Law #1 of Life-Change | The Law of Sin

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Sin may be one of those “outdated” terms, reserved primarily for religious rants or sarcastic slander. Substitutes have been proposed, such as mistakes or wrongdoings, but most replacements attempt to whitewash the gravity of human brokenness in favor of innocuous error. 
 
The biggest problem with denying the reality of sin is that it prevents me from choosing a path only visible on the other side of despair. 
 
Sin isn’t just slapping a sibling or stealing a car. It’s a condition, a


Why You Need A Mission Statement

what is your mission question - chalk handwriting on blackboard

Six steps to writing yours!

Pastor Matt Anderson

 

I recently asked Geraldine, a member of our congregation from Cameroon, to compare American life with that of her native country.

 

Back home, she told me, people have time to live slowly, help each other out, play games, rest, pray, laugh, and lead more fulfilled lives. But here, we live at a frantic pace and don’t even know our neighbors. Always in a rush, we overfill our calendars, budgets and bellies, and we multitask every moment while multiplying stress. Read more…



What Is Faith?

WhatIsFaithVisual

By Pastor Matt Anderson 

Most people claim to have it, but no one defines it in the same way. Some talk about it, while others keep it private. Many think you take it with you when you die, while some think it helps you enjoy the ride but dies with you.
 
What is it?
 
The answer to the riddle is “faith.” Everyone has faith in some kind of worldview that explains reality. And while faith is as common as the air we breathe, our increasingly diverse society reveals increasing variety related to what this little word actually means.
 


3 Tips for Managing Mean People

By Pastor Matt Anderson
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With a show of hands, how many of you deal with irritable people on an ongoing basis?
 
Thought so.
 
I recently needed some assistance at a local hardware store, and the employee I approached acted like I was interrupting his hot bath. The cantankerous clerk seemed frustrated that I would bother him, totally unconcerned that his non-verbal gestures alone (which included eye-rolling, head-shaking, and sighs loud enough to wake the neighbors) would give his store a sub-par reputation for customer service. I was tempted to stoop to his level by matching his unkindness with a healthy dose of my own, and in all honestly, I probably did.
 


Burnout Is A Myth!

Four Questions That Confront The Excuse

Pastor Matt Anderson
burnoutVisual
Let me come right out and say it: I don’t believe in burnout. Yes, people get tired, disillusioned, or apathetic within a season of life, but burnout has become a catch-all diagnosis for the exhaustion that stems from manageable and preventable issues.
 
I’ve seen colleagues, bosses, and volunteers cite burnout as the reason of their present detachment. I’ve watched incredibly gifted people play the burnout card as a substitute for confronting reality, leaving few alternatives to disengagement. People quit their jobs, lose their faith, leave their families, change careers, or avoid volunteering because of burnout. Read more…


Am I A Real Christian?

5 Questions That “Measure” Your Faith

 
Pastor Matt Anderson
Aug 6, 2015
It may surprise you that most of your friends and neighbors consider themselves to be “Christian.” According to an ABCNEWS/Beliefnet poll, a whopping 83% of Americans self-define as Christians, compared to just 52% of the rest of the world. But what does that mean? It’s likely that these individuals represent an increasingly diverse spectrum of lifestyles and perspectives, and so it’s impossible to define “Christian” based upon common factors.
Read more…


A Tale of Two Rainbows

Pastor Matt Anderson
Surprise Church
Tale of Two Rainbows 2.0

The Sunday following the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision to legalize same-sex marriage in all fifty states, I informed my congregation of three things. First, my decision to preach about John the Baptist that day—who was imprisoned and executed for criticizing the sexual sins of King Herod—was made long before the ruling came out. Secondly, Surprise Church embraces traditional marriage values while welcoming people who do not share them, making us a safe, respect-filled community in which anyone can belong, grow, and make a difference. Call me crazy, but we actually think that’s possible.

Third and finally, I declared, I’m not giving up on the rainbow. Read more…



5 Things Jesus Would Say About the SCOTUS Ruling

Pastor Matt Anderson

July 22, 2015
WWJS 2.0
We saw polar reactions following the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision to legalize same-sex marriage in America. Many have taken to the streets and/or cyberspace to celebrate what they—and five of the nine Supreme Court justices—believe to be a fundamental human right. This modern equivalent of the Emancipation Proclamation, supporters believe, finally topples the once powerful statues of enslavement which have prevented countless people from living and loving in freedom. Meanwhile, the bulletin board on the other side of the political aisle is plastered with lamentation and woe, characterizing this decision as the final nail in our cultural coffin. Defeated intellectuals and dissident believers issue warnings of impending judgment, forecasting doom for society’s decisive pivot from its Judeo-Christian moorings.