Chuck Foreman – Teaching / Missions Pastor

We seem to specialize in making little messes into big messes when we don’t handle conflict well and when we aren’t willing to extend mercy to those who offend and hurt us.   (more…)

Chuck Foreman – Teaching / Missions Pastor

When the Kingdom of Heaven comes to earth (and it has!)…When the Kingdom of Heaven shows up in your neighborhood or your family (and it should!)…When the Kingdom of Heaven barges its way into your church! (of all places!)… God’s next order of business is ALWAYS helping his own kids be OK with what he is doing—with whom HE has invited. You see, it’s always the family members who don’t like who has shown up for dinner!

We often find it difficult to accept people whom we believe have disqualified themselves from membership in the family, or who have not learned to behave as a true family member ought.

Intro to Jesus’ Stories: Crowds were traveling w/Jesus. He was teaching them. Unacceptable, disqualified people were gathering around to hear him. The religious community was upset, put out and ticked off!

GOD’s Story – The Lost Sheep, Coin & Son, Luke 15:1-32    

His Point: God throws a party in heaven when he finds what was lost—when his flock and his coin collection are complete again, and when one of his children return home. He wants all of us to join in the celebration, not complain about his generosity.

In these stories, Jesus goes to great lengths to give us a crystal clear picture of the heart of God. How can we possibly miss him here? Do you see that the real choice we have to make is not whether we want to associate with the lost, mangy strays our Father is bringing home, but whether we want to associate with him? Because, this is who He/God is; it’s what he does!

What Older Brother/Pharisees like this need to understand that they are actually saying is this: “Since God will not be my kind of God, I will not be his kind of follower!”

This Jesus Story is a great opportunity for those of us who find ourselves playing the Older Brother role to repent of our older brother-ness. If we don’t, we’ll be left out of the celebration!

And if you know you are the Lost Son/Daughter in this story, Jesus wants you to know God, His Father, in a new way. God is the Daddy, maybe you never had, who isn’t just waiting on the front porch for you, he’s running to meet you even when you’re a long way off!

BIG Idea: Sinful, rebellious people, outsiders and misfits are precious to God. Some he pursues relentlessly, others he waits for patiently. He wants us who have not been lost and who have not strayed to celebrate the return of our younger bros/sisters, the lost and those who have strayed—and not complain about the generous love of our Heavenly Father.

Chuck Foreman – Teaching / Missions Pastor

The Kingdom of which we are citizens is not an exclusive, private club. God has allowed in and intentionally gathered up all kinds of people—including me and you! Someday he will separate those who prove to be His People from those who don’t. That’s not our job! There are new treasures in this Kingdom along with the old. We’d better get used to it!

Chuck Foreman – Teaching / Missions Pastor

The mysterious power of the seed… 

Jesus loves to use SEEDS—how they grow & produce life sustaining food as an analogy for the power of HIS WORD to produce life in people. There’s something key here about his kingdom and how it functions and grows.

Unfortunately, we have been led to believe that effecting change in people lies in the power of our own knowledge, persuasive skill and communication finesse. But what if there is inherent power to change hearts and life situations in the message itself?  (more…)

Chuck Foreman – Teaching / Missions Pastor

We’ve been told that bigger is better, size matters and more is the measurement of success. We are lured by the stadium, the crowds, the show and the spotlight. But Jesus is trying to tell us that God delights in building a flourishing Kingdom out of the smallest, the least and the seemingly insignificant. It’s His Way—the Way of the Kingdom of Heaven.  (more…)

Chuck Foreman – Teaching / Missions Pastor

We live in a fallen world marked by sin and evil. People who cause others to sin and who do evil themselves creep into God’s Kingdom here on earth. We can’t always prevent what they do or remove them. But a day is coming when God will!  (more…)