that they have learned along their way.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
The Wounded Healer
If you could have anything you wanted for Christmas, what would be it be?
I'll bet it's nothing you have ever put on a wish list. It's too
big for that-so big that it's at the top of your prayer list. You'd give
up every other gift in a heartbeat if only God would grant you your heart's
desire, which is (I'm playing the odds now) either someone's salvation or some
kind of healing.
The question we are going to find an answer to this Sunday is whether we should expect God to answer those prayers for healing that we pray when we or someone we love is suffering. I know it doesn't sound like an appropriate topic for the Sunday before Christmas, but one of the reasons Jesus was born was to "take up our infirmities". Could that mean that you might just get what you want most for Christmas this year? I'm praying for exactly that.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Nothing But The Blood
If you can't stand the sight of blood, thank God you weren't born before Christ.
Pre-Jesus religion was soaked with the blood of innocent animals,
sacrificed unceasingly to avoid the terrifying wrath of God. Now
the closest thing to blood in worship is in the communion cup, from which we
drink not in fear, but in gratitude.
Why no more blood? Why no
more fear?
Believe it or not, that baby in the manger was the one who changed
everything.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
God With Us
"Incarnation" is the word that theologians use for it. But I prefer the way someone else described the miracle of Christmas: "God in a bod".
This Sunday at White Pine we reflect on some of the most significant practical implications of the truth that Jesus was God wrapped in flesh.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Heart Transplant
Christmas
is more than a holiday.
It's the celebration of the hinge point of history, that moment in
time that made everything that came after different than everything that came
before. But exactly what changed? How is your life different than it would have
been had Christ not come?
On each of the four Sundays of Advent, we will be highlighting some of the most significant ways the world changed when Jesus came. Our goal is to make sure we are enjoying all the blessings of A.D. life rather than being stuck in a B.C. mentality.
Listen to see why Christmas changed everything.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Thanksgiving Service
The service was not recorded and there are no discussion notes or questions this week.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
The Blessedness of Brokenness - Broken Dreams
Robert
Benson wrote a book with the optimistic title Between the Dreaming and the Coming True. But
what if it's too late for that? What if you are living in the grayscale world
of broken dreams? How can you look forward to a future that is missing what you
wanted most?
This Sunday at White Pine, I hope to give you some encouraging
answers to that question. I really do believe that God's dreams for your future
are better than you can imagine, and I'm praying that His Spirit will breathe
that truth into your soul.
If you have a friend who needs a fresh dose of hope, this is a great sermon to invite them to listen to!
Sunday, November 8, 2015
The Blessedness of Brokenness - Wanted: Broken People
Ever feel like Humpty Dumpty?
After you have had a great fall--whether because of your foolishness, others' maliciousness, or life's harshness--it's natural to think that you will never be what you could have been had you not been broken. And it's easy to wonder why God didn't keep you from falling.
Here's a thought: Brokenness makes us better--more useful to God and more loving toward others. I know it's hard to fathom, but this Sunday at White Pine I hope to give you a glimpse of God's purpose for your brokenness. It might give you a whole new perspective on the rest of your life.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
The Blessedness of Brokenness: When Your Heart Breaks
At some point, every heart breaks.
What does God want to say to us in our times of deepest pain and
grief? And how do we hear His voice and feel His touch? That may be a
theoretical question to you right now--or a very timely one.
Whether
broken heartedness is part of your past, present or future, I believe God has
something to say to you, and I'm praying He will do that this Sunday at White
Pine.
And if you know someone with a broken heart, now is the time to
invite them to join you. May we, the body of Christ, be conduits of God's
tender love to many as we gather.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
ReStart: Some Restrictions Apply
Some think that phrase is in the Bible, but it's not. Best we can tell, it was first penned sometime between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New. And while moderation might be best in some things, it's no way to follow Jesus. Moderate devotion to Him is a recipe for misery.
But what does extreme discipleship look like for those of us who are otherwise moderate? Find out this Sunday at White Pine!
Sunday, October 18, 2015
ReStart: Take A Load Off
Of all the viruses that can infect our mental hard drive, the one we're going to scan for this Sunday is the most insidious. Is it corrupting your relationship with God? Maybe. Is it keeping those you love from having a relationship with God? Definitely.
That's why I want to encourage you to invite friends and family to listen to this week's service--especially those who base their hope of going to heaven on their track record. The new operating system God offers us is so much better, we just have to get the word out.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
ReStart: Tomorrowland
What does
the phrase emotional roller
coaster make you think of?
If your answer is, "My life," join the club. We all go
up and down like a car on a track. It's as if our feelings are inseparable from
our circumstances.
But is that the way it has to be? No! God has made available to us a new operating system that enables us to experience trans-circumstantial joy. If you would like to download it onto the hard drive of your heart, listen to this Sunday's sermon at White Pine.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
ReStart: Greed To Contentment
We live in a land of opportunity. If we simply focus, work hard and fight for it we have the ability to gain great riches for ourselves.
But what if this pursuit is the very thing that fills our lives
with grief? Could this "good" mindset that our culture strives
for be the very thing that is weakening our faith? How can we find
happiness in a way that doesn't hurt us?
This week we take a look at God's advice to pursue
contentment. If we can learn to be content and find happiness wherever we
are in life, we have the ability to have a peace of mind that is overwhelming.
Listen to this Sunday's sermon as we learn the disciplines to obtaining contentment.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
ReStart: Me Last
Look out for number one. Toot your own horn. Claw your way to the top. Don't take no for an answer. Fight tooth and nail. We say it many different ways, but at the core is a me-first attitude that fuels our pursuit of life at its best.
But what if that attitude is a virus that has infected our
operating system and made life anything but fulfilling? What if there is a
better way?
This week at White Pine we are going to consider a radically different mindset: Me-last. It's what Jesus taught and modeled, and there are promises connected to that perspective that might give you (and me) the guts to give it a go.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
ReStart: A New Focus
Whatever your reasons for wanting to listen to this Sunday's message,
let me give you two more.
1) The second message in our ReStart series is going to address an issue
that everybody who wants to serve God and others faces: Not enough time
to do everything that is important to us. What if the way we set our
priorities is backwards? Jesus taught us a different way of pursuing our
ambitions that can lead to a much more satisfying life.
2) There's just something special about watching God use
young people, and everything about this week's service -- from worship
leadership by our youth band to teaching from our youth pastor -- is going to
make you feel good about the future of White Pine.
I hope you'll join me in allowing God to use His
young servants to realign your busy life.
Sunday, September 13, 2015
ReStart: Truth Or Consequences
Some things we know with such certainty and feel with such passion
that God Himself must have implanted that truth in our soul.
But what if we are wrong about what we know to be right? And what
if we are missing life at its best because we confuse our convictions with
objective truth?
This Sunday at White Pine, we are beginning a
series called ReStart by
learning how to discern whether what we believe in our bones is really true.
If you want to make sure your life's operating system is virus-free, I
hope you'll listen to this week's message!
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Help Wanted
Jesus
wants those of us who are on our way to heaven to help others go there too.
Wow. I don't
think about that often enough, but when I do, it can make me shudder. What a
privilege--and what a responsibility!
I need all the help I can get, which is why, when I find someone who
is better at sharing their faith than I am, I observe them carefully and listen
to them intently. One person who has inspired and instructed me by his example
is Randy Reynolds. That's why I asked him to teach on this subject as we begin a
new ministry year at White Pine. I want his outreach commitment and skill to rub off on all of us. I am confident that you will be better equipped to help others live forever if you hear what he has to say.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
UNDER CONSTRUCTION - Your Part in God's Building Project
I'm about to say something risky, but stick with me.
This weekend is our second annual missions Sunday.
I am aware that disclosing such information is likely to produce one of two thoughts in you: either I have to be there! or I'd rather be anywhere else! But even if missions doesn't float your boat, I am asking you to make it a priority to come, because I genuinely believe that you will be inspired by what you experience. You see, this is not just going to be about what God is doing through others; it's going to be about what He wants to do through you ... even if you never step foot in a foreign country. Trust me, the part you have been called to play in God's unfinished story matters more than you can imagine.
This weekend is our second annual missions Sunday.
I am aware that disclosing such information is likely to produce one of two thoughts in you: either I have to be there! or I'd rather be anywhere else! But even if missions doesn't float your boat, I am asking you to make it a priority to come, because I genuinely believe that you will be inspired by what you experience. You see, this is not just going to be about what God is doing through others; it's going to be about what He wants to do through you ... even if you never step foot in a foreign country. Trust me, the part you have been called to play in God's unfinished story matters more than you can imagine.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Right Side Out
I used to think I would be the world's first exception to the rule that life is hard.
I'm not.
And neither are you. Both of us have to deal with the disparity
between the life we dreamed of and the life we got. As people of faith, we know
it has something to do with God's plan for us. But what is that plan? How do
unpleasant surprises fit into His perfect will?
We'll find out this Sunday at White Pine. If you have a friend whose life is especially hard right now, please invite them to join you for what I hope will be an encouraging time together.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Storms
Have you ever been through one of those times where it feels like God just sent you straight into a storm you didn't see coming? I'm guessing you could probably remember a time; in fact you may be going through one right now. Our all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful God just sent your little boat into a hurricane.
That's how the disciples probably felt when Jesus told them to go ahead of Him across a lake while He stayed behind. They went straight into s storm in the darkness of a night they would always remember. But they remembered it for all of the right reasons. We know this story for all of the right reasons.
My hope is that this Sunday you'll have a new perspective on the storms in your life as we take a look at a little boat in a big storm and catch a glimpse of how friendship, faith and love created a night the world would never forget.
Matt Butterfield
Matt Butterfield
Sunday, August 9, 2015
It's A Miracle
I'm not going to ask you if you believe in miracles, because every pollster would tell me that I can be 75% sure you'd say yes. Besides, that's not really what I want to know. What I want to know is whether you expect miracles to occur in area code 207.
Oh, sure, they happened in biblical times. Regularly, it seems.
But what about now? And what about here? Should we or should we not still
expect God to work in supernatural, unexplainable ways?
It's a question that has been begging for an answer since we started studying the miracle-saturated Book of Acts. Finally, this Sunday, we're going to find out--from Scripture--what we should and should not be expecting from God in 2015.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
The Perfect Storm
When it comes to perfect storms, all of us a) have been in one, b) are in one, or c) will be in one. And that convergence of trials can test our faith in the promises of God. It's tough, when we're getting thrashed, to keep believing what God said to us in tranquil times.
This Sunday at White Pine, I hope you will be able to hear the encouraging whisper of God in the midst of whatever storm you are weathering. And I hope you will get a peek at what God is doing right now, in you and through you, seasick as you may be.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Be Prepared
Are you a dangerous person?
Spiritually, I mean. Are the people who cross your path at risk of
encountering Christ?
This Sunday at White Pine, we are going to be issued a nifty set of four different tools that we can take with us wherever we go to help people reckon with the truth about Jesus. It's what the Book of Acts is all about--equipping ordinary folks like us to help change the lives and destinies of people God has put in our area code.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Truth Dodger
No doubt there is someone in your relational web whose eternal destiny matters more to you than it does to them. What is keeping them from responding to the truth they are being exposed to? And what can you do transform their apathy into curiosity?
This Sunday at White Pine, we are going to learn, from the interaction between an articulate Christian and an apathetic non-Christian, how to help those we love deal with, rather than dodge, the truth that can change their life.
Sunday, July 12, 2015
The Courageous Christian
Every life is a story, and right now you are writing a chapter in yours.
Whatever title you might give this chapter, I'm sure you, like me,
want to live it in such a way that you will be able to remember it with
gratification rather than regret. Have you thought about what choices you must
make, and what character traits you must develop, to do that?
This Sunday at White Pine, we are going to watch
a follower of Jesus evaluate a previous chapter in his life, and my goal is to
help you make this chapter of your life one that will put a smile on your face
(and God's) when, years from now, you look back on it.
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