Pastor Quinn • February 26, 2023

A Champion for the Defeated

Today we begin a new worship series for Lent called OUR GREATEST NEEDS. What do you really need right now? To answer that question, one must first define what a “need” is. We understand that a “need” is greater than a “want.” If you lack something you want, life goes on just fine. If you lack something you need, that presents a problem. Thus, to correctly answer that question, “What do you really need right now,” ultimately one must understand their greatest problems.


Mankind’s greatest problems are universal. We all live under the curse of sin. That sin makes us utterly helpless in our natural state. Natural man is confused, unable to make sense of life. Left in sin, man is doomed to death, and not just physical death. After one’s heart stops comes another type of death that is infinitely worse, an eternal nightmare. Lent is the season of the Church Year where we wrestle with our greatest needs. Lent also demonstrates that in Christ, all our greatest needs are met. Here is what the Spirit makes clear this season. If you lack Christ, you have nothing. If you have Christ, you have everything you truly need.


A Champion for the Defeated. Our modern English word “champion” comes from an old English word that meant “warrior.” In ancient times, when two armies gathered to fight, sometimes as a prelude to the battle—and sometimes in place of the battle—each army would pick a mighty solider, and these two men would fight each other. These elite warriors, these champions, would represent their people in battle. They would meet in the middle of the field. With everyone watching, they would fight to the death.


Tomorrow we will be reminded of an ancient war that began in Eden. The perfect peace and prosperity of Paradise was lost when a fallen angel convinced mankind to follow the demons in rebelling against their Creator. When Adam fell, he condemned the world to darkness and death. The enemy of God claimed that the children of men now belonged to him. God was having none of it. He promised he would send forth his champion, his Son. And so, today we see a battle of champions. The demons send forth their strongest warrior—Satan. God sends forth the best of men, Jesus Christ. Jesus does what Adam and we could not. In crushing the devil, Jesus meets one of our greatest needs.

Lord, Have Mercy - Lent Week 3

By Pastor Quinn • March 13, 2026
We use the word “integrity” to refer to something being in good condition. So, we talk about the structural integrity of a building or of a ship’s hull. We mean those things are “sound” and “whole.” We use “integrity” in reference to people too. Generally, if we speak of someone having integrity, we mean that there’s a wholeness to their character. Their morals are sound. If someone lives with integrity, it is not simply that they talk and behave decently. We would say the reason their behavior is proper is because their values and desires are proper. The first six Commandments deal with our relationships with others: God and our fellow man. The final four Commandments get at the question of personal integrity. When someone steals, lies, or covets, it is a clear indication that their values and desires are highly improper. Such a person lacks honesty, empathy, and contentment. They say and do bad things because they are bad, not “sound and whole.” It is harsh, yet unfailingly true. Thus, when we break one of these Commandments, it is pointless to make excuses. Let us simply cry out, “Lord, have mercy, for failing to live with integrity!” And let us trust the Christ, who died so that we might be made “sound and whole.”

Exactly What I Need: Faith

By Pastor Quinn • March 11, 2026
I recognize that I need to be saved. When Jesus said, “No one can enter the kingdom of God,” that included me. I do not deserve God’s blessing. But long ago, God declared that I would be blessed by a descendant of Abraham who turned out to be Jesus. The blessing is salvation. I receive that salvation by faith in Jesus as my Savior. The good news is that faith is also God’s gift, imparted to me through the gospel.

Lord, Have Mercy

By Pastor Otterstatter • March 5, 2026
When we use God's name flippantly...when we take God's reputation lightly...when we are apathetic about his Word...when we have little interest in the spiritual rest he offers...we demolish the Commandments. That hurts us way more than it hurts God. Disobedience of the Commandments are attempted acts of spiritual suicide. If we continue in this rebellion, we are guaranteeing that hell is our eternal home. So, this week, we ask the Spirit to give us the ability to sincerely pray, "Lord, have mercy, for demonstrating irreverence for your name and despising your Sabbath rest."
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