The Gift

12/22/13 Listen to, "The Gift" by Randy Reynolds

Have you ever thought about why we give gifts and why we get gifts? Have you ever thought about the best gift you've ever received?

Please join us this Sunday as we discuss The Gift-- the most important one, the best one, our gift from above. As we enter into the Christmas season, hopefully we will get some new insights into the depth and true meaning of this gift.

Revelation For Beginners: Revelation 10-11

Watch, "Revelation for Beginners" by Greg Sidders
 

If you had a choice between a jigsaw puzzle with 100 pieces and one with 1,000, which would you choose?

 

Me, I'm a 100-piece guy. I prefer simplicity to complexity. Which may be why I'm not naturally drawn to the Book of Revelation. The level of difficulty is just too high. But as we tackle one of the most perplexing sections of the book (chapters 10 and 11), we're going to see that we don't have to put every piece in place to see the big picture. Even if you are prophetically challenged, you will be transformed by the simple truth popping out of this complex puzzle.

The American Dream: Revelation 6

Watch, "The American Dream: Revelation 6" by Greg Sidders

Most of us, despite the trials we have endured, would say that we are living the American dream. We live in nice homes in safe neighborhoods in the most prosperous county of a beautiful state.

That's why reading Revelation 6 is like watching a horror flick. It's so frighteningly worse than real life that your only relief is to remember it's fiction. 

But in this case, it's not.  It's a vision of what really will happen in our world between now and The End. And watching the footage, as surreal and scary as it is, will help you to live happily ever after.

God's Loving Wrath: Revelation 8-9

"God's Loving Wrath: Revelation 8-9" by Greg Sidders

You've been praying for them for years, maybe decades, but they seem further away from God than ever before. And you know, because the Book of Revelation says it clearly and repeatedly, that time is running out.

What if God's wrath comes before they turn to Christ? Will they still have hope? Or will the deadline have passed? Exactly when will God's patience give way to punishment?
It's a critical question. In this message we'll get a clear answer.

Fear Factor: Revelation 7

Watch, "Fear Factor: Revelation 7" by Greg Sidders, Sunday 11-10-13

On Earth as in Heaven: Revelation 4-5

Watch, "On Earth as in Heaven: Revelation 4-5" by Greg Sidders, Sunday, 10-27-13

Does worship really matter? Does it matter whether we do it? Does it matter how we do it?

If you're someone who gets to church early and sings your heart out and thinks about how great it's going to be in heaven where we'll never stop worshiping, such questions sound almost blasphemous, but chances are there are people you know who are unmoved by worship as you are edified by it. To them, these are sincere questions.
In this message we'll find answers in an unconventional way: By taking a peak into heaven, to see how they worship up there.

Just Do It: Revelation 2-3

Watch, "Just Do It: Revelation 2-3 by Greg Sidders, Sunday 10-20-13

Have you ever pursued a goal that turned out to be so much harder to achieve than you anticipated that relief became more attractive than success?

I think there are times in the life of every Christian when that happens. We set out to follow Jesus faithfully for a lifetime, but then we encounter fierce resistance. What keeps us going during times like that? A clear vision of the rewards of perseverance! 

That's what Jesus will give us in the verses we will be studying in this message. From the other side of the finish line, He will remind us of what we have to look forward to if we overcome the temptation to quit too soon.  I hope you'll listen, especially if you need a second wind.

Knock, Knock: Revelation 2-3

Watch, "Knock, Knock: Revelation 2-3"

Has God ever knocked on your door?

I don't mean that literally, but there are times when we know the Lord is trying to get through to us, aren't there? Sometimes we answer the door, and sometimes we don't.

 In this message we are going to watch Jesus knock on the door of five different churches, giving them the choice to either heed or ignore his painful but life-giving words. I hope that you'll listen and that if He happens to knock on your door, you'll trust His love enough to invite Him in.

Surviving The Attach

 Watch, "Surviving The Attach" by Josh Sibert / Sunday 10-06-13

How To Make Jesus Smile

Watch, "How To Make Jesus Smile" by Greg Sidders. Sunday 09-29-13

 

Do think Jesus ever smiles?

More importantly, do you think He smiles when He thinks of you? I think that depends on whether you are living for the dot or for the line. 

But what does living for the line look like? What specific things can we do to put a smile on Jesus' face, both now and when we stand before Him on Judgment Day? We'll find out this message that I think is one of the most encouraging messages in our series on Revelation.

Jesus Unveiled: Revelation 1:9-20

Watch, "Jesus Unveiled: Revelation 1:9-20" by Greg Sidders, from Sunday 09-22-13

Someday, everyone (including you) will come face-to-face with Jesus Christ. How does that thought strike you?

Your answer to that question is no doubt influenced by your mental picture of Jesus. It's how you see Him now that impacts how you feel about seeing Him later.

But what if you don't see Him as He really is? Better to have your vision corrected now than to be shocked later, right?

In this message, we will study together Revelation 1:9-20, a passage that shows us a current portrait of Jesus--one that will prepare us for our upcoming face-to-face encounter.

Live For The Line: Revelation 1:1-9

Watch, "Live For The Line: Revelation 1:1-9" by Greg Sidders

Silent No More

Watch, "Silent No More" by Greg Sidders, Sunday 09-08-13

Why You Exist

Watch, "Why You Exist" by Greg Sidders, Sunday 09-01-13

The Game of Life, Part 2: Aggravation, When You Have to Start Over

Watch The Game of Life, Part 2: Aggravation, When You Have to Start Over

There's nothing more aggravating than having to start over. It happens to all of us. We slowly gain hard-earned momentum in an important area of our life, only to be blindsided by something or someone, and we find ourselves back at Square One. How can we recover from that kind of setback, and how can we make up the ground we've lost?

In this message we're going to see how five biblical characters overcame personal setbacks to achieve impossible goals. I hope the lessons in their stories will speed up your comeback!

Fresh Bread: What's God Teaching Me? by Joe Campbell / Sunday 07-28-13

Watch "Fresh Bread: What's God Teaching Me?" by Joe Campbell / Sunday 07-28-13

I've been thinking a lot about true worship lately. (That's weird, right?) David wrote in the Psalms, "I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth". We need to move beyond a view of worship that's based on location, time and approach, and see that worship can take place with every part of our lives if we are willing to bring all of who we truly are into communion and intimate contact with all that God truly is. I am looking so forward to exploring this with you. We were made for this!

What God is Teaching Me / 07-14-13

Watch, "What God is Teaching Me" Sunday 07-14-13

Quitting Is Not An Option

Watch, "Quitting Is Not An Option" by Greg Sidders / Sunday 07-07-13

"The cost of discipleship" is a phrase that many Christians use but few understand. How can it be costly to follow Jesus when salvation is a free gift? Some say that discipleship is different than mere Christianity--a second step of commitment following the first step of faith. I don't think that's it. I think the key to harmonizing the no-cost gospel and the high cost of discipleship is in Luke 14:25-33, the passage we will be studying together in this message.

Extraordinary

Watch to Greg's Message, "Extraordinary" from Sunday 06-30-13

God specializes in using ordinary people to do extraordinary things. But why does He use some ordinary people instead of others? We'll find out in this message, and I think you'll be surprised by the radical simplicity of the answer. This is one message when I so hope you will listen with an open heart, because what you do with the truth you hear just may alter the course of your one and only life, from ordinary to extraordinary.

Doug Erdmann: Mission / Sunday 06-23-13

Watch, Doug Erdmann's message about Mission from Sunday 06-23-13

It's one thing to know what God is doing in the world, and something else entirely to be involved in what He is doing. 

Doug and Joyce Erdmann, our missionaries to Singapore, are on the front lines of ministry, and this Sunday at White Pine, you will learn from Doug how to overcome the obstacles to participating in God's world-changing plan. 

You may think you're not the kind of person God wants to use, but are you willing to find out?

How To Help Your Kids Love God

Watch to, "How To Help Your Kids Love God"

What other people have had the most powerful impact on your life, positively or negatively?

I'll bet your short list includes your dad. Fathers play an enormously influential role, but no man I know has ever taken a class on how to be a good dad. Especially when it comes to being a spiritual leader, most men are woefully undereducated. No wonder we are so unsure of ourselves in this area!

In this message Greg will be giving to fathers (and to all who want to influence young people spiritually) the tools they need to help kids love God.

Helping Others Live Forever

Watch, "Helping Others Live Forever" by Greg Sidders
Sunday 06-09-13

When you know you're going to heaven, you want to take as many people with you as possible. The problem is, others don't seem to want what you've got, and even if they did, you're not sure you could tell them how to get it.

But despite their lack of interest and your lack of confidence, God's plan is to use you to help rescue them. And you will see, in this message, that what it takes to change their destiny, you can do.

Come learn how to help others live forever.

When Life Doesn't Go According To Plan

Watch, "When Life Doesn't Go According To Plan" by Greg Sidders

Jesus said that He came so that we could have a better life than we ever dreamed of (John 10:10, MSG). Is that what you are experiencing?

If you ever feel like He over-promised and under-delivered, it may be because of unrealistic or misguided expectations. In this message we are going to learn how to enjoy an abundant life even when it doesn't go according to our plans.

Whether you're in need of pre-trip direction or mid-course correction, I hope you'll watch!

Staying Clean

Watch, "Staying Clean" by Greg Sidders / Sunday 05-26-13

It's easier to get clean than it is to stay clean.

That's not only true physically; it's also true morally. Not long after you have been cleansed by the blood of Christ, you find yourself repeating the same mistakes that sent Him to the cross, and feeling as distant from Him as you did before you were forgiven.

How many showers of grace do you get before God says, "Enough!" And how do you break the cycle so that you don't have to keep asking for forgiveness for the same old sins?

Life is War

Watch "Life is War" by Greg Sidders / Sunday 05-19-13

The screen on which you are reading these words looks simple enough, but you know that what you are seeing on this flat facade is the visible result of a complex invisible process going on right now inside your laptop/iPad/smart phone. There is more going on than meets the eye, isn't there?

The same is true in your spiritual life. The choices you make, the temptations you face, the trials you endure ... every twist and turn in your life is affected by what is going on in a realm that is invisible to you. And the more you understand what's happening there, the better you will navigate the challenges of living here.

Check out this message as Greg lifts the cover off the physical world to get a rarely seen glimpse of the spiritual world.

Beautifullly Imperfect

Watch, "Beautifully Imperfect" by Greg Sidders / Mother's Day 05-12-13

On Mother's Day, we love to tell our moms how beautiful they are, inside and out--but their imperfections still haunt them. How can a mom break free from performance anxiety? How can she look at herself in the mirror without fixating on her flaws?

Those aren't just mom issues, are they? All of us are in need of self-image detoxification. That's what Greg is talking about in this message, as we see ourselves from a whole different perspective ... God's.

When the Kings Away / Sunday 05-05-13

Watch, "When the Kings Away" by Will Truesdell, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

Why Church Matters

Watch, "Why Church Matters" by Greg Sidders / Sunday 04-28-13

Prayer Myths

Watch, "Prayer Myths" by Greg Sidders / Sunday 04-21-13

Who taught you how to pray?

There are many factors that influence our thoughts and feelings about prayer, but perhaps none is  more significant than the source of our training. The best prayer coach, by far, is Jesus, and to whatever extent those whose prayers have shaped ours are out of alignment with His teachings, we have missed prayer at its best.

In this message, we're going to get re-aligned by remembering what Jesus had to say about prayer. I hope it will give you fresh motivation to talk to God, who loves to listen to the kind of prayers His Son taught us to pray.

How To Read The Bible

Watch, "How To Read The Bible" by Greg Sidders / Sunday 04-14-13

Turn by Turn Part 1

 Watch "Turn by Turn Part 1" by Greg Sidders / Sunday 04-07-13

If your answer is a list, you may be missing the life God created you to live by a mile. But if you can find the Bible's refreshingly short answer to that question, you will be well on your way to a quality of life that eludes most people (perhaps even most Christians).

I'm excited to begin Turn By Turn this Sunday, because I think this series will help you navigate the route to a deeply satisfying spiritual life. Whether you've been on the Way for some time, or your journey is just beginning, I hope you'll join our caravan.

Watch, "Easter Changes Everything" by Greg Sidders / Easter Sunday 2013 / White Pine Community Church

How to Walk in Faith, Hope and Love

Watch "How to Walk in Faith, Hope and Love" by Randy Reynolds, Elder, White Pine Community Church

A Heart Like His: Romans 15:8-33

Watch Greg Sidders in his message, "A Heart Like His" from Sunday 03-10-13 White Pine Community Church

If it's true that the mouth speaks out of the overflow of the heart, then what kind of words are spoken by a person who is Christlike at the core?

Listen to the apostle Paul--especially as he dictates chapter 15 of his letter to the Romans--and you'll find out. In this message we're going to look through the words of Paul right into the heart of Jesus. And as we do that, our hearts will become a little more like His.

It's the next step toward the high-quality life that is ours when we become who God made us to be.

Metamorphosis: Part 3 / Romans 13

Watch Greg Sidders Message, "Metamorphosis: Part 3" Sunday 02-24-13

How do you spot Christians in a crowd? Apart from what they say, I mean. Let's imagine no one said anything about their spiritual beliefs (or wore anything that gave clues). Would it still be possible to identify followers of Jesus?

It should be--because the transformation process we are undergoing, filled as we are with the Spirit of God, makes us look distinctively different than other people. This Sunday at White Pine (weather-permitting), we will learn from Romans 13 three identifying marks of mid-metamorphosis. I hope you become a little more of the person God made you to be as you study the Scriptures with us.

How To Love People You Don't Even Like

Watch, "How To Love People You Don't Even Like, Romans 12:9-21

How can we love people we don't even like?

That's not a question that we naturally ask, but when when we are being supernaturally metamorphosed into Christlikeness, it's a question we have to answer--because until we love our enemies, we're not like Jesus.

This Sunday at White Pine, we will study together Romans 12:9-21, and we will learn, among other things, how to treat our least favorite people. It's all part of becoming who God made us to be.

With love,

Metamorphosis: How Can We Ever Thank Him?

Watch Metamorphosis: Part 1- "How Can We Ever Thank Him?" by Greg Sidders, 02-03-12

If you have ever stopped to think about ... really think about ... the difference Jesus has made in your life, and your destiny, you can't help but ask the question, "How can I ever thank Him?"

In part 1 of Metamorphosis, we'll be studying Romans 12:1-8, a passage that answers that very question. It will show you how to express appropriate gratitude to the One who has given you mind-boggling mercy.

James 4:1-10 / Kurt Holmgren, The Root Cellar

Watch Kurt Holmgren, Executive Director of the Root Cellar in Portland, ME in his message from James 4:1-10

James 4:1-10 is challenging enough in a strait forward translation, but when Eugene Peterson paraphrases it for us, you can really feel the heat:

"Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn't think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled children, each wanting your own way. You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble." So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet."

Don't worry, there's an encouraging phrase in the heart of this admonishing passage (verse 6, to be specific), and we'll zoom in it.

Rethinking History

Watch "Rethinking History" by Greg Sidders / Sunday 01-20-13

 

If the question nagged at you before, it may be haunting you now. Is there any hope for those I love who have rejected Christ?

 

Admittedly, a lot of what we have been learning in Romans 9-10 can be discouraging. The truth that God softens some hearts and hardens others (chapter 9), and that many moral people will not make it into heaven because they don't see their need for a Savior (chapter 10) can make us wonder if our loved ones are destined to be casualties in God's cosmic plan.

 

But this Sunday at White Pine, we are not only going to learn more about what God has in mind; we are also going to going to get a glimpse into His heart--and I think it will give you stubborn hope for those who salvation you pray for most passionately.

Rethinking Righteousness

Watch, "Rethinking Righteousness" by Greg Sidders // Sunday 01-13-13

When Tragedy Strikes

Watch, "When Tragedy Strikes" by Greg Sidders / 12-16-12

The Kind of People God Uses

12/30/12 White Pine

The Kind of People God uses, by Greg Sidders