Beautiful Savior
Pastor Quinn • November 12, 2023

A Time to Worship the King

Christ is King. Do you believe that as you look out at the world today? In the world today you see wars and rumors of wars. You see complete moral collapse and the loss of family values. In this world it often looks more like the chaos of anarchy than the control of a king’s reign. But the truth remains, Christ is King.

To comprehend that truth, we're not going to look to the height of Christ’s exaltation, but to the depth of his humiliation. The scene in the Roman headquarters would seem like bad satire if not for its sad reality. Petty little men bully the One who created all things. He deserved the finest crown, but look what mankind gave! He deserved the noblest scepter, but look what mankind handed him! He could have swept them all away; he could have condemned us all—but look at what Jesus gave! He gave his holiness for our sin and his death for our life. We have a King in Christ who left his heavenly throne and reigned even from the wood of the cross. Could the King who went through that for us do anything other than rule all things for our good now that he has returned to his exalted state? This is why we worship Christ the King.

By Pastor Quinn February 9, 2025
It is easy for us to assume that if God says “no” to a request, we are getting less than we wanted. We need to have an epiphany moment, seeing the reality—that God always wants more for us than we want from him. Saying “yes” to all our requests would often result in us receiving less joy, less blessing, a lesser life. So, when God says “no” to our request, we can be assured it is because he wants to give us more. Far more than existing as a “help desk” or 911 dispatch, God’s love for us is like that of a groom for his bride. His love for us exceeds all expectation and understanding. In that love, God always delivers more than we ask, not less.
By Pastor Quinn February 2, 2025
Freedom is one of the United States’ key ideals. And while ideological divides mean different groups have different concerns when it comes to the pursuit of freedom, there’s a common thread woven throughout all the varying perspectives: self-determination. Such emancipation from outside control and the opportunity to follow one’s own path in life is a cherished right. Yet, that ideal of freedom assumes that individuals are, in themselves, free. But is that true? The fall into sin means we’re not only impaired in our ability to understand and make decisions; this same condition applies to our very motivations, desires, and passions. While it seems we are free to do what we want and want what we want, in reality our very impulses are deceptive. The deceit of sin runs deep. Not only does it fail to deliver promised freedom, it actually brings a truly sad and desperate slavery to a cruel master. Satan’s lies brought servitude and suffering, pain and death to our first parents and every generation since. Yet in abundant mercy, God has revealed truth in his Son Jesus Christ—truth that saves. Truth that brings life. Truth that frees from sin’s deception. This truth of Jesus Christ is beautiful beyond measure, and the freedom it brings is so very deep and profound. And it is a truth that is for all. Stewarding the truth, therefore, requires us to help people recognize their sad condition and to speak the beauty of true freedom in Christ into their specific experience of sin’s deception.
By Pastor Otterstatter January 29, 2025
“The deep search for identity—Who am I, really?—is going on in each person, and no one should accept shallow answers” (Kinnaman and Matlock, Faith for Exiles ). Though identity has become an especially hot topic today, our sense of self has always been a critical aspect of being human. Generation after generation has been shaped by a combination of internal and external factors, giving us points of connection with one another and contributing to our sense of individuality. However, in the recent past, aided by media, consumerism, and technology, we’ve also experienced a tremendous shift in the relative authority of various factors, with an increasing emphasis placed on personal experience or choice. The idea that my preferences, desires, and feelings define me is the core of what some have called expressive individualism or elective identity . Regardless of how we seek to define ourselves, our merely human answers are limited. They may reflect an aspect of our experience, but they can never fully satisfy. They cannot provide enduring answers. To one degree or another, they disappoint.  But God’s answer to the question, “Who am I?” is truly different. Truly better. Truly beautiful . Our true identity is found in Christ. It will become ours fully at the resurrection, but even now we get to live each day as God’s restored “very good” creations who are continually set free from sin’s deception because Christ shared our humanity. Our call as stewards is to deeply grasp this beautiful identity for ourselves and to share it with the generations after us.
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