Orchard Hill Church Blog
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Your Future Self Will Thank You
Dr. Kurt Bjorklund chooses a portion of text out of the Book of 1st Thessalonians in the New Testament to speak about best practices for a person's future.
I’ll Be Home For Christmas
Christmas, according to scripture, is not just a story about snow, mistletoe, or presents under a tree as Bing Crosby describes it in his #10 most performed holiday song. John 1:14 describes Christmas as “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” The Word is Jesus and John 1:4 tells us, that in Jesus is life and that life was the light of all mankind.
Christmas Cheer
Dr. Kurt Bjorklund points to a small section in the book of 1 Corinthians to explain how Christ's followers can experience hope even in the midst of the tough year of 2020.
Preparing for Christmas
The season of Advent is a season in which followers of Jesus prepare for the celebration of His birth by remembering those who first awaited his arrival and identifying with them as we wait on Christ to bring grace and restoration in our own days.
Perspectives Podcast - Perspectives on Santa Claus
In this episode, Brady Randall, George Palombo, & Emily Roberts have a conversation about some different perspectives on Santa Claus in our culture, what their experiences were with Santa as kids, how they addressed the issue in raising their own kids, and more!
Past, Present, Future
David Bowens, Emily DeAngelo, and Dr. Kurt Bjorklund lead through the Old Testament book of Micah to teach about the importance of Christ's life in the past, the present, and the future.
Those Who Seek Him Will Praise the Lord (Psalm 22 Devotional)
Written a millennium before the coming of the Christ, David prophetically proclaims the horrors of the cross in such vivid and striking foreshadowing. A thousand years after David breathed his last breath, Jesus would be breathing His last breaths in fulfillment of the words of this Psalm.
Perspectives Podcast - Depression and Anxiety in Isolation
In this episode, Dr. Kurt Bjorklund, George Palombo, and Kay Warheit have a conversation about anxiety and depression with everything going on in the world and the isolation people find themselves in, how this time has affected them personally, what the Bible has to say about these topics, and more!
Upside Down Living #22 - Permanence in a Time of Disruption
Dr. Kurt Bjorklund concludes the Upside Down Living series on Jesus' teaching on the Sermon on the Mount discussing the differences between the foolish and the wise builders.
Welcome To Our World
When I welcome someone into my home, I offer them something to drink and try to make them comfortable. So, what would it look like for me, at this beginning of advent, to truly welcome Jesus again into my world—into my very home?
Perspectives Podcast - Mount Rushmore of Faith (Part 2)
In this episode, Dr. Kurt Bjorklund, Joel Haldeman, and Emily DeAngelo have a conversation about who each of them would put on their Mount Rushmore of faith with part two of the series focusing on people not in the bible.
Upside Down Living #21 - Certainty in a Time of Accounting
Adult Ministry Director, Josiah Leuenberger, looks at Matthew 7:21-23 where Jesus talks about those who thought they were certain in their faith but find out the opposite.
How Do Heaven and Nature Sing?
The last words to the first verse of the Christmas carol, “Joy to the World” are: And heaven and heaven and nature sing. So, the question is: How DO heaven and nature sing?
Perspectives Podcast - Mount Rushmore of Faith (Part 1)
In this episode, Dr. Kurt Bjorklund, Joel Haldeman, and Emily DeAngelo have a conversation about who each of them would put on their Mount Rushmore of faith, who has had a large impact on their own faith journey and on the stories in the Bible, and more!
Upside Down Living #20 - Outward Focus in a Time of Inward Focus
Dr. Kurt Bjorklund looks at the passages on the narrow gate and false prophets in Matthew 7:12-20 and 3 ways we can be outward focused in a time where we have a tendency to be inward focused especially in the year 2020.
Thanksgiving is More than a Once a Year Celebration
It is a common tradition that some families on Thanksgiving Day go around their tables one by one sharing something specific that they are thankful for. But what about thanking God even in the mundane days or in the hard trials we go through?
Perspectives Podcast - Returning To Your Faith
In this episode, Dr. Kurt Bjorklund, Josiah Leuenberger, and Jenette Cline have a conversation about returning to faith or church after not engaging for a period of time, how to encourage someone in that position, dealing with guilt around not taking faith seriously, and more!
Upside Down Living #19 - Dependence in a Time of Self Reliance
Looking at the famous ask, seek, and knock passage in Matthew 7:7-11, Dr. Kurt Bjorklund talks about the questions we ask when God seems distant, 3 experiences we have in prayer, and some reasons God seems to not respond to our prayers.
The Limitations of Virtual Church
“Church without the commute, in my pajamas, and on demand – yes please.” Is virtual church a positive or a negative to one’s spiritual life and to the life of the church? While there are some positives, I have come to believe that there are several important limitations to virtual church.
Perspectives Podcast - The 2020 Election
In this episode, Dr. Kurt Bjorklund, Joel Haldeman, and Pete Mendes have a discussion about the 2020 election, reactions while watching the coverage, thoughts on the election process as a whole, how we should think about elections as Christians, and more!