I grew up Catholic so I had an idea of God and Jesus and at times would pray but no relationship. When I was 18 I hurt my back and started going to a chiro where I lived. At 27 I moved to the shore and couldn't find a chiro for over a year. I was teaching gymnastics in Livingston and commuted there 6 days a week. In June of 96 I was laying in bed thinking. I said to Go...

In my 27 years as a believer, I have found that how I am feeling before I open the Bible can profoundly affect how I perceive what I am studying at that moment. This is particularly true if I am in the midst of some circumstantial struggle that has contributed to a pre-existing sense of anxiety or depression. In this case, the seemingly harsher verses of Scripture seem to ...

The apostle James tells us that we should "count it all joy" when we face many trials in life. He says this because of the good that comes out of persevering in our faith when troubles inevitably make their appearance. This is principally the good of a deepened and more Christlike character. Acquiring such a character is truly a blessing in the long run, both in this life ...

**the following is an excerpt from a recent sermon, which was not recorded due to technical errors. Does Everything Really Happen for a Reason? Have you ever heard anyone say that? Of course you have. Maybe someone said it to you after a difficult circumstance and you wanted to punch 'em? Now no doubt we all want to believe this. We especially like to beleive this after...

We must find our joy in God's joy, our happiness in His happiness. Human beings are forever trying to achieve these legitimate states of being through illegitimate means. This is perhaps one of the more profoundly accurate definitions of sin. We dig our own wells, ignoring the one true Well, and drink deeply of the poisoned water we bring up from its depths. That water ki...

the following was taken from sheaoakley.com. ------------- What is the place of human happiness in the economy of God? The world often tells us that nothing is more important than its pursuit. In fact "the pursuit of happiness" is so important in the national zeitgeist of America that it is literally enshrined in our nation's constitution. But seeking happiness at any co...

This past Sunday was "In the Beginning - Part 2: Our Purpose." Usually while preaching I end up leaving out some of my notes and expounding on something else. Most of the time, it's because the notes I left out just would not be helpful. But with this past Sunday's message, I feel it might be helpful to follow-up with a blog and include some of the things left out, mainly...

Below is an email sent to Pastor Chris by Liz Mack this past week. _______________ Hi Pastor Chris! I just wanted to share something with you Yesterday during church you were talking about the fact that one of us may be the person that God wants to use in response of someone somewhere praying. You happened to mention my name, I was paying attention lol. Anyway at the ver...

Since True Life launched in March of 2013, bagels and coffee has been a staple of our Sunday gathering. We have a whole team devoted to making sure we have it. But I think it's easy to take the bagels and coffee for granted. I think it's easy to treat them as common-place. As mere niceities. Or even worse, I think it's easy for them to become distractions to worship (an...

"Rehearsing your troubles results in experiencing them many times, whereas, you are meant to go through them only when they actually occur." Sarah Young Are you like Martha in Luke 10; always going and going; always doing and doing; always worrying and worrying? Do you try to control everything in your life and then when things get out of control you try to control even h...