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A Proper Christian Witness -- Titus 1:5-16 By Pastor Lee Hemen October 26, 2008 AM Leadership in America suffers because there is no longer any standard by which people hold their leaders to. It may be said that the church today also is sadly lacking in leadership. Few church leaders can honestly stand in front of their congregations and ask them to look closely at their personal lives. How do I know this to be true? Look at congregations as a whole. As leadership goes, so go the people. Jesus asked, “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?” (Luke 6:39) And that is true. Leadership in the church begins with a proper Christian witness. Paul wanted Titus to pick leaders that would display a proper Christian witness in every area of their lives. He knew that as the leaders goes, so goes the church. People follow their leaders. Jesus once asked his followers a very interesting question: “Who do people say I am?” (Mark 8:27) This is a great question for those i...

A Proper Christian “Hello!” -- Titus 1:1-4 October 19, 2008 AM By Pastor Lee Hemen Titus was a Gentile convert who had served and traveled with the Apostle Paul “to Jerusalem… with Barnabas.” Paul “went in response to a revelation” that he preach “the gospel… among the Gentiles.” The church leadership there felt that Paul “was running or had run [his] race in vain.” But he had not, because “not even Titus, who was with [Paul], was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.” (Galatians 2:1-3). Titus knew, like Paul, that his salvation was in Christ alone and not in following the law. Titus was therefore a “gentile” witness! (2Corinthians 7:6-7; 8:6). In approximately 63-64 AD, after leaving Timothy in Ephesus, Paul and Titus traveled on to Crete. Paul then left Titus behind to help provide leadership for the Cretan churches (Titus1:5). Afterward the apostle wrote this letter and had it delivered to Titus. Christians share a commonality of faith, knowledge, and eternal hope...

Fighting the Good Fight! -- 2 Timothy 4:6-22 October 12, 2008 AM By Pastor Lee Hemen In the preceding music video by the band Amberlin called “The Unwinding Cable Car,” it asks a series of questions about a person’s life, “What makes us who we are?” “What hardships will you face?” “What hardships will you overcome?” “What makes you happy?” “If you could do it all over again, what would you change?” “Relationships?” “Choices?” “Direction?” “What experience would you relive?” But the most important one I believe is: “What will you be remembered for?” What we are remembered for in life speaks to the heart of who we are and what we lived for. Paul knew this to be true. He was facing perhaps the end of his life. He was imprisoned and did not know the final outcome. We find him writing his friend Timothy who needed encouragement in his own life. In these last few verses Paul teaches what it truly means for Christians to live lives to the fullest for Jesus Christ. He relates to us how we can ...

Being Able to Correctly Handle the Gospel! – 2 Timothy 4:1-5 By Pastor Lee Hemen October 5, 2008 AM One time talk show host and atheist Bill Maher has made a film called “Religulous” that strenuously aims to mock all religions. His ads on the Internet show three monkeys: one Jewish, one Muslim, and a third monkey Pope. On ABC, Maher related that American historical figures from Lincoln to FDR were a “cavalcade of morons” for having the audacity to speak of God. He claims he isn’t engaged in mockery, that in his film, “we don’t judge. We don’t point fingers. We’re not making anybody feel bad.” Maher’s film however is full of vindictiveness and ends with pictures of exploding nuclear bombs and a chorus of “Road to Nowhere” by the Talking Heads. And, Maher is not trying to make anyone feel bad religion? How should Christians respond to these kinds of attacks on their faith? Christianity is being ridiculed all across our nation. I believe it is because believers are failing to correctly h...