Tuesday, December 22, 2015

The Wounded Healer


Watch "The Wounded Healer" By Greg Sidders Sunday December 20, 2015 White Pine Community Church

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

God With Us


https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUM1U3RQT85GFgINlIVMfNu-3mfNSXdb6UuI_lA57B4-v1ZIOHBCiYyXbhUPcthHFVtYhu9dZ3CZx4mzzqNqiXPVhdjBwukbkR_ar0tplAPboyeCawapbr4KoLe2oX6kd_9qii1jIVkKuR/s1600/BeforeandAfter.jpg Watch "God With Us" By Kim Vine,Josh Sibert, and Greg Sidders
Sunday December 6th 2015 White Pine Community Church

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Wanted: Broken People / Sunday, 11-08-15

Watch, "Wanted: Broken People" By Greg Sidders
Sunday, 11/08/15

Ever feel like Humpty Dumpty?

After you have had a great fall--whether because of your foolishness, others' maliciousness, or life's harshness--it's natural to think that you will never be what you could have been had you not been broken. And it's easy to wonder why God didn't keep you from falling.

Here's a thought: Brokenness makes us better--more useful to God and more loving toward others. I know it's hard to fathom, but through this message I hope to give you a glimpse of God's purpose for your brokenness. It might give you a whole new perspective on the rest of your life.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

When Your Heart Breaks

Watch, "When Your Heart Breaks" By Greg Sidders, Sunday, 11/01/15, White Pine Community Church

At some point, every heart breaks.
What does God want to say to us in our times of deepest pain and grief? And how do we hear His voice and feel His touch? That may be a theoretical question to you right now--or a very timely one. Whether brokenheartedness is part of your past, present or future, I believe God has something to say to you, and I'm praying He will do that in this message.
And if you know someone with a broken heart, now is the time to invite them to join you. May we, the body of Christ, be conduits of God's tender love to many as we gather.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Take a Load Off


http://www.markmarston.com/wpccvideo/10-18-15/10-18-15_wpcc.mp4

Watch, "Take a Load Off" By Greg Sidders, Sunday, 10/18/15, White Pine Community Church

Of all the viruses that can infect our mental hard drive, the one we're going to scan for this Sunday is the most insidious. Is it corrupting your relationship with God? Maybe. Is it keeping those you love from having a relationship with God? Definitely.

That's why I want to encourage you to invite friends and family to this week's service--especially those who base their hope of going to heaven on their track record. The new operating system God offers us is so much better, we just have to get the word out.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Tomorrowland

Watch, "Tomorrowland" By Greg Sidders, Sunday, 10-11-15

What does the phrase emotional roller coaster make you think of?
If your answer is, "My life," join the club. We all go up and down like a car on a track. It's as if our feelings are inseparable from our circumstances.

But is that the way it has to be? No! God has made available to us a new operating system that enables us to experience trans-circumstantial joy.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Monday, September 28, 2015

Me Last

Watch "Me Last" By Greg Sidders, Sunday, 09-27-15

Look out for number one. Toot your own horn. Claw your way to the top. Don't take no for an answer. Fight tooth and nail. We say it many different ways, but at the core is a me-first attitude that fuels our pursuit of life at its best.

But what if that attitude is a virus that has infected our operating system and made life anything but fulfilling? What if there is a better way?

This week at White Pine we are going to consider a radically different mindset: Me-last. It's what Jesus taught and modeled, and there are promises connected to that perspective that might give you (and me) the guts to give it a go.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Under Construction







I'm about to say something risky, but stick with me.

This weekend is our second annual missions Sunday.

I am aware that disclosing such information is likely to produce one of two thoughts in you: either I have to be there! or I'd rather be anywhere else! But even if missions doesn't float your boat, I am asking you to make it a priority because I genuinely believe that you will be inspired by what you experience. You see, this is not just going to be about what God is doing through others; it's going to be about what He wants to do through you ... even if you never step foot in a foreign country. Trust me, the part you have been called to play in God's unfinished story matters more than you can imagine.

Monday, August 24, 2015

Right Side Out: Acts 28:11-31

Watch, "Right Side Out: Acts 28:11-31" By Greg Sidders, Sunday, 08-23-15, White Pine Community Church

I used to think I would be the world's first exception to the rule that life is hard.

I'm not. 

And neither are you. Both of us have to deal with the disparity between the life we dreamed of and the life we got. As people of faith, we know it has something to do with God's plan for us. But what is that plan? How do unpleasant surprises fit into His perfect will?

We'll find out in this message. If you have a friend whose life is especially hard right now, please invite them to join you for what I hope will be an encouraging time together.

Friday, August 21, 2015

Get Out of the Boat

Watch, "Get Out of the Boat" By Matthew Butterfield, Sunday, 08-16-15, White Pine Community Church


Have you ever been through one of those times where it feels like God just sent you straight into a storm you didn't see coming? I'm guessing you could probably remember a time; in fact you may be going through one right now. Our all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful God just sent your little boat into a hurricane.

That's how the disciples probably felt when Jesus told them to go ahead of Him across a lake while He stayed behind. They went straight into s storm in the darkness of a night they would always remember. But they remembered it for all of the right reasons. We know this story for all of the right reasons.

My hope is that through this message you'll have a new perspective on the storms in your life as we take a look at a little boat in a big storm and catch a glimpse of how friendship, faith and love created a night the world would never forget.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

The Perfect Storm: Acts 27


When it comes to perfect storms, all of us a) have been in one, b) are in one, or c) will be in one. And that convergence of trials can test our faith in the promises of God. It's tough, when we're getting thrashed, to keep believing what God said to us in tranquil times.

I hope that through this message you will be able to hear the encouraging whisper of God in the midst of whatever storm you are weathering and get a peek at what God is doing right now, in you and through you, seasick as you may be.

Monday, July 27, 2015

Be Prepared: Acts 25, 26

Watch, "Be Prepared: Acts 25, 26" By Greg Sidders

Are you a dangerous person?

Spiritually, I mean. Are the people who cross your path at risk of encountering Christ?

In this message we are going to be issued a nifty set of four different tools that we can take with us wherever we go to help people reckon with the truth about Jesus. It's what the Book of Acts is all about--equipping ordinary folks like us to help change the lives and destinies of people God has put in our area code.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Truth Dodger

Sunday, 07-19-15

No doubt there is someone in your relational web whose eternal destiny matters more to you than it does to them. What is keeping them from responding to the truth they are being exposed to? And what can you do transform their apathy into curiosity?

In this message we are going to learn, from the interaction between an articulate Christian and an apathetic non-Christian, how to help those we love deal with, rather than dodge, the truth that can change their life.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

The Courageous Christian: Acts 21-23

 
If you want to share with others the good news that has changed your life, but you almost never do it, I can guess why.

Fear.

You're afraid that something bad might happen, right? Worst-case scenarios haunt you into guilty silence.

So why was it that the apostle Paul, who actually suffered for sharing his faith in all the ways we fear, became more, not less, outspoken over time? Was he a glutton for punishment, or was he motivated by something stronger than fear?

In this message I will show you the secret to Paul's boldness, so that you will have the courage to get what is in your heart out of your mouth.

Monday, July 6, 2015

No Regrets: Acts 20

Watch, "No Regrets: Acts 20" By Greg Sidders / Sunday, 07-05-15

Every life is a story, and right now you are writing a chapter in yours. 

Whatever title you might give this chapter, I'm sure you, like me, want to live it in such a way that you will be able to remember it with gratification rather than regret. Have you thought about what choices you must make, and what character traits you must develop, to do that?

In this message we will watch a follower of Jesus evaluate a previous chapter in his life, and my goal is to help you make this chapter of your life one that will put a smile on your face (and God's) when, years from now, you look back on it.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

What Great Dad's Do

Watch, "What Great Dad's Do" by Greg Sidders, Sunday 06-21-15

Perhaps there are some holidays that benefit no one more than Hallmark, but Father's Day is not one of them. This is the day when we say to our dads what they need to hear, despite their denial of that need.
But it can be hard to know what to say--because so much of what a father does is as inconspicuous as it is invaluable. So in this message I'm going to remind you of five unspectacular things that, according to the Bible, great dads do ... so that, when you have that awkward heartfelt conversation with your father, you'll know what to say.

An Investment Worth Pursuing

Watch, "An Investment Worth Pursuing" / Sunday, 06-14-15 / By Josh Sibert

Do you ever feel like you need to hurry and enjoy this beautiful summer weather even though it just began?  It seems like everything good, from summer weather to financial wealth, has an expiration date and ends too quickly!

Jesus tells us about an investment with a payout that is not only greater, but it never loses it's value!  (And no, I'm not just talking about Heaven.)

Join us as we take a look at this investment and why Jesus urges us not to miss out!

Monday, June 8, 2015

How Faith Grows

Watch, "How Faith Grows" By Greg Sidders, White Pine Community Church, Sunday, 06-07-15

A mustard seed isn't very big, but most of us could pour all our faith into one and have room to spare. Otherwise, we'd be moving more mountains.

That's not an indictment so much as it is an invitation. What if we could grow our faith to the point that God could use us (like He used Jesus) to do the miraculous? We can! The Bible gives us several practical ways to grow in faith, and this message Greg highlights them.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

What is Faith?



Without it we cannot please God. With it we can move mountains. But what is it? Faith, yes. But what is that?

You may think you know, but have you ever thoroughly examined what the Bible says about faith? Does it involve or ignore reason? Is it a choice, or are some people just hard-wired for it? What exactly do we have to believe to be "in the faith"? And what do we have to stop believing?

Too much is at stake for us to have a fuzzy definition of faith. I hope to help you see it with greater clarity in this message.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Worth Waking Up For

Watch, "Worth Waking Up For" by Doug Erdmann / White Pine Community Church, 05-24-15


"There is nothing quite as exhilarating as getting out of bed in the morning, going back into the world, and knowing why."

So said author Bill Hull, whose God-given passion overlaps with our speaker at White Pine this Sunday, Doug Erdmann. Doug and Joyce are White Pine partners who live in Singapore, where they equip disciples to reach Asia for Christ. In this message Doug will explain three things that are worth waking up for every morning.

What Does Jesus Want?

What Does Jesus Want? By Will Truesdell, Intervarsity New England / Sunday, 05-17-15, White Pine Community Church

If Jesus were to pray for White Pine Community Church, what would He ask for?

Actually, He did pray for us, over 2,000 years ago. And His prayer for those who would follow Him in the 21st century is recorded in John 17.

In this message, Will Truesdell, our friend and partner in ministry from Intervarsity New England, will lead us in a study of this passage that reveals the heart of our Lord for His church, and His love for you.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

True Beauty

Watch, "True Beauty" By Greg Sidders, Sunday, 05-10-15

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, what kind of woman is attractive to God?

I'm sure you know that He is attracted to the kind of beauty that is invisible to those who are fixated on the physical, but exactly what are the attributes that comprise true beauty? We'll find out in this message as we celebrate the special women in our lives.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Faith is a Loophole

Watch, "True/False: Faith is a Loophole" By Greg Sidders, 05-03-15

Do Christians get a free pass on the Day of Judgment?

We know that God will judge those who do not follow Jesus, but what about those who do? Will our earthly behavior have eternal consequences, or does our faith excuse us from accountability for our actions?

I'll bet you have an opinion on this topic. So does Jesus. Let's explore what he has to say about it in this message.

Monday, April 27, 2015

True / False: Hell is Real

Watch, "True / False: Hell is Real" By Greg Sidders

The love of God and the horror of hell seem so incongruous that we can't help but wonder if the threat of eternal punishment is all bark and no bite--a fear tactic employed by fire-and-brimstone preachers that frightens people and saddens God.

Jesus never shied away from setting the record straight. So what did He have to say about hell? We'll find out in this message.

This is a subject I would prefer to avoid, but too much is at stake to do that. We need to know the truth, even if it does scare the you-know-what out of us.



True / False: Good People Go to Heaven

Watch, "True / False: Good People Go to Heaven" By Greg Sidders

Sunday, 04-19-15

Have you ever attended a funeral in which it was not assumed that the deceased was in "a better place"?
Me neither.

Whether through nature or nurture, most of us believe two things when it comes to the afterlife:

1) Good people go to heaven.
2) We are good people.

But is that what Jesus taught? In this message, we are going to see what He had to say about this subject. I want to urge you to listen, and to invite your friends, because too much is at stake to take a wait-and-see approach.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

The Kind of Worship That Makes Jesus Weep

Watch, "The Kind of Worship That Makes Jesus Weep" by Greg Sidders, Sunday, 03-29-15, White Pine Community Church



That's not a misprint. I'm not asking whether God puts conditions on His love for you. I'm asking whether your love for Him is buckled to the roller coaster of your circumstances.

If you will admit that your devotion to Jesus tends to climb and dive based on the ups and downs of life, In this message, we are going to take a closer look at that scene that plays in our mind every Palm Sunday. The triumphal entry of Jesus is about more than palm branches. It's really about a Savior whose love for us is far more dependable than our love for Him. When you see that love, in His eyes, on that donkey, it might just free you from earthbound worship once and for all.

Monday, March 23, 2015

A Little Knowledge: Acts 18:18-19:7

 
When it comes to spiritual truth, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

All around us are people who know just enough about Jesus to think they are on their way to heaven but not enough to actually do what it takes to get there. And guess who God has chosen to circle wrong answers and fill in the blanks?

Yep, you. And me. What a frightening privilege!
 
In this message we will see what can happen when we muster the courage to correct others' misconceptions about the way of salvation. If you are a little short on bravery, don't miss it!

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Night Vision: Acts 18:1-17

 
It's a phrase that sounds melodramatic until you experience it.

The dark night of the soul.

There are many descending paths into that black hole, but when you find yourself there, it seems as if there is no way out-and no way for God to get in.

But the truth is, He is already there. And He wants to whisper something to you that will help you see daylight again. 

Monday, February 2, 2015

Playing it Safe: Acts 13-14

 
"There is no safer place than the center of God's will." Before you put that quote on a plaque, ask yourself if it's true.
It certainly wasn't true for Jesus. And if I understand what taking up our cross means, it's not true for us either. The center of God's will is a dangerous place indeed.
So why go there? And why stay there?

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Pride and Prejudice



If I told you that God wanted to use you to help someone else live forever, whose name would come to mind? 

More importantly, whose name wouldn't? Who is the one person (or type of person) you could never imagine sharing your faith with?

This Sunday at White Pine, we are going to see that God loves to use us, not only in ways we never imagined, but also in ways we never wanted. And when we cooperate with rather than resist the Holy Spirit, the church becomes what Jesus dreamed of when He was dying on the cross.