Lassoing the Truth
We may think it’d be nice if there were a device where we could make people tell the truth. But, what about ourselves? We take credit that belongs to someone else, withhold truth when it could help, or pass along a claim we have not checked. How out of control are our own words everyday?
Don't Get What You Deserved Today!
As we continue to explore Psalm 8, David finds himself in wonder over the glory of God being given to human beings.
The Things We Don't Call Stealing
We’ve all known that strange, off feeling when something of ours is stolen. That instinctive certainty it is wrong is precisely where Exodus 20:15 begins—”You shall not steal”—yet the command reaches the many ways we take from God without ever feeling the sting ourselves.
In the Nitty-Gritty
As we continue to explore Psalm 8, David reminds us that we are never too insignificant for God to stop and show care for us.
The Oil You Don't See
It is easy to read “You shall not commit adultery” and decide that command belongs to someone else. But in Matthew 5, Jesus carries it beyond the outward act into the hidden life of our looks, desires, and thoughts—so where does that leave any of us, and why does God care so deeply about our purity?
Inaugurated
Psalm 8 takes us to a King who’s kingdom was inaugurated long before the United States ever existed and whose power is greater than all the nations of the world.
The Murder We All Commit: Guarding the Heart Before the Act
Most of us haven’t murdered anyone this week, so we figure we’re keeping the sixth commandment just fine—but Jesus suggests the problem runs deeper, into the anger we harbor and the contempt we broadcast, long before any blade is drawn.
The Son's Glory is the Father's Glory
God’s glory is God’s glory — there is only one God. So if we want to share God’s glory and see it spread through the world, we share the hope of Jesus.
What Really Counts as Gain
We cruise along thinking everything seems worth rejoicing in—until something smacks us over the head and forces the question of what really matters. Paul faces that same reckoning in Philippians 3, listing every credential and mark of status he once counted as gain.
This Week at Little Hills
Pastor Tim reflects more on snow and God’s Grace.
Who's in Charge Now?
Pastor Tim talks about how we live and understand God’s control of the world in the time before Jesus returns.
Peace for Our Time
When wise men arrive in Jerusalem asking where to find the one born king of the Jews, Matthew 2 says Herod was deeply disturbed—and all Jerusalem with him. It’s a strange reaction to the fulfillment of a centuries-old promise, and it looks a lot like what we do when God’s work threatens the status and stability we’ve been quietly building our joy around.
This Week at Little Hills
Pastor Tim reflects on the power of snow and how it impacts us — and what that tells us about God.
Who Gets a Car for Christmas Anyway?
Pastor Tim talks about extravagant gifts and what the Bible says about the truly extravagant gift we receive at Christmas because of the very first Christmas.
Right Things, Wrong Moment
When you prepare a small dinner and twenty guests arrive unannounced, you wish you’d known what was coming—yet knowing what to prepare isn’t the only kind of readiness that matters. Luke 1 tells of a righteous priest who knew exactly what God expected of him, yet when God himself appeared with news he’d prayed decades to hear, he found himself unprepared to simply listen.
Don't Write That Resignation Letter
We’ve all wanted to write that resignation letter—to let the world know the hurt isn’t our fault. Joseph faces that exact urge in Matthew 1, betrayed and confused after he finds out Mary, the woman he is betrothed to, is pregnant — forced to choose between saying his peace and keeping it.
A Year's Changes Come Slowly
Pastor Tim spent time in Busiek State Forest to better think about the time between the Newborn servant coming into the world and when we, His followers, will get to experience His triumph.
When God Derails Your Plans
Plans go awry all the time, and in the moment it feels terrible whether the fault is human weakness or God himself saying no to what we wanted. That’s exactly where Mary finds herself in Luke 1 when Gabriel’s greeting turns her ordinary day—and her entire future—upside down.
This Week at Little Hills
Pastor Tim thinks about how God brought light into existence, we turn from the light, but Christmas is the story of God bringing that light back to us.