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Surrender: Why We All Need Step One

As we start this new year, many of you are thinking about resolutions and goals. Maybe last year you resolved to lose 10 pounds and now you’re thinking, “Great, only 18 to go.” Whatever is on your mind today, I hope you’ll join us for this new series on the 12 Steps.

Why the 12 Steps?

Some of you might be wondering why we’re going through the 12 steps from Alcoholics Anonymous and similar recovery programs. “I’m not an addict,” you’re thinking. “Why do I need this?”

Here’s the truth: more of us are addicted to things than we realize. Almost everyone has something in their life they do without thinking that affects them negatively. Something you want to stop but just can’t.

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The Missing Piece

I’m going to lose ten pounds.
I’m going to run a 10k.
I’m going to work to earn a promotion.
I’m going to go back to school for a higher degree.
I’m going to quit drinking / smoking / overeating.
I’m going to work out 3 days a week.

Sound familiar?

There’s a story I came across while researching for a new sermon series beginning this January. Three frogs were sitting on a log on the shore of the lake one hot summer day. One frog decides to jump in the lake. How many frogs are on the log?

Three. Deciding and doing are not the same thing.

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The Lord Delivers: Finding Meaning Beyond the Manger

from the Christmas Candlelight Service, December 21, 2025

For the past month, we’ve explored miracle births in Scripture: Abraham and Sarah’s Isaac, Manoah’s Samson, Hannah’s Samuel, and Zechariah and Elizabeth’s John the Baptist. Tonight, we arrive at the culmination of them all: Jesus.

What’s in a Name?

Names carry profound meaning. The name we know as “Jesus” comes from the Hebrew Yehoshua, or Joshua, meaning “the Lord delivers.” Just as Joshua brought Israel into the promised land, Jesus would fulfill an even greater mission, delivering all of God’s people into eternal life.

Jesus is the fulfillment of every story we’ve studied. Through Isaac, God turned sorrow into laughter. Through Samson (“little light”), God sent light into Israel’s darkest times. Through Samuel, God showed He hears individual prayers. Through John, God demonstrated His grace. And now, through Jesus, God delivers His people.

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God Is Gracious: The Miraculous Birth of John the Baptist

Every baby is a miracle, a gift from God. But some stories make it undeniable that God had His hand directly involved. Today, we’re looking at one of those stories, a reminder that the same God responsible for all the miracle births in Scripture is still at work in our lives today.

What’s in a Name?

His name was John, which means “God is gracious.” Every time someone called his name, they were reminded of the God they served. Every time they yelled at him (because let’s be honest, kids will be kids), they had to remember to be gracious too.

But this baby boy was a long time in coming, about 400 years, to be exact.

The final book of prophecy in the Hebrew Bible is Malachi, where God promises: “See, I’m going to send my messenger and he will clear the way before me” (Malachi 3:1). God said He would send someone to prepare the way, someone in the spirit of Elijah, before the great day of the Lord.

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A New Light: The Miraculous Birth of Samson

Part of the “Miracle Babies” series

We’re continuing our journey through miraculous births in the Bible, and today we’re looking at a baby born to a woman who wasn’t supposed to have children. Unlike Sarah from last week, this woman isn’t even named in Scripture—but I think there’s a powerful reason for that beyond simple oversight.

The Cycle of Darkness

The story of Samson’s birth takes place during one of Israel’s darkest periods. The book of Judges records a repeating cycle: the people rebel against God, God allows them to be conquered, they cry out for help, and God raises up a deliverer called a judge. For hundreds of years, this pattern continues.

But when we get to Samson’s story, something’s different. The text tells us that “the Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines for 40 years.” Notice what’s missing? There’s no mention of the people crying out to God. It’s as if they’d given up.

But God hadn’t given up on them.

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Generosity that Transforms: 40 Years of Faith in Action

A sermon/presentation by Warren Crawford on behalf of Bryantsville Hunger Relief Project

When Hollis and Ila Sherwood planted their first corn crop in 1985 to support a medical missionary in Africa, they had no idea God had different plans. That first harvest was ready to ship when a devastating earthquake struck Mexico City, killing 20,000 people and displacing hundreds of thousands more. Their mission partner asked: could they redirect the corn?

Without hesitation, they said yes.

That pivotal moment launched what would become the Bryantsville Hunger Relief Project (BHRP.org)—forty years of feeding the hungry and spreading the gospel around the world. And it almost didn’t happen. The Sherwoods initially thought, “We didn’t complete our original project,” so they planted a second year. By then, God had embedded this calling deep in their hearts.

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“Is That It?” Why Your Life Has Eternal Significance

Ever find yourself wondering if your daily grind actually matters? You’re not alone.

We’ve all been there—caught in the routine, wondering if we’re just spinning our wheels in an endless rat race. The midlife crisis hits, and suddenly we’re questioning everything: Is this all there is? Does any of this even matter?

I’m here to tell you: Yes, it absolutely does matter.

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For the Common Good: Using Your Spiritual Gifts

Why the church isn’t meant to be a spectator sport (based on a sermon by Lucas Johnson)

Every Team Needs Every Player

Think about the movie Ocean’s Eleven for a moment. Each member of Danny Ocean’s crew had a specific skill essential to pulling off their elaborate heist—the explosives expert, the tech guy, the con artist. Not everyone could be the explosives expert, and they wouldn’t succeed if they tried.

Or consider the ’90s Chicago Bulls, arguably the greatest basketball team of all time. Michael Jordan was there to win games, Scottie Pippen backed him up, Steve Kerr hit the crucial three-pointers, and Dennis Rodman dominated the rebounds while intimidating opponents. Each player had their unique role.

The same principle applies to your own life—you have specific roles in your family, at work, in your hobbies and organizations. Unfortunately, this understanding of roles and responsibilities doesn’t always carry over to the church.

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Radical Generosity: What Does It Really Mean?

A message from Darrin Chastain about kingdom economics and the transformative power of giving

When we think of “radical generosity,” what comes to mind? The widow who gave her last two coins? Zacchaeus pledging to give away half his wealth? Warren Buffett committing to donate 99% of his $100 billion fortune? Mother Teresa serving the poor in Calcutta?

These are all examples of giving that goes far beyond the ordinary—generosity that’s so different from the usual that we call it “radical.”

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