Audio Messages

Nearly three-quarters of the churches in America are either plateaued or in decline. And this year, 3,500 churches will close their doors for good. Among growing churches, many report no conversion growth, meaning that their growth comes merely by Christians switching their membership to churches with better programs, more comfortable facilities, and greater opportunities to blend in with the crowd. In the conclusion to his letter to the church at Colossae, Paul encourages an outward focus through prayer, purpose, and people.

We live in a gritty, dirty, dark world. Colossians 1:13 says that in Jesus God has defeated the dominions of darkness and brought us into Jesus’ kingdom of light. The problem is that we still live in a dark world. How do we overcome the darkness? Better yet, how do we keep from being overcome by the darkness? The solution is not religion. It’s not spiritualism or mysticism. It’s not moralism or rules. Those are solutions that come out of a world that is already in darkness. We need a solution that comes from above, not below.

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? Millions of us did. Resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking, change a personality trait, develop a good habit, be a happier person, go deeper spiritually. Resolutions and decisions to change are usually driven by a sense that something is wrong and needs to be fixed. Resolutions often come out of pain and suffering. In this section of Paul’s letter to the Christians at Colossae, he shares how he has resolved to suffer for the cause of the gospel so that everyone could know the mysterious, revolutionary joy of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

There are all sorts of images of who Jesus is. Someone has said that God created man in his own image, and man returned the favor. What is your image/concept of this baby who was born in a stable in Bethlehem? Jesus asked His disciple that question once. “What about you? Who do you say that I am?” (Mt 16:15) This is the most crucial question we face. No other religious, spiritual, or philosophical influencer ever said, “You’re opinion of me will affect your eternal destiny.” It’s all about Jesus.

Becoming a Christian can be like coming downstairs on Christmas morning and seeing a beautifully decorated tree stuffed with presents under its branches. You’ve already received eternal life and know that you will receive many other good gifts from God. But how disappointing would it be if, as you opened those presents, you found that all the packages were empty? For many of us, daily Christian living seems empty because there is no sense of God’s presence in our lives. We long to please God and live in a way that honors Jesus, but how can we when we don’t understand His will? In these verses, we learn how we can enjoy God’s perfectly pleasing presence!

At Christmas, we sometimes become aware of how small and broken down things are in our lives. Financial resources may seem small. Our decorations may look small compared to the neighbors. Our heart might feel small when we don’t have the feelings of good-will or generosity towards others, or a closeness to God that we know we ought to have. Paul’s letter to the new church in the small town of Colossae reminds us that God’s good news of the gospel comes to small places and fills them with joy!

What does it mean to be made for more? It does not mean you were made for more stuff, not more power, not more money not more possessions. You were not born primarily for these things. Pastor John Stillman takes a deeper look into Psalm 122 to answer the question what were we made for.

Jesus’ church has been blessed and built up by a long and wonderful practice of sharing words of encouragement, direction, and praise. In this message, Pastor John provides a message to the church on how to commend the good in others while praising the glory of God.

What's holding you back from following Jesus? In this message, Pastor John looks at the story of a man who had been told lots of things that, before that moment, at least in his mind, kept him from making that kind of commitment. But then he hears of how Jesus came to remove the barriers that had kept him from a relationship with God.