christianity

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Guest preacher Jared LaCoste reminds us that Jesus said we are the light of the world! Light is not just something God gives; God IS light. Jesus IS the light of the world. If we focus on His light, darkness has no authority over us. We are to reflect the light, but we can only do this if we stay close to it.

Light is Christ’s mission, and it is our calling as Christians to shine that light in the darkness. People are looking for hope, and if we are present in their world, where they are, in whatever darkness is around them, we can offer that hope. The fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control) are becoming less common in our world, and if we are full of this fruit in dark circumstances, people will notice it and wonder where it is from. Darkness has a purpose in the world. Without darkness, there is no need for light.

Even when we are focused on the light of Jesus, we are still required to walk by faith. God does not reveal the whole future to us – and that is probably a good thing. We only need to take the next step, knowing that He is the lamp for our feet and the light on our path.

We must remember that the light is not given to us so we can hold onto it and bask in it by ourselves. Jesus said to “go” and we are to do that. We are to come to church, receive light, and then take it out with us and carry it into our various communities. We can’t see the end of our efforts, but we trust that God is leading us into the right place. Pray that our light will grow, that we will stoke the flame so it can be seen, and that God will lead us to the people who are longing for the light.

“Light up the Night” by Pastor Jared LaCoste

Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT) ; 馬 太 福 音 5:14-16 (CUVS)
John 1:4-5 (NLT) ; 約 翰 福 音 1:4-5 (CUVS)

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device.

Photo by Arthur Chauvineau on Unsplash

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In spring and early summer of 2026, Pastor Ryan preached a sermon series based on what he teaches baptismal candidates about life as a Christian in the church.

May 10 – Why We Worship
May 17 – How We Worship
May 24 – The Outcome of Worship
May 31 – God’s Work in Us
June 7 – Doing our part
June 21 – Guiding Principles for Christian Living
June 28 – Guiding Principles for Decision Making

Photo by Nathanael Dunn on Unsplash

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crepuscular rays from the sun rising into a cloudy morning sky. Trees and a fence silhouetted in front.

In winter 2026, Pastor Ryan explored the claims of the Apostles’ Creed. His focus was the basic statements of faith that all Christians should be able to agree on.

The creeds articulate basic tenets of faith, but they do not explain them. This leaves space for Christians to ponder and consider more deeply the mysteries of God. None of us (person, church, or denomination) fully comprehends these mysteries, but if we hold to the statements of faith in the creed, we can open space for dialogue with other Christians who also believe them. These conversations can then lead to the healing of divisions and of the church itself.

Here is the creed:

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

Amen.

February 15 – Hear, O Israel! (The Shema)
February 22 – I Believe in God
March 1 – Maker of All
March 8 – I Believe in Jesus
March 15 – Lived, Dies, Lives Again
March 22 – United in the Holy Spirit
March 29 – Future Hope

Photo by Lillian Fisher on Unsplash

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Pastor Ryan’s sermon “Wherever You’re At” talks about times where people can say “Thank you!” to God for his grace. In times when we’re far away from faith or when we’re “stuck” in our faith journey even though we are still committed to Christ, God will brings us back if we cry out to him.

Psalm 107:1-3,17-22 (NLT) / 詩 篇 107:1-3,17-22 (CUVS)
Ephesians 2:1-10 (NLT) / 以 弗 所 書 2:1-10 (CUVS)

Here is a PDF of Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript) for you to download.

Photo by Saugat Giri on Unsplash