Chuck Foreman – Teaching Pastor

If God really intends to “restore all things” (Acts 3:19-20) in creation to the goodness and beauty of his original design, if creation will one day be “liberated from its bondage to decay” along with our physical bodies (Romans 8:19-23), if the 2^nd Coming of Christ is not to return to earth and take us back to heaven with him, but to bring heaven down to earth and reign here with us forever, to heal the nations and undo the effects of the curse on creation (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 11:15-18; 21:1-5; 22:5), if how we live and how we pray now involves us in this plan to restore everything and establish God’s will and his kingdom on earth now (Matthew 6:10) —if this is actually what God has up his sleeve for us and our world, then how should this affect our attitude toward our life now on earth?  (more…)

Chuck Foreman – Teaching Pastor

Jesus had to be the worst marketer ever! Think about it…”If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Mark 8:34-35) To the brothers, James and John, who wanted a piece of the stage and the spotlight with Jesus, he asked, “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”, referring to his impending execution by the Romans. (Matthew 20:22) Or, I bet this one will make you want to follow him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58) Or, what about this one, “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21) About Saul, whom we know as the Apostle Paul, he said, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” (Acts 9:16) When Jesus told his disciples, “…and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,” (Acts 1:8) the word they heard him use in the original language was “martyr”. Our English word, “witness” somehow just doesn’t carry the same unpleasant force.  (more…)

Chuck Foreman – Teaching Pastor

Obedience has to be near the top of the list of unpopular words in the American vocabulary. We don’t really want to have to obey anyone.  We don’t mind if someone should happen to obey us, but we’d prefer that it not be the other way around. This can present a huge problem when we talk about the idea that following Jesus might just mean obeying him. And it’s going to be hard for us to get around this, especially when Jesus keeps saying things like, “My command is this…” or “A new command I give you…”

Now you’re curious about what his command is, aren’t you?  Let’s finish the sentence.  I think when you see how he puts his command, it will make a difference.  (more…)

Chuck Foreman – Teaching Pastor

There is a huge, contentious rub created between us and God when we approach him in any way other than simple faith.  Think of faith as willing trust rather than expectation.  The kind of trust that says, “I know he will do for me what I really need and what I can’t do for myself.”  The kind of faith that recognizes, “I’m in no position to impress God.  Even if I was, he will never own me anything.”  (more…)

Chuck Foreman – Teaching Pastor

There were two kings of ancient Israel who unwittingly illustrated the deadliness of pride better than just about anyone you may have heard of, dead or alive. King Saul, Israel’s first king, did a bang up job of modeling nearly every form of hubris known to man—and all in one single chapter of the Old Testament! The story of his downfall begins in 1 Samuel 15. Saul had been given an important mission by God via the prophet Samuel. He failed to carry out his mission because of disobedience. But his pride kicked in when Samuel the prophet confronted him about his disobedience. Go ahead. Read it. Then see if you can find the eight symptoms of pride manifested in Saul.  (more…)

Chuck Foreman – Teaching Pastor

I’ve been thinking a lot about honesty lately. I’ve decided it takes both a lot of courage and a lot of humility to be honest. It takes courage to stand up and be honest about what you know is true, or about how you may have screwed up, rather than to protect yourself and your reputation by covering it up.  And it takes an intentional humility to just be real—to resist the urge to be a self-promoter, to present yourself as better than you really are.  And after profoundly contemplating the depths of these attributes of honesty, I am so glad that I’ve never, ever fearfully wimped out on the truth, or pridefully self-promoted!   (more…)

Chuck Foreman – Teaching Pastor

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord or ashamed of me his prisoner.”  These are Paul’s words to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:7-8). Paul was under house arrest in Rome at the time he wrote this. He was preparing to stand trial before Caesar and face his Jewish accusers because of his faith in the resurrected Jesus. It would likely come out during his trial that he also refused to worship the emperor before whom he stood. He knew what it meant to be unashamed of the truth, to tell the truth and courageously face the consequences.  (more…)