We don’t pray to change God. We pray so that God will change us.
God’s Sovereignty & The Act of Praying: Ask The Pastor
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In Review: An Expanded “Ask The Pastor”
Well, the blog is back... Trying To Do Better It has been quite some time since I have used this platform to connect with you fine folks (and to connect you to each other). Sorry about that! In an effort to "do better" with the church blog, I wanted to try an...
Sylvania On The Radio!
Sylvania Is Coming To A Radio Near You! Starting this Sunday morning, September 6 at 8:30 AM (Central Time), Sylvania will be on the radio! We have partnered with The Well to have sermons broadcast on Sunday mornings. The radio will be playing the sermon series on...
40 Days of Focus: A Call To Prayer and Fasting
Church family, Below is a transcript of the announcement made in the church service today about a call to prayer and fasting... Purpose Our world right now is full of tension, stress, fear, and doubt. Many, if not all, of these feelings, have come into the church....
Book 4: Confessions, by Saint Augustine
"The enemy had a grip on my will and so made a chain for me to hold me a prisoner. The consequence of a distorted will is passion. By servitude to passion, habit is formed, and habit to which there is no resistance becomes necessity." Augustine, Confessions VIII.v.10...
Racism Is A Symptom, Not The Sickness
Racism is a symptom; racism is not the sickness. Let me explain what I mean by way of an illustration.
Book 3: On The Incarnation by Athanasius
"And to sum up, the successes of the Savior, brought about by His Incarnation, are of such a kind and magnitude that, if one wished to go through them all, it would be like those who gaze at the expanse of the sea and try to count its waves." Chapter 54 Athanasius and...
10 Books Every Christian Should Read – Martyrdom of Polycarp
But when the proconsul persisted and said, “Take the oath and I will release you. Revile Christ.” Polycarp responded, “Eighty-six years 10 I have served him and he has done me no wrong. How could I blaspheme my King who saved me?” Polycarp: In Context Polycarp was an...
Sylvania Church COVID-19 Plans
Sylvania Family and Friends, The elders met last night and discussed what things need to look like for the next several weeks. Per the CDC recommendation, there is a suggested 8-week break from social gatherings larger than 50 people (one recommendation moved that...
Coronavirus: What It Means for Sylvania
New updates will be posted here as they are available. The updates are recorded in chronological order (most recent at the top). Update from April 29, 2020 Sylvania Family & Friends, I know with Governor Abbott's recent announcement, you are all curious about when...
Book 1 – First Clement (10 Books Every Christian Should Read)
"How blessed and marvelous are the gifts of God, dear friends! Life in immortality, splendor in righteousness, truth with boldness, faith with confidence, self-control with holiness! And all these things fall within our comprehension." 35.1-2 The Background of First...
Ten Books Every Christian Should Read
Recently, I was in attendance at a social gathering with several church members. As is often the case, people began to break off into smaller groups for conversation and fellowship. A man there asked me this question: "If you could pick just ten books that you think...
It’s Resolution Time! The New Year Is Coming
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.” (Psalm 119:18, NASB95) New Year's Resolution Season... It is that time of year again. We slide into Thanksgiving, we make a mad dash across Christmas, and we find ourselves smashing into another year on...
Women’s Roles In The Church: A Q&A with Pastor Phillip Dancy
Colossians 3:15 (NASB): "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful." Women's Roles In The Church - The Background I want to give a little bit of background to this wonderful event held by and for the...
The Curious Case of Kanye West
Kayne is a Christian now! So, what does that mean for the rest of us…
When God Seems Far Away – Psalm 10:1
Recently, some members of our church walked through Donald Whitney’s Praying the Bible. Today, I am including a short prayer based out of Psalm 10:1: (NAS): Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble? God, often I cannot feel your...
An Open Letter To Lauren Daigle
Hi Lauren, You don't know me. We have never met and probably never will. My name is Phillip. I am a husband (of almost 18 years), a father of 3 boys, and have been in pastoral ministry for more than 20 years. I have two advanced degrees in Church History and Theology....
Why Politics and Religion Make Americans So Angry
Acts 17:10-13 The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining...