What is the greatest fight in history? Is it Ali vs. Frazier, or maybe Tyson vs. Holyfield? Is the greatest fight Washington's defeat of the British at Yorktown, or perhaps the WW2 battles of Bastogne, France or Iwo Jima in the Pacific? 1 Samuel 17 actually reveals the most [...]
Pastor Ryan tells the humorous story of how he won the "Home Economics Award" in junior high school, and how it was the the most embarrassing commendation a young teenager could ever hope to receive. Most of us want to be commended for the right things-- not the wrong [...]
At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany, the world was shocked by the unlikely friendship of the USA's Jesse Owens and Germany's Luz Long. Two men who were far from each other in color and nationality-- were brought together by the power of athletics. In Ephesians chapter 2, [...]
The church's main mission today is not toward political, social, or economic concerns. We are called to be gospel-proclaimers and disciple-makers for Jesus. However, God does not want His people to put their heads down and ignore the pain or brokenness of hurting people right in front of us. [...]
Some TV journalists have proven themselves to be masters of the interview process: Mike Wallace (60 Minutes), Barbara Walters (ABC News), Larry King (CNN), and Bill O'Reilly (Fox News). What made these legends so great was their mastery of the journalistic questions--- who, what, where, when, why, and how. [...]
Some churches in America have incredible organization and programming when it comes to social and community causes: food pantries, clothing distribution, even medical clinics. Some have even begun to champion political causes. But is this what characterizes the "right" kind of ministry? Is this really what Jesus requires of [...]
More and more churches today are getting involved in social causes: food banks, clothing drives, digging water wells, medical clinics, and other community outreaches. While these mercy ministries certainly provide physical blessings to our neighbors, is this the true mission of the church? What about the Gospel passages where [...]
*Guest Speaker* On Sunday morning, Richard Keller shared the interesting backstory behind that famous idiom "the proof is in the pudding". It is true that a person's actions are the final proof of what they claim to believe. Open your Bible to 2 Corinthians 3, and follow along as [...]
Last week an Indiana court ruled that the "First Church of Cannabis" was not a true religious organization, and could not continue to use marijuana as a "sacrament" in their gatherings. While these fake believers tried to use their fake church as cover for recreational marijuana use, what should [...]
In 2006, our hometown city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania was 'Ground Zero' in the national immigration debate. Then-mayor Lou Barletta, in cooperation with the city council, passed a controversial ordinance that was designed to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the city. After a lengthy court battle that nearly [...]