You don’t just leave on a long trip.  You’ve got to have some organization.  You need to know who is sitting where and where you’ll be stopping for breaks.  You need to be prepared for problems that may come up on the road. ...

As followers of Jesus, we want to tell others about Him. We want to bear witness to Him in our neighborhoods and school and with our friends.  We also want to tell others about Him at work, but that can be a little tricky.  This morni...

So often we equate loving “the least of these” with doing something to or for them. However, the way Jesus interacts with “the least of these” in the Gospel shows that the most empowering way to love “the least of these” is to do life with them...

Last week we saw that all of scripture testifies to the unique love, care, and relationship God has for “the least of these.” This week, we take a real, practical look at the passage and explore ways we can love “the least of these” here at Hil...

This week, we start a new 3-week series on what it means to love “the least of these” as Jesus commanded us to do in Matthew 25. But before we do anything to or for “the least of these,” we need to understand that we’re called to love “the leas...

How do we end our prayers? Do we just stop? Do we say “Talk to you later?”  Throughout the ages, the church has said that it is good to end our prayers by focusing on God and declaring that everything—the kingdom, the power and the glory—e...

We can be so foolish.  We say we shouldn’t do something that’s wrong (Eat or drink too much, gossip, lie).  We really don't want to do that thing. Yet we keep doing it.  And one of the main reasons we do is because of what we cal...

Sometimes we do things without really thinking about them.  We go through the motions, but we’re not really focused on what we’re doing.  For many of us, that can happen when it comes to confessing our sins.  We just say the word...

Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread in the Lord's Prayer, yet it’s not only bread we’re asking for. We’re asking for God to provide for our basic needs and our neighbors. We’re asking God to help us continue to live and to remember how ...

One of the most radical, life-changing things Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer is “your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” It is radical and life-changing because the first thing we do when we offer this p...

Of all the things we say in the Lord’s Prayer, this might be the one that sound strangest to our ears.  We don’t talk that often about hallowing things today.  This morning, we’ll think about what it means to hallow God’s name and why...

Many of us struggle with prayer.  We’re not sure what to say, we stumble over our words, and sometimes we even forget to pray.  Jesus knew this would happen.  And that’s why He spent time teaching His followers how to pray. ...

We finish up our series on the characteristics of God by talking about what, for many of us, is His most important characteristic—He is full of grace.  It’s wonderful to know that God is powerful and all-knowing and unchangeable and just, ...

Last week, we talked about how God is just in all that He does and in every judgment that He makes. This morning, we’re going to think about what it means for us to be people who seek justice in our lives and in our communities. - Pastor Ron Ko...

You’ve heard it a lot.  You’ve probably said it a time or two.  “It’s not fair!” we say and then follow up with what isn’t fair.  “Why did she get a bigger piece of cake?” or “I deserved the promotion more than they did!” We all ...

We live in a world where everything changes. No matter how hard we try to make something last, nothing does. Except God. He is who He always was and who He always will be. He is always the same. And that’s good news. - Pastor Ron Kool

What does it mean that God is all knowing? It means He knows every inch of His creation perfectly. Nothing catches God by surprise because He gives life, definition, and purpose to everything around us. Psalm 139 tells us there’s one thing God ...

Our understanding of what God is like can make a huge difference in our lives.  If we don’t know He is merciful, we will live in fear.  If we don’t think about His holiness, we won’t be committed to being holy.  This morning, we’...

Some of the best news in the Bible is that our failures are not final.  God doesn’t just cancel us and move on to someone or something else.  Our God specializes in restoring people who have blown it.  This morning, we’ll see how...

The disciples of Jesus had not done very well with the crucifixion of Jesus.  They had run away and denied even knowing Him.  And when He rose again, they weren’t exactly quick to grasp what had happened.  Jesus comes to them and...

John 11:17-27In each of His “I AM” statements, Jesus addresses a human problem.  He said He was the Bread of Life that would satisfy our hunger. He said He was the Light of the World, to guide and protect us in the darkness. This mo...

Pastor Arek O'Connell delivers this Good Friday message.

From a human standpoint, those coming to arrest Jesus had all the power and were in control.  They had larger numbers, weapons, and the power of Rome behind them.  They will “succeed” in arresting Jesus, but only after Jesus has shown...

An important question we need to ask frequently in life is, “What’s the real root of the matter here?” Whether it be in navigating relationships, making business decisions, or making plans for the future. As we consider what it means for Jesus ...

We live in a world where we have, it seems, way too many choices. Do we choose this career or that career?  Do we live here or do we live there? At times it can feel overwhelming and we may feel lost in a sea of choices. In the midst of al...