April 13, 2010 by Eric Stillman 0 comments
What style of preaching is best?
For this week‘s post, I wanted to turn things around on you and ask your opinion on something: What do you think of topical sermons?...Keep Reading
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April 6, 2010 by Eric Stillman 0 comments
Practical Christianity
Jerry Bridges, in his book The Gospel for Real Life, tells a story about a Southern plantation owner who left a $50,000 inheritance (equivalent to about $500,000 today) to a former slave who had served him faithfully all his life. The lawyer for the estate duly notified the former slave of his inheritance and told him that the money had been deposited for him at the local bank. However, weeks went by, and the former slave never called for his inheritance, and so that banker called again to tell him that he had $50,000 to draw on at any time. The former slave replied, ‘œDo you think I can have fifty cents to buy a sack of cornmeal?‘...Keep Reading
March 30, 2010 by Eric Stillman 0 comments
My baptism story
This past Sunday, we celebrated a baptism service as one of our newest members, Anthony Varesio, was baptized. Many people come from traditions where infants are baptized, and then confirm their baptismal vows in their teenage years. In our tradition, as we understand the Bible, we believe that baptism is a public expression of an inward reality, that an individual has died to his or her old self, been washed of his or her sins, and has been raised to new life in Christ. Consider Romans 6:3-4 - ‘œDon‘t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.‘ Baptism is a way of identifying oneself with Jesus in His death and resurrection, and therefore something we believe should be experienced by those who can consciously make such a profession of faith. Finally, it is also an act of obedience, keeping in mind that Jesus, who himself was baptized in Matthew 3:13-17, commanded us in his Great Commission to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything He had commanded us....Keep Reading
March 23, 2010 by Eric Stillman 0 comments
Why did Jesus die? pt. 2
They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘œSit here while I pray.‘ He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ‘œMy soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,‘ he said to them. ‘œStay here and keep watch.‘ Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. ‘œAbba, Father,‘ he said, ‘œeverything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.‘ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘œSimon,‘ he said to Peter, ‘œare you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.‘ Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. Returning the third time, he said to them, ‘œAre you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!‘ (Mark 14:32-42)...Keep Reading
March 17, 2010 by Eric Stillman 0 comments
Why did Jesus die?
Isaiah 53:5-6 - He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all....Keep Reading
March 10, 2010 by Eric Stillman 0 comments
Kill it now!
This past Sunday, I preached on one of the most stunning passages in the whole Bible, the story of how King David, the man after God‘s own heart, slept with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his best friends, and then had his friend killed to cover it up. That passage, in 2 Samuel 11, begins famously with these words: ‘œIn the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king‘s men and the whole Israelite army... But David remained in Jerusalem.‘ As the narrator makes clear, if David were only where he should have been, none of this would have happened. But instead, we find David arising from a late afternoon nap, wandering up to the roof of his palace, and seeing Bathsheba bathing naked nearby. One thing leads to another, and soon David has broken almost half of the Ten Commandments in an incredibly thoughtless escapade....Keep Reading
March 2, 2010 by Eric Stillman 0 comments
God, our heavenly ATM machine
Each month in 2010, I am challenging our church to memorize one verse of Scripture together, and to spend time that month meditating on that month‘s theme. In January, we focused on our new life in Christ, memorizing 2 Corinthians 5:17, ‘œTherefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!‘ In February, the theme was spiritual warfare, with the key verse James 4:7, ‘œSubmit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.‘ In March, we will be focusing on the power of prayer, and the verse I am challenging you to memorize is John 15:7 - ‘œIf you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.‘ This powerful promise is located in a passage where Jesus talks about himself as the vine and us as the branches, and exhorts us that we can do nothing unless we are connected to him. I highly encourage you that when you memorize this or any verse, that you do your best to understand the context in which it is found so that you do not take it to mean something which it does not....Keep Reading
March 1, 2010 by Laura Motola 0 comments
Guest Blogger: Laura Motola - Spiritual Warfare
Today‘s guest blogger is Laura Motola. As we focus on spiritual warfare with our memory verses for February, Laura will be sharing her reflections on spiritual warfare....Keep Reading
February 16, 2010 by Jim Quigley 0 comments
Guest Blogger: Jim Quigley - the armor of God
Today‘s guest blogger is Jim Quigley. Jim has been a part of NewLife since August, after moving up from New Jersey, and is an engineer who also works with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Trinity College. As we focus on spiritual warfare with our memory verses for February, Jim will share the second part of what he wrote, ‘œPreparing for battle.‘...Keep Reading
February 9, 2010 by Jim Quigley 0 comments
Guest Blogger: Jim Quigley - Know your enemy
Today‘s guest blogger is Jim Quigley. Jim has been a part of NewLife since August, after moving up from New Jersey. He is an engineer who also works with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. As we focus on spiritual warfare with our memory verses for February, Jim will share on ‘œknowing your enemy.‘...Keep Reading