The Word from St. Andrews

Dear St. Andrews Family,Make sure you climb something that no one else will climb.Eat something that could realistically kill you. (I’m thinking gas station sushi)Give advice on things you know nothing about.Yep, it’s another week of advice from Pastor Jace. I may even include some advice that your mom would appreciate—it is Mother’s Day after all. The advice I give today is meant to lead you (all of us) in wisdom. It’s meant to remind you what should be priorities in your life—gentleness, humility, servanthood and love. It’s simple. It’s practical. And it's still about Jesus.Pastor Jace

Go skinny-dipping often. Don’t wear a helmet.Get a tattoo before you are 18.And that is only the beginning of my advice for teens this week. That’s right, a whole sermon where I talk to teens. And after those first three words of advice, I know you parents will want your teens to hear the rest. 😉Now, I think sermons should be proclamation about Jesus and I will certainly do that, but this is a very different sermon for me. More of a fatherly coming of age talk. I hope. But let’s be honest here, no teen is actually reading this note. So, let me assure the rest of you. Every piece of advice I have for teens is totally applicable to you too. I hope all of us take home these ideas and put them to practice. There are a lot of different passages we will look at this week but maybe spend some time playing in Proverbs 1-8 and Ecclesiastes 12:1-5 to jump start your longing.Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,This Sunday’ I've entitled the sermon “When Anxiety Talks Louder than Jesus.” Because let's be honest, we often listen to our fears more than we listen to Jesus. I hope to help you think about what keeps you up at night and what has you “double-souled.” Then I want you to hear the gentle, steady voice of our Father who feeds the birds, clothes the lilies, and calls us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” As you prepare for worship, would you take some time this week to slowly read Matthew 6:25–34, ask the Spirit to show you where anxiety is telling the story of your life, and come ready to entrust those fears to the care of your risen King? Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,Rival gods don’t announce themselves—they quietly take over.We’re diving into Matthew 6:19–24 and exposing how what we treasure slowly becomes what masters us. Jesus isn’t just talking about money—He’s going after our hearts, our vision, and our devotion.Before you listen, read the text and ask yourself: What is shaping me more than I realize?I am looking forward to worshipping with you as we pursue a deeper, freer, more whole life in Jesus together.Pastor Jace

Dear SABC Family,This last line in the Lord’s Prayer may destroy you. If you pray it and mean it, everything about you changes. It’s the most dangerous, most subversive, most you-crushing statement you can utter. And I warn you not to play around withit.  For thine is the kingdomAnd the powerAnd the gloryForever. This means that all other loyalties and allegiances become as if they are nothing. Loyalties to family, self, nation, belief, tribe, privilege,. . . they all disappear. Friends, I am not going to lie. This sermon is a sword that will cut deeply and could set one against the other. But that is exactly what Jesus says will happen in Matthew 10 and nothing less can be when we say that only He gets the allegiance, power, and glory. I hope you take a look at the end of the prayer in Matthew 6:13 and come ready to give up yourself and hear from Him. Pastor Jace

Dear Family,What if your expectations for Jesus are too small?This Sunday, we step into the tension of Palm Sunday—a crowd full of hope, waving branches, shouting “Hosanna!”… and yet missing the kind of King standing right in front of them. We all carry expectations—of God, of life, of each other—but what happens when Jesus refuses to meet them the way we imagined?Join us as we explore how Jesus doesn’t just meet expectations—He overturns them.Before you come, take a few minutes to read Matthew 21:8–11. Come ready to wrestle with this question: Which Jesus are you expecting—and which one is actually coming for you?Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,The Lord’s Prayer contains a line we often rush past:“Deliver us from evil.”But what if Jesus meant it more seriously than werealize? What if the world is more contested than we think?We’ll talk about wilderness, whirlpools, andwhy the prayer Jesus gave us is actually a prayer for people living in the middle of a battle.Come ready to wrestle with one of the most powerful—and unsettling—lines Jesus ever taught us to pray.Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family, A lot of Preachers talk about forgiveness, but forgiveness is richer and higher and harder and more shocking than we imagine. It’s not just an act of piety, it’s liberation of the cosmos. I can’t begin to encapsulate this in a blurb so letme tell you this…  I want to tell you a story about a man in prison and a son compelled to eat pig slop and a prophet King who came to free the world. I am praying that you will see “Forgive us our debts as we forgive out debtors,” in an all-new way.  Pastor Jace

Dear St Andrews Family, Over the years many of you have asked how I got this superhero physique. The answer is simple: It’s all in what I eat. Did you know that in 3 years Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson eats a ton of fish. Literally, a ton of fish. I have a similar diet. In three years, I literally eat a ton of bread. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Ritz crackers, chapatis, pepperoni pizza, E.L. Fudge cookies . . . I eat a ton of bread. Now you know my secret.  This week in Matthew 6:11, Jesus tells us we are to ask God for bread. But this is so much more than asking for God to care for our physical needs. This prayer has a context that might just change everything. It hasn’t changed the way I eat bread, but it has changed the way I pray. I hope you will think this through with me.

Dear Family,Don’t mess with my office. My desk is not a place you put stuff. Don’t move my books or my chairs. This is my kingdom. Mine.  Don’t mess with it.I have a lot of little kingdoms. My car, my bedroom, my countertops. I have an office at my house that I use for about 5 minutes a week. I gave it to Dan a couple weeks ago and every day I go down there it grates on me. It’s my kingdom. Don’t mess with my kingdom.And yet we Christians know we are to seek His kingdom. We even pray “Thy kingdom come.” How do we make this shift from this being ours to it being Gods? How do we use what he gives us for His Kingdom? Let’s talk about this from Matthew 6:9-10. Pastor Jace

Dear Family,I pray a LOT. . .  in front of people. But my private prayer life could use some serious work. Honestly, I get bored easy and distracted. And sometimes I wonder if it really accomplishes anything. Sometimes I am pretty sure God isn’t even listening. . .  and I know He isn’t acting. We all know God calls us to pray and my guess is that most of you struggle with it. I am praying that God speaks to us from Matthew 6:5-6 as we close out this series on hypocrisy.​Pastor Jace.

I am just going to go ahead and admit this: I like it when people see the good things I do. If I do the dishes, I want people to know it. If I visit someone in the hospital, I want someone to know. If I give extra to the church, I hope someone will tell me “good job.” I struggle with pride and with hypocrisy. I think a lot of us do. That’s why social media is so great. We can talk about ourselves in positive ways and it’s perfectly acceptable We can toot our own horn. Jesus has some things to say about tooting our own horn. Maybe we can wrestle with this together this Sunday from Matthew 6:2-4. Take a look if you have the time and let’s ask God to show us what we need to follow him better.

Dear Family,Bill Hybels.Mark Driscoll.Tony Evans.Steve Lawson.James McDonaldCarl Lentz.Bruxy Cavey.Brian Houston.Ravi Zacharias.Maybe you know their names.Famous pastors, speakers, apologists who did not live what they preached.And every time one of them falls, the internet goes wild.“Christian hypocrites!”We all remember Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggert. We remember Robert Tilton. Christians have been giving Jesus a bad name for as long as any of us can remember.But it’s not just them.It’s us. We have been invited into a new life and far too often we refuse it. We are hypocrites. We are treasonous.But there is hope once we admit it. We can take a step closer to the abundant life we are offered. Read Matthew 6:1 and try to prepare yourself to hear what God might want to say to you.​Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family, I have a job for you. I want you to find someone to tell you the 3-minute version of the Christmas story. Get them to throw in all the details they know. What was the king's name, what did they wrap the baby in, how many animals in the stable? If you have children in the home, ask them together and let them work on the story together. If you can’t find anyone to ask, then try the experiment yourself. Then read the actual story in Luke 2. Maybe read some from Matthew 1 and 2. Notice how far off the story you have in your mind is from the story in the Bible.Now ignore your mistakes and realize that your story is really good, too. The question is, why is this story told? What is our takeaway? What should we do? I think the answer might surprise you.

Dear St Andrews Family,You know that moment when everything seems hopeless? Of course you do.The medicine isn’t doing its job.Your marriage has no meaning.Your job is in jeopardy.Your children are suffering.Maybe you are feeling this now. Israel felt this. Their world had been crushed. The temple didn’t have the power it once did. God felt more than a little distant. And then . . . Suddenly! Let’s talk about “suddenly” this week from Malachi 3:1. Suddenly, he whom you desire, will come. It’s a story we all remember—when HE came. And it’s a story that empowers us through all the hopelessness of our circumstances and points us to his perhaps “sudden” coming to rescue us again.Pastor Jace

We are excited to have Rev. David Deming with us a guest preacher sharing a Thanksgiving message. What does it look like to have gratitude in ALL times?

Dear St Andrews Family,“I swear on the grave of my father Domingo Montoya thatyou will make the top alive.”  We swear, we promise, we vow…because people areuntrustworthy, because dishonesty is rampant. ·   Sixty-five percent of students say that theywould be willing to cheat on an important exam. ·   One noted physician says that Lying is animportant part of social life, and children who are unable to do it are children who may have developmental problems. ·    Fletcher Reed says, “You won’t survive in anadult world without lying.” Jesus calls us to do away with all oaths. That seemspretty crazy in the world in which we live. What about in the courtroom, on the wedding day, or pinky swears in the clubhouse? What then? Let’s talk about this from Matthew 5:33-37. Andlet me paint a picture of a new world that Jesus is inaugurating. A new, more robust, more beautiful, more abundant world than you could have imagined.Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,Marriages are dying. Covenants mean little and commitments are things of the past. Divorce is rampant and we treat as casual that which God calls sacred. We look for ways tojustify our affairs and our divorces and we suffer because of it. Our children suffer. Our world suffers. We are kind of a mess. This week in Matthew 5:31-32, Jesus gives us a way out of our marriage. Kind of. But it also seems he says we shouldn’t get remarried. That is kind of concerning to me since I have been dating a divorced woman for many months. In fact, it lookslike he says that if I do marry her then she becomes an adulteress. That’s pretty heavy. But what does he mean and what does this mean for us today? Let’s visit this text together. Pastor Jace

Dear St Andrews Family, My guess is that everyone who is reading this is brokensexually. Some of you have cheated on your spouse and others have only dreamed of doing so. Some of you have an active lusty imagination and some of you act it out. Jesus actually has some things to say about this and they aren’t pleasant—He says, “cut it off or you go to hell!” I don’t want to write about or even think about what “cutit off” means, but we probably should. Because I think in the background of this text is something we sometimes miss: an invitation to something beautiful. Even as Jesus steers us away from seduction, lust, and fracture, he calls us tofulfil our longings and find our wholeness in him. This is kinda cool. Take a look at Matthew 5:27-30 when you get a chance and let’s worship and think about this more. Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,How many people have you killed this year? When was the last time you killed someone? Are you killing someone right now?Jesus is going to say something crazy. He is basically going to equate anger with killing. That really is what it looks like. So, who makes you angry? And what needs to be done? Take a look at Matthew 5:21-26 and join us to think about it more. Truly can’t wait to be with you.Pastor Jace

Dear St Andrews Family,What does the world think of thechurch?            Judgmental?            Hateful?            Hypocritical?It’s sad, but sometimes we are.Sometimes we don’t present the world of Jesus as one of beauty and love and acceptance. What does it mean for us to be salt and light? Can we focus our attention on these ideas this week? Perhaps you can start thinking about how wemight be transformed even now, before the sermon. I think God wants us to be attractive and I think his Spirit can help us to do just that if we ask him to.Pastor Jace

This week we celebrate freedom. A freedom that was won through violence and death. I am not talking about the American Revolution, a civil war, or democracy that won out over authoritarianism.  I am talking about a war waged against evil. A war that was won through sacrifice and death. A victor who laid down his life to bring ultimate peace.   And now Jesus says that we too are called to be peacemakers, willing to be persecuted, for this upside down kingdom. Can we wrestle with what that means about our military, our neighbors, our family, and our hearts? Trust me when I say that I don’t have all the answers. But maybe together we can ask the right questions and seethe cross at the middle of it all. Please read Matthew 5:1-12.It's short and worthy of memorizing—maybe you will try that too?Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,Racism, sexual slavery, poverty, violence, apathy—there are some significant problems in our world. God knows this and invites you to play a role of reversal. The Beatitudes present an invitation to us to join God in humility, peace, and justice. It invites us to see and participate in another kind of life, an abundant life. A life that seems quite contrary to everything we know about what it means to be blessed.I hope to encourage you this week from Matthew 5:6-8 to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to be merciful and to be pure in heart. Together they are a call to justice. I hope you catch a glimpse of what the world can be and we find yourself newly motivated, newly encouraged, and newly committed to this upside-down life that Jesus calls us to.​Pastor Jace

Dear SABC Family, I am not poor. Between my wife and I, we have three fullypaid off vehicles and a brand new house. I don’t cry. Unless I am watching Bruce Willis saygoodbye to his daughter in “Armageddon.”And I am not meek. That’s the last things that mymasculine ego ever wants to hear.So, when Jesus says good things about the poor, themourners, and the meek (Matt 5:3-5), I am a little uncomfortable. In fact, if these are the kinds of people that are blessed in the kingdom, I am not sure Iwant to be a part of it. It seems to go against the whole kingdom that I have grown up in. And it does. The kingdom Jesus speaks of is an upside-down kingdomof lowliness, humility and giving up our rights. I hope, over the next few weeks to give you a glimpse of the beauty of this kingdom.

Dear Family,We all know what “well, bless your heart!” means don’t we? It’s not exactly a blessing. Still, even though we don’t often use the word “blessing” in our everyday life, we know that it’s actually a good thing. It implies God’s favor. It calls up the idea of flourishing and thriving. That’s what this mini-series isabout—thriving, flourishing,…the future. I can’t wait to share Jesus’ vision for the future with you. It’s beautiful and inspiring and world changing and we absolutely must pick it up and run with it. Join us in looking at Matthew 5 and the beatitudes.Pastor Jace

Dear Family,If you could have one thing in the world, what would it be? Wealth, fame, love, praise, a friend…? Might I suggest that all of us actually want exactly the same thing? Happiness. We want to be happy. And Jesus preached a sermon to tell us how. His sermon has a lot in common with Haggai’s call to an upside-down kingdom. Because that is exactly what Jesus is inviting us into. If you want to be happy, join us as I introduce the sermon on the mount from Matthew 5. I can’t wait to excite you more about this kingdom that has come.​Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,I fear our vision, as parents, for our children is mediocre at best. We want to make sure that they know that God is the creator, that the Bible is true, and that they should behave better. And of course, we want them to be all that they can be, get a good job, and be happy. And this is such a weak vision. I won’t have time to lay out all the practical things I wish I could, but I do want to rally you around Psalm 78 and cast a vision bigger than ever. I want our kids to be transformed and on fire and to both bow before and climb into the lap of our great God.Pastor Jace

I am all for radical. I want to change the world in big and awesome ways. I want to be a man that people write a book about. But let’s be honest…it’s probably not going to happen that way. I am ordinary. Really ordinary. No offense, but most of you are too. What does it mean for those of us who won’t go rescue children in Malawi or build hospitals along the Amazon? Do we still get to change the world? Does regular office work in the Columbia area count? Does doing dishes and changing diapers matter when it comes to serving God? Let’s talk about that this week.Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,What does it mean for us to beradical Christians today? Do we break our AC/DC records and get our Christian t-shirts out of the attic? Do we all downsize and go on a mission trip to the Amazon? Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”That’s a pretty tall order.  I wonder if the problem in Christianity isn’t that we are too demanding, but that we have so watered downChristianity that no one feels the weight of the call. Is it possible that it is now a weak, nominal, gutless religion and that this is the reason that local churches have virtually no impact on their culture? Certainly something tothink about. This Sunday, we looked at Hebrews 11:32-40 and the list of people for whom the world was not worthy. Take a look and give it some thought: what doesRadical look like for us today? Pastor Jace

“Sometimes when I talk to people about the God they don’t believe in, I find that I don’t believe in that God either.” These words have been said similarly by many different preachers and they still ring true. I wonder if our view of God is tainted.  Do you see God as a punishing, wrathful, angry faced being? Does he seem to disagree with you on everything and judgment is paramount. Or do you see him as primarily loving, merciful, compassionate and out for your good? I want to ask some questions this week about a prostitute named Rahab and how she can possibly be included in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11:31. Take a look at that verse and maybe also read Joshua 2 and Joshua 5:22-3 along with it. I look forward to focusing our thoughts on our loving, forgiving, merciful, redemptive God.​Pastor Jace

This church has always had a pretty amazing ministry designed for the next generation. Children, youth, college, and young adults have often thrived here. I like to think that our ministries have helped our kids not turn back when it gets hard. Our ministries are about relationships and about faith and about holding fast.  Isaac, Jacob and Joseph all had something to say to the next generation. Each of them reminds us of our call to our children and grandchildren. And each of them encourages and shows grace to those parents and teachers and others who have not done well. As always, there is a charge here . . . and there is mercy here. I hope you will be inspired and encouraged to leave a legacy to the next generation.​Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,What do you long for? What excites you? You can probably come up with an answer or two for that, right? Hitting that ski jump at 30 miles an hour excites me. Getting that mischievous glance from your spouse across the room? Anticipating finally getting that vacation to Bermuda? Let me change the question for a moment. Not what do you long for or what excites you, but what motivates your every move? Is there is even one thing? Family? Wealth? Happiness? All good motivators I think. Hebrews 11 implies that the great people of the past longed for one thing: a better country—a heavenly one. Do you long for heaven? Let’s talk about that this week. I want to inspire, encourage, and excite you about our mission and our future.​Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family, We don’t always find ourselves in the best circumstances.Remember that Abraham was asked to leave everything familiar, was asked to wait for a long time for a child, and he likely lost his dad in this difficult journey. I want to give you some advice from Scripture this week about lookingpast the circumstances, going forward in hope, and putting your faith in the right thing (person). I hope this will be encouraging. Enjoy your week. Oh, read Hebrews 11:8-16 if you get a chance and start thinking about it. Maybe pray that God will work wonders in your heart.Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,I realized over the last few years how much of mysecurity was wrapped up in my family. I fear deep down that maybe it’s also wrapped up in my bank account, my job, how many “likes” I get on FB and my abilities to play sports, talk gooder, and attract women (none of which are reasons to brag I understand). I wonder what my security is really based on. This week I want to examine what you are looking at asyour security, as your foundation. And I want to look at Abraham who looked to a city with foundations, whose builder and maker was God. This little summary is in Hebrews 11:8-10 and I would love for you to take a look if you have a chance. I am ready to hear from God this Sunday and I hope you are too.Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,Perhaps you are one of those people who dismisses warnings easily. The aspirin bottle says to only take two without consulting a doctor, but puh-leeze, like you really consult a doctor. The cigarette pack says smoking leads to cancer, but you ignore it. You know Coke leads to obesity and diabetes, but you need your fix. I get it, I ignore a lot of warnings too. In Hebrews 11:7 we are reminded that Noah was warned about a flood, and he listened. He had faith even though it didn’t make much sense. There are a lot of warnings given to us in the New Testament; I wonder if we hear and heed them. This won’t exactly be a hellfire and brimstone sermon because that’s just not me, but this is a call to hear the warning of God. To have faith. I hope you will worship and ask God to speak and for you to listen.Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family, Maybe I shouldn’t admit this to good Christians, but a few years ago I rocked out with thousands of other people to “Pour some Sugar on Me” and “Hysteria.” Most of the people were drunk or high, but I was loving Def Leppard completely unintoxicated (because I am a goody two shoes). It was awesome. But there was a problem. My seats were so far away that I could barely see them. I wanted to get up close and really see them. I wanted to be right there with them but alas, my nosebleed tickets were $90.00 and I wasn’t about to spend anything more to get up close. If you really love something, don’t you want to get up close? To draw near? This week we will talk about the faith of Enoch who seemed to be so close to God that one day God just took him home with him. That’s some amazing nearness. I wonder what it would look like for us to draw near to God. Let’s read Hebrews 11:5-6 and think about that this week. Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family, It's “Give of your Best” Sunday and I have a sermon that I have shared with every church I have pastored. It’s a sermon to remind you that God is ready and He is moving, and He wants to do something with you. The text comes from I Samuel 14 about Jonathan and his armor bearer. The title is simple:             “Perhaps the Lord will work in our behalf” We don’t know what He is going to do, but I imagine it is pretty amazing. But we know our call—we have to move, we have to risk, we have transform.  Are you ready? Let’s dream about what God might do.​Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family, For the sake of my own ego, I like to think that I am kind of extraordinary. I mean, the Broadhurst name will go down in history. Extraordinary, yep, that’s me. Okay, maybe not. You know what? Abel wasn’t all that extraordinary, and he got included in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11:4. How did that happen? The answer: He did what was right. Simple, ordinary, not-all-that-amazing just doing what God said. That’s not sell all you have go to the Kenyan slums kind of faith. That’s not give-up-your-job-and-focus-on-caring-for-orphans kind of faith. It’s just a simple faith…doing what is right. And his legacy is still known thousands of years later. Maybe extraordinary acts aren’t always what God is looking for. Let’s talk about that this. Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,Perhaps you are one of those Christians who is very certain of their view of creation. Maybe you are convinced that it happened in 6 literal 24 days and it was created out of nothing. Fine, I get it. And that is cool with me. Hebrew 11:3 seems to say something about this, so yeah, I am going to have to say something about this too. But, the truth is, it doesn’t really say much of anything about it. So, while I will talk a little bit about it, I really want to emphasize the point of the author: while it doesn’t always seem like God is fulfilling his promises, BAM, then He does. This is a passage about encouragement, not about creation. See if you can see it when you read it. We will dive in together here. I hope it’s encouraging.  Praying for all of our hearts to be moved this coming week as we hear from God. Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family, I took a year off from ministry. I needed a break. Of course, I was exhausted. Of course, I was grieving. But there was more going on. Christianity was starting to really frustrate me. Not the limping Christianity. Not the authentic Christianity. But the Christianity that we tout on facebook and in pop books and in political discussions. I needed to remind myself that there is a Christianity that is beautiful and faithful and genuine. We all need something. Hebrews 6 and 10 tell us clearly what we need. We need to persevere. For me, that meant refocusing on Jesus and his glorious church (even when his people are ugly sometimes). For me that meant trying to see what Jesus sees in us and hearing his vision for us again. Right now, I see something very clearly. Hope in a promise. A promise given to me and to St Andrews. I want to show you a very simple Christianity which I hope will inspire a new trust in God for our future. I'm glad I get to share to share my heart with you.​Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,I wonder what Jesus would think if he went to the movies. I really wonder what he would think about the movies and TV shows that revolve around his story. Would he laugh at how they portray him? I wonder what he would think about the picture you have of him. Based on movies, childhood pictures, pastor’s perspectives, and the culture that pervades our thinking, I wonder if we have the right Jesus. One thing I am sure of is that the ripple effects of this man have been more than any other in history. What if what he and thousands of others claimed is actually true? How might that truth shape everything? If you have a non-Christian friend, I think they need to check out this sermon. If you are a Christian, this should challenge you as well. I hope this resonates with you.Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,It's almost funny what some peoplebelieve: dinosaurs in Scotland, Big Foots in Canada, and aliens in Area 51. Some of us believe other things that perhaps might have a more direct impact on our lives:  God wants us to die in a jihad, God offers us eternity on our own planet with virgins galore, God doesn’t care about us at all. But what do we think about Jesus? That is my topic the next couple of weeks. This week, what do we think about Jesus in regard to the Triumphal Entry. Even calling it the Triumphal Entry implies something that the text almost demands we not believe. It’s another one of those weird passages where triumph is found through weakness and the best strategy for war is gentleness. Take a look at John 12 and prepare your hearts for worshipping as you follow along.Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,Things are going to get better. How is that for hopeful and encouraging? Things are going to get better. The kingdom of this world is diminishing as Christians live in an upside-down world. What the heckam I talking about? Well, you need to come on Sunday as we look at the ending of the book of Haggai. It talks about a shaking and a future king and a world that gets better. I think that is still the promise and I can’t wait to show it to you.Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews family,Eudaemonism is that ethical position that stresses that goodness, happiness, and material rewards always come from satisfactory ethical actions. “Oh my gosh! That’s how you started this pastor? And you want me to keep reading? I nodded off in the first sentence.” Okay, I get it. But think about it for a second. The Bible tells us all over the place that if we do the right thing, then goodness follows. If we don’t do the right things, we get cursed. Is this really true? Doesn’t your everyday experience tell you it’s not true. Wait, did you just wonder if the Bible is really true? See, this might be a fun sermon after all. Super relevant anyway.  I am going to talk about whether God is a vengeful, violent, and punitive God. I am going to talk about the consequences of sin. I am going to talk about how vital it is to put the most important things first in our life. I hope you will read Haggai 2:10-19 before coming.​Pastor Jace

Dear Family, Do you get discouraged? Are things not as you expected and planned? Do you look back on a time when life was just sweeter and wonder if that will ever be again? Can I encourage you from Haggai 2? It’s a promise that God will be with Israel and I think I can say that he will be with you too. He says there that he will shake things up and that he will revive them and that things will get better. I am praying this for our church and for each one of you this week before we meet. And I am expecting great things. I hope this speaks to you. Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family, Are you listening? Last week I encouraged you to “give heart to your road.” Did you? Because when Israel heard Haggai’s words, they listened—they obeyed. And it was truly a beautiful moment. Their obedience was recorded and we are still talking about it 2500 years later. When you hear the Bible preached, do you hear it as if it is coming from God’s own mouth? Or is it just another sermon or another Bible study or another devotional? Does that time spent under his word compel you forward? Can I ask you again: “Are you listening?” I hope you listen to Sunday's message as we look at Haggai 1:12-15. Maybe you will even ask God what he wants you to hear and how he wants you to obey.  Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family, What’s the most important thing in your life? “Duh, pastor, I know the church answer: Jesus is the most important thing in my life.” Okay, yeah, of course he is. We all like to claim that. We are generally good people, doing good work in a good place for good reasons. We all love God. But are you kinda like me? Maybe your everyday “to-do list” doesn’t exactly match up to your claims. Do you have a genuine belief combined with truly great intentions? But then reflect back at the end of the day and feel some shame? Do you struggle with priorities? I don’t want to shame you this week. Jesus already took your sin and that is truly great news, but maybe, just maybe, we can encourage each other in regard to the road we run. I hope you join me.Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family,There is something happening here. I can feel it. Most of you have known it far longer than I have. God’s Spirit is moving in our midst and I can’t wait to see what happens next. If I am right, then our church will cling to one another in unityaround the cross. Our people will marry the church and devote themselves to it. Our faith community will touch others with infectious holiness. This part of the larger body of Christ will be insanely generous and sacrifice everything to present Jesus as king. Courageous generosity! That’s what we looked at this week from Acts 4:32. I hope youget a chance to meditate on it this week. If God is moving, I can’t wait to see what He does next in his church as the banners are waved and the demons tremble. I hope you can be a part of it.Pastor Jace

Dear St. Andrews Family, Sometimes I wonder who is driving this car and then people remind me that it’s me. While this may not be a great testament to my confidence and leadership, I think its good that I am reticent to be the driver. I know myself well. I want to be liked. I don’t want to disappoint anyone. I don’t always know what direction we should go next. I don’t think this necessarily a problem with my leadership specifically; its just part of being human. And for this reason, I think leading the church should be the job of a small group of godly people—not one very human me.   I think if we want to be wise and we want others to see the church as beautiful, we might need to rethink how we lead. This week, I want to show this to you. I want to excite you about godly wise leaders who desperately want to drive the car where God is leading. Will you join me on Sunday and come with open minds and hearts for the future of the church. Pastor Jace

Dear St Andrews family,   It took me 8 years to propose to my wife. It took 3 years for Rebecca. And I still freak out about it a little. I have trouble with commitment. Its scary. I like dating, but marriage concerns me. It means I am 100% in. It means I am totally devoted.   I kinda like dating the church. She is cute. But man does she have some problems. I am not sure I really want to be totally in. Maybe if she was more beautiful, more kind, more like Jesus, then I would want to invest. But she isn’t.   I get it. But can I remind you of something. Jesus thinks she is really beautiful. He died for her. We aren’t going to find the perfect place. The childrens ministry isn’t going to be perfect. The microphones are going to have some feedback. That Bible Study seems to drift into talking politics far too often. The preacher will preach way too long. But if God has you here, I hope you can see past the flaws and love completely.   Time to get married. 😉 Pastor Jace