May 3, 2020

There are qualities of how we are to approach life as a Follower of Jesus that each of us should possess.  Qualities that should be evident even in times of stress or uncertainty—times like today.  In the past two weeks we have learned about having Peace in a Pandemic, and then Hope in a Pandemic as well.     But there is another quality the Bible speaks of—Joy.  Joy in a Pandemic.     Seriously though, isn’t this a “bridge too far?”  Well, God doesn’t think so;  in fact He commands it!  Listen to the message as we discover how we can find just that—Joy in a Pandemic!

April 26, 2020

Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker announced a few days ago that his “shelter in place” order has now been extended until June 1^st.  When this pandemic first struck us in early March, I was quietly hoping that our lives would be back to normal by Mother’s Day.  That’s not going to happen now.

Graduating seniors had hoped to enjoy their final semester of high school.   Prom and normal graduation plans have now evaporated.  The hope of getting back to work soon is being displaced by the growing concern of even having a job to go back to when this is all over. 

This pandemic has not only attacked our health, it has attacked our hope.  The news has been bleak, and our disappointment grows each day.  So what about hope?  Is it simply wishful thinking or is it something more substantial, something that can truly get us through difficult times like this?       

God’s Word has much to say on the topic, which we will explore in the message “Finding Hope in a Pandemic.”  Join us, and invite a friend to watch as well!

April 19, 2020

Our lives are vastly different from what they were just a month ago.  Schools are no longer in session.  Employees now work from home in many cases or wonder if they will still have a job to go back to in the future.  Store shelves don’t look the same—quantities may be limited on items we never thought about in the past.  Face masks.  Six feet.  Pandemic updates.  Things are vastly different from what they were just a month ago.
 
We are uneasy.   Many are worried, depressed, even fearful.  There is cause for this uneasiness—we have never encountered anything like this before.  The cracks of vulnerability in our formerly seamless American culture are growing by the day.  
 
So what happened to peace, to hope, to joy in all of this?  Are they likewise victims in this pandemic?  I don’t think so.  They are still here;  perhaps we are just looking in the wrong place.  For the next three Sundays, we are going to find peace, find hope, and even joy in the pandemic we face.