Prairie Hills Covenant Church

This week we are exploring the amazing, wonderful gift of human friendship through the lens of the life of King David. Godly friends are essential to our spiritual growth and our journey of faith. Our challenge today is to commit ourselves to deep, abiding, life-giving, trans-formative friendships so that we will understand more fully what it means to be a friend of God. 

When we look at the similarities and contrasts between the stories of Mary, the mother of Jesus and the couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth, we can't help but come to a profound conclusion, "Nothing is impossible with God!"   On this fourth Sunday in Advent we celebrate the LOVE of God and recognize that in spite of all of our failings, all of our sin, all of our fears and doubts, the fact remains, nothing is impossible with God. 

It is one thing to say that we pray and another to be changed, challenged and recharged when we pray.  One of the ways we learn to pray is to read and pray the prayers of scripture.  Psalm 25 is a wonderful prayer that helps us learn the ABCs of Effective Prayer.

The Prophet Malachi provides creative imagery and direct teaching about the necessity of being pure before the Lord.  In this second week of Advent, let's prepare our hearts and minds to meet God.

There are some very big questions that humanity wants to ask God.  These questions are at the center of why some people refuse to believe that God is good and loves them.  The penetrating question we are going to as we ponder the reality of living in our worst nightmares is, "When does God weep?"

Message from our Thanksgiving Eve Service

There are many examples in scripture of God giving people a second chance.  The story of Peter's do-over with Jesus after the resurrection gives of great hope that God is merciful and forgiving of our sins and worst thoughts and actions.  If you are praying, "Can I get a Mulligan?" then make sure you listen to what this story has to tell you.

When Jesus met Nathanial he asked him, "What do you want?"  Jesus was not asking Nathanial to make a Christmas list, he was asking him to identify the core of what he was looking for in life and more specifically, what he wanted from God.  This is the first of 4 penetrating questions that we are going to explore. "What do you want?  What do you REALLY want?" 

Rev. Tyler Menssen serves as Director of Solid Rock School of Discipleship. Tyler is Ordained to Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Covenant Church, and holds a Masters of Divinity from North Park Theological Seminary.  When not overseeing the operations of Solid Rock, Tyler enjoys Mountain Dew, golfing, running, reading, iced mochas and conversations, and spending time with his Australian Shepherd, Milo.  

As we wrap up our sermon series in the book of Acts, chapter 21 is a critical point in Paul’s journey.  What happens here determines how the rest of his life is going to go.  And from his friends vantage point, the path he chooses to go is crazy.  Our challenge is to look at the paths ahead of us and, like Paul, be willing to choose the path of most resistance if that is the will of God.

Think about the importance of what you say to people, the advice you give, the respect you show, and the love you convey.  In Acts 20, the Apostle Paul was very aware that he didn’t know what was going to happen as he made his way back to Jerusalem. So, he was very careful about what he said because they could be his last words to his friends.  This should give us pause in our conversations, especially with people we care about. If, what you say are your last words to them, what message have you given?

The story of Paul and Silas encounter with the Philippian Jailer is a study in opposites and the counter-intuitive. How is it possible to have joy in jail? This story helps us to better understand the will and purpose of God. We might not want to go where God sends us or would rather not do what God tells us to do but being in the center of God’s will is always the best place to be.

This is the first of a two part sermon on the adventures of Paul in the city of Philippi. This Sunday, we are introduced to an extraordinary woman by the name of Lydia. She is one of those women whose leadership and sacrifices were critical to the spread of the Gospel. Once again in the book of Acts, significant barriers are crossed as God leads his followers into unexpected ways. A good question to ask as we study this text is, “How do I know God’s will?”

This week our continuing study in the book of Acts introduces us to Timothy, the young protege of Paul. The message in this study is especially for children and youth but is particularly significant for parents, grandparents, teachers and anyone who cares about passing on the faith to the next generation. In many ways, the principles we are going to explore in the profile of Timothy is a framework for how we should be doing children and youth ministry at church. I hope that you will be taking notes!

Barnabas is a hero. Earlier in the sermon series, we learned that he stood up for Saul before the church leaders in Jerusalem when no one believed that Saul was a changed. This Sunday we are going to dig deeper into the history and impact of Barnabas' life and ministry. When we apply the principles from his story to our own life and ministry, we will be a hero to someone else.

In this second part of Peter and Cornelius' story, God did a miraculous thing and sent the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles. The impact of this event changed the world. The change impacts who is on our guest list for the great feast of heaven. The table has been set...now guess who's coming to dinner!

This Sunday is the first of a 2-part sermon. The text describes two elaborate visions by two people that historically would not associate with each other, the Apostle Peter and the Centurion, Cornelius. Even though we may not know much about Jewish food laws, God has something very important to say about how we are to think and act toward people who are different from us. Just wait until hear what's on the menu for dinner!

Sometimes obediently doing what God says to do does not make sense. It may not be logical, efficient, cost effective, or even safe. Sometimes responding to God is not even just a test. Rather, our obedience is an essential part of God's plan, even if we don't understand why. As we study Ananias, consider the significance of obedience to God's word, no matter our protests.