Covid-19 Updates: May 2022

Pastor to People

The Ultimate Act of Surrender
(Good Friday Message)

By Christian Noubi Let’s turn to the book of Luke 23:46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. As we go in depth with todays; the last words of our savior, I would like everyone to ponder these two questions; … Read more

My Personal Attitude Approaching God’s Throne of Grace

By Minister Nallely Dickson (Hebrews 4:16, New Living Translation)So let us come (proserchomai) boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (Hebrews 4:16, NASB 1995)Therefore let us draw near (proserchomai) with confidence to the throne of … Read more

Secrets of the Cell

I recently spoke about the Creator who made the unfathomably vast universe. What about the opposite end of the scale? What if we zoom into the smallest living creature, the cell, at the level of atoms and molecules? Dr. Michael Behe, a biochemist at Lehigh University in PA, has recently produced some fascinating videos on … Read more

Our Father (Luke 11:2)

We are created for intimacy with God, and praying to God is meant to be as natural as breathing air. Yet we don’t always remember God’s amazing eagerness to hear our prayers. Sometimes, it feels as though God is distant. Sometimes, it feels as though our prayers disappear into a void. Sometimes, we feel unworthy … Read more

Growing Healthy as an Extended-Family Church

We at Peddie Church are at a stage where we need to make a mental shift in our self-understanding as a church, from a family church to an extended-family church. The growth is never about gathering a crowd of spectators but about making disciples of Jesus Christ and doing so in a spiritually and emotionally … Read more

Prayer according to the Lord Jesus

[Download PDF] Being God in the human flesh, our Lord Jesus knows better than anyone else what happens in the heavenly realms when we pray. He is in the best position to teach us to pray, and the prayer that He taught His disciples, the Lord’s Prayer, is the foundation upon which all our prayers … Read more

A Bible Reading Plan

Reading through the Bible is a daunting task. Anyone who has attempted to read through the Bible would almost immediately run into insurmountable barriers in Exodus and Leviticus. Even with a great determination to plow through the barriers, it can be discouraging. I hope that our sermon series on the Covenant would at least help … Read more

Leadership: Taking Responsibility – July 2017

Dear Peddie Church Family, One of the unforgettable stories about leadership is told by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks in his book Lessons in Leadership. While he was a student at Cambridge University, he was faced with the challenges of secularization, and he wanted to find out how Jewish leaders in America were responding to these challenges. … Read more

Leadership: The Vision of God and His Kingdom – June 2017

Dear Peddie Church Family, I continue to share reflections on leadership from a biblical perspective. Dr. Dallas Willard, in his book The Great Omission, talks about an experience of visiting the town of Assisi in Italy. As the birthplace of St. Francis, there are many monuments dedicated to him, organizations bearing his name, merchants selling … Read more

Leaders as Slaves of Christ – May 2017

Dear Peddie Church Family, In the next several columns, I would like to share reflections on leadership from the Bible. We live in a time when promoting oneself is an accepted norm and asserting one’s right is encouraged even from a young age. In such a time, it’s strange to hear that in the Bible … Read more

Books on Apologetics – March 2017

Dear Peddie Church Family, Please see Books on Apologetics for some of the books that have been transformational in my journey of faith, particularly for understanding the unique claims of Jesus Christ in the midst of competing claims of truth in today’s world. In the service of Christ, – Pastor James

Humility – February 2017

Dear Peddie Church Family, My greatest desire for you and me is that God would be glorified as we put on the character of Christ and be the light of Christ in our homes, schools, and workplaces. More than any other prayer concerns, I pray that we might know Christ personally and be transformed into … Read more

Praying the Scriptures (Part 2) – December 2016

Dear Peddie Church Family, Greetings of joy as we celebrate the birth of the King Jesus and anticipate the New Year! Continuing from the previous column, I would like to introduce the practical aspect of praying the Scriptures. Though there are a variety of ways the church fathers and mothers have prayed the Scriptures, I … Read more

Praying the Scriptures (Part 1) – November 2016

Dear Peddie Church Family, I wish you a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving! In these Pastor-to-People columns, I’ve been emphasizing the centrality of the Bible as the only authoritative guide to our spiritual life. I would like to continue along the same theme as we anticipate the 500-year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, which began … Read more

Abiding in the Word – October 2016

Dear Peddie Church Family, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). These are some of the boldest words that our Lord Jesus spoke on prayer. In this verse, simple yet so rich in meaning, is God’s amazing willingness … Read more

Two Ways of Reading the Bible – August 2016

Dear Peddie Church Family, Daily meditation on the Scripture is one of the essential spiritual disciples that we all need to be engaged in. Listening to Sunday sermons is not enough. Unless we take time to listen to the Word of God daily, we cannot expect ourselves to grow spiritually. Yet what’s important for our … Read more

Be Still Before the Lord – July 2016

Dear Peddie Church Family, In recent weeks, we have been shaken by the acts of appalling violence in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in St. Paul, Minnesota, in Dallas, Texas, and in Nice, France. We lament the tragic loss of the civilians, police officers, and innocent bystanders, each person bearing the image of God, and we grieve … Read more

Resources for Lectio Continua – May 2016

Dear Peddie Church Family, I would like to follow up on my long-term goal of enabling you to abide in the Word through the daily practice of lectio continua (continuous reading). The knowledge of God and His Word is not esoteric but is available to all who earnestly seek Him. We as a church would … Read more

Lectio Continua – April 2016

Dear Peddie Church Family, My long-term goal in teaching and preaching is to enable you to abide in the Word daily throughout the week. The Jewish philosopher Maimonides wisely said, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” … Read more

“I Thirst” – March 2016

Dear Peddie Church Family, During this Holy Week, we are invited to participate in a great mystery into the heart of Christ. It is tempting to go through the Holy Week as if it’s just another week of busy activities. I encourage you to slow down, be still in the presence of the Lord, and … Read more