HAPPINESS: A Biblical Perspective God is the “happy” God of reality. In 1 Tim 6:15 we see God described as the “blessed and only Sovereign”—in the Greek the word for “blessed” is makarios¸ which could be translated happy. God is happy within his own Triune nature and has no needs from outside of Himself to […]
Author: Tom Schmidt
Christian, husband of Rach, Church Planter,musician,
Is My Perfectionism Making Me Anxious? by Dan Tsouloufis Many Christians struggle with perfectionism in their faith. Unfortunately, perfectionism can take the form of robbing us of our peace, freedom, and joy in Christ. Oftentimes, we compound the problem by worrying too much, as well as doubting God’s goodness and God’s promises in His Word. When we find […]
Ephesians 5:15-21: “Be Wise and Spirit-filled” Intro: Crossfit gym powerlifting; orientation class; continued instruction in gym sessions. -We need to be instructed how to live as faithful Christians, and God has given us that here in the Bible. -2 Instructions for Christians: Christians are called to be wise in the time given to us and […]
‘Is your church a Spirit-filled church?’ I remember being asked this once about our church in Naperville, and my response was, ‘Yes, we are.’ But, my hunch is the person asking the question and my understanding differ on what it means to be a “Spirit-filled church.” For those in the Pentecostal tradition (of which our […]
ANIMALS, ANIMAL SUFFERING, AND THE FUTURE: TWO CONTRASTING VIEWS—CHRISTIANITY AND ATHEISM/AGNOSTICISM How do we think about animals? What about animal suffering? What about the future? The following is a contrast between a Christian worldview and a secular worldview, namely that of atheism or agnosticism. CHRISTIANITY: God is real and exists and has revealed Himself through […]
Three Competing Realities around Mental Health by Dan Tsouloufis (Guest Post) As a certified biblical counselor, I have been observing three competing realities in our society around the issue of mental health, as well as the purported solutions being offered by the clinical mental health industry. In my observation of these three competing realities, my […]
Eph 5:3-14 “3 Motivations to Turn from Sexual Sin” (Preached on 2.16.25 at Cross of Christ Fellowship in Naperville) Intro: Are you a Christian? What motivates you to obey God in the face of temptation? -Different motivations to help us: love for God; gratitude for salvation; don’t want to feel far from Him; our witness. […]
Matt 25:31-46 “Jesus, Lord of History Part 5” INTRO: Busy schedules. Playdates. Installing new windows in our home. Hoping for a promotion at our job. Striving for a work-life balance. Wondering if we’re doing enough for our children to help them succeed. Grocery shopping. Schoolwork. Seeing friends. Deadlines. Trying to exercise more. Keeping our homes […]
Matt 25:1-30: “Jesus, Lord of History: Part 4” INTRO: Today we continue our time in the gospel of Matthew. Matthew was one of Jesus’ apostles and this is historical account of Jesus’ life and ministry. It is called a gospel because it tells us the good news of Jesus’ person and work. Jesus is the […]
Matt 24:36-51 “Jesus, the Lord of History: Part 3” INTRO: Friends, we are working our way through the gospel of Matthew together. Matthew was an eye-witness of Jesus and one of his apostles. This is historical account which helps us to see that Jesus is the promised Messiah that Israel has been waiting and longing […]
