By Charissa Toeller I have two dads. They've both been part of my life from the very beginning, but one I got to know earlier, and the other, I've known for quite a bit longer. Mark could pick my cry out amongst all the other newborns in the hospital nursery. (Or so he claimed.) He was proud of me--so proud, in fact, that he even took me to a board meeting with him when I was only three years old. I can't fathom attempting to do that with any of my own kids, but three-y

By Brandon Lemons People today are searching for wisdom. We want help navigating relationships, anger, money, romance, decision-making, purpose, and more. The internet offers endless advice on these topics. Social media is full of influencers, experts, podcasts, articles, and videos, all telling us how to live our best lives. Some of that advice is helpful. Some is not. How do we know which voices to trust? What do we do when one source says one thing while another promotes

By Brandon Lemons When I prepare a sermon, I often ask myself, “Why do people need to hear this?” Until I can answer that question, I’m not ready to give the sermon. Little did I know while preparing this past Sunday’s sermon that within 24 hours, I would need to apply it to myself. Late Sunday evening, I became frustrated during some family vacation planning. As my kids have gotten older, they’ve definitely become more opinionated. (Parents of teenagers are probably not

By Charissa Toeller Have you ever thought about the possibility of meeting a biblical anti-hero in heaven one day? What if someone who did awful things ended up repenting by the end of his or her life, but we never see it on the page? For the past several weeks, I've been going through the book of Daniel with the High School Sunday School class. Nebuchadnezzar is what I would call "the Bowser to Daniel's Mario". (That's a Nintendo reference if anyone missed it.) Scripture doe

By Brandon Lemons Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past strengthens our faith for the present and future. This is why God commanded the Israelites to take twelve stones from the Jordan River and set them up as a memorial. As Joshua said, “These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever” (Joshua 4:7). The purpose of the stones was simple: God’s people need reminders. When future generations saw those stones, they would remember that God had parted th

By Brandon Lemons While working on recent sermons, my mind wandered to this question: “Was Jesus an introvert or extrovert?” This seemed relevant as I studied Jesus’ routine of pulling away to be alone in the wilderness. For instance, Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Seeking to be alone, especially after being with a crowd, is a classically introverted move. Is this proof that Jesus was an introvert? If so, what about the times Jesus seeme

By Shelly Lemons The older I get the more I realize how incredibly mindful the church of my youth was. I have many delightful memories from the church I grew up in, but one especially sweet one is Bring a Friend Sundays. On these Sundays we would work hard to invite a friend to church. My mom and dad would often each invite someone. Many of these people ended up staying around our church for years to come; in fact, some might still be involved there today. The church pr

By Brandon Lemons Beauty is captivating. I think of a sunrise over Lake Michigan: the vivid colors that paint the sky, the rippling waves, the expansive views. My wife is known to spontaneously clap and proclaim “Yay, God” and “Thank you, God” when she sees a sunrise over the lake – even when she’s by herself! Beauty is captivating. I imagine you, too, can identify beauty that captivates you. Jesus is beautiful, and Jesus is captivating. For myriad reasons, we can easily

By Brandon Lemons Caroling at Highpoint Residence in 2024 If you’ve been around Friedens for a while, you have probably heard of the “UP-IN-OUT Triangle.” This diagram, which is central to Friedens’ mission, emphasizes three key relationships for Christ-followers: our relationship with God (UP), our relationships with other Christians (IN), and our relationships with the surrounding world (OUT). Churches are often good at UP and IN relationships, because UP and IN are the n

By Brandon Lemons This Sunday, we will begin a sermon series on the book of Isaiah. Have you ever studied Isaiah? If you’re like most...

By Brandon Lemons When preparing a sermon, I almost always have more to say than I have time to say it. This forces me to cut material...

By Brandon Lemons The Bible is incredibly relevant to how we live – which is valuable to know because God wants us to flourish! God wants...

By Brandon Lemons The main point in Sunday’s sermon was: “Science and the Bible support each other when both are interpreted accurately.”...

By Brandon Lemons In one week, a new President will be elected, along with countless other politicians around the country. It may take a while to sort out election results, and there is sure to be wrangling over the outcomes of at least a few elections. For some people, there will be a major sense of joy and relief; for others, it will feel like the sky is falling. As I reflect on the election process, I can’t help but think of the value of lamenting. Before getting i

By Brandon Lemons At Saturday’s Neighborhood Party, there will be a new event: an Egg Drop Contest. This event is designed to give people an opportunity to work together on a fun project, with a competitive element as well. It’s an especially good opportunity for parents (or grandparents) and children to work together. At the same time, anyone is welcome to participate! I recognize some people don’t know what an Egg Drop Contest is. Basically, participants build a dev

Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10) For the last several weeks, I've been sharing different ways of praying from a prayer study by John Mark Comer that the middle and high school summer Bible study has been going through. If I’m right, this final one, "contemplative prayer", will either become your favorite or your least favorite way to pray! I've got to be honest, I expected it to be my least favorite. Not because I don't think it's a great idea, but because it'

By Charissa Toeller My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27) Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. (1 Samuel 3:9) This summer, our middle and high school students are going through a study on prayer by John Mark Comer. We want to invite you to join us! So far, we have learned to pray through pre-written prayers and through crafting our own prayers that invite God into our lives. In this third part, we'll talk about various ways we can l

By Charissa Toeller The Lord says, "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation." (Psalm 91:14-16) Two weeks ago, I wrote the first of four articles based on the prayer study by John Mark Comer our middle and high school students are working through this summer. We are learning to ex

By Charissa Toeller One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’” (Luke 11:1-4) This summer, the Student Bible Study is using The Pra

By Brandon Lemons Imagine I pick up a cello for the first time. I take a couple hours of lessons, practice like crazy for a few days, and then try to perform a concert. It would be a disaster, wouldn’t it?! At the very least, it would be painful to listen to, even if you could vaguely make out the tune I’m trying to play. Most likely, your response would be, “Brandon is a poor cello player.” Or “Brandon is just starting out. He needs more practice.” You probably would not be