Category: purpose

• Noah: Nobody’s Perfect

  There are movies and books and stories that we allow to speak to our hearts. We fall in love with the characters and root for them, or want what’s coming to them to happen. The stories we seem to pay more attention to add to our notion that life is all about us. One of […]

  Ryan Stratton

  07/21/2020

  anger, attitudes, belief, Bible, bible stories, bible study, character, Christian Life, Christianity, church, confrontation, Creation, disciples, eternal life, evangelism, Failure, faith, forgiven, glory, glory to God, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, grace, holy, holy life, holy living, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, leadership, learn, Life, methodism, methodist, ministry, mission, people pleasing, perfection, plan, planning, priority, purpose, relationships, rest, sin, trials, trust, Truth, Uncategorized, wisdom, Work, worship, writing, youth ministry

  Genesis 6, in Christ alone, Jesus is the way truth and life, live a holy life, narrow is the gate, noah and the flood, noah found favor in the eyes of God, nobodys perfect, perfection in Christ, Trust in Christ

• The Problem of Evil

  A perfectly good God exists, and evil exists. This is a challenging enigma to contemplate and understand. After all, a good God would stop all evil and suffering from happening, so we would not have to experience it, right? This is where we need to pause and consider some of the characteristics of God and […]

  Ryan Stratton

  01/24/2020

  beauty, belief, believe, bible, challenge, Christian Life, Christianity, church, devotionals, disciples, Failure, failures, faith, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, grace, holy living, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, leadership, learn, Life, pastor, power, Prayer, preaching, purpose, reconciliation, Relationships, religion, Sin, sin, Sinners, trust, Truth, worldview, Worry, worship, writing, youth ministry

  children of God, Christian life, evil in the world, freedom in Christ, God, God is with us, God with us, Good News of Jesus Christ, Gospel changes us, gospel of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Kingdom of God, live differently, new life, transform the world, Trust God, Trust Jesus

• Betrayed, Denied, Tried, Crucified

  

  In the 1924 book by Richard Connell, The Most Dangerous Game is a story of big game hunter Sanger Rainsford and his friend Whitney ending up on an island owned by General Zaroff. The General talks about how he is bored with “traditional” hunting and has moved into hunting the most dangerous, the most cunning […]

  Ryan Stratton

  10/19/2018

  Apostle Peter, belief, belonging, bible, bible stories, character, Christian Life, Christianity, church, comfort, compassion, confession, controversy, disciples, eternal life, example, facing challenges, faithful, Forgiveness, freedom, freedom in Christ, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, healing, heart, holy living, Holy Spirit, humanity, hypocricy, invitation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John Wesley, leadership, Life, Lord, Love, mercy, methodism, methodist, ministry, mission, pastor, priority, purpose, reconciled, reconciliation, sin, Spirit, transformation, trials, trust, Truth, uncategoried, Worship, writing, youth ministry

  betraying Jesus, change your hearts and lives, denying Jesus, depths of humanity, God always has the last word, God offers forgiveness and mercy, Good News of Jesus Christ, gospel of Jesus Christ, Gospel of Luke, Jesus is crucified, Jesus’ mission on earth, Judas betryas Jesus, Luke 23, Luke 23:1-3, Peter betrays Jesus, trials of Jesus

• Why Are You Worrying?

  

  READ SCRIPTURE: Matthew 6:25-34 NIV 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away […]

  Ryan Stratton

  08/24/2018

  anxiety, belief, believe, belonging, bible, Christian Life, Christianity, church, community, compassion, control, controversy, eternal life, faith, faithful, gifts, glory to God, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, grace, holy life, holy living, Holy Spirit, invitation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, leadership, Life, Love, mercy, methodism, methodist, ministry, miracles, mission, poor, possibilities, power, praise, Prayer, prayer life, priority, proclaiming Christ, purpose, reconciliation, redeemed, relationships, religion, repent, revival, Spirit, Spirit led, trust, Truth, uncategoried, Worry, Worship, writing, youth ministry

  earning God’s favor, gospel of Matthew, Jesus says don’t worry, live free in Christ, Matthew 6:25-34, Stewardship, stewardship sermon series, stress in life, worrying about money

• Expect the Unexpected

  THE RUSH This is the Pentecost sermon preached on Sunday, June 4, 2017. Click here to read ACTS 2:1-2. WRITE “ORDINARY DAY” ON YOUR NOTES It was just another normal day. Everyone was gathered together. Everyone had been praying for the last 10 days. This was just another average day. Over the last 10 days, […]

  Ryan Stratton

  06/06/2017

  Apostle Peter, attitudes, believe, belonging, bible, born again, calling, challenge, character, Christian Life, Christianity, church, comfort, confession, conversion, devotionals, disciples, Easter, evangelism, example, faith, faithful, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, grace, holy, holy life, holy living, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, mercy, methodism, methodist, ministry, miracles, mission, new creation, new life, pastor, power, praise, pray, Prayer, prayer life, preach, preaching, proclaiming Christ, purpose, Relationships, sharing our faith, Sin, Spirit, Spirit led, spiritual transformation, transformation, trust, Truth, uncategoried, worship, writing, youth ministry

  Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Church is born, day of Pentecost, expect the unexpected, filled with the Holy Spirit, heaven comes to earth, Holy Spirit came down, love of God, no ordinary day, nothing is the same, proclaim the Kingdom of God, Spirit changes everything

• 21 Daily Questions

  Let’s say you and I were sitting down at a coffee shop today and I asked you two questions: “How is it with your soul?” and “How is your walk with Jesus Christ?” Do you think you would have an answer? How many of us would have an answer we would be comfortable sharing? If […]

  Ryan Stratton

  11/22/2016

  apostles, belief, Blessings, character, children, Christian Life, Christianity, church, control, devotionals, disciples, eternal life, evangelism, Failure, faith, faithful, gift, God, God’s grace, gospel, grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John Wesley, leadership, Life, methodism, methodist, preach, purpose, relationships, repent, revival, Spirit, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, trust, Truth, uncategoried, worship

  21 questions, daily accountability questions, daily living, discipleship questions, faith development, growing in faith, how is your soul, John Wesley 21 questions, making disciples for Jesus Christ, reviving the heart, Sunday sermons, walk with Jesus Christ

• Light

  Ephesians 5:6-14 Nobody should deceive you with stupid ideas. God’s anger comes down on those who are disobedient because of this kind of thing. So you shouldn’t have anything to do with them. You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, so live your life as children of light. Light produces fruit […]

  Ryan Stratton

  02/21/2015

  Apostle Paul, bible, bible study, Christian Life, Christianity, church, community, Ephesians, faith, faithful, fruit, fruit of the spirit, God, good news, gospel, Holy Spirit, hope, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, Life, light, Love, methodism, methodist, new creation, new life, peace, purpose, relationships, renewal, Spirit, spiritual growth, Spirituality, transformation, Truth, youth ministry

  Apostle Paul, bible, bible study, book of Ephesians, children of God, Christian life, faith in Christ, God, God has a plan, Good News of Jesus Christ, gospel, gospel of Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, life of love, light and darkness, live by faith, live differently, live free, lost and found, new creation in Christ, new life, new life in Christ, transformation in Christ, Trust God, Trust Jesus

• Me?

  Ephesians 3:8-13 God gave his grace to me, the least of all God’s people, to preach the good news about the immeasurable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. God sent me to reveal the secret plan that had been hidden since the beginning of time by God, who created everything. God’s purpose is now to show the […]

  Ryan Stratton

  02/11/2015

  bible, bible study, Christian Life, Christianity, church, Ephesians, faith, faithful, God, good news, gospel, grace, Holy Spirit, hope, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, methodism, methodist, ministry, new life, plan, pray, Prayer, purpose, Spirit, spiritual growth, Spirituality, transformation, trust, Truth, youth ministry

  all things work together, Apostle Paul, bible, bible study, book of Ephesians, glory of God, God, God changes things, God has a plan, God is love, God is with us, God with us, gospel of Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, live by faith, live differently, Trust God, Trust Jesus