Thanksgiving week is a perfect time for us to acknowledge the fundamental difference between envy and gratitude, coveting and contentment. American culture has a consumer-driven economic system that, to some degree, fuels itself on coveting and wanting what others already have. Are we not told over and over again by marketers and advertisers that we deserve things that are bigger, better, and nicer than what we have? Are we not told that we would be so much happier if we just went out and bought whatever it is they are promoting because......

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When we started the Philippians series, I asked individual people and groups what bothers them the most about our culture and the current state of society. I shared some of these responses on Sunday. The answers will vary but here are some of the most common responses that I hear: • Everything is political and everybody wants to know which team you are on. • Social media is out of control and is ruining many lives. People are so obsessed with posting about their lives that they forget to simply live their......

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Right now, it’s very easy to be cynical in our culture. The news does a masterful job of stoking fear and pointing out everything that is wrong with the world. To be more specific, here are some of the things we constantly hear: the evolving conflict in the Middle East might lead to World War III. It’s impossible to take out Hamas without killing thousands of innocent people in the process. The U.S. House of Representatives can’t get their act together to elect a speaker. The southern border is wide open and......

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We continue to emphasize Wednesday nights as a time of fellowship, connection, and faith formation. I encourage you to come and be a part of these special events. Here is what is happening the next three Wednesday nights in November. Wednesday, Nov, 1, at 6:15 PM – We will welcome Scott Allender to speak on the “Enneagram and Emotional Intelligence.” Scott is leading our staff retreat that morning and then will be with us on Wednesday night in the chapel to speak to the church. The Enneagram is simply a personality tool......

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We continue to pray for the difficult situation in the Middle East, Israel, and Gaza. We will be praying for all involved in the chapel tonight before our panel. Between now and Thanksgiving Sunday, we are going to begin a new sermon series focusing on Paul’s impactful letter to the Philippians. Philippians has always been one of my favorite letters of the Bible. I encourage you to read, study, and reflect upon this powerful Epistle. Here is a brief intro: • It was written by Paul around 63 AD when he was......

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Early Saturday morning, sirens went off in southern and central Israel. The militant group, Hamas, backed by Iran and known for terrorism, launched thousands of missiles and then breached the Gaza border. Hundreds of innocent lives were taken, including nine Americans. Buildings imploded like on 9/11. Many hostages were also taken. Israel has the right to protect itself so now we have a full-fledged war in Israel. Retaliation for these attacks is well underway. Why this? Why now? What can be done? The history of war and conflict in this region is......

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A recent Gallup article reported that 47% of Americans identify as religious, 33% identify as spiritual, and 2% identify as both. The pandemic certainly did not do Christianity any favors except for the fact that many church services are now readily available on livestream. You can now worship in your pajamas while eating breakfast on the couch. However, watching a livestream is certainly not the same as being physically present with the community. Many people long for peace in their lives, but technology now presents a whole new set of challenges and......

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This Thursday morning, Sept. 28, at 7 a.m., we are having a special breakfast at Woodmont to support the important message of somebody in our church family. All are invited to come. Blake McMeans grew up in Knoxville, TN, and was one of the top-recruited tennis players in the nation. He was smart, driven, good-looking, and was absolutely dominant on the tennis court, winning tournament after tournament. He was recruited by numerous colleges but accepted a scholarship to play tennis at the University of Tennessee, his father’s alma mater. On the night......

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When historians look back on the late 20th and early 21st century, it will be marked as a time of declining trust in American institutions. This has been true in government, medicine, higher education, business, technology, and religion. A recent article in The Wall Street Journal by Gerard Baker titled “From Trust to Bust” gets very specific in naming the controversies by actually listing some specific historical examples of situations where trust has been diminished. These include: • The claim of weapons of mass destruction in 2003 that led to the invasion of Iraq. The weapons never materialized.......

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