In 1865, Phillips Brooks (1835–1893), an Episcopal priest, then rector of Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia, had the opportunity to visit the Holy Land during Christmas. One evening after dinner the group rode on horseback two hours until they broached a hillside and looked down on the town of Bethlehem. It inspired him to write the poem which his music minister put to music, producing “O Little Town of Bethlehem” with that enduring line, “In thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting l...
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In 1865, Phillips Brooks (1835–1893), an Episcopal priest, then rector of Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia, had the opportunity to visit the Holy Land during Christmas. One evening after dinner the group rode on horseback two hours until they broached a hillside and looked down on the town of Bethlehem. It inspired him to write the poem which his music minister put to music, producing “O Little Town of Bethlehem” with that enduring line, “In thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting l...
In 1865, Phillips Brooks (1835–1893), an Episcopal priest, then rector of Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia, had the opportunity to visit the Holy Land during Christmas. One evening after dinner the group rode on horseback two hours until they broached a hillside and looked down on the town of Bethlehem. It inspired him to write the poem which his music minister put to music, producing “O Little Town of Bethlehem” with that enduring line, “In thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting l...
God doesn’t expect perfection out of us. That’s why he sent his Son Jesus. God calls us to strive for a holy life, knowing that we will not attain it in this lifetime. If we pretend we have no faults, no sins, we stay lost in them. If we open up our lives to his light with honesty and humility, the blood of Jesus purifies us. To walk in the light does not mean you never stumble. It does mean you turn quickly to your Savior over and over again with trust and faith.
We don’t want to be exposed. We don’t want a decent exposure! Something in us prefers the dark where we can stay hidden. What do we do when our deeds are exposed? Everything hidden will one day be revealed. There is forgiveness in Jesus, “for God so loved the world he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Everything dies out. Candles burn out. Battery powered flashlights and phones eventually die out. Even the sun is burning itself out! But there is an everlasting light. There is a light that is not diminished as it shines. God is our light that never goes out. When you are at your darkest and tried to the maximum of your endurance, when the shadows and darkness creep in, turn to the light that is never extinguished.
The world can get pretty dark. Our disobedience from God and unwillingness to honor his Word and seek his ways sends us into distress. We grope around for help, even trying various spiritual avenues, but the dawn never comes by those means. Still God has a promise. God promised to come with light from on high. God promised a dawn would break for his people. When Jesus was born, the light came into the world.
When you are slandered, take heart, the truth will eventually prevail. Let your actions be your testimony. Do what is right, as much as you can, and let the falsehood roll off your back. It is very hard not to take the low road and match attack with attack, fight fire with fire, but this is not what John teaches. Love suffers much, but always prevails in the end. The truth will never fall away. Stay faithful to the truth which is Jesus Christ, “the way, the truth and the life.”
Faithfulness is not a solo endeavor, not a lone wolf activity. We need the support of faithful friends. John celebrated his friend Gaius. His life is marked with faith, hope and love. John cares about his friend’s well-being, his health, his business, his family, and all that stuff. Friends care for one another in little and big things. Thank God for faithful friends.
The evil one is known as diabolos, the divider, the deceiver. The devil attempts to divide the church through lies that wedge into the fellowship and split the church into factions. Lies are only given power by believing them. Some people inadvertently run themselves counter to Jesus, anti-Christ, by believing and sharing lies. Our primary act of spiritual warfare is telling the truth, teaching the truth, and believing the truth.
Novelty is fun, but in Christian circles, it is not always a good idea. We should be truly creative and innovative about many things surrounding our methods, but never compromising and never innovating about our message: the truth. The truth endures and does not change. We do not come up with new truth, we continue faithfully in the truth we have received, the commandment to love one another.
We all long to have a lasting impact, to overcome death by making our names great so that all will remember. But this world is passing away, with its desires (cf. 1 John 2:17). How do we truly participate in the eternal? By following the will of God. We invest in the eternal through our commitment to God’s work (giving of time, talents, treasure). Let’s commit ourselves once again to participating in what God is doing and rest our need for eternity in Jesus.
Sitting at the table for the Last Supper, the disciples start arguing about which one of them is greater. We long for power. We want to be in control. We want to know we have all it takes to overcome any obstacle without needing help. So, we seek physical power (gym) and vitality; we seek spiritual power (manifesting). Jesus turned power dynamics on their head. Ours is the only God who died on the cross to serve others. Jesus wants us to be free from the desire for power, and to find that fre...
When Jesus nears Jericho, a blind beggar refuses to be silenced. He cries out, not just for sight, but to be seen. Jesus stops, calls him near, and restores more than his vision. If you’ve felt overlooked or undervalued, this sermon is for you. In a world that ties worth to performance and opinions, Scripture announces a better truth: your value is secure in Christ. Come hear the voice that knows your name and delights in you. We’ll look at how Jesus dignifies a man everyone else ignored, why...
The rich young ruler does not find peace. He is like the seed in the Parable that falls among weeds, cares and concerns of the world choke out his peace. We long for peace, both outer and inner peace. Outer peace desires push us to set up confidence in money for security. Inner peace pushes people to spiritual practices (yoga; meditation). Where is peace truly found? Even Peter expresses worry about provision. Jesus says, put your confidence in me. True peace, inner and outer, comes with subm...
We all have a longing for justice. We want to be treated fairly, and we want to see fairness and equal treatment for others. Where do we go with this longing for justice? Sometimes we go to social justice groups, protests, politics, and advocacy efforts to find our meaning and purpose. There is a place for advocacy, but it will not satisfy the thirst in your soul for things to be put right. Ultimately justice belongs to the Lord. He expressed his love and justice on the cross. Justice is foun...
What does it mean to be pure? For some, it sounds old-fashioned or even negative. But in Scripture, purity isn’t about rules or appearances—it’s about wholeness, integrity, and being made new from the inside out. In Mark 7:14–23, Jesus challenges the idea that external rituals can make us clean, pointing instead to the heart as the true source of impurity. Christ alone purifies and restores us, offering a freedom no ritual or self-effort can provide. Speaker: Greg Hartnett
This Psalm is a lament on how evil people seem get rewarded in this world while good people suffer. It sounds like if you do the right things, God will give you what you want! What it actually says is that when you love the Lord, when you take delight in God, God alters and adjusts the desires of your heart to match His. Then, when the desires of your heart are met, there is an overcoming and enduring joy (Proverbs 13:12). We all have desires. There are universal longings of the human spirit....
The church is an embedded representation of the gospel. We are an outpost of the Kingdom making disciples, and as we stand up First Pres for the future, we are standing up an emblem of God’s own heart to seek and to save the lost of Colorado Springs. The gospel rings out from a strong, vital church. Our First Pres Forward campaign sets the stage for years of faithfulness to come. It is our full intent to stand as an enduring, embedded model of God’s love. Speaker: Tim McConnell
Finding your place is about taking on some commitments to serve. Where will your particular gifts make a difference here? When we serve together, we develop true friendships, sharing our lives together. Like loving parents, First Pres wants to help you figure out your gifts and where you can work to make a difference. We are on a mission to share God’s Word with a lost world. You can find a place to make a difference here. Speaker: Matt Holtzman
Just as the new believers in Thessalonica gave up their attachment to idols, we learn together how to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. Finding your people is about committing to a second hour past Sunday worship. This could be a class, or a Life Group, or a Bible Study. It is hard to find your people if you only attend worship, and that sporadically. Church feels so different when you enter a medium or small group. We learn in lines but we grow in circles. Get into a circle of people. Spea...
Life in the church begins with new life in Christ. First we respond to the gospel and come to Jesus, then Jesus leads us into fellowship with one another in the church. In practical terms, we need to know how to be a part of church. We may need to imitate others. We want to help you find your healthy worship pattern, to pick a worship service to put on your calendar every week and stick to it. That will set up all the other priorities coming along behind. Speaker: Greg Hartnett
In 1865, Phillips Brooks (1835–1893), an Episcopal priest, then rector of Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia, had the opportunity to visit the Holy Land during Christmas. One evening after dinner the group rode on horseback two hours until they broached a hillside and looked down on the town of Bethlehem. It inspired him to write the poem which his music minister put to music, producing “O Little Town of Bethlehem” with that enduring line, “In thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting l...
