Orchard Hill Church Blog
Explore. Grow. Engage.
Back to the Basics: What is our Purpose in Life?
A lot of us do feel like 2020 defeated us: our plans, our identity, our purpose, our hopes and dreams, our joy. But I urge you to not go into this year feeling pressure to have the best year of your life. If we want to know why we were placed on this planet, we must begin with God.
Becoming Alive in Christ
In an interview Bill Murray was asked, "What is one thing you wish you had that money can’t buy?” Murray responded that he “would love to have the ability to be really here, really alive, more here all the time.” Is his desire simply the wish of a man or does it express a greater truth from a Holy, Omnipotent God?
Beauty in Brokenness
Brokenness has been on my mind a lot lately, partly because of the work I get to do each day, but also because I have come to better understand that being broken is exactly the condition of all humans. Sometimes stories of brokenness are so ridiculous that in the sharing of them, we discover laughter together, which helps to mend our fractured souls.
Barriers to Joy
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! If you are a follower of Jesus that verse may be familiar to you. And if you are in a season where the last thing you feel like doing is rejoicing then that may make you feel guilty or irritated. How can I possibly rejoice in the Lord always if my circumstances are lousy?
Deeply Rooted in Jesus
When a tree has strong deep roots, it produces a crop. When a tree is deeply rooted, scary things like chainsaws can come and attack it but its roots hold strong. Being deeply rooted in Jesus is about understanding the Gospel.
Christian Single
The perspective many single adults encounter in the church is often more representative of the values of culture than the teachings of scripture and that can be a frustrating and even discouraging thing. So how do the teachings of the Bible come to bear on this conversation?
Joy in the Journey
In a world that has been turned upside down by a global pandemic, racial unrest, and a perpetual political slugfest, I wonder... where is the joy in this journey? As a counselor I have seen an increasing number of people who are struggling.
Goodbye Religion, Hello Relationship
A Dear John – Love Letter to a Religious System. It’s been a long while since I broke up with you. Actually, I guess the feeling was mutual. I was staying true to my conviction and I guess you were too. Still, it was painful to hear your words of rejection.
Don’t Forget the Beginners in Faith
Last year I took a painting class for beginners. As it turned out, I was the only “beginner” in the class of fifteen students. That experience was a reminder of those who attend church for the first time.
Distinct from the World? – Finding Our Identity in Christ
“Sure, he’s a Christian, but did you hear what he said?” These words were spoken about me several months ago. I don’t remember exactly what I said that merited this critique, but when I heard my coworker’s remark, I recognized a sobering reality: I forgot my true identity in Christ.
Dealing with Doubt in Your Faith
I was recently asked the question, “When your Christian faith is threatened by serious and painful doubts, what do you do about it?” At first, I wanted to simply give some Christian cliché answer that I knew would properly answer the question, but this question forced me to pause and think.
S.T.O.P - The Importance of Having Gospel Conversations
The primary thing on my heart during this time was praying and asking God to heal this individual so that I could stop and have one more conversation, that they could hear the Gospel and be asked the same question, “Do you believe this?”
Tips for Personal Bible Study
When we open God’s word, we give Him the opportunity to speak to us in a life-changing way as the Holy Spirit communicates God’s truth to our hearts and minds. In this blog, I’d like to share a general framework and a few tips that I have found helpful personally in my own times of Bible study.
Mentoring Moments
Mentoring is all about investing in the lives of others. It is intentional discipleship. It was the way of Jesus. As I have spent time studying the life of Jesus in His gospels this summer, I am inspired to share with people what I have learned.
Meeting Life with Peace, Loving Kindness, and Compassion
Where can we find a peace that is powerful enough to quiet our hearts when life throws significant challenges our way? Let us start at the source - God. Peace, loving kindness, and compassion are all attributes of God.
Approaching the Bible as a Whole
When it comes to reading the Bible, many people may feel as if there is a perfect plan they have to follow and when that plan is messed up, or one day is missed, they stop reading altogether. If we are faithful to come before God daily, He finds us just as we are.
The Hidden Treasure of Jesus
In 2012, Michael Rorrer, was cleaning out his great aunt’s basement after she had passed away. Tucked away in a closet was a box of 345 comics that his great uncle had been collecting since he was a little boy. Rorrer had no idea what he had found - just like many people do not recognize the value of Jesus.
Relying on the One Who is Unchanging
Because of sin, we tend to look for permanence in things that are constantly changing instead of relying on the One who is incapable of changing and who will never allow His promises to fail.
The Glory of “My Father’s World”
As I talk with friends and family in this time of quarantine, I have noted how many have commented on the beauty of getting outside. Our God is the One whose is made known in every majestic sunset, each precise blade of grass, every stunning peony. He is the Message that these beautiful wonders hold for us.
"Hesed" and the Steadfast Love of God
There is a family word in the Bible that is repeated more than 250 times which is “hesed”. This Hebrew word describes the steadfast love of God for His people. This love is unconditional, unwavering and unlike any other kind of love described in the scriptures.