Pastor Quinn • September 8, 2024

Followers of Christ Obey His Law from the Heart

A loving father gives his son and daughter a list of rules and regulations. Chores, curfews, civilities, dress code—the father makes his will clearly known. The son strives to follow the rules for two reasons. 1) He wants to get his allowance. 2) He is afraid that if he breaks the rules, his father will punish him. The daughter strives to follow the rules, also for two reasons. 1) She believes her father established those rules not to control her but for her safety and blessing. 2) She wants to demonstrate how much she loves and trusts her father. Those two children’s actions might look almost identical. Their hearts are very different!



Likewise, following Christ is not simply a matter of outward observance of laws. It is a matter of the heart. The Law was given so we could see God’s heart and demonstrate how his heart has affected our own. The followership Christ seeks flows from hearts that have been radically transformed by God’s law and gospel. Christ wants his followers to be less like the son described above, and more like the daughter. This week we see that followers of Christ obey his law from the heart.

On the Mystery and Majesty of Our God

By Pastor Quinn • June 16, 2025
We live in a world where a thousand things are competing for our attention. There is the real danger that we focus on the frivolous and ignore the indispensable. As a result, we often talk about the importance of being “free from distraction.” But the stakes are higher than that. We need to be freed from distraction. We need the spiritual power to give our undivided attention to that which truly makes a difference, not only here and now, but also in eternity. A life focused on all the right things is only possible because of a Savior who is always focused on us. On the Day of Pentecost, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to give his followers power and focus. Still today, through his Word, Jesus grants those gifts to his disciples. We have come to the second half of the Church Year. In the first half, we focused on the life of Christ. In this second half, we turn our attention to all the teachings of Christ. May we give them our undivided attention.

He Reigns Over Everything for the Benefit of His Church

By Pastor Quinn • June 1, 2025
When the Church gathers, it regularly remembers Christ’s ascension. The words “He ascended into heaven” are found in the three ecumenical creeds Christians use to confess their faith. In addition, the Church sets aside a day each year to focus on Christ’s ascension. This is for good reason. Jesus’ ascension marked the fact that his work was complete, in one sense. Never again will a sacrifice for sins need to be made. However, Jesus’ ascension also marks that, in another sense, his work is just beginning. Through the Church, Jesus now proclaims forgiveness of sins throughout the world. The Church consists of people like us who are often weak and timid witnesses for Christ. So, Jesus promised to send us his Spirit to give us power from heaven, that we might take the gospel to the ends of the earth. More, he ascended into heaven and sat down on the throne of God. He lives and reigns over everything for the benefit of his Church.

We Have Deep and Lasting Joy

By Pastor Quinn • May 18, 2025
Conventional wisdom says that joy is a direct result of circumstance. Our disposition is nothing more than the product of events, conditions, and relationships of which our life consists. Therfore, it would seem that for our disposition to change, our circumstances need to change. But Jesus offers a joy that is superior. It is not a product of circumstance, it's a product of Easter. Easter proves that God can take what normally causes people to weep and turn it into what causes people to rejoice. Sin, death, and shame went into Jesus' tomb. Forgiveness, life, and joy came out. Our risen Savior gives us a joy that remains constant in the highest of life's highs and the lowest of life's lows. Because he lives, we have deep and lasting joy.
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