January 17, 2022
by Josh Black
I’ve been encouraged by the feedback we have received so far about our current sermon series, Rooted: Pursuing the Means of Grace. Many of you seem motivated to put the Word and Prayer to work in your life so that God can do his work in you of making you more like our Savior. As I promised on Sunday, below you will find a number of resources to help you make progress...
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May 11, 2020
by Josh Black
We just finished our series on Psalms for Uncertain Times by looking at Psalm 106. My goal for this series was to help you learn a new vocabulary and grammar of prayer that may feel a bit like a foreign language. Praying the Psalms gives us patterns and prompts for prayer. One of the methods we’ve been using in these posts has been the ACTS method, letting a psalm lead u...
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March 25, 2020
by Josh Black
One of the reasons I decided to cover the Psalms while we’re not able to gather together for corporate worship is because the Psalms teach us how to pray in all seasons of life. It is my prayer that you will grow in prayer during this strange and difficult season of life. Praying is difficult all the time. Our minds wander, we get in a rut, we even get bored. Prayer is e...
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February 7, 2020
by Josh Black
How do we live as Christians in a world that is not our home? 1 Peter answers this question. Even though we live in relative ease as Christians in American society, if we’re trying to bear witness at all for Christ, we will face trials of various kinds....
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November 30, 2018
by Josh Black
Christmas is many people’s favorite time of the year. It’s a time to be with family, to go to Christmas parties, and to exchange gifts. It’s also a time to remember the reason for the season! Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The Christmas landscapes are full of Santa Claus pictures and blow ups, but they’re also full of nativity scenes. We see m...
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April 22, 2018
by Josh Black
Each week as I prepare for my sermons, there are things I find in my study that I simply don’t have time to include. They get left on the cutting room floor. A lot of what gets left out isn't needed in the sermon, but sometimes I run across something I really want to share. That happened last week. I was really blown away by some observations James Montgomery Boice made ...
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February 1, 2018
by Josh Black
In the Christian life, we need each other. One of God's intended pathways to spiritual growth is the family of believers serving and supporting one another. On Sunday we looked at some of the more informal ways we can do this. In that sermon I referenced our True Community series and encouraged you to listed to this sermon on Committed Community. In it I covered more of th...
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January 18, 2018
by Josh Black
We’re two weeks into our “Means of Grace” series. The means of grace are simply the ways God has given us to grow in grace, as Peter said (2 Peter 3:18), or to become more like Jesus (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:18). I’m encouraged by how many of you have given me feedback, shared your stories with me, and asked questions about application. You wouldn’t believe how much ...
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February 17, 2017
by Josh Black
As we head into our series in the book of Judges, I found this video to be a great summary of the book and where we are headed! I hope you find it helpful in giving you a "map" of the book and understanding why we are studying this dark period in Israel's history. ...
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January 4, 2016
by Josh Black
Do you want to be marked by love? God is love, and as I said in my sermon on Sunday, to be people who are marked by love we must first come to know God’s love. So let’s resolve to get to know God’s love more. It’s a goal we can always embrace because God’s love actually surpasses knowledge (Eph 3:19)....
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December 28, 2015
by Josh Black
Pastor Curt did a wonderful job on Sunday of reminding us from Psalm 139 that God knows us. He knows everything about us. He even knows the “grievous ways in me” (Ps. 139:23). And yet, in light of that full knowledge, he still loves us. This humbling truth reminded me of one of my favorite sections in J.I. Packer’s Knowing God....
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March 6, 2015
by Josh Black
Have you ever noticed we have a lot going on here on Sunday mornings? There are opportunities to worship, to serve, and to learn. And all are important in the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ who glorify God as the grace of the gospel grows deep in God’s people and goes wide to all peoples. A person doesn’t have time to do it all, so how do you decide? How s...
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February 5, 2015
by Josh Black
You’d be hard-pressed to find a family who hasn’t been affected by divorce in some way, whether that’s divorce of parents, a child, an extended family member, or a family friend. Because it’s such a relevant topic it’s important that we understand what the Bible teaches about it....
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January 4, 2015
by Josh Black
I’ve found that family worship is something that just doesn’t happen without a good plan. We need to set aside dedicated time in our homes to grow in grace. This time can look as different as the families are that do it, but I think Donald Whitney’s suggestions are doable and adaptable for most families. He says that at a minimum family worship should include instru...
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December 29, 2014
by Josh Black
As we approach the New Year many people begin to make plans and set goals for 2015. Some set financial goals or weight loss goals. Others make travel plans and decide on Bible reading plans. I could go on, but you get the picture. Planning is a good thing (cf. Prov. 21:5). I think it’s a part of what it means to be created in the image of God. After all God has a plan fo...
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July 31, 2014
by Josh Black
If work is the thing that most of us spend most of our time doing, what kind of work should we do? Is the work you’re currently doing the work you ought to be doing? I suspect many of you ask this question from time to time. In Sunday’s sermon, “Work As Vocation,” I gave four questions* to help you evaluate your work. I’d encourage you to listen to the sermon i...
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July 3, 2014
by Josh Black
...I’m also thankful for a generous church who gives of their time, treasure, and talents to build up the body of Christ. My reflections on my ability to take a study leave has reminded me of a sermon I preached on the nature of true fellowship (Greek: koinonia). I’d like to share three aspects of biblical koinonia and then show how they relate to where we’re at as a...
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February 11, 2014
by Josh Black
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In my sermon on Sunday, I said one of the ways we are to let the gospel abide in you (1 Jn. 2:24) is by “marinating in the gospel.†To remain in the gospel, we need regular exposure to the gospel. In my sermon I listed a number of ways we can have regular exposure to the gospel....
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December 17, 2013
by Josh Black
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But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.†(Luke 10:41-42)
Black Friday marked the beginning of the Christmas season for many. And during this season the world cries out, “Have a very Martha Christmas; b...
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November 21, 2013
by Josh Black
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Parents, in my sermon last Sunday I mentioned a number of resources for using in family worship. I have benefited from these resources and would recommend that you start here if you’d like help with this important time with your family....
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November 13, 2013
by Josh Black
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The answer to this question is largely bound up in our understanding of authority. In the EFCA, we are “Congregationalists.†What does that mean? That means that we believe the congregation is the highest governing authority under Christ for the local church. The congregation--not a bishop, not a group of elders, not a pastor--is the highest court of appeals in...
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