Posts by David Ellis

Twenty-two years ago, this June, I sat in Athens Square Park in Astoria, staring at the traffic on 30th Avenue. I had just signed a lease on an apartment a few blocks away to which my family would soon move from North Jersey. I had been offered a job as pastor, but there was no congregation for me to serve. The plan was to plant a new church. I sat on a step in the park, ...

In the traditional church calendar, this is the week when Christians remember the ascension of Christ to the right hand of the Father. Accounts of Christ's ascension are found in Mark 16:19, Luke 24:50-53, and in Acts 1:6-11. Other passages that touch on the ascension are Acts 7:55-56; Ephesians 1:19-23, 4:8; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 4:14, 9:24; 1 Peter 3:22; and Revelation...

In Ephesians 3:14-19, the Apostle Paul explained to his readers what he was praying for God to do in their lives. Essentially, he was praying that the Holy Spirit would work within them so that they would continually grow in their knowledge of Christ's love. At the end of verse 17, he described two essential ways they needed to know the love of Christ. They needed to be "...

As you probably know, I recently announced my decision to transition out of my role as pastor of Astoria Community Church and accept a position as Assistant Pastor at another church. You can read about that decision here. A question some of you are asking is, "How do we find a new pastor for our church?" In our denominational tradition, an important principle is that loc...

Dear friends and members of ACC. I am writing to inform you of a personal decision I have reached that will have an impact on our church. A couple of years ago, I began to pray about how and when I should transition out of my role as pastor of ACC and pass the baton to a younger leader. As I approach the age of retirement, the eventual need to take this step is inevitabl...

The greatest news the world has heard is that the tomb where Christ lay is empty. Christ has risen from the dead! But what does the empty tomb mean for us? Below are four implications of Christ's resurrection as explained by Scripture. 1) The empty tomb means that Jesus truly is the Messiah. When Jesus cleared the merchandizers out of the temple in John 2, he was exerti...

During each week of Lent this year, we will post an excerpt from a classic writing on Christian spirituality, followed by some questions for personal reflection. This week's post is a letter written by John Newton to a fellow pastor, Rev. Thomas Jones, on January 7, 1767. Newton was an Anglican minister in the 18th century, whose story of conversion from slave trader to a...

During each week of Lent this year, we will post an excerpt from a classic writing on Christian spirituality, followed by some questions for personal reflection. The reading this week is taken from Words of Counsel to the Newly Converted, a book by Rev. George Everard (1828-1901) an evangelical minister in the Church of England. Everard noticed the effect that the thought...

During each week of Lent this year, we will post an excerpt from a classic writing on Christian spirituality, followed by some questions for personal reflection. This week's selection comes from the writings of Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717). Born in Montargis, France, Guyon was given in marriage to a 38-year-old invalid when she was only 15 years old. Feeling dissatisfied with...

During each week of Lent this year, we will post an excerpt from a classic writing on Christian spirituality, followed by some questions for personal reflection. This post comes from The Hiding Place, a book by Corrie Ten Boom. Corrie and her family were sent to Nazi concentration camps because of their role in hiding Jewish neighbors in Holland. In this excerpt Corrie de...

During each week of Lent this year, we will post an excerpt from a classic writing on Christian spirituality, followed by some questions for personal reflection. This week's post is an excerpt from the memoir of the famous American abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland in 1817 or 1818. At the age of 20, he escaped to freedom and becam...

The traditional season of Lent consists of the forty days (excluding Sundays) that lead up to Easter. Not all Christians celebrate Lent, but for many it is a meaningful time to seek spiritual renewal from the Lord. For an interesting article on a helpful approach to Lent, click here. During each week of Lent this year, we will post an excerpt from a classic writing on Chr...

The season leading up to Easter is a time to remember the greatest act of generosity imaginable: "Christ loved us and gave himself for us" (Eph. 5:2). Every year at Easter, the members of ACC respond to Christ's generosity by giving a special Easter Outreach Offering. The purpose of this offering is to help our church fulfill its budgetary commitment to missions and outre...

In Matthew 16:5-12, we read of a discussion that took place between Jesus and his disciples one day as they crossed the Sea of Galilee in a boat. Jesus said to his friends, "Be careful. Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." The disciples did not understand Jesus. Since they had forgotten to pack bread for the journey, they assumed he was ...

Several years ago my wife and I visited a church in northern Mexico. Since our ride was a few minutes late, the service was already in progress when we arrived. Though we had never been to that church before, everything about the scene was just what we expected. The seats were arranged in rows facing forward, the people were standing together to sing a song, a group of ins...

One of the most common names for God in the Bible is Yahweh Sabaoth or Elohim Sabaoth. The name appears over 285 times in the Old Testament and is translated "Lord of hosts" or "God of armies." The title "Lord of hosts" communicates the idea that God commands a vast army of angelic beings who obey his orders to accomplish his purpose on earth. It is a name that emphasizes...

When pointing out something that is taught in the Bible, it is not uncommon to hear people respond by saying, "But that's just your interpretation." Often this comment is made as an attempt to invalidate your point and end the discussion. How should we respond to this remark? First, it is helpful to acknowledge the truth of what the person is saying. The point you have j...

Martin Luther King, Jr. is most often remembered for his leadership in the struggle against racial injustice, but it is sometimes forgotten that at the end of his life King had begun to focus his efforts on the problem of poverty. The Poor People's Campaign, organized in 1968 by MLK and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, was an attempt to draw attention to the n...

In a well-known episode of the old television series The Twilight Zone, a spaceship lands on earth piloted by extraterrestrials called the Kanamits. The arrival of these 9-foot-tall aliens sparks fear in the hearts of people throughout the world, until one of their leaders explains to a room of U.N. delegates that they have come to earth simply to share their advanced tech...

I was raised in the Free Methodist Church. In that tradition, congregations have historically gathered on New Year's Eve for a covenant renewal service. They follow a liturgy designed by John Wesley that leads the church through remembrance of God's grace, confession of sin, and consecration to God's purposes. There is one prayer in that service that really grabs my atten...

For many of us New Year's Day is a time of reflection on the past and anticipation of the future. While we review the last year, we contemplate the year to come. If you are involved in that kind of thinking this New Year, I want to encourage you to be open to the idea that God may have plans for you in 2023 that you cannot yet envision. Be open to the idea that God may do...

In Luke 2:8-15 we read of the first song ever sung in response to the birth of Jesus. It is indeed the first noel, the first Christmas carol. There are two things that I find amazing about the first noel: who sang the song and to whom they sang it. 1) Who sang the song? The first noel was sung by a choir of angels. They sang, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on ...

The elders of ACC have decided to make some changes to the online presentation of our Sunday worship services. I would like to outline these changes and explain our reasons for making them. But first I want to express my gratitude to the valiant group of ACC members who have worked so hard to live-stream our worship services for the last two years. When we returned to in-...

"All those the Father gives mewill come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." -- Jesus of Nazareth (John 6:37) There was once a teenager who was kicked out of his church youth group for being a bad influence on the other kids. There was once a young intellectual whose mother wept in prayer after he abandoned his Christian upbringing for a life of...

In his humorous novel Skipping Christmas, John Grisham tells the story of Luther and Nora Krank, a middle-aged couple who are sick and tired of all the expense and bother involved in preparing for the holiday season. They calculate how much they normally spend on Christmas decorations, gifts, and food and realize that if they skip Christmas, they can afford to take a 10-da...

One of the ways that Christians engage in prayer is through the act of intercession making requests of God on behalf of others. Since Christians, by grace, have been brought into relationship with God, it is both our privilege and our responsibility to plead the cause of others before the Lord. 1 Timothy 2:1 lists our involvement in this kind of prayer as being of first i...

The writers of Scripture often referred to God as "the living God." What did they mean by this phrase? Was the idea merely that God is alive, that God exists. No. The meaning is much deeper than that. In the biblical mindset, to speak of "the living God" communicates the idea that God is present and active. God is not an aloof deity, removed from our struggles, indiffer...

One of the most worn-out, underlined, check-marked, re-read books in my library is Holiness Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties and Roots by J.C. Ryle. It is clearly among my favorites. J.C. Ryle (born 1816) was the Anglican bishop of Liverpool in the late 1800's. He is remembered for his numerous books on the Christian life and for his commentaries on the four gospels....

The books of the Bible were originally written in ancient Hebrew and in 1st century Greek (with small portions written in Aramaic). Since most of us do not speak those languages, when we study the Bible, we are forced to read a translation. Among the many linguistic groups on earth, there are close to 4,000 that do not have the Bible translated into their language. But we...

Because more than 5 billion copies of Scripture have been distributed, the Bible is often referred to as the best-selling book of all time. But, technically speaking, the Bible is not a book. It is a collection of 66 books compiled into one volume. These books were composed between approximately the 8th century BCE and the 1st century CE, written in three different languag...

Sometimes people think that all sins are equally serious in the eyes of God. This conclusion is understandable. After all, the Bible states that all of us are sinners who fall short of God's glory (Rom. 3:23). It teaches that if we have broken only one of God's commandments we are condemned as lawbreakers (James 2:10). Scripture also teaches that we can sin internally even...

Years ago, in a social psychology class in college, our professor lectured us on the power of societal norms. Performing a public act that might elicit scorn or ridicule invariably causes most people to feel anxiety. We have a natural aversion to looking weird. Our assignment that day was to do something to break a social norm and write a paper detailing the physiological...

We Christians sometimes place unnecessary limits on the ways we worship God. It is understandable that, by temperament or tradition, we would each prefer certain styles of worship. Sadly, however, we sometimes cut ourselves off from the wide variety of ways God can be praised. Psalm 150, the final song in the psalter, helps to broaden our understanding of worship. The wor...

Every year, starting on October 1, a group of ACCers sets off on the journey of reading through the entire Bible over the next twelve months. We follow a daily reading plan that generally includes one passage from the Old Testament and one passage from the New Testament, working through individual books of the Bible from start to finish. Some participants choose to read on...

In 2002, a group of worshipers gathered in the basement of the Astoria Center of Israel Synagogue for the first Sunday service of Astoria Community Church. Since that day, the congregation of ACC can look back on 20 years of God's faithfulness and blessing on our church. You are invited to join us on Saturday, October 29 at 6:00pm as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of A...

Most Christians have friends and family members who have not yet come to trust Christ as their Savior. One of the most important things we can do for our unsaved loved ones is to pray for them. Here are seven ways to pray for those you love who do not yet know the Lord. 1) Pray for the Holy Spirit to show them their need for Jesus. In John 16, Jesus promised that after ...

Articles on how to read Scripture often focus on techniques daily reading plans, interpretive methods, systems of study, etc. These can all be tremendously helpful, but what I want to write about here are not techniques that make Bible-reading effective. I want to explore attitudes that make Bible-reading fruitful. What should be the attitude of our hearts when we approa...

The next round of ACC Community Groups will take place this fall, starting the week of September 11 and running for 10 weeks. We have groups meeting on different days of the week and using a variety of formats: Zoom, in-person, and hybrid. If you have never been part of Community Group, I encourage you to give one a try. CGs are small groups that meet regularly (usually w...

The Bible teaches that every Christian is entrusted with spiritual gifts or abilities, given to them by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 12:6). These gifts are given to individuals, but they are not given for individuals; they are given for the well-being of the entire church (1 Cor. 12:7). God desires for each of his children to find ways to use their gift (1 Pet. 4:10). This autum...

In the first blog in this series, I suggested that Christians must respond to news of global environmental devastation with open minds. In the second blog, I wrote that we should also react with broken hearts. In this blog, I suggest another response. When we hear news of planetary destruction, as believers in Christ, we should respond with undying hope. In 2017, Eric Ho...

A lot has changed in this world over the course of my lifetime. The yearly global production of plastics has increased by almost 600%. Over a million new synthetic chemicals have been developed. Microplastics have come to permeate oceans, rivers, and soil throughout the world. And a floating patch of garbage twice the size of Texas has formed in the Pacific Ocean. When yo...

Creation Care Part One When compared with the age of the earth, the span of any human life is microscopically brief "a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (Jas. 4:14). Yet since I was born in 1962, our planet has experienced more environmental devastation than that witnessed by all the generations of our ancestors combined, since the time of Noah. I...

Psalm 23 is one of the most well-known portions of the Bible. It is often read at funeral services and other important occasions. Many people have committed the psalm to memory. You sometimes see verses from Psalm 23 displayed decoratively in people's homes or tattooed onto their arms. It is a very popular psalm. The reason Psalm 23 is so popular is because it is beautifu...

In this three-blog series, are looking at 2 Peter 1:3-11 to learn how believers can grow in their relationship with Christ. In the first blog, I focused on the power for spiritual growth. In the second blog, I wrote about the process of growth. In this blog, I'd like to explore why spiritual growth is so important. In verses 8-11, the Apostle Peter describes four benefits...

In this three-blog series, we are looking at 2 Peter 1:3-11 to explore the ways believers grow in their relationship with Christ. In the first blog, I focused on the power for spiritual growth. In this blog, I want to talk about the process of growth. Peter describes the process of growth in verses 5-7: "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodnes...

How do Christians increase in character and virtue? What makes their relationship with Christ grow in depth and authenticity? Why are some believers so fruitful in their spiritual life? How did they get that way? 2 Peter 1:3-11 is an amazingly helpful portion of scripture when it comes to answering these questions. In these verses, the Apostle Peter explains, the power, t...

There is a famous photograph taken in 1937 that records the launch of a newly built ship for the German navy. In the picture, hundreds of shipyard workers have their arms extended in a Nazi salute. If you look closely at the photo, however, you will find one man with a smirk on his face, standing with his arms folded defiantly across his chest. The worker has been identifi...

Years ago a friend gave me a copy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book,Life Together. I have since read it more than once and would list it as one of the most important Christian books I own. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor who lived in Germany during the rise of the Third Reich. A critic of the Nazi party, Bonhoeffer had escaped Germany to study overseas and landed a ...

According to Scripture, God clearly wants his people to call on him in prayer (Matt. 7:7-8; Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2). But have you ever wondered why God wants us to pray? The Bible describes God as all-knowing, all-powerful, and never-failing in his love. So, if God knows what's best for us, has unlimited power to work in our lives, and loves us dearly, why does he require us...

In recent years, a growing number of people from conservative Christian backgrounds have been questioning the faith commitments of their youth. Sometimes identifying as "exvangelicals", these people often share publicly about the process of deconstructing (and sometimes abandoning) their faith. Generally what leads people to take these steps is their deep disillusionment w...

Since the days of the early Church, Christians have taught that abortion is ethically wrong. Though not all Christians hold this view today, it is still the conviction of many believers that, in most situations, the lives of the unborn should be protected. Why do Christians hold these beliefs? Do they simply want to deprive women of their rights? Do Christians have hang-up...

We are looking at practical instructions the Apostle Paul gave us in Philippians 4 to help us fight for joy during difficult times. In part one of this blog series, we examined the importance of prayer. In part two, we discussed the need to fill our minds with life-giving thoughts. The third practical suggestion Paul gives for pursuing joy is to put into practice those th...

We are looking at practical instructions the Apostle Paul gave us in Philippians 4 to help us fight for joy during difficult times. In part one of this blog series, we examined the importance of prayer. The second practical suggestion we are given is to fill our minds with life-giving thoughts. It goes without saying that if you are filling your mind with garbage, you ...

In Philippians 4:4, the Apostle Paul writes, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" The verb "rejoice" in that sentence is in the imperative mood. That means this is a command. We are commanded to experience joy. How can you command someone to feel a certain way? That does not seem fair. How can we control our feelings? Paul's words seem especially un...

Psalm 30 tells the story of someone who had faced difficult times. Listen to the litany of sorrows experienced by this song writer: Verse 1 mentions enemies, indicating the presence of interpersonal conflict in the psalmist's life. Verse 1 also says that God had lifted the psalmist from "the depths", pointing perhaps to a personal struggle with depression. Verses 2 an...

According to the New Testament, the gospel message rises or falls on the historical reliability of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Luke wrote that Jesus gave his disciples "convincing evidence" that he had risen, and that God provided "proof of [the gospel] to everyone by raising [Christ] from the dead" (Acts 1:3; 17:31). The Apostle Paul considered it ridiculous for any...

The Gospel of John tells us that during the last supper, Jesus excused himself from the meal, clothed himself as a servant boy, found a towel and a basin of water, and scooted around on the floor washing the disciples' feet. The washing of feet was a common act of hospitality in 1st century homes, yet the task was considered so undignified that, according to rabbinical tra...

During each week of Lent this year, we are posting an excerpt from a classic writing on Christian spirituality, followed by some questions for personal reflection. Today's post comes from John Chrysostom (305-407) the archbishop of Constantinople. This excerpt comes from one of John's sermons, titled "Dead to Sin". John Chrysostom: We must remember that we deal with a c...

Today's post comes from a sermon preached by Charles Spurgeon, a Baptist pastor in London in the 1800's. The sermon, based on Habakkuk 3:2, addresses the need for spiritual revival in the church. In this portion of his talk, Spurgeon points out that one aspect of revival involves the Spirit's work in the conversations of individual Christians. Charles Spurgeon: Pay atten...

During each week of Lent this year, we will be posting an excerpt from a classic writing on Christian spirituality, followed by some questions for personal reflection. Today's post comes from the book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, an English professor at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the mid-20th Century. In this excerpt, Lewis writes about the way God uses diff...

During each week of Lent this year, we will be posting an excerpt from a classic writing on Christian spirituality, followed by some questions for personal reflection. Today's post is taken from a modern classic titled The Divine Conspiracy Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God, written in 1997 by Dallas Willard. Willard, who died in 2013, was a professor of philosophy at...

Dear Friend of ACC, This fiscal year our church has committed to giving over $50,000 to missions, mercy care, and outreach. On Easter Sunday, we will be collecting a special offering to help fulfill that commitment. Our goal is to raise $25,000 through our Easter Outreach Offering. The Easter Outreach Offering will be given at ACC on Easter Sunday, April 17th. Everyone i...

During each week of Lent this year, we will be posting an excerpt from a classic writing on Christian spirituality, followed by some questions for personal reflection. Today's post is taken from the writings of Teresa of Avila (1515-1582). Teresa was a Carmelite nun in Spain whose writings on prayer and spiritual devotion are studied by Christians to this day. The passage...

The traditional season of Lent consists of the forty days (excluding Sundays) that lead up to Easter. Not all Christians celebrate Lent, but for many it is a meaningful time to seek spiritual renewal from the Lord. For an interesting article on a helpful approach to Lent, click here. During each week of Lent this year, we will be posting an excerpt from a classic writing ...

"And this is my prayer: that your lovemay abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight " (Philippians 1:9) There is a corny, old joke about an elderly bachelor who always bragged to his neighbors about how much he loved children. One day, as he was pouring a new sidewalk in front of his house, a boy from down the block accidentally rode his bicycle through the w...

Because it was a holiday, the kids were off from school. My 17-year-old stepson had asked to borrow the car to go out with his friends. Like any parent of a recently licensed driver, I was relieved the see the car, dent-free and unscratched, parked in the driveway when I got home. But I was unprepared for what I would find when I walked in the door. Chris, my stepson, and...

As many as 7 billion copies of the Bible have been printed making it the best-selling book of all time. The full Bible has been translated into more than 700 languages, and the New Testament into over twice as many. In the United States, the average household possesses more than 4 Bibles. What is it about the Bible that makes it so important to so many people? Here are fi...

Here are a couple of books that explore tough questions Christians often face as they seek to live out their faith in a post-modern world. Truth Matters: Confident Faith in a Confusing World, by Andreas Kostenberger, Darrel Bock, and Josh Chatraw (BH Publishing). Truth Matters is designed for busy college students. It is short, well-written, and easy to read in a few hou...

Breezewood is a small town in western Pennsylvania, located at the intersection of two major highways. It has been called "the city of motels." Every year, millions of travelers exit the highway in Breezewood, looking for a chance to rest. Even though the population of the town is only 1,413, it is estimated that 1,000 people are employed there in restaurants, gas stations...

I once knew a man who ate the same food every day for years a liverwurst sandwich and Italian butter cookies. He swore by this diet and lived well into his nineties. But to be honest, if that is all I had to eat, I'm not sure I would want to live that long. Most of us crave variety in our meal plan. We enjoy tasting different kinds of food. Strangely, however, when it co...

When I was in elementary school and the teacher took attendance at the beginning of the day, students would respond to hearing their name by saying "here" or "present." Those who were absent, of course, would say nothing at all. There were only two options. You were either in school or you weren't. Present or absent. There was no in-between, no degrees of attendance. No on...

When the writers of the New Testament contemplated the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, they saw these events fulfilling centuries of sacred promises expressed in the Hebrew Scriptures. Here are some of the Old Testament prophecies that find their completion in the birth of Jesus Christ. The descendent of the woman: When the Lord cursed the serpent for enticing the...

December 9, 2021 Dear Friend of ACC: As we approach the end of another challenging year, I am grateful for the faithfulness of God. Do you remember what life was like a year ago? The COVID-19 vaccine was not yet available. Most NYC students attended school from home. Our city was a few days away from closing indoor dining again, after a failed attempt to get restaurants...

I am always surprised by how much airplay John the Baptist gets in the four Gospels compared with the attention given to baby Jesus. With all the emphasis this time of year on the nativity narratives, you would think the birth of Christ must be a major focus of the biblical record. But compared to what the Gospel writers say about John the Baptist, the story of the babe in...

One of the themes of the Advent season is the theme of preparation. For centuries, faithful Israelites prepared for the coming of the Messiah. They did this by believing God's promises and obeying God's Word. Today, we prepare for the Messiah's return in the same way. Malachi 3:1-4, a traditional Advent reading, points to two ways God helps us in this work of preparation....

When I was a kid, my family took a trip to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. Mammoth Cave is the world's longest known cave system with over 400 miles of underground passageways. I don't remember much from our visit, but I do recall one moment during the tour when our guide asked us to stand quietly while all the lights were extinguished in one of the underground cav...

I recently heard (thank you, Lourine Clark!) about a spiritual discipline that Eugene Peterson practiced throughout his life. He prayerfully selected seven psalms from the Bible that he felt would "cover the waterfront" of his spiritual needs. He then made a commitment to let those psalms change his life. He would read them, meditate on them, commit them to memory, and pra...

Throughout Scripture, God reveals himself as one who protects those who are vulnerable and who shows compassion for people who have been hurt. He is the defender of widows, the father to the fatherless, a refuge for the foreigner, and the champion of the poor. (See, for example, Psalm 146:7-9.) Scripture also reveals that God expects the leaders of his people to protect vu...

Have you ever had to wait for God? You pray and hear no answer. You look for God to work in your situation, but nothing seems to change. Waiting is never easy. It is even harder when we see no reason for the delay. How should we respond when we are forced to wait for God? The Apostle Peter tackled that question in 2 Peter 3:3-18. Writing to Christians in the first century...

The gospel assures us that when we come to God through faith in Christ we are justified by the Father and accepted as one of his own. All our sins are forgiven, and we are declared to be righteous in the eyes of the Creator. This new status before God is perfect and complete. We could not possibly be more accepted by the Father than we already are in Christ, and we will ne...

When Christians recite the Apostles' Creed in worship, we speak the line: "I believe in the communion of saints." What does this mean? The word "saints" here does not refer to a select group of super-Christians but to any and every believer in Jesus Christ. The word "communion" is not talking about the Lord's Supper but about the relationship that exists between Christian...

Jesus often taught people by telling parables brief stories or word pictures designed to communicate spiritual truth. On Sunday, October 17, we will begin a six-week sermon series titled "Stories Jesus Told" in which we will look at six parables from the book of Luke. Community Groups will also be meeting to dig deeper into these parables together. New Testament scholar,...

One of the most frequently proclaimed messages in the Bible is that someday the world in which we live will come to an end. A final day is coming. In the Old Testament there are over 1,800 references to this final day, often called "the day of the LORD." This phrase refers to a future moment in time when God will appear to judge the world, to punish the wicked, to welcome...

A recent study revealed that most Americans own Bibles (almost 9 out of 10 households possess a copy) and that many Americans view the Bible positively (over one half say it is a good source of moral instruction; 35% call it life-changing). However, the same study indicates that many people struggle to interact with Scripture in meaningful ways (about 50% have read relativ...

I am pleased to announce the addition of two part-time staff members to the ACC ministry team. Annette Scattoni will be serving in a newly created position as Children's Ministry Coordinator. In this role, Annette will be recruiting, training, and overseeing volunteers to work with our children's programs from infancy through 5th grade. Annette and her family (Gianluca, S...

Several years ago, the elders of ACC began praying about and discussing the mission of our church. Over time we included other church leaders in the discussion, asking for their feedback and prayers. We embarked on this endeavor, not because we wanted to lead the church in a radically new direction, but because we felt that ACC needed a fresh understanding of why God has p...

Dear Friends of ACC, We have all learned how difficult it can be to make plans during a pandemic. From businesses, to schools, to local governments and individual families, we all know what it is like to make plans and then be forced to revise them because of changes in the public health situation. Because of this reality, it is difficult to say exactly what the coming se...

I once heard a radio interview with a retired elevator repairman. He reported that in 80% of the elevators in New York City, the "close door" button is not hooked up to anything at all. Pushing the button does not make the door close any faster than it would have anyway. Why do they have these buttons in elevator cars? According to this man, the reason is because people li...

Perseverance is an essential quality for those who follow Jesus Christ. We often face times of discouragement and distraction and feel tempted to give up. What can we do to increase our endurance so that, when the going gets tough, we persevere in our commitment to the Lord? Hebrews 12:1-3 provides good counsel for weary Christians. It says: "Therefore, since we are surro...

The Bible tells us that, as God's people, we are called to be holy. We are reminded of this calling in 1 Peter 1:13-25. Verses 15-16 say, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" To be holy means to view yourself as set apart for the glory of God with a consequent commitment to obey God's commands. ...

When I was a child, we were told in Sunday school to close our eyes for prayer. Though the Bible never gives this instruction, it is probably a good idea to teach this to a roomful of fidgety five-year-old's. Open eyes can easily present little ones with distractions that lead to a breakdown of classroom order. Besides this, praying with your eyes closed is a tradition tha...

On June 15, Governor Cuomo announced the lifting of many of the COVID-19 restrictions that had been in place in New York State. Social distancing, capacity restrictions, and mask-wearing are no longer required in stores, restaurants, offices, gyms, and other places. Unvaccinated individuals are still responsible to wear masks, as suggested by the CDC. As public health con...

Last week New York City reported its lowest COVID positivity rates since testing began, giving us the lowest positivity rates in the country. We also celebrated a day with zero deaths from coronavirus. Praise God for this wonderful news! With the increase in vaccinations and the improving public health situation, ACC is planning gradual changes to our Sunday-morning healt...

Of the many local churches mentioned in the New Testament, one of the most compelling congregations is the church in Antioch described in the book of Acts. The church in Antioch is notable for its resilience in the face of persecution, its commitment to personal evangelism, its spiritual giftedness, its prayerfulness, its missionary zeal, its compassion for the poor, and i...

Like many churches during the COVID pandemic, ACC has taken a hybrid approach to worship. We meet in-person following strict health protocols but also provide on-line access to our worship services so that people can participate remotely. We plan to continue with this approach for the foreseeable future, looking forward to the day when these measures will no longer be nece...

Since its inception, our nation has struggled with injustice, inequality, and racism. Often this struggle has resulted in violence. In recent years, we have witnessed examples of this violence in different forms: mass shootings that target ethnic minorities, police brutality against people of color, vicious assaults on Asian Americans, and the counter-violence of looting a...

Many people these days have grown disillusioned with Christian community. There is no shortage of criticism of the church both in print and on social media. So, it is refreshing to run across a book written by someone who, though well-aware of the church's shortcomings, nevertheless still has faith in Christ's ability "to present to himself a radiant church, without stain...

We are grateful to all those who responded to our One Year COVID Review Survey. Your answers are helpful in making plans for the church as we continue through these challenging times. It should be noted that surveys do not give the whole picture. As you will see below, only 37 people from our congregation responded. We have approximately 121 members and 57 regular attender...

A well-known party game, designed to encourage conversation among guests, is "Would You Rather." In this game, participants are asked to respond to hypothetical questions about their preferences, questions such as: 'Would you rather always be 10 minutes late or 20 minutes early?' 'Would you rather have all the traffic lights you approach be green or never have to stand i...

Scripture not only asserts that Jesus rose from the dead. It also explains why his resurrection matters. Below are six implications of the empty tomb. The Resurrection of Christ declares that Jesus is the Son of God. By raising Jesus from the dead, the Father affirmed Christ's identity as the divine Son. "[Christ Jesus] was declared to be God's powerful Son by his ...

Followers of Christ are often reluctant to discuss their deeply held convictions with unbelievers. Sometimes we fear that such discussions will lead to fights and hurt feelings. Other times we are afraid we will not know how to answer the questions or objections that people raise. Often the thought of discussing our convictions overwhelms us, because we feel that it is our...

When I moved to New York City in the late 1980's, my first job was as a long-distance telephone operator with ATT. This was back in the days before texting and cell phones and social media. Email had been invented, but few people used it yet. Back then, Zoom and Skype would have seemed like something out of science fiction. So, because long-distance calls were costly, to p...

It has been five months since ACC began holding in-person worship services on Sundays. I am grateful for the safety guidelines developed by our Re-Opening Task Force and for the hard work done by our Hospitality Team each Sunday to help us follow protocol. When we returned to in-person worship, we decided to be more cautious than required by public health guidelines. The ...

It is often said that, because of the way human cells regenerate themselves, every seven to ten years we are completely new people. As it turns out, this is not exactly true, but the thought is compelling, nevertheless. Who isn't attracted to the idea of being made new? The Christian season of Lent is traditionally a time for believers to seek renewal not renewal of our ...

Through February 12, 2021, our church is receiving nominations for potential new elders and potential new members of the Diaconate. After an initial screening, nominees for these positions will be invited to participate in a thorough training program. They will also be interviewed carefully by church leaders before being presented to the congregation for approval to minis...

We have different ways to warm ourselves up on cold winter days: a cup of hot chocolate, a favorite sweater, an extra blanket on the bed. But how do you warm up your heart? If your sense of God's love has grown cold, what can you do? A book that helped to warm my heart this winter is Dane Ortlund's Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers. Drawing ...

Please watch this recording of JC Cha and Erin Kwon taking their membership vows and being officially received as new members!...

Most people who know Jesus as Savior would love for others to know him too. But many of us find it difficult to talk with other people about our faith. It feels awkward. We are not sure what to say. We find it difficult to connect with people who might need to hear the gospel. Talking about Jesus feels hard. This winter, ACC will offer a class designed to address this pro...

Where is God when times are tough? Why does the Lord allow pain and injustice to occur? Does God have a plan for this world? Is God at work behind the scenes in ways we cannot see? These are the kinds of questions addressed in the Old Testament book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk was a prophet who lived during an exceedingly difficult season of history. In the late 7th Century BC,...

Dear Friend of ACC,2020 is ending, and how different this year turned out to be from what we expected when it began.Though these past months have been tough, I am thankful to God for how he has worked in and through our congregation. We have seen church members work valiantly to keep us connected through on-line worship services and fellowship gatherings. We have learned t...

The nativity stories in the Bible show us that God's actions are often initially frightening. But when we move on from fear to faith, we soon experience God's joy. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE DEVOTIONAL....

The light of Christ shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it! Click hereto watch the video....

One of the themes of Advent is 'hope'. In this devotional, I share what Christian hope looks like and how we can put it into practice. Click here to watch the video....

Advent is a season of waiting. Just as God's people waited for Messiah's birth, we wait now for his return. In this video devotional for the 1st week of Advent, I share a scripturethat I have found helpful during times of waiting. Click here to watch the video. ...

Thank God for allowing us to live in a democracy, where the people have a say in the selection of their leaders. Praise God for his mercy and generosity to our nation over the last 244 years. Praise God that we have been able to proceed with the election in spite of the pandemic. Ask forgiveness for bitter thoughts you have harbored and unkind words you have spo...

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powersof this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." (Eph. 6:12, 18b) According to the Bible, there is a battle being waged in a realm we canno...

It is a wonderful thing to live in a democracy to have a say in the selection of one's government. Christians in many parts of the world today, and most Christians throughout history, have not enjoyed the privilege of voting for their leaders. However, living in a democracy also presents challenges for the Church. Both Christ and the Apostles taught that genuine unity is...

I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of theLord!"(Psalm 122:1) It was thrilling to gather as a congregation for worship this past Sunday after over six months being unable to do so. I was amazed by the number of people who came to worship, and I am deeply grateful for all those who worked so hard in planning, preparation, and implementation both of the...

It is easy to feel isolated during the time of COVID. Yet it is so important to stay in touch with others and stay encouraged in our faith. Community Groups are a great way to connect with brothers and sisters in Christ. ACC Community Groups will be starting in October. The groups will meet by zoom and will run for 8 weeks, ending just before Thanksgiving. The groups wil...

When I was in junior high, my mother taught me to spend some time every day reading the Bible. (Thanks, Mom!) But it was not until I was a young adult that I began the practice of working through the whole of Scripture over the course of a year. I have been doing this now for close to 30 years, and I have found it to be one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I...

A 3-week sermon series at ACC, starting September 13, will focus on three aspects of the Christian life that we want to see happening more and more at our church. We want to be a church in which everyone is growing in their relationship with God, in which we are all equipped to lead lives that bring glory to Christ, and in which we relate to each other and to our neighbors...

This fall at ACC we are offering a 10-week course called "Core Christianity 101." The name of the class may sound like it is for beginners, but don't be fooled by the title. Though the class would be great for those new to the Christian faith, the material is far from simplistic. "Core Christianity" is based on a book by Dr. Michael Horton, professor of theology at Westmi...

Among the many areas of life disrupted by the COVID pandemic are the worship practices of Christians throughout the world. Believers have been forced to worship God in ways that feel unnatural to us. For months, we have sat in front of computer screens, following a service from home. Now, as congregations begin to gather again, we find that worship is still not what we wou...

A taskforce from our congregation recently presented a report to the elders with suggestions for how best to return to public worship services. Discussions are taking place and work is underway to reconvene Sunday worship services as soon and as safely as possible. We had hoped to reopen public worship services in the ACI Synagogue in early September, but due to Jewish ho...

Matthew 6:25-43 is probably the most well-known passage of the Bible that deals with the problem of anxiety. In these verses, Jesus gives us six reasons not to worry 1) Worry obscures what is most important in life. People tend to worry most over temporal issues finances, deadlines, the opinions of others. Stressing ourselves out over these things can make us forget mat...

If a tree falls in the forest, and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? So goes the age-old metaphysical question. Does the occurrence of an event depend on it being perceived? I will leave it to philosophers to answer that one. But what I do know is that, when it comes to acts of kindness toward others or devotion toward God, no acts are unobserved. In...

Dear ACC Family, It has been wonderful to see the decline in the number of coronavirus cases in New York and to watch the civic and economic life of our city slowly begin to revive. It is encouraging to know that, God willing, the day is approaching when we will again gather physically to worship as a congregation. Last week our elders approved the formation of a "Re-ope...

A hymn I really love is "If thou but suffer God to guide thee" by Georg Neumark (1621-1681). I first learned of this hymn in my early 20's, when I was facing personally challenging times. I often sing it during my morning prayers, especially on days when I want to encourage my heart to trust in the Lord. Unfortunately, this hymn is hard to sing. The lyrics (in its English...

The New Testament teaches that church members need to pray for each other (Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2; Jas. 5:16). What are some ways we can pray for our church during this time of coronavirus. Here are 21 ways to consider praying for our church: Pray for the sick, for healing and for patience in affliction. Pray for those who are lonely, that they will find ways to conn...

We have probably all heard conspiracy theories related to the present global health crisis. Here are a few alleged schemes I have run across: - COVID-19 is caused by 5G technology. - The coronavirus was developed in a lab either by the Chinese Communist Party or by the U.S. Military. - Big Pharma developed COVID-19 and took out patents so they can make billions selling ...

In my blog posts this week, I am quoting portions from some classic Christian writings on prayer. Today's quote comes from the English mystic Julian of Norwich (1343-1413). A Benedictine nun, Julian is known for her deep spiritual hunger for God. Julian spent much time praying that God would give her three wounds: "the wound of contrition; the wound of loving compassion; ...

In my blog posts this week, I am quoting portions from some classic Christian writings on prayer. Today's quote comes from the writings of Lancelot Andrews (1555-1626), an Anglican bishop who served on the scholarly committee that produced the King James Version of the Bible. In this prayer, Andrews exhibits a deep passion for godliness in both his character and his behav...

In my blog posts this week, I am quoting portions from some classic Christian writings on prayer. Today's quote comes from With Christ in the School of Prayer by South African pastor Andrew Murray (1828-1917). This passage, from a chapter titled "The Power of Persevering Prayer," is based on Jesus' parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8. In that parable, Jesus tea...

In my blog posts this week, I am quoting portions from some classic Christian writings on prayer. Today's quote comes from Prayer and Worship by Quaker philosopher and theologian Douglas V. Steele (1901-1995). In addition to his work as an academic, Steele was heavily involved in the international missions work of his church. He was known for combining quiet contemplation...

A song by Christian recording artist Twila Paris talks about the beautiful way Jesus demonstrated love to others while he was in this world. His love was more than warm sentiments. It was an embodied love a love that expressed God's compassion through physical actions. His hands served people food. His feet traveled to their homes and villages. His eyes looked upon sinner...

We often know how to pray for others. But what should we ask in prayer for ourselves? This poem by missionary and author Amy Carmichael (1867-1951) is a prayer I need to pray for myself today. (Do you need to pray it, too?) The poem is titled, "Flame of God". From prayer that asks that I may beSheltered from winds that beat on Thee,From fearing when I should aspire,From...

Here are some riddles: What goes up and down at the same time? What tastes better than it smells? What makes two people out of one? The answers are at the end. (Warning: Unless you are in 1st grade, the answers will make you groan.) Here is another riddle: How can a command be both old and new at the same time? I pose this final riddle because the Bible describes...

Most Christians wish their prayer life were better than it is. Many Christians feel guilty for not praying as they think they ought to. What should we do when we want to pray but we just don't feel like it? Here are a few words of advice 1) Pray anyway. What makes our prayers acceptable to God is not the fervency of our passion or the depth of our devotion. The heavenly ...

A song I have found meaningful lately is "Commit Now All Your Griefs" written in 1653 by Paul Gerhardt. This is a great hymn for teaching us how to deal with fear. Paul Gerhardt was a Lutheran pastor who lived, with his family, through the Thirty Year's War. This was a time of conflict in central Europe in which violence, famine, and plague resulted in the deaths of 20%...

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,set your hopeon the grace to be brought to youwhen Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.As obedient children do not conformto the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:13-16) These wo...

In previous blog entries, I've been looking at Thomas' struggle to believe the Easter message, as recorded in John 20. His story serves as a good case study for exploring the causes of doubt and constructive ways to handle doubt. In this entry, I'd like to look at Thomas again in order to discuss the benefits of doubting. For a Christian, to go through a season of uncert...

Frequently, in the Bible, when the disciples heard the report that Jesus had risen from the dead, their initial reaction was to doubt that it could be true. Perhaps no one demonstrates this more vividly than Thomas. We are not sure why Thomas struggled so much to believe, but he certainly made his doubts clear. When other believers told him that they had seen the risen Lor...

Imagine you had a bad attitude that lasted a week, and then for the rest of your life that was the only thing people remembered about you. That would be so unfair. Sadly, that's essentially what happened to the Apostle Thomas. In John 20:19-29 we read that Thomas spent seven days questioning whether Jesus had risen from the dead. His funk only lasted a week, but to this da...

The most common type of psalm in the Bible is the psalm of lament. And this is good news! A psalm of lament in ancient Hebrew is a song of sorrow, in which worshipers pour out their heartbreak and grief to the Lord. One third of the songs in the book of Psalms fits into this category. In the laments we hear the psalmists say things like: "How long,LORD? Will you forget m...

A Prayer for Today Need a prayer to pray today? Try this one, written by Reinhold Niebuhr: God, give me grace to accept with serenitythe things that cannot be changed,Courage to change the thingswhich should be changed,and the Wisdom to distinguishthe one from the other.Living one day at a time,Enjoying one moment at a time,Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,Taking...

ACC Family: Our usual plans for Holy Week have obviously changed this year, but the truth of the gospel message is as powerful now as it ever has been. I want you to know some ways to stay connected with the church in worship and prayer this week. Maundy Thursday (April 9) Join us for an interactive worship experience, as we commemorate the final Passover meal that...

For thousands of years, Psalm 23 has been a source of solace to God's people in times of crisis. I've been thinking lately about one verse in this psalm and how amazing it is. After describing how the Lord renews and restores us, and how he walks beside us through dark valleys, King David writes in verse 5, "You prepare a tablebefore me in the presence of my enemies." I...

Many of us are familiar with Psalm 23:4. "Even though Iwalk through the valley ofthe shadow of death, I willfear no evil, foryou are with me; yourrod and your staff, they comfort me." While this verse will be meaningful at the moment of death, it is intended to apply to any situation of deep sorrow or fear. The phrase "the shadow of death" is a Hebraism meaning "as dark...

In Psalm 23, King David described what was often required for him to experience inner renewal from the Lord. He wrote, "The LORD ... makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul" (vv. 1-3a). Something I find striking about those words is David's admission that he often needed the Lord to make him lie down in green gra...

Worshiping remotely It's not something new Christians all over the world these days are connecting with their church via electronic media to worship remotely with fellow believers. For many of us this is a new experience, but it has been done before. A New York Times article, dated May 21, 2006, describes a pastor who was ministering to a congregation of dispersed immig...

A Psalm for Those Sheltering in Place Being shut indoors because of potential danger, as we currently are, can be challenging. We feel stuck. We feel alone. We are uncertain of what the future holds. In times like this, Psalm 142 can be a helpful guide for turning our thoughts toward God and directing our prayers. The scribal note connected with Psalm 142 tells us that...

We had a wonderful time of worship and hearing God's word preached by Pastor David on Sunday, March 22nd. If you haven't watched the service yet, you can still access it by clicking this link. Here's the bulletinto follow along with. ...

The spread of the coronavirus has, in many ways, made us feel that we are losing control. Our schedules have changed. Our plans have been cancelled. Technology we thought would protect us has proved powerless. No one knows what will happen tomorrow. We feel that control has been lost. But this is all an illusion. We haven't lost control; we never had it to begin with. J...

"I wish I had more time for prayer." "I wish I could get some rest." "I just wish things would slow down so I had time to think." Have you ever said (or thought) anything like this? Well, guess what. God is answering your prayers. The isolation forced on us by the current public health crisis is presenting many of us with a tremendous gift TIME. Of course, we still ha...

Message from Pastor David. Click here....

The current public health crisis will likely present us with windows of opportunity to love our neighbors. Let's keep our eyes open for these occasions. People may be more open to interact with others than they normally are. Perhaps you can offer to do grocery shopping for the elderly couple next door. (Of course, make sure you maintain safe social distance.) Jesus sa...

Dear Friend of ACC, Given the on-going uncertainty concerning the coronavirus health crisis, ACC is cancelling worship services on March 15 22. We apologize for the lateness of this decision. As we learn more about the public health situation and about how better to sanitize our worship space, we will inform you of plans for future Sundays and church events. We plan t...

Dear Friend of ACC:We want to keep you updated about our church's plans in response to the current health concerns affecting our city. Since the situation is changing continually, we may need to alter our plans on a day-to-day basis. We will do our best to keep you informed but ask that you check our church website or Facebook page so that you can be apprised of our plan...

Does knowing Jesus make any difference in your daily life right now? Romans 5:1-5 describes five ways that faith in Christ affects your life today. 1) You have peace with God v. 1. Through faith in Christ, believers have been justified. This means, Christian, that, because of Jesus, God has declared you to be righteous and acceptable in his eyes. This divine pronouncem...

NowtheLordsaidto Abram, "Go from your countryand your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, andin you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." So ...

Every year at Easter, the members of ACC give a special offering to help reach our congregational financial goals for missions and outreach. This year our goal is to raise $25,000 through our Easter Outreach Offering. The Easter Outreach Offering will be given at ACC on Easter Sunday, April 12. Everyone is invited to participate in this offering. ACC members are encoura...

On Sunday mornings at ACC, we are working through the epistle of 1 Corinthians, a book that speaks frequently about the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians, we are told that the Spirit demonstrates power when the message of the cross is proclaimed (2:4); that he "reveals the deep things of God" to believers (2:10); that he dwells in the midst of Christian communities (3:16); t...

On February 23, we will begin a 12-week Christian education course called "Christian History Made Easy." The class, led by instructors Joe Kickasola and David Ellis, will meet on Sundays at 5:00pm in the ACC office, and will provide a general survey of the history of the Christian Church. The class will feature video-taped lectures by historian Timothy Paul Jones, as well ...

Dear ACC, I want to share some news about plans for worship leadership at our 11:15 worship service. As you certainly know, last summer Brad Wade, our long-time worship director for that service, moved with his family to Portland, OR. Since then, we have tried several individuals in the role of worship leadership at the 11:15 service with the goal of finding a person who...

On January 12, we plan to begin a sermon series through Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians. Though this letter was written almost two millennia ago to Christians living over 4,800 miles from here, it speaks with amazing clarity to our present cultural moment. Perhaps this is due to the similarities between ancient Corinth and New York City in 2020. Corinth, at the tim...

The story of the Magi travelling to see baby Jesus has gripped the hearts and imaginations of believers for centuries. (See Matt. 2:1-12.) Who were these visitors from the east? What does it mean that they saw the star of the king of the Jews? What moved these adults to travel such a long distance to worship a child? And, what in the world is a "Magi"? Though scholars have...

It's usually left to parents to decide what to call their kids, but when God sent an angel to announce the birth of the Messiah, his parents were denied the right to name their son. Both Joseph and Mary were specifically instructed to name their child "Jesus" (Matt. 1:21, Luke 1:31).Why the name Jesus? Jesus (Yeshuain Hebrew, the same as the name "Joshua") was a common nam...

Four Elements of Genuine Repentance When John the Baptist prepared the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah, he called them to repent. (Matt. 3:2) As we prepare for the Messiah to come again, we are called to repentance, also. After Christ had ascended to heaven, Peter told the people of Jerusalem, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped o...

We have been studying the Ten Commandments at ACC this fall. The commandments are helpful, not only because they teach us how to live, but because of what they reveal about God. Kevin DeYoung writes: "The law is an expression of the Lawgiver's heart and character. The commandments not only show us what God wants; they show us what God is like. They say something about hi...

From the time we are young, we all know it's wrong to steal. Any three-year-old in daycare will cry out against injustice when another child grabs a toy from their hands. We seem to possess innate knowledge that people shouldn't take things that don't belong to them. So, we might think the 8thCommandment needs little explanation. "Thou shalt not steal" is a pretty clear ru...

Resources for Sexual Wholeness We are preaching on the Ten Commandments at ACC this fall. The 7th commandment says: "You shall not commit adultery." The Bible portrays physical intimacy within the covenant of marriage (between a man and a woman) as God's design for healthy sexuality (Gen. 2:21-25). It describes as immoral any expression of sexual behavior outside of this ...

In our sermons at ACC this fall, we are looking at the Ten Commandments. In prepping to preach on the sixth commandment ("Thou shalt not kill"), I listened to several sermons that other pastors gave on the subject. They were all fine sermons, but some of them sounded more like position papers on public policy than messages delivered to a local church. I write this not to ...

This fall at ACC, we are studying the Ten Commandments. Of all the commandments, you would think the one mandating a Sabbath rest (Ex. 20:8-11) would be easiest to follow. Just think of it God ordered his people to take a day off! This ought to be the most delightful commandment of all. Strangely, however, people often find this commandment difficult to enjoy. Througho...

In our current sermon series at ACC, we are looking at the 10 Commandments. The third commandment says, "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain." What does this commandment mean? First, it means that we must honor God with ourlips. We must only speak God's name in ways that are thoughtful and reverent. A person's name is more than a random arrangemen...

In our sermon series at ACC this autumn we are exploring the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17; Deut. 5:1-21). The Ten Commandments serve as a synopsis of God's moral law, showing us what a well-lived human life looks like in the eyes of God. This raises a question: What role does God's moral law play in the life of a Christian? Do these old rules still apply? If so, in ...

Not only is the Bible the best-selling book of all time, it consistently ranks as the best-selling book of the year every year, with over 100 million copies printed annually. In the United States, almost nine out of every ten households own a copy of the Bible. Yet despite the widespread availability of Scripture, Christian leaders are becoming increasingly alarmed by h...

In 2004, ESPN aired a game show called "Dream Job." It was a reality show in which contestants competed to be hired as anchor of the popular program "SportsCenter." Sitting in a studio talking about sports all day may not be your career goal, but for the over 10,000 people who auditioned to be contestants, hosting "SportsCenter" was the job of their dreams. The book of ...

This past Sunday, July 7, we switched to a summer worship schedule with only one service at 10:30AM. Please remember the time change as you make your Sunday morning plans. We plan to return to our regular two-service schedule on Sunday, September 8. The summer worship services will sometimes follow the style and structure of our 9:30 liturgical service and at other times ...

My sister is a high school English teacher. If one of her students wrote the words of Acts 2:1 in a term paper, my sister would pull out her red pen, underline the sentence, and mark a big "X" in the margin. Why? Because, according to the conventions of academic English, the sentence is grammatically incorrect. The wording is redundant. Acts 2 gives an account of the da...

The Bible tells us that God is honored by giving that is both generous and joyful. (See 2 Cor. 9:6-7.) A good example of a time when God's people gave in both of these ways is found in 1 Chronicles 29. In this chapter, King David made plans for the construction of the temple of the LORD and challenged the leaders of Israel to join him in giving toward the project. The k...

In case you are not on the ACC email list, we want you to be informed of plans concerning the worship services at ACC. See the two emails sent out last month below. May 9, 2019 Members and Attenders of ACC: I want to keep you informed of some upcoming changes at our church and ask for your prayers as we face a time of transition. Brad Wade, the worship director at ou...

Many churches traditionally celebrate the ascension of Christ this week, as we will at ACC on Sunday, June 2. In Luke 24:50-51 and Acts 1:4-11, we read about Jesus ascending to heaven in bodily form in the presence of his disciples. Since we are given few details as to what happened, the event is mysterious. Yet the spiritual implications of the ascension are amazing. T...

Pastor Jeffrey preached last Sunday from Joshua 24:14-28, a passage in which Joshua challenged the Israelites to make a decisive choice about the ultimate allegiance of their hearts. Joshua said: "Now fear theLORDand serve him with all faithfulness. But if serving theLORDseems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods y...

On Sunday, May 19 we will be ordaining Raul Rojas to the office of elder, adding him to the leadership team at ACC. Raul, Anne and their children David and Rebecca have been part of the ACC family for years. Raul has served faithfully in various capacities, including men's ministry, sound team, welcome team, and monthly brunch ministry. More than this, Raul has consistent...

During the Easter season, Christians traditionally celebrate the great New Testament truth that Jesus was physically raised from the dead. But beyond believing in the fact of the resurrection, it is important to know why it matters. Below are three reasons why, according to the Bible, the empty tomb is important. 1.The resurrection proves that Jesus is who he claimed t...

This fiscal year, our church hopes to give over $48,000 to world missions, diaconal work, and outreach ministries. Our Easter Outreach Offering is a special act of giving designed to help us reach that goal. The Easter Outreach Offering will be given at ACC on Easter Sunday, April 21. Everyone is invited to participate in this offering. ACC members are encouraged to giv...

Psalm 65:2 says, "O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come." According to this verse, listening to our prayer is not simply something God does. It is a description of who God is. It is one of his unchanging attributes. Our God is the One who hears prayer. If you have a friend who goes bike-riding once or twice a year while on vacation, you might say, "Jim rid...

1 Peter 2:11 says, "Dear friends,I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,to abstain from sinful desires,which wage war against your soul." By referring to Christians as "foreigners and exiles," the Apostle reminds us that this present world is not our permanent home. As followers of Christ, we are pilgrims, sojourners, tourists, temporary visitors. Our real home is the wor...

One of the most amazing promises in the Bible is spoken by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. He says, "Ask and it will be given to you;seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." (Mt. 7:7-8) By these words Christ assures us that no one who sin...

This past Sunday, we began a series of sermons that will allow us to work through the Old Testament book of Joshua. Joshua tells the story of how God took a nation of refugees and gave them a home, how God took the Israelites from their tent city in the wilderness and brought them into Canaan, the Promised Land. The book of Joshua is both inspiring and challenging. It i...

We worship God because he is worthy of our adoration and because giving him glory is the main purpose for which we were designed. But there is a by-product of praise that is thrilling to contemplate. Praising God unleashes power in our lives and into our world. Singing of God's greatness is a powerful weapon in our spiritual war against the forces of evil. Psalm 8:2 say...

The Christian season of Advent revolves around the four Sundays that lead up to Christmas Day. Traditionally, Advent is a season focused on preparation. We remember the way God prepared Israel for the birth and ministry of Jesus, and we think about how God wants us to prepare for Christ's return. How often do you think about the return of Jesus Christ? His second coming...

Like many children, I was afraid of the dark when I was small. I slept better with a light on in the room. Apparently, even some adults find darkness frightening. A 2012 study in the United Kingdom found that almost 40% of the respondents were afraid to walk through their own home without the lights on and that 10% would not even get out of bed to go to the bathroom in t...

Seven times in the gospel of John, Jesus makes a statement about himself prefaced with the words "I am". He says: I am the bread of life" (Jn. 6) I am the light of the world (Jn 8) I am the gate (Jn 10) I am the good shepherd (Jn 10) I am the resurrection and the life (Jn 11) I am the way, the truth, and the life (Jn 14) I am the true vine (Jn 15) These state...

In 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, the Apostle Paul addresses a specific financial situation faced by the early churches. Famine and persecution in Jerusalem had resulted in conditions of extreme poverty among the Christians there. Churches in other regions were being asked to send donations to help relieve the suffering of their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. Despite the spec...

The Bible is God's Word the uniquely reliable revelation of his heart, his truth, and his redemptive plan. Augustine of Hippo, the 3rd Century African bishop and theologian, wrote, "The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home." Because the Bible is God's Word, it is vitally important for Christians to develop habits that put them into regular contact with Scripture. ...

Over 55 million people in the United States hold a membership in a gym. Millions more find other ways to stay fit walking, jogging, bicycling, etc. As a nation, we are aware of the benefits of a physically active lifestyle. Exercise can help prevent heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer. There is another kind of exercise that is even more b...

It's no secret that our nation is enduring a painful season of cultural division. Differences of opinion on political and social issues are placing a tremendous strain on relationships and communities. This is exacerbated by the constant harping of 24-hour news channels and the ease with which any of us can publish our views on social media before we've listened well to ...

ACC will be starting a new Community Group season in September. Community Groups are gatherings of 5-12 people who meet regularly in homes for prayer, Bible study, and Christian friendship. We are looking for church members who would be interested in leading a group and for others who would be willing to open their home to host a group. (Sometimes people will both host ...

My wife tells me that I am not a good listener. (At least, that's what I think she said.) I am beginning to realize she may be right. A book that was very helpful to me in understanding my problem is The Listening Life by Adam S. McHugh. McHugh makes the case that listening is one of the most important things a follower of Christ can do. He writes, "Throughout the Bibl...

At the Vacation Bible Club this summer, I was placed in charge of the Scripture memorization station. Children were challenged to memorize verses from the Bible and rewarded with Jolly Rancher candies if they did so. In case no one is offering you a Jolly Rancher, I want to suggest a few reasons why you might consider Scripture memorization as an on-going discipline to ...

In his book, Blessed are the Misfits, Brant Hansen writes about his life growing up in a church where it was constantly stressed that every Christian's job was to evangelize to get out into the world to spread the gospel and how distressing this assignment was for him as an introvert. In other churches, what is stressed is that every Christian's job is to engage in pol...

Da Vinci's famous painting, Mona Lisa, has an estimated value of $620 million. You can buy a copy of it on Amazon for $25.99. What's the difference? One is real; the other is fake. One is genuine; the other just a cheap imitation. That's the way it is with many things in life. Their value depends entirely on their authenticity. Zirconium diamonds, Gucci knock-offs, co...

Every year the churches of our denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), send representatives to a nationwide General Assembly (GA). Last week, Jeffrey Choi and I travelled to Atlanta, where this year's meeting was held, to participate in the Assembly. A lot of important things happen at GA: decisions are made regarding the future of the church; reports ar...

Cigna health insurance company recently conducted a survey of over 20,000 people in the U.S. age 18 or older. They discovered what we all already knew a lot of people are lonely. The survey revealed that loneliness in our society has become epidemic. According to the research: Almost halfof Americans say they sometimes or always feel alone (46 percent) or excluded (...

In Exodus 19, the Israelites arrive at Mt. Sinai. The LORD appears on top of the mountain, and Moses is invited to climb the peak to receive instructions from the LORD. In Exodus 20, God begins to dictate his laws to Moses, starting with a synopsis of God's moral standards, commonly known as the 10 Commandments. Before giving the commandments, the LORD prefaced his law ...

On May 18-19 (Friday 6:30-9:30pm, Saturday 8:30am-2:00pm), ACC will offer a free seminar titled "Competent to Love Excelling in Gifts that Build Up the Church". The purpose of this seminar is to equip us for our work as a church to love each other and to love our neighbors as we share the gospel of Christ. Some of the topics to be covered in the seminar are: Disc...

In our weekly sermon series through the book of Exodus, we are in the section of Exodus where the Israelites have left behind their slavery in Egypt and are on their way to the Promised Land. During this phase of their journey, a question the Israelites frequently asked was, "Why are we here?" Why are we trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea? (chapter 14) ...

Imagine a refugee camp in the middle of the desert. The people take down their tents in the morning and ready themselves for the day's hike. The fitter ones have already started down the road. Those less agile the elderly, the disabled, the families with small children lag behind. Suddenly, a war cry fills the air. Armed men on swift camels storm into the camp, killing...

What comes to mind when you think of a rescue? A firefighter rushing into a burning building? A Coast Guard ship aiding a raft of refugees? Perhaps you think of a child nursing a stray animal back to health, or of a woman walking her friend to his first A.A. meeting. Whatever picture comes to mind, rescues are always thrilling. Someone with compassion acts to aid someon...

On January 9, I begin a sabbatical break from my active duties as pastor. I am extremely grateful to our elders for offering me this opportunity to devote time to rest, prayer, and spiritual renewal. For those interested in what I will be doing, here is some information. I intend to devote my time primarily to seeking the Lord in prayer. I'm indebted to coaching advice f...

Joy from God...

On the 2nd Sunday of Advent this year we will be reading Isaiah 40:1-11, a passage that promises peace and comfort to people in distress. Isaiah was a prophet in the southern kingdom of Judah who ministered from approximately 745-695 B.C. In his preaching, Isaiah confronted the people over their sinful rebellion against God, warning them of the painful exile that would re...

It has been said that humans can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, and about eight minutes without air, but that we cannot survive even one second without hope. I disagree with that statement. There are people who have been living without hope for years if you can call that living. When you have no hope, you still get up in the morning, ...

Concern over the opinions of others is one of the strongest human motivators. We crave people's esteem. We fear their disapproval. We long for their acceptance. The desire to be liked and respected is natural, but when it becomes too important it can enslave us. Proverbs 29:25 says, "Fear of man will prove to be a snare." This coming Sunday (November 26), we conclude ou...

Years ago, I had a friend who felt called to ministry, so he moved away from home to attend seminary. Before he could complete his studies, however, he received news that his father was ill and that the family needed him to come back home to care for his dad. Of course, as a loving son, he was glad to do this for his father, but he felt deeply discouraged. How would he e...

In my high school, back in the 1970's, all the cool kids wore athletic letter jackets proclaiming the name of our school and the sport they played. I desperately wanted a letter jacket, because I desperately needed to be cool. The problem was I was small for my age and not very good at sports. A varsity letter in football or basketball was out of the question for me. Ho...

In our country, the validity of laws and governmental practices is always determined by comparing them to the words of the U.S. Constitution. If the courts find that a new piece of legislation contradicts the Constitution, then the legislation is either discarded or changed. The older document (the Constitution) takes precedence over any newer documents that might be pro...

Years ago, the Righteous Brothers recorded a song that went on to become a classic. In the chorus, they sang, "You lost that lovin' feelin' / Whoa, that lovin' feelin' / You lost that lovin' feelin' / Now it's gone, gone, gone." We don't know the name of the person they were singing to, but, one thing is clear their relationship with that person had changed. It's not unc...

This fall at ACC, we are studying the New Testament book of Galatians. In Galatians 2:11-21, the Apostle Paul discusses his response to something heart-breaking that took place in the early church. As the gospel spread throughout the world, it moved from its original monocultural context in Jerusalem into more multicultural settings in the Greek-speaking world. As this ...

Why do you believe what you believe? How do you know what is true? What guiding principles govern your approach to decision-making? Do you believe whatever your parents told you? Whatever your college professors taught? Maybe you are governed by inner hunches and feelings. Maybe you don't know what to believe Our study of the New Testament book of Galatians helps us to ex...

500 years ago, this fall, a Roman Catholic priest, named Martin Luther, produced a list of theological statements that addressed doctrinal concerns facing the church of his day. He reportedly posted the list on the door of a prominent church in Wittenberg, Germany to make its contents available to the public. Translations of Luther's famous "95 Theses" were soon reprinte...

I know several individuals who have had their DNA analyzed by genetic testing services. It is fascinating to hear them report the findings the ethnic and regional backgrounds of their long-forgotten ancestors. Some of the results are predictable; some are unexpected. (My daughters were surprised to learn they have Jewish roots.) It's easy to understand why people enjoy th...

The final petition of the Lord's Prayer is, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." The Heidelberg Catechism teaches that, in praying this part of the Lord's Prayer, we are saying, "By ourselves we are too weak to hold our own even for a moment. And our sworn enemies the devil,the world,and our own fleshnever stop attacking us. And so, Lord, uphold us an...

In our current sermon series, we are allowing different psalms from the Bible to show us how to give voice to the various petitions of the Lord's Prayer. The fifth petition of the Lord's Prayer is "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Psalm 32 helps us to pray this petition with depth and authenticity. In his book on the Lord's Prayer, Terry L. Johnson remind...

Jesus taught us, in the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer, to ask the Father for "our daily bread." "Daily bread," of course, is a metaphor for everything we need from the Lord. This includes requests for spiritual growth and piety, but we should never be embarrassed to ask God for physical blessings, as well. In Prayerbook of the Bible, a book on praying the psalms, D...

The second and third petitions of the Lord's Prayer are "Thy kingdom come" and "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." What does it mean to pray for the coming of God's Kingdom? We are essentially praying three things: that the Father would send the kingdom of glory (that Jesus would return); that he would crush the kingdom of darkness (putting an end to the lies ...

In our current sermon series, we are learning to pray the psalms through the lens of the Lord's Prayer. The first petition of the Lord's Prayer is "hallowed be Thy name." Psalm 147 is a great psalm for helping us to pray this petition to God. According to the Heidelberg Catechism, when we pray for the hallowing of God's name we are saying: "Help us to truly know you, to h...

In teaching his followers to pray, Jesus instructed us to approach God as "our Father who art in heaven." This shows us that, as we come to God through Christ, we are to approach God in two ways. First, we are to approach God with a sense of confidence. We address God not at our Master, our King, our Ruler, or our Employer. He is our Father. In other words, since we have ...

In the six weeks between Easter Sunday and Pentecost we will be looking at the prayer Jesus taught his disciples often called the "Lord's Prayer" or the "Our Father." The Lord's Prayer is generally seen as a template to use to shape our daily praying. It is seen as a template because, though most Christian traditions recite this prayer in worship, there is never any recor...

The book of Malachi contains a message from a God who loves his people (Mal. 1:2) even though they have strayed from him, and who is calling them to return (Mal. 3:7). When we reach the end of Malachi, we discover that some of the people who originally received this message responded to it by repenting. Mal. 3:16a says, "Then those who feared the LORD talked with each othe...

Ask any waiter in Manhattan, and they'll tell you when they see a table full of European tourists, they get nervous. Why? Because in many European countries there is no custom of tipping the table-server when you go out to eat. (In those countries, waiters receive a fair wage in their hourly pay.) Foreign tourists visiting New York have probably been told that they are ex...

Is it ever permissible to question God? Is it wrong for Christians to struggle with doubt? Is there a difference between innocent uncertainty and obstinate unbelief? If so, how do we know when we've crossed the line? The third message in our Malachi series looks at some people who were wrestling with questions about God. Described in Malachi 2:17-18, we find them asking, ...

The second sermon in our series on Malachi looks at a passage that talks about marriage in the context of the covenant faithfulness of God (Malachi 2:10-16). Speaking through his prophet, God expressed concern about the behavior of two groups of people in post-exilic Israel. The first group consisted of Israelite men who were marrying non-Israelite women, despite the fact...

On March 5 at ACC, we are starting a new sermon series looking at key passages in the Old Testament book of Malachi. Malachi was a prophet sent to speak God's word to the people of Israel during the post-exilic period of their history. His messages to them were probably delivered between 440 and 420 B.C. Unlike most Old Testament prophets, Malachi has virtually nothing ...

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