Escaping the Trap of Empty Religion

Date: June 9, 2024

Key Verse: Zechariah 7-8

Topics: Abiding, Fruitfulness, God's Mercy, Religion, Worship

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Have you ever found yourself going through the motions of Christianity without truly engaging your heart? Our relationship with God can easily turn into empty routines and religious rituals, so we must guard against this subtle danger. God desires our spiritual service to flow from a vibrant relationship with Him, not from forced habits or the need to keep up appearances. When the world sees God’s truth, mercy, and love radiating through us, they will be drawn to Him. Take a moment today to reflect on why you do what you do for God. Make sure you can honestly say, “Lord, I’m doing it all for you!”

Beware of Religious Conmen

Date: October 4, 2026 | Speaker: Phil Pike

Every year, elder fraud in America costs older adults more than $7 billion. What’s even more shameful is that some of the people swindling them are religious conmen who claim to speak for God. Sometimes the greatest threat to our faith lies inside the church, not outside its walls. Jesus warned His followers to beware of anyone who uses religion for personal enrichment by preying on the vulnerable. There are many of these false teachers in churches today. Do you know how to spot them?

Losing Your Life to Find It

Date: September 27, 2026 | Speaker: Phil Pike

What comes to mind when you hear the word glory? Maybe fame, or a throne, or a crown. But when Jesus spoke of being glorified, He was speaking of His death. True glory is found in sacrifice, not in strength or triumph as the world defines it. When we fight to protect our honor, our reputation, our plans, we may find our hands full, but our lives will be empty. Real life begins as we surrender our will to God and seek His honor above our own. Jesus laid down His life to give us life, and He calls us to follow His example by living with open hands and surrendered hearts.

Wanting Jesus on Our Terms

Date: September 20, 2026 | Speaker: Phil Pike

One of the saddest moments in Scripture is when Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem, knowing the very people He’d come to save would reject Him. They wanted a Savior who would deliver them from the Romans, not one who would deliver them from their sin. And people today aren’t so different. Many want Jesus to grant their wishes and fix their problems, but they don’t want Him to rule over their heart. They come with a list of demands, not a life laid down. Have you accepted Jesus for who He truly is — Savior and Lord of all?

No One Is Beyond His Reach

Date: September 13, 2026 | Speaker: Phil Pike

During the most stressful week of His life, just days before the cross, Jesus stopped to spend time with the most hated man in town and brought him to salvation. He wasn’t focused on Himself; He was committed to seeking and saving the lost right to the very end. And Jesus is still seeking people today—the lost, the broken, the hurting, and the overlooked. He comes to us with mercy, not condemnation, and no one is beyond His reach. He knows us, loves us, and calls us by name. The question is, when He calls, will you respond?

Delayed But Not Forgotten

Date: September 6, 2026 | Speaker: Phil Pike

You know what it’s like to pray with urgency and hear nothing but silence in return. You know the ache of wondering if God even heard you and if an answer will ever come. Those delays do not mean you’re forgotten. God is working on a timeline you cannot see—not just to fix what was broken, but so that He will be glorified through the process. There will be times in life for all of us when we simply have to say, “Lord, I don’t understand, but I still trust You.” He will prove, in His own time, that He was never far away, and that His timing was perfect after all.

Living by Faith – Part 2

Date: August 30, 2026 | Speaker: David Cannon

Scripture teaches that faith is the only means through which God’s grace is available to us. We even read how it’s impossible to please God without faith. Needless to say, faith is crucial, and God says his righteous people will live by faith. So, what does it mean to live by faith? Join us as we take a look at what Scripture says about faith and how living by faith might look for us today.

The Kind of People God Welcomes

Date: August 16, 2026 | Speaker: Phil Pike

When you think of “sinners” who might be excluded from God’s kingdom, does anyone come to mind? If so, you may be entering dangerous territory. The Pharisees were certain of their own seat at God’s table, convinced that the tax collectors and prostitutes had no such place. But Jesus came precisely for the people the religious crowd wrote off. He welcomes the broken, the fallen, the forgotten with open arms the moment they repent and turn to Him. God’s grace reaches farther than our judgments, and we may be surprised by those who are on heaven’s guest list!

Whose Voice Are You Following?

Date: August 9, 2026 | Speaker: Phil Pike

We live in a world crowded with voices, each promising a shortcut or easy path that too often leads us into dangers we cannot face alone. Because we are prone to wander, it is vital that we listen to the one voice we can fully trust. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, does not merely tell us which way to go; He walks ahead of us, drives back our enemies, and keeps us safe in His loving care. Do you know this Shepherd? Are you listening for His voice and following Him home?

The Tragedy of Willful Blindness

Date: August 2, 2026 | Speaker: Phil Pike

Someone once said, “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” It’s easy to agree with that until it turns and points directly at us. Most of us walk through life convinced we can see things clearly, but everyone has blind spots—places where pride, traditions, or assumptions keep us in the dark. Having our spiritual eyes opened requires a work of the Holy Spirit, humbly asking God to shine the light of His truth into our hidden corners. Only He can open blind eyes. So the question isn’t whether we can see. It’s where we might be refusing to.

Mercy for the Accused

Date: July 26, 2026 | Speaker: Phil Pike

If we measure our goodness against the sins of others, it’s easy to pass judgment. But if we measure ourselves against the holiness of God, we’re not the judges we imagined ourselves to be. We’re the accused! When a sinful woman was brought to Jesus, He refused to condemn her, because her sentence would be paid in full on the cross. Since we’ve all been shown that same mercy, shouldn’t we be just as quick to extend it to others? Only the one without sin has the right to throw stones, and none of us qualify.