When Heaven
Invades Earth
Jesus asked us to pray for his kingdom to come on earth, as it
is in Heaven. What does it look like when God’s Kingdom invades
our earthly kingdoms? Sounds exciting. Have we ever seen it? How
do we participate in it, or get in the way of it? When we step
into Kingdom living, everything changes. |
| February 5, 2012 |
By Galen Hackman |
|
Matthew 6:10; Mark 1:14-15 |
|
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Servant
Leadership, Part 2: Following Well
As important as it is for Leaders to lead well, it is equally
important that a of us learn to follow well. We are all
followers and the Bible gives various encouragements to us to
follow in a way that is honorable and empowering. |
| January 29, 2012 |
By Galen Hackman |
|
1 Timothy 5:17-25 |
|
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Servant
Leadership
Our newly elected Leadership Team returns from a weekend retreat
and will be commissioned this morning. What does it mean to be a
good leader & a good follower in the Kingdom of God? |
| January 22, 2012 |
By Galen Hackman |
|
1 Peter 5:1-11; 1 Timothy
5:17-25 |
|
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Hope: the
Remedy for Grief
Many of us have experienced significant losses in the past year
or more - loved ones, jobs, relationships. We have been
grieving. God promises that our grief can turn to joy through
the living hope we have in Jesus. |
| January 15, 2012 |
By Galen Hackman |
|
1 Peter 1:3-12; 1 Thess. 4:13 |
|
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Communion and Baptism
Pastor Galen will challenge us all to recommit to our
baptismal vows. |
| January 8, 2012 |
By Galen Hackman |
|
Matthew 10:32-42 |
|
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Remaining
Yoked with Jesus is the Only Way to Health, Rest and Life
At New Year its natural to set goals to improve our lives &
become healthier, more like Christ. For lasting change to occur,
we must remain connected with Jesus. When we do, we find that
His yoke is easy, His burden is light, and we find rest for our
souls.
Click here for Dan's Sabbath paper.
|
| January 1, 2012 |
By Dan Kulp |
|
Matt 11:28-30, Prov 3:5-6 |
|
|
Christmas Day
Service
Celebrate the birth of Jesus.
"For no word from God will
ever fail". |
| December 25, 2011 |
By Galen Hackman |
|
Matt 26 |
|
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Spiritually
Fit
Today we welcome Mike Wenger, director of TNT (Teens Need Truth)
Youth Ministry. He will share about the ministry of TNT &
challenge us in our walk with the Lord. TNT carries on two types
of ministry: one on school campuses & the other in youth centers
which hold evening activities. God has graciously blessed this
ministry. ECOB partners with TNT by supporting it
financially & by having Pastor Galen serve on its board of
directors. |
| November 20, 2011 |
By Mike Wenger |
|
2 Timothy 4:6-8 |
|
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The Book that
Changed the World
This year marks the 400th anniversary of the first publication
of the King James Version of the Bible. We easily take for
granted both the great cost associated with translating the
Bible into English, and the huge impact that it has had on our
world. Today we celebrate the gift of God’s Word, given to us in
our own language. |
| November 13, 2011 |
By Galen Hackman |
|
Psalm 19 |
|
|
Middle School
Sunday. A Never-Ending Love Story.
Love God with all your heart, mind & soul, plus love your
neighbor as yourself. What is He asking from us anyway? Maybe
it’s simply to love Him back. The youth & adults will be sharing
during the worship time on how God has touched their lives & how
they answered the question: What is He asking from me anyway?
What’s your never-ending love story? |
| November 6, 2011 |
by Rob Eshelman & Friends |
|
Matt 22:34-40; Leviticus 19:18;
Deut 6:5; 1 Cor 13:4-7 & 13 |
|
|
There is a
Rest for the People of God
Today we take a look at our congregational core values through
the eyes of some of the men who attended a recent men’s retreat.
As a congregation we confess that the principles of
unconditional love, prayer, servanthood, community,
authenticity/accountability & celebration guide our lives as a
people. In a lot of ways, the retreat modeled these core values.
We will hear about this & also explore how we, whether male or
female, young or old, can take some steps toward embodying these
principles more deeply. |
| October 30, 2011 |
by Galen Hackman |
|
Hebrews 4:1-16 |
|
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Spiritual
Friendships
Proverbs 27:17 reminds us that just like iron sharpens iron, so
one person sharpens another. Often the missing ingredient in our
lives & our spiritual development is the presence of true
spiritual friends. David had the blessing of Jonathan (1Samuel
18-20) and Ruth had the companionship of Naomi (the book of
Ruth) and Paul had Barnabas (Acts 11-14) and Apollos had Aquila
and Priscilla (Acts 18). Spiritual friends go a step beyond
friends & engage us on levels that move us along on our journey
with God. We will explore the power of spiritual friendships &
the role they play in our lives. |
| October 23, 2011 |
By
Galen Hackman |
|
Proverbs 27:17 |
|
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Living With Jesus so Others May
Know Him
Recently we changed one
small word in our purpose statement; "for" changed to "with". It
seems a bit radical to say we live with Jesus. When
do we live with him? now, every day, or only in Heaven in the
future? to view our daily living as being with Jesus is a huge
step forward in understanding life and what it is all about.
Let's explore together what it means to live with Jesus so others
might know him. |
| October 16, 2011 |
By
Galen Hackman |
|
Mark 3:14, Matthew
28:16-20, Romans 6:8 |
|
|
Are we still
expecting him? The parable of the ten virgins.
The wise & foolish virgins had the same information & they all
had an invitation to the wedding banquet. Some anticipated the
bridegroom could or would be delayed & so they prepared for the
waiting period. Some did not. Do we understand there is a window
of time to respond to something, knowing that at some point the
window (opportunity) ends? What does the oil represent? Do we
have hearts fully devoted to God? Do we long for his return? |
| October 9, 2011 |
By Kim Ream |
|
Matthew 25:1-13 |
|
|
Remembering:
With Fear or With Hope?
What role does fear have in your
life? Immobilizer or energizer . . . foe or friend? What
you do in the face of fear determines its role in your life. We
will look at how fear can either paralyze your or move you to entrust
your life to the Lord and realize him as your only place of safety.
he promises that he will not only be with you, but that he will also
lead you through your fear. |
|
September 11, 2011 |
By
Tricia
Schlegel and Dean Sensenig |
|
Esther 4; Psalm 56; Psalm 62:1-8; Jeremiah 29:11 |
|
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God's
Handiwork
God's creation directs us to a relationship with him. He has
created us in his image and supplied us with everything we need
in this life and the next. |
| August 14, 2011 |
By Rob Eshelman |
|
Genesis 1:1-31 |
|
|
What has God showed you?
We are returning to the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament, to
the life and times of Micah of Moresheth, looking at the message
God delivered through him, to the people of his day and to us.
Jim Carson preaching. |
| August 7, 2011 |
By Jim Carson |
|
Micah 6:8 |
|
|
Do Not
Conform: Overcome Evil with Good
Nate and Jenn Hosler, missionaries with the Church of the
Brethren at Kulp Bible College, Nigeria. The Hoslers live
near the 10th parallel where many conflicts occur between
Christians & Muslims. Their mission is to teach biblical ways of
conflict resolution & to help the church find practical ways of
loving their enemies |
| July 17, 2011 |
By Nate and Jenn Hosler |
|
Romans 12 |
|
|
When Jesus Comes
to Call
Zacchaeus really wanted to see Jesus
and when he did, Jesus enabled him to see into the depths of his
heart. What Zacchaeus saw there in his heart moved him to
repentance. The last verse in this passage (Luke 19:10) says
that Jesus came to save that which was lost. Until we understand
that we are or have been lost, we do not know we need to be
saved. Holy Communion is a celebration of this verse. When we
look into our hearts, what do we see? The degree of clarity with
which we can see our own lostness affects the level of
celebration we have in the truth that Jesus has found us and
saved us. |
| July 10, 2011 |
By
Galen Hackman |
|
Luke
19:1-10 |
|
|
Jesus is
Resurrected…What Next?
We’ll be looking at the Resurrection being a true historical
fact, what the truth of the Resurrection means to us, and why
God keeps us here after we are saved. |
| July 3, 2011 |
By Jim Carson |
|
Luke 24:5-7, Acts 1:10-11,
Romans 7:4 |
|
|
Nahum: Living Well When Your Dreams Crash
The People of God had expected to prosper, not to
be oppressed. With the Assyrian nation lording it over them,
would they ever see freedom & independence? Life for us often
turns out differently than we envisioned. Where is God in all
this? |
|
June 26, 2011 |
By
Galen Hackman |
|
Nahum, esp. v 1:7 |
|
|
| Father's Day:
A Fabulous Father |
| June 19, 2011 |
By Rob Eshelman |
|
Luke 15:11-31 |
|
|
Jonah: Being OK with God’s Compassion
God is God & he will do what he wills-what
happens when I am not OK with God’s ways; when I want revenge &
he seems just too nice? |
| June 12, 2011 |
By
Galen Hackman |
|
Jonah 4 |
|
|
Graduation
Sunday
In Matthew 16, verse 26, Jesus asks a haunting question: "What
will you give me in exchange for your soul?" In Luke
12:13-21, Jesus tells of a man that exchanged his soul for
wealth. What does it mean to live in such a way that you
lose your soul, not only for eternity, which is bad enough, but
even in this life? This week as we honor our graduates, we
will explore this troubling question and attempt to discern a
few principles that might save us from this frightful fate. |
| June 5, 2011 |
By
Galen Hackman |
|
Matthew 16:26, Luke 12:12-21 |
|
|
Life: A
Problem to be Solved or an Adventure to be Lived?
If we live our lives as a problem to be solved on our own, we
will quickly realize how little strength we have. God
wants us to be constantly connected with Him seeing our lives as
an adventure. This will involve faith and risk, but it's
the only way that we will find the life that Jesus came to give
us. |
| May 29, 2011 |
By Dan Kulp |
|
John 5:19-47 |
|
|
Obadiah: The Golden Rule for Today
How do I live when I see those who spurn God seemingly prosper?
It makes me angry and I want to avenge goodness and truth.
Can I really love my enemy? |
| May 22, 2011 |
By
Galen Hackman |
|
Obadiah 15, Mathew 7:12, Luke
6:31 |
|
|
Sacred
Assembly Anniversary
Today during worship we will celebrate the third anniversary
since our Sacred Assembly in 2008. (For the biblical background
on a sacred assembly, read Joel 2:12-27.) That was a defining
moment in the life of our congregation and this year we want to
pause to worship our faithful God, review the vision of where he
is calling us, and thank him for what he has done, is doing, and
will do in and through our congregation. Be ready to worship
with abandon, pray with fervor and serve unselfishly. |
| May 15, 2011 |
By
Galen Hackman and Friends |
|
Scripture Reflections from John
17 |
|
|
Mother’s Day:
On Being a Woman of Valor
This acrostic poem has been looked at as a description of the
ideal wife or mother – but is there more? Godly wisdom creates
Godly character and enterprise, for both men and women, married
and unmarried. |
| May 8, 2011 |
By
Galen Hackman |
|
Prov. 31:10-31 |
|
|
Pictures of Heaven
Dave Weiss is pastor of New Creation Fellowship
in Reading, PA and founder of A.M.O.K. Arts Ministry Outreach
for the Kingdom, a ministry dedicated to helping people
(especially artists but others as well) to find, develop & use
their gifts to the glory of God. For more on A.M.O.K., go to
www.amokarts.com or his blog
www.amokarts.wordpress.com.
Dave is married to Dawn and has two sons, Brandon and Chris.
|
| May 1,
2011 |
By
Dave Weiss |
|
Revelation 21 & 22 |
|
|
Easter Sunday:
He Is Risen
It all changed on that first Easter morning when
a Jewish carpenter, who claimed to be God, came back to life
after being crucified. Living with Jesus so Others may know
Him. |
| April 24, 2011 |
By
Galen Hackman |
|
Matthew 28:1-15 |
|
|
|
Seven Woes of
Human Religion
Jesus calls his followers to live in a relationship
with him that transforms the inner nature of their hears. The
forms and rituals of organized relation often do no more than breed
self-righteousness and hypocrisy. |
|
March 6, 2011 |
By
Galen Hackman |
|
Matthew 23:1-39 |
|
|
It is Evil’s
Desire to Destroy the Glory of God…It Can’t!
Guest speaker, Bill Harbeck, director of Holding on to Hope
Ministries and author of Shattered: One Man’s Journey from
Sexual Abuse, is speaking in both services on the topic “It
is Evil’s Desire to Destroy the Glory of God…It Can’t!” Holding
on to Hope Ministries, based in Phoenix, AZ, works with people
struggling to overcome the consequences of sexual abuse. |
| January 23, 2011 |
By Bill Harbeck |
|
Genesis 50:20 |
|
|
We Choose Life
On this, the first Sunday of the
second decade of the 21st Century of the Christian Era, we
gather in worship at the Ephrata Church of the Brethren to
declare together that we Choose Life. We choose the ways of God
& we commit ourselves, unreservedly, to following hard after
Jesus. We seal this commit with the sacred act of Holy
Communion. |
| January 2, 2011 |
By Galen
Hackman |
|
Deuteronomy 30:11-20 |
|
|
Hope Makes One
Live
Jeff Boshart,
Haitian Disaster Relief Coordinator for the COB, will be
speaking in both worship services on the topic “Hope Makes One
Live” from Isaiah 9:6-7 & Luke 2:10-11. Jeff has first hand
experience with the devastation in Haiti following this year’s
earthquake & how God has moved in many people’s lives. |
| December 19, 2010 |
By Jeff Boshart |
|
Isaiah 9:6-7 & Luke 2:10-11 |
|
|
Gratitude
Attitude
The Scriptures call us to give
thanks for all things (Eph. 5:20) & in the midst of all things
(1 Thess. 5:18). This seems absurd to the natural way of
thinking. However, as followers of Jesus we know some things
about God & his ways that are hidden from the natural mind. We
are given a glimpse of the purposes of God & thus we rejoice in
all things. For preparation for worship on this Thanksgiving
Sunday, meditate & journal on 2 Corinthians 4 & 5. For what has
God made us? |
|
November 21, 2010 |
By Galen
Hackman |
|
Eph. 5:20, 1 Thess. 5:18, Acts 1:1-11 |
|
|
Praying Like a Linebacker
We will be looking at why we can pray with bold trust in God and
what the reason for our boldness is. |
|
November 14, 2010 |
By Jim Carson |
|
Isaiah 6:1-4, Ephesians 3:10-12 |
|
|
|
Middle School Sunday. Piece by Piece:
Where do you Fit?
What piece do you have that will help complete the puzzle? We all
possess an intricate piece of the puzzle. Take time this week to
discover yours & help us to complete the puzzle at ECOB |
|
November 7, 2010 |
By Rob Eshelman and Friends |
Ephesians 2:19-22
|
|
|
In
the Upper Room with Jesus
In preparation for Holy Communion next week, we explore the unique
experience of engaging in Love Feast and what it means for us.
|
|
September 26, 2010 |
By Galen
Hackman |
|
John 13:1-17; Mark 14:12-26 |
|
|
|
Do You Love Me? |
|
August 29, 2010 |
By Paul
Grout |
|
John 21:1-18 |
|
|
| By this the
World Will Know |
|
August 22, 2010 |
By Galen
Hackman |
|
John 13:34-35, 1 Corinthians
13:4-7, Philippians 4:4-8 |
|
|
|
Keeping our Focus |
|
August 15, 2010 |
By Jim Carson |
|
Matt. 14:22-33 |
|
|
| Senior High
Youth sharing experiences from National Youth Conference and
Work Camp |
| August 8, 2010 |
By Brian Nissly and Friends |
|
2 Corinthians 4:6-10, 16-18 |
|
|
|
The Sound of Silence |
| August 1,
2010 |
By Galen
Hackman |
|
Psalm 46 |
|
|
| Reconciled
Through Christ |
| July 18, 2010 |
By Galen
Hackman |
|
2
Corinthians 5:16 – 6:2 |
|
|
| Letting Go |
| July 4, 2010 |
By Kim Ream |
|
Exodus 6:1-13 |
|
|
|
Baptized…Now What?
|
| June 27,
2010 |
By Galen
Hackman |
|
Luke 3:21-22; 4:1-13 |
|
|
|
A Tale of Two Men |
| June 20,
2010 |
By Galen
Hackman |
|
Genesis 13:1-18 |
|
|
|
Baptized into Jesus |
| June 13,
2010 |
By Galen Hackman |
|
Romans 6:1-14 |
|
|
| Sanctity of
Human Life Sunday |
| January 24, 2010 |
By Kim Ream |
|
2 Timothy 3 |
|
|
|
Sabbatical Revisited |
| January 10, 2010 |
By Galen Hackman,
Geoff Davis, and Steph Fassnacht |
| |
|
|
| Resolved |
| January 3, 2010 |
By Galen Hackman |
| |
|
|
| Sabbatical:
Surrendering to God as He Moves Among Us |
| August 30, 2009 |
By Galen Hackman |
|
Philippians 2:1-11 |
|
|
| Encouragers
Needed |
| August 23, 2009 |
By Geoff Davis |
|
Acts 9:20-28 |
|
|
| Fathers Day:
For this Reason |
| June 21, 2009 |
By Galen Hackman |
|
Genesis 2:4-25 |
|
|
| God Loves a
Sinner |
| June 14, 2009 |
By Rob Eshelman |
|
Luke 7:36-50; Psalm 32 |
|
|
| Graduation
Sunday: A Foundation for the Future |
| June 7, 2009 |
By Tyler Eshelman |
|
Colossians 2:6-7 |
|
|
| Pentecost
Sunday. Holy Spirit Sunday: Be Filled by the Spirit |
| May 31, 2009 |
By Galen Hackman |
|
Acts 2:1-21, Ephesians 5:15-21 |
|
|
