Recharging Your Batteries
Learning to renew your spiritual life and relax are critical to the emotional and physical health of ministers everywhere.
Learning to renew your spiritual life and relax are critical to the emotional and physical health of ministers everywhere.
Most non-Christians aren’t looking for a debate, but they are bombarded by a tidal wave of media that goes against the idea of faith. Non-Christians are plagued by questions like…
Who is in the driver’s seat? Who is the master of your life? Jesus says you have a driver’s seat. It will shape your decisions and reactions in life. John Ortberg speaks…
Most non-Christians aren’t looking for a debate, but they are bombarded by a tidal wave of media that goes against the idea of faith. Non-Christians are plagued by questions like…
How do you create an environment that cause people to hunger for Christ? Roger Barrier and Glenn Barteau discuss this key issue for every church.
Dishonesty begins when you avoid conflict and intimacy. Dishonesty is based on the fear of revealing your weaknesses. Be authentic and give grace. Allow others to extend grace and acceptance…
The Advent Conspiracy calls us toward some beautiful, simple and significantly life-giving truths. Lean in with us. Here are 4 key expressions that enable us to “worship fully” in this…
The reality gap is this. Our God is an utterly amazing, incredible God. So we think – What does a God-believer look like? Every one of us comes up with…
Three marriage myths may hinder the relationship between husband and wife: Unrealistic expectations, that we can change our spouse, and that a love relationship is easy. Learn that relational pain…
The second ALL IN sermon deals with the tension, wisdom and calling that flows out of Matthew 6:24. We learn how to have money work for us and not make…
Super Bowl champions like Peyton Manning know how to focus. In fact, any great athlete has learned the art of staying in the zone no matter how intense the pressure is…
What is the point of Jesus’ parables? We must learn the context, the question and the hinge moment (the outlandish surprise element). The legal experts only wanted to call other…
When Jesus was crucified, the curtain in the temple dividing the Holy of Holies from everything else, was ripped from top to bottom. God said, “That which divided us is…
Peter teaches that we are a “People Belonging to God.” The Greek word is best translated “possession.” We are God’s treasured possession. If you can view yourself as God’s treasure, you…
Sermon begins at 32:05. We can listen to the voices of rage and anger in our lives. We can hear the shouts of the world around us, or we can…
Daring to befriend someone takes courage. Jonathan humbly protected and encouraged David. We are capable of loving others because we are loved by God. Part Two of the Daring Greatly…
Deep transformation is always connected to our deepest desires. In Christ we find the quenching of our thirsty souls. Just like the Samaritan woman, you can embrace the grace of…
Jesus engages people as souls. He engages all of them, not just one aspect of them. A deep life is living as the whole person Jesus redeemed you to be.…
The conclusion of a story reveals the transformation of the characters. To really live the spiritual life, we must die to those things that keep us from fulfilling God’s grand…
The unbeliever is looking for something deeper and meaningful. He wants to know he matters. Jesus revealed that to reach the seeker we must not crowd people out with dogma…
The unbelieving world sees Christians as “guardians of morality,” placing standards upon others that we can’t live up to ourselves. Instead, we are privileged to be living expressions of God’s…
Faith is relational, not formulaic. If you are frustrated or confused by seeming inconsistencies in Scripture, the God of the Bible longs to meet you where you are, to be…
Jesus teaches the Bible is not a rule book. Jesus didn’t live in a set way. He lived out His love in a consistent way with His character as the…
Jesus didn’t heal the blind man in Mark 8 the same way He healed the blind man in John 9. The blind man had to take a step of faith,…
We are inspired to persevere, to protect each other and to live with strong values and strong faith from the builder generation. From them, we can be inspired to press…
Jesus was a change agent. He redefined the spiritual life, from a religious construct to a relationship with God. He elevated the value of people, even people who seemed to…
The Feast of Booths is all about this homecoming – the journey the Israelites would make and the disappointments they would have to face . It is the feast of…
You have value because God values you. It has nothing to do with being worthy of it. Rely on God. The Feast of Weeks celebrates His unconditional love and grace.
Jesus was a master at developing leaders. He not only taught the twelve to lead, He taught them how to mentor leaders themselves. For example: James, the teacher; John, the…
Jesus commanded us to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit just before ascending into heaven. The word baptizo literally means “to immerse.” It was…
Adam, Esther, David, Solomon and Peter were all summoned by God to do seemingly impossible things. God’s call can be an exciting, life-giving task that fills you with energy and…
Peter is a great example of how adventure involves mystery and danger to bring insight & growth into our lives. Even with all Peter experienced with Christ, he struggled to…
Jesus said you can overcome, even though you are overwhelmed, out-matched, incapable, and hated by the world. You can be confident because of Christ in you and in this world. …
Resurrection is more than being set free from guilt-it’s about being free to live. It’s a story about lives forgiven, lives made new. It isn’t just mercy…it is love…it is…
The Israelites discovered that between the rescue from Egypt and the Promised Land lay the wilderness. We all must face that wilderness in our lives. We must learn to embrace…
1. Public beliefs: Public beliefs are things we espouse because they help us fit in, or navigate our human environment. 2. Private beliefs are things that we sincerely believe or…
When we talk about life, we are talking about a deep belief that God has created all of us to be exactly what He envisions for us to be. Our…
Our secret fears are one of the greatest sources of sin in our lives. Courage is the strength that comes from realizing some things are more important than what we…
God knows your name. Like Jacob, God does not name him for what he would accomplish. He names him for the internal character and values that are to be the…
Where do we turn for help? The church should be the answer. But, fewer and fewer people turn to church for help with the spiritual questions they wrestle with. So…
Two lenses predominate our life-focus, fear and faith. We can view life through the lens of scarcity and worry about what we might lose. We can view life through the…
The conclusion of Joseph’s story is a lesson about moving through pain and finding God’s peace. God knows what each of Joseph’s brothers need to face so they can grow…
Joseph faced insurmountable obstacles in his life. Sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, wrongly imprisoned and yet filled with faith, Joseph rose above his adversity…
God’s covenants are irrevocable promises that He will love, rescue and protect His people. The rainbow, the atoning sacrifices, the Ark of the Covenant, the Law, and the cross are…
The Mosaic Covenant, of the Law, taught the Israelites the truth about their sinful motives and that they couldn’t do enough works to earn heaven. The law stirred within them…
The Jews go into captivity after years of sin and idolatry. Surprisingly, the prophetic message changes. God promises them His new covenant. Jeremiah proclaims that God will write His laws…
Cain didn’t understand that pleasing God meant obeying Him. In a jealous rage, Cain murdered his brother. Jesus’ decried the Pharisees for the same sin: self-styled religion.
Fear and arrogance caused men in ancient time to build the Tower of Babel. They wanted to build a tower to heaven to be with God, but He had to…
In the third sermon of the series “Blueprint,” Pastor Glenn Barteau makes the following observations about entering into the joy of God. Stop seeking a precise formula for the spiritual…
God interacts with us through His Word. He does not catalog practical advice like a technical manual, but instead teaches us of His love and interactions with mankind through a…
Every person is created in the image of God Himself. Jesus loved the most unlikely people- God. In one way or another all human beings reflect God himself. Jesus served…
Jesus teaches us that we are to serve Him boldly, without reservation. We can learn to take our eyes off of ourselves and our limitations and positively focus on Him.…
John 9 tells the story of Jesus’ healing a man born blind. The miracle was so powerful the religious leaders tried to trap him by accusing Jesus. Instead, he testified…
In Exodus 25, God commanded his people to design a massive lamp stand that we know as the menorah. The huge menorah would burn all night long in the wilderness,…
Jesus cried to the crowd, “All who are thirsty, come!” Christ, the Living Water offered to quench the thirst of people who were broken and hopeless that their Messiah would…
Jesus launched his public ministry in Nazareth, a very small, very poor community. The people who lived in Nazareth knew what need really was.. We are facing life
Fighting fair as a couple will preserve your unity as a couple and deepen your love. Don’t use words to wound. Re-frame your language away from judgment. Be compassionate and…
A loop is a repeating cycle of acting and reacting… and reacting from an unbiblical image of marriage. Pursuer-Distancer is a loop where one partner is smothering the relationship, while…
When your marriage is losing altitude, your relationship devolves from fascination to boredom to contempt. When your marriage is gaining altitude, your relationship goes from intimacy to connectedness to fascination.…
Your values are what you want to stand for, what you want to do, or how you want to behave. You can take a fixed approach or a principled approach.…
There are four stages to the human response to God: 1) Neither fear nor love of God 2) Fear of God 3) Fear and love of God 4) Love of…
Glenn Barteau points us toward 6 financial principles that will be a part of this series. Biblical principles are different than promises, but the blessed life is found in pursuing…
King Solomon began his reign well, but stumbled in the second half of his life. What can we learn from his mistakes? Don’t confuse your aspirations, accomplishments, skills or roles…
Solomon’s early reign was fraught with power struggles and intrigue. We must be courageous in adversity and in facing conflict. Sometimes the best course of action is simply to wait…
We are called to be a light of the world kind of community – as the Church. We must maintain a focus and a relevancy that allows the movement of…
Growth is a reality for all living things. When it comes to growing spiritually: is it just simply knowing more about God? It’s more than that. Growth is about having…
Jesus’ message – the gospel – changes everything and invites us into the story He’s been writing throughout history. How did Jesus frame out the gospel? And how the message…
Every church or organization that wants to be effective and healthy must stay focused on its mission. Today, Glenn walks us through the mission God has given Casas Church: To…
When Jesus began the church – it was so much more than an institution, it was a movement of His followers. It centers around a relational connection with our Savior,…
Parents have the calling to help the next generation discover their identity and unique gifts from God. It’s also helping our children learn how to own their own struggles/problems enabling…
Pastor Glenn Barteau and his wife Angie share some practical wisdom on how to help our kids navigate their ‘will’ and train it. As parents we can help our children…
The letter to the church in Laodicea calls us to let Jesus in – to let Him help us live that larger life and not settle for a lukewarm life.…
The key to facing that which drags you down is to live in the present – not the guilt of the past or the fear of the future. Live in…
Just Be GROWING. The letter to the church in Pergamum (Rev. 2) challenges us to grow spiritually and as a person. Safe and certain lives are small lives of denial…
Be REIGNITED. The letter to the church in Ephesus calls us to remember our desire for God and to choose Him again. First love isn’t lost because it goes away,…
Grace is God’s power enacted in a human life. We need grace when we feel we are going to fail, when we experience pain, anger, and hurt in a relationship,…
Fairness is only fair. It’s not life-changing or life-giving. Fairness is good, but ultimately fairness is powerless. Fairness will not heal your soul or set you free. Forgiveness, releasing the…
Press Play and get “unpaused” in living the life Jesus has for us. Examining Matthew 6:25-34, Glenn unpacks some truths for us to activate our faith. Be a person who…
Paul teaches that our sin nature doesn’t just operate in one small part of our conscience mind. Our sin nature permeates our soul and heart; it’s in operation throughout our…
The parable of the prodigal son illustrates the difference between living the Christian life by law and by grace. The question is: Will I set the course of my life…
How do we survive worst case scenarios? Be prepared. Learn that God is able. Hold your outcomes loosely. Sometime god doesn’t deliver us from the furnace, He meets us in…
One of the things we see in the life of Jesus – is that he lived life WITH those that thought life with God may not have been available. Proximity…
Samson was one of the most gifted heroes in the Book of Judges. Samson had a code that he lived by, but his story shows us a life that cracks…
We learn much about misguided faith and a skewed view of God from reading the story of Jephthah, who made a foolish vow to God and murdered his only daughter.…
God has a great love for His creatures. He knows His sheep-He knows you well. He wants you to experience abundant life, hope and meaning. This is the true vision…
Ruth’s story in the time of the Judges was a miraculous one. From a human perspective all was lost. But even when all seems lost we don’t have to give…
The Book of Judges in the Old Testament – contains cycles of crisis management among God’s people. Their pattern is to follow God closely after God delivers them, and then…
Paul in his letter to the Corinthian church wants Christians to consider the claims of Christ and ponder our choice to receive Him as Lord and Savior even in the…
The man with the withered hand had to step out on faith and trust Jesus amidst great opposition. When we take that simple step of faith, Christ can radically transform…
Pastor Glenn Barteau preaches on Roger Barrier’s ministry over the past 35 years. Get a look at the godly values that have helped shape Casas Church to become an enduring…
Christ set us free to be part of His life-giving community-God is the source and strength of all we produce and we’re invited to do something constructive with our freedom.
The Judgment of God is all about worthiness before God. It’s about discerning the deepest motives of the human spirit. It is about having the right to condemn a person.…
The colorful church with unique problems relates to our present day churches and how we grow in Christ.
Jesus asked this penetrating question to three seekers and His response forever transformed their lives.• A blind spiritual zero (the blind beggar) – became a blazing light of God’s power• …
In light of what we have learned from this great tragedy, as a nation we have greater clarity of our values, clarity on what makes America great, and clarity that…
“Choose Your Own Adventure” part three encourages us to not be mastered by sin, but instead to master it. We must tell ourselves the truth, change our focus and fight…
Worship gives our adventure Perspective – It draws me away from selfishness. Worship draws us closer to God in this adventure called life. Worship cultivates a grateful heart as we…
Worship draws us closer to God in this adventure called life. Worship cultivates a grateful heart and draws us away from selfishness to be closer to God. We gain a…
The light of Christ that shines in us should reflect His love and magnificence to those around us. When we show genuine compassion to spiritually disconnected people, we fulfill the…
The “you” you are created to be is God’s idea. God is a custom builder, not an assembly line operator. We all have a “shadow side” of fear, anger or…
We all want to hear from God. A frantic life with no margins prevents us from hearing God clearly. Margin is having space to do something. We need space with…
We can experience God’s joy in two ways. At the macro level, we stand in awe of the vastness of God. God enjoys creation, and His creation in us. At…
Faith is not about an impressive spiritual resume. Faith always asks us to reflect more deeply on God and ourselves. Listen, reflect and trust God.
Key moments in our lives are always about growth, an element of risk, an element of choice and an opportunity to trust God.
Sujo John tells his story of his journey to Christ and his experience during 9/11.
What are the benefits of sonship, according to Christ’s parable of the prodigal son? Security: we have greater security because we are sons and not hired hands. Access: we don’t…
You are loved and admired by God the Father. Your hope for joy and fulfillment is not in running away. It’s not acting stupidly. It’s not found in simply doing…
When we sin, we need to come clean with God — without the attitude. Instead of wallowing in guilt. we should confess, change our ways and move on. God walks…
Temptation pushes us to fulfill a legitimate desire in an illegitimate way. Temptation attacks our belief that God can be trusted. It empowers us to be the sole owner of…
God has passions and dreams for our lives. As we know Him, we know ourselves better and see what He created us to be.
God has a great desire for a genuine relationship of trust and love with humanity. The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life that never pursues its…
Choosing not to be afraid or not to lose heart is less about the feeling and more about about how we open our hearts and minds. This happens in a…
Faith has two parts-belief combined with choice. Belief is that the pain of your life is not an indicator that God has abandoned you. The choice is an act of…
God encourages us with His grace: promise, pardon and power. Because of the encouragement of God and others, we can live abundant lives.
God’s seventh day is our first day. Pattern your spiritual life on the rhythm of rest first, then work. Night is about giving all over to God, morning is about…
God gave Adam and Eve dominion in the Garden. His plan for intimacy was reflected in the communion between man and woman in procreation.
Male and female are co-reflectors of God’s image. Sexuality is the human derive toward intimate communion.
God did not create man as an inferior or powerless creature. His design was to give man authority to manage, rule, and control. He also gave man the powerful capacity…
God felt joy and delight for His creation. Our deepest pleasure comes from enjoying Him. Our identity should be based in who we are, not what we do. God made…
Idolatry is leashing yourself to something other than God. It arises out of the human need to have intrinsic value and control of life. Idolatry is attempting to meet that…
The poetry of Genesis is drawing us in… showing us that Elohim is different from the gods of Mesapotamia and Sumer. Elohim is a present God. When I feel alone,…
There are three ways to look at someone. The first is superficial.They are just a fleshly object. The second way to look at someone is indifference. We see them, but…
The society of Moses when he penned Genesis came out of Sumerian culture and beliefs. Sumerians believed that the physical realm had always existed. There was no beginning of the…
Work is a blessing from God that flows through us. Ruth’s story is a perfect example of God’s plan.
A Vietnam vet, a widow and a mom relates their journeys defending their country and keeping the faith.
Work is the contribution we make to life: to sustain life, to improve life, to advance life. God wants us to honor Him in our work. Your work is noticed…
One of my pastor-mentors said, “When sex is good, it’s great. But when sex in bad, it’s still pretty good!” A good observation, but the Bible has more to say…
God is at work in hidden ways through unlikely methods, not to conquer nations, but to win over human hearts. Peter the disciple is a perfect example of Jesus’ forgiveness…
The upper stage (heaven) and the lower stage (earth) are revealed in this ancient tale of tragedy and triumph. Job learns that God is uncontrollably good, irrationally graceful and unreasonably…
No matter how evil our world may become, we must not allow it to harden our hearts toward the people of this world. When our hearts harden toward others, our…
Jonah, the reluctant prophet, is a picture of God’s mercy, love and grace provided in spite of man’s stubborn self-righteousness. This colorful tale of the man who tried to out-run…
God desires that we live balanced lives by spending quality time in rest, work and play. Meditation intimately connects us with Christ.
God desires that we balance our lives between rest, work and play so that we live abundant lives. He also longs for us to practice the discipline of quiet meditation…
Everyone makes New Year’s resolutions… like getting in shape. I love the BowFlex commercial… Five minutes, three times a week and you can look like a Greek god. Mr. BowFlex…
Spiritual practices such as prayer, fasting and meditation lead to great freedom. They exist for our sake, not God’s. They enable us to do what we cannot do through direct…
Who is in the driver’s seat? Who is the master of your life? Jesus says you have a driver’s seat. It will shape your decisions and reactions in life. John…
Big Question: Do we want to live by greed and fear or do we want to live by blessing and peace? If we want to have a Holly Jolly January…it…
Science itself points to a non-physical reality. Making something from something is talent. Making something from nothing is miraculous. God Himself broke into our natural world in the person of…
Science itself points to a non-physical reality. Making something from something is talent. Making something from nothing is miraculous. God Himself broke into our natural world in the person of…
John Godfrey Saxe articulates a classic argument that all faiths are the same and that no one should make truth claims about God. He states that the true God is…
Why does the existence of God matter? Are evil acts, done in the name of God, the result of Jesus’ teaching? Why aren’t believers better advertisements for God and Christianity?…
Faith is a combination of belief and commitment. A belief is a thought that we think to be true. A commitment is an act of our will. In life there…
The tension between science and scripture often comes from faulty biblical interpretation, leading people to a shaky faith foundation. The heavens truly declare the glory of God. Such a confluence…
Doubt is an inescapable part of the human experience. Faith is an inescapable part of being human. We set up an unlivable life when we attempt to live with 100 percent…
Our passion is to help people in their spiritual journeys so that they might become mature, passionate followers of Jesus. God is calling all of us to a greater pursuit…
Most non-Christians aren’t looking for a debate, but they are bombarded by a tidal wave of media that goes against the idea of faith. Non-Christians are plagued by questions like…
Mary Magdalene is lifted from the clutches of Satan and transformed into a disciple of Christ. Satan is real, but we can find freedom from spiritual harassment through worship, prayer…
Hagar is not forgotten by God. He rescues her and her baby from certain death, and makes a great nation of Ishmael, her son. We also have a God who…
Nebuchadnezzar demonstrates amazing leadership skills, but loses his kingdom for a time. Eventually, he listens to the wisdom of Daniel and repents. Leadership is a stewardship gift given for a…
Nehemiah learns to lead in the midst of opposition without reacting unwisely or impulsively. He does not allow his enemies to divert his focus from God’s will.
We are often on a spiritual journey before we realize it. Consider Joseph who goes from prisoner to Pharoah’s royal advisor in Egypt. Be quick to give credit to others…
Our children need to develop healthy, functional relationships by practicing self-awareness, self-management and social awareness. As Joseph’s story unfolds in the Old Testament, we see how these characteristics lead him…
Trusting Jesus is more than having our sins forgiven. It is life with God. Faith in Jesus is the best way to live, and the only way to die.
We must invest care and compassion into the lives of those who need to know Christ, and simply invite them to experience Christ with us in church.
Whose job is it to convict a lost world of its sin? It is the work of the Holy Spirit. Confrontational approaches to sharing our faith violate the relationships which…
Paul encourages us to finish the race with the strength and power only God can provide. Our hope is in heaven, not here on earth.
Paul warns young Christians to be wary of legalistic pretending instead of grace-filled discipleship. Being obedient to the Holy Spirit means serving with a loving heart. We can do so…
Paul poses four questions. If we are encouraged by Christ, can we give that same encouragement to others? If we are comforted by Him, can we comfort others? If we…
Peter learns to trust Jesus in a new way when Jesus calls him out of the boat to walk on water. Kingdom living requires faith. Faith leads to risk. Risk…
The parable of the vineyard contrasts the hearts of two sons. One is rebellious but repents; the other is compliant but fails to follow through. Actually doing what God desires…
The parable of the “treasure hidden in a field” teaches that receiving Christ’s free gift of salvation is worth all that we have. Outward kingdoms only offer an illusion of wealth, power…
We all deal with feelings of anger. In Matthew 5, Jesus gives us a model for handling anger. We must not belittle others, we must reconcile with those we have…
The parable of the ten virgins teaches us that we must focus on one thing: preparing for God’s kingdom. When we discover the value of a life, we recognize that…
Jesus does not emerge to start a new religion. He comes to offer us life in His kingdom where we can live free of guilt and shame because of His…
What is authentic life change? What I say I believe will not change me. What I think I believe will not alter my lifestyle. What I reveal I believe, my…
Knowing how many chips you have can win or lose the game of ministry. Leading people is about choosing your battles wisely and navigating change well. Valuable relationships that foster…
The key to abundant living is to abide in Christ, to drink of His “living water.” Many see life filled with scarcity, stagnation and misery instead of a life with…
True spirituality results from an intimate relationship with God, not a set of rules. We don’t bear fruit being religious laborers whose lives are defined by works. Our beliefs and…
King David’s prayer of repentance and restoration models what we can do to overcome failure and sin in our lives. Honest confession, brokenness and an assurance of God’s grace can…
In spite of our fears, Jesus says we can handle the truth and it will set us free. God used Elijah’s fears to deepen Elijah’s faith and distinguish his spiritual…