Searching for Wisdom (Proverbs 1:1-7)

The New Year is a time to reflect on the past and resolve for the future. It's a time when many people aspire to improve their lives. We start diets, pack gyms, make reading lists, and set goals. But Proverbs says that our greatest aspiration for this year, and every year, should be to find wisdom: "Blessed are those who find wisdom...for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold...nothing you desire can compare with her" (3:13-15). So what is wisdom? Why is wisdom so valuable? How can we find it? Join us as we dive into a sermon series on Proverbs this Sunday.

A Very Unexpected Home (Matthew 2:19-23)

Is there significance to the phrase "Jesus of Nazareth"? You bet there is! This was more than just a title or an address; the fact that Jesus was raised in the town of Nazareth says a great deal about who God is and what He is about. This Sunday we'll wrap up our Advent series, all about the unexpected way in which God became human and entered our world. 

Very Unexpected Evil (Matthew 2:13-18)

This passage shows us the reality of Christmas. Sometimes we think that this time of year is about being joyful and peaceful and ignoring the difficult aspects of our lives. Yet the reality of Christmas is not about ignoring our difficulties, but having joy, peace, and hope in the midst of them. That's what having a "Merry Christmas" is truly about, and that's what we're going to celebrate this Sunday.

Very Unexpected Worshipers (Matthew 2:1-12)

Wouldn't you expect the "King of the Jews" to be worshiped by...the Jews? In another unexpected twist to the Christmas story, we see pagan astrologers as the first worshipers of the Jewish Messiah, while the Jewish leaders respond with indifference. What might this say about who Jesus is really coming for -- and also how we should respond to King Jesus? During Advent, as we reflect on Christ's first coming and look forward to his second coming, how are you responding to the King?

A Very Unexpected Cost (Matthew 1:18-25)

Joseph had a very unexpected Christmas. Usually, we focus on Mary's faith and courage during Advent -- and rightfully so -- but Matthew zooms in on Jesus' (legal) father. It is through Joseph's eyes that we see that the salvation that will come to the world will not come cheap. Following in the steps of Jesus is no easy thing, but that's what we're all called to as Christians today.

A Very Unexpected Family (Matthew 1:1-17)

This week marks the first Sunday of Advent as we celebrate Christ's birth. Advent simply means "coming." Together with Christians around the world in this season, we identify with Israel, who waited hundreds of years for the coming of their King and Savior -- as we  also look forward to Jesus' second coming. But even though Israel had expected the Messiah's coming for hundreds of years, we'll see in this series in the Gospel of Matthew how truly unexpected his coming was in so many ways. Indeed, our God delights to work through unexpected circumstances in history and also in our own lives.

Be Holy (1 Peter 1:13-2:3)

What does it mean to be holy? It's much more than just avoiding sin in your life. This Sunday, Ruggles Elder Linda Smith preaches from 1 Peter 1-2 about the meaning, significance, and power for holiness.

Teach Us To Pray (Luke 11:1-13)

We conclude our sermon series this Sunday with perhaps the most famous and extensive Scripture passage on prayer -- Jesus' teaching in Luke 11. This passage summarizes and connects many of the themes from our series: how to pray, why we should pray, and ultimately the importance of relating with our heavenly Father.

Installation Service for Pastor Joshua Cahan

A very special and historic moment in the life of Ruggles Baptist Church: the installation service for Joshua Cahan as Lead Pastor. 

The Practice of Prayer: Intercession (James 5:13-18)

When things go wrong, is your first inclination to pray? Do you really believe prayer makes any difference? In one of the last passages of the first letters to the early church, James passionately encourages the church to pray for ourselves and for each other -- especially in difficult circumstances.

The Practice of Prayer: Thanksgiving (Luke 17:11-19)

This Sunday we continue our series on prayer by focusing on thanks. In some ways, saying "thank you" is a simple and easy thing to do, to others and to the Lord. But Luke shows us in this passage that true thankfulness is actually something that is quite rare...and immensely powerful. Join us as we explore how (perhaps surprisingly) vital it is to regularly and sincerely give thanks to the Lord in prayer.

The Practice of Prayer: Confession (1 John 1:8-10)

Exactly five hundred years ago this week, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther famously nailed his "95 Theses" to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church in Germany. This moment changed history! It began the Protestant Reformation, which restored gospel teaching to the Church that had become corrupt and wayward in its teachings. In God's providence, on Reformation Sunday, we are talking about confessing our sins to the Lord in prayer--a key theological theme in the Reformation. Can we confess our sins directly to God? Should we confess all of our sins specifically to the Lord? Do we even need to pray prayers of confession if Jesus has already forgiven us? Join us as we explore these questions, commemorate the Reformation, and celebrate our risen Savior on Sunday!

The Practice of Prayer: Praise (Psalm 150)

When you're feeling anxious or hurt or depressed, it's always a great idea to turn to prayer. But what happens when praying doesn't seem to bring us any peace? Sometimes the more we talk with God about our troubles and needs, the more anxious and burdened we become. What should we do? As we move toward the conclusion of our prayer series, we're going to look practically at what kinds of prayers we should be praying. This Sunday, we'll examine the type of prayer that can help us overcome the aforementioned struggle with praying, the type of prayer that gives context and motivation for all our other prayers, and the type of prayer that is perhaps the most neglected in our lives.

Together in Prayer: Why Can't I Just Pray By Myself? (Acts 4:23-31)

The Bible commands and models prayer both individually and corporately. But what's the big deal about praying together? Is it more powerful and effective somehow? Why can't we just pray by ourselves?

Persistence in Prayer: Why "One-and-Done" Isn't Enough (Luke 18:1-8)

How does it feel to pray for something for the first time? How about the second, or third, or thousandth time? At some point in our lives, we've probably all felt discouraged in praying for the same thing repeatedly without any response from God. Why should we keep going? This week's Scripture passage addresses that very question. 

Gen•er•ous (2 Corinthians 9:6-15)

How can we grow as generous people? This Sunday is our annual "Stewardship Sunday," which coincides with the beginning of our new fiscal year. This is the primary time in the year when we hear from God's word about giving. We'll take a break from our prayer series this week and delve into 2 Corinthians 9 with the goal of learning generosity and worshiping the source and pinnacle of all generosity in our Lord Jesus Christ!

The Difficulty of Prayer: Why is it So Hard to Pray? (Mark 14:32-42)

In the last couple weeks we've seen from God's word the amazing purpose of prayer in relating with the God of the universe and also the awesome power of prayer to change our lives and circumstances. But if prayer is so great, then why is it so difficult? Why do we struggle to spend quantity and quality time in prayer? This week, we'll see from Mark 14 how we can overcome distractions and obstacles in order to realize the numerous benefits of a deeper prayer life.

The Power of Prayer: Does Prayer Actually Change Anything? (Mark 9:14-29)

"Prayer doesn't change things, it only changes us.” Is that true? Last week we saw that the purpose of prayer is to know God better, to grow in our relationship with him. But is that all that prayer does? Does prayer actually do anything? Does it have any impact in the real world around us? We'll try to answer that question on Sunday.

The Purpose of Prayer: What is Prayer for? (Ephesians 1:15-19)

Last week we began our series acknowledging that (almost) everybody prays, especially when we get to the end of ourselves--when we realize we're not in control and we ask God for help. But is this the primary reason we should pray--to ask God for things? Or is there perhaps a deeper and greater purpose for going to the Lord in prayer?

The Necessity of Prayer: Why (Almost) Everybody Prays (Acts 17:16-34)

Christian Holocaust heroine Corrie ten Boom once asked: “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” How is your prayer life? Why should we even pray at all? Is there a right and wrong way to pray? This Sunday we're beginning a series, "Teach Us to Pray," so that we might grow not just in knowledge about prayer, but in the joyful practice of it, too.