Orchard Hill Church Blog
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Delighting in God During the Coronavirus
Do you find yourself looking at the world around you and asking, “Is this how things are supposed to be?” God gives us two helpful responses in times like these in Psalm 37: Wait on Him and find your delight in Him.
Ask a Pastor Ep. 97 - Race: In Our Time (Explicit)
This episode, Dr. Kurt Bjorklund sits down with George Palombo and Gene Boyer to have a conversation about racial tensions in the United States, the death of George Floyd, the concept of racial bias, how we as individuals and a church community can move towards change, and more!
Unburdened #2 - Living Without Bondage
Dr. Kurt Bjorklund continues in Romans 8 looking at 3 different kinds of relationships we can have with the Holy Spirit in our journey through faith.
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry | Book Review
I received John Mark Comer’s book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, from my grown daughter as a Christmas gift last year. Ironically, I laughed aloud and declared, “I’ll read this when the busyness of life slows down…whenever that will be!?!”
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.
Ask a Pastor Ep. 96 - Should I Feel God During Religious Experiences?
This episode, Dr. Kurt Bjorklund sits down with Joel Haldeman and David Bowens to have a conversation about if we should "feel God" during worship and religious experiences, what is different about the Christian experience compared to other religions, and more!
Unburdened #1 - Living Without Condemnation
Kicking off a new series, Dr. Kurt Bjorklund looks at Romans 8 and how we can make the journey of our life less burdened by coming to Christ.
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.
Ask a Pastor Ep. 95 - How to Talk with Students about the Coronavirus
This episode, Dr. Kurt Bjorklund connects online with Dan Irvin and Jenette Cline to talk about engaging with students amid the coronavirus situation, how to answer their questions in a biblical way, and more.
Serving (Memorial Day 2020)
On this Memorial Day weekend, Ken Carlson: West Point Graduate, Vietnam War Veteran & Orchard Hill Church member, talks about how God creates the makeup of our DNA and the impact he has on who we become by looking at examples of POW nurses in World War 2.
The Lord Will Never Abandon Us (Psalm 17 Devotional)
We all experience moments in life when we think we are alone but later realize that our Heavenly Father was with us all along, similar to the way an Indian boy goes through a rite of passage but later realizes his father was watching over him all night.
Ask a Pastor Ep. 94 - The Seven Churches of Revelation
This episode, Dr. Kurt Bjorklund sits down with Josiah Leuenberger and George Palombo to talk about the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3, what each letter was about, where the American church fits in, and which church in Revelation Orchard Hill can relate to the most.
It's Always Too Soon to Quit
Dr. Kurt Bjorklund uses this singular weekend to look at the book of Jeremiah, who was often called the weeping prophet. We see how his ministry was met with frustration, how he feels about how things that have happened, and 3 things we need if we're not going to quit something significant in our lives.
A Praying Life (Paul E. Miller) | Book Review
In early March, a few days before receiving a “Stay at Home” order, I began reading A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller. Little did I know how timely Miller’s message would be in the season in which we were about to enter.
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.
Ask a Pastor Ep. 93 - Disrupted Life Events from Coronavirus
This episode, Dr. Kurt Bjorklund sits down with Emily DeAngelo and Russ Brasher to have a conversation about navigating the loss of special events and missed time with family because of the coronavirus and how faith in Christ can help us in all situations.
A Proverbs 31 Woman (Mother's Day)
This Mother's Day weekend, Dr. Kurt Bjorklund walks through the qualities of a noble woman listed in Proverbs 31, and what rests behind it: giving our lives away to Christ and each other.
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.
Ask a Pastor Ep. 92 - Having Tough Conversations During Coronavirus
This episode, Dr. Kurt Bjorklund connects online with Orchard Hill Counselors Stacy Gallagher and Faith Bjorklund about having hard conversations with people during quarantine, how to approach conversations about problems that have been revealed because of quarantine, managing boundaries with parents and kids, and more!
Where is God in a Pandemic? (Part 3)
Dr. Kurt Bjorklund looks at the summary of the book of Joel, the different interpretations about the Day of the Lord, and the destruction and beauty that's revealed in it.