By Steve Pierce Do you remember the old rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” What do you think it was meant to teach us as kids? That words have no power? Well, in all honesty, words do have power and can hurt. For me the message was that words don’t have the power of physical pain and that I should not let what others say me define me or control me. And after 6 decades, I have had some success with this. But not always. Sadly. When o

By: Pastor Steve Pierce Do you think people look at you and see you? It’s a legitimate question. I'm not talking about your good looks or your wealth. When people look at you, sure they can’t help but notice your appearance, but is that really you? Is that how you see yourself? Are you defined by your appearance, your weight, your car? Many people find their value in comparison to others. Don’t live your life finding joy in having more than others. And the opposite is true.

By Pastor Steve Pierce Does your life or a loved one’s revolve around “not failing at things” or its opposite “living to succeed”? Let me explain. Many people try to not fail at life instead of trying to succeed in life. Some try hard to not steal or to fail at a task or to not cheat on their spouse. Good things, true, but maybe there is a better way to live? Instead of trying not to do something negative, we all need try to do something positive. Instead of don’t steal,

By Steve Pierce Let me ask you to do something. Think about generations and how you are affected by them. Do you see yourself as a result of past generations or an example to future generations. I think we should see ourselves as both, influenced by our past and influential to those who will follow us. But sometimes we get stuck. We forget the healthy balance between the past and future. Some can hold too tightly to the past, stuck in the glories or traumas of old. Some try t

By Pastor Steve Pierce There are parts of the Bible that are poetic masterpieces. There are parts that bring instant clarity to fundamental truths. When those two combine, the language and the lesson become extraordinary. For me I see the majesty of God’s Word, brought together as truth and beauty in many verses, including the following. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable

By Steve Pierce A wise person I truly respect offered some advice to me this morning. She reminded me I can be a little wordy when I write sometimes. And she is right. I struggle at times to make my point efficiently and can be repetitive. Her advice got me thinking. Less of me and more of the Word. I found two verses that speak exactly to the point of less is more. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11, ESV) “The heart of the

By Pastor Steve Pierce I was asked by someone recently about miracles. Did I have any miracle experiences that I could share? I do and I shared several I have seen over the years. Some are huge, like the healing of a man going blind, some are more subtle, like opening the Bible, reading a particular scripture, and then seeing that same passage preached on Sunday as if for me alone. What I have noticed about miracles is that people tend to notice them more when they are in p

By Pastor Steve Pierce It’s hard for some people to trust. Maybe they have been hurt by someone they were told to trust. Maybe they were lied to. Whatever the reason, trust does not come easy for everyone. But we must trust. We all drive over bridges, and we trust that they will support the weight of our car. We trust our boss to be ethical. We trust a driver to stop when they are facing a red light. But bridges sometimes collapse. And bosses occasionally lie and drivers do

By Pastor Steve Pierce “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5: 3, ESV) This seems like a simple statement, doesn’t it? When you find yourself in trouble, in pain, poor in spirit, you have a promise to look forward to. Something better. That’s kind of the way most Christians would read this verse. But I want you to read it a little differently this time. Instead of seeing poor in spirit as the troubled negative aspect of this verse, some

By Pastor Steve Pierce The Bible uses a few words that we don’t tend to use much anymore. Abide is one of those words. The Apostle John liked to use this word and did more than any other writer in the Bible. “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you ABIDE in my words, you are truly my disciples.”” (John 8:31, ESV) What is this “abide” (μένω) word? The Hebrew word is pronounced men-o. Here in this verse, there is a clear meaning of action and continuation. B

By Pastor Steve Pierce Let’s talk about love. What is it? So many of life’s issues revolve around this one concept. Do I deserve love? Am I loved? Why does someone say they love me and then treat me so badly? With big questions like this, it’s best to find real answers and not to rely solely on what we think or feel. We need to find a foundation of truth as we learn about love and what true love really is. The best place to learn about love and to find the answers we are all

By: Pastor Steve Pierce Let me introduce you to a woman who has every reason to be angry. She is married and sadly unable to have children. She is made fun of by others in her family, she is publicly mocked and questioned, she is broken and in terrible pain. All she wants is to have a child and that is just not happening while all around her others are having babies. She is angry and hurt. It would be easy for her to question her faith and to blame the Lord for her issues. Af