Pastor Chris
Why Did Jesus Praise a Dishonest Manager? | Parables Pt 6
Some scholars have argued this parable doesn't even belong in the Bible. In Luke 16, Jesus tells a story with a dishonest manager at the center. Pastor Chris works through the shock of the story and shows what Jesus meant when He told His followers to be "as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16, NIV). Skycrest Community Church · 125 N Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL 33765 Sundays: Group Bible Studies 9:00 AM · Worship 10:30 AM…
Is It Unfair for God to Be Generous? | Parables Pt 5
In Matthew 20, a landowner pays workers who put in one hour the same wage as those who worked all day. The all-day workers grumble. Pastor Chris explains the parable of the workers in the vineyard and why it should leave us grateful for God's amazing grace. Skycrest Community Church · 125 N Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL 33765 Sundays: Group Bible Studies 9:00 AM · Worship 10:30 AM Wednesdays: Pastor's Bible Study 6:30 PM Plan your visit, watch live, or…
Is the Kingdom of God Your Treasure? | Parables Pt 4
In 2014, a California couple walking their dog found buried cans holding more than 1,400 gold coins worth over $10 million. Jesus told two short parables about a treasure hidden in a field and a pearl of great value (Matthew 13:44–46). Pastor Chris shows that the kingdom of God is the treasure all of us are searching for. Skycrest Community Church · 125 N Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL 33765 Sundays: Group Bible Studies 9:00 AM · Worship 10:30 AM Wednesdays:…
Built on the Rock | Parables Pt 3
A guest speaker shares stories from his grandfather, who came to America from Lebanon, and shows how Jesus used parables to help people listen, learn, and teach. He looks at the parable of the house on the rock and the house on the sand at the end of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24–27). Skycrest Community Church · 125 N Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL 33765 Sundays: Group Bible Studies 9:00 AM · Worship 10:30 AM Wednesdays: Pastor's Bible Study…
Why Dads Need to Pray | Parables Pt 2
On Father's Day, Pastor Chris talks about the part of a father's role we often leave out: prayer. In Luke 11, Jesus tells a story about a man who knocks on his friend's door at midnight and gets what he needs because of his "shameless audacity" (Luke 11:8, NIV). Pastor Chris shows what that story teaches every believer about praying boldly. Skycrest Community Church · 125 N Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL 33765 Sundays: Group Bible Studies 9:00 AM · Worship…
Do You Have Ears to Hear? | Parables Pt 1
Jesus was a great storyteller, and His stories still make us ask whether following God has made a difference in our lives. Pastor Chris opens the Parables series with the story of the farmer and the seed (Luke 8:4–15) and explains why Jesus chose to teach in stories. Skycrest Community Church · 125 N Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL 33765 Sundays: Group Bible Studies 9:00 AM · Worship 10:30 AM Wednesdays: Pastor's Bible Study 6:30 PM Plan your visit, watch live,…
Will You Do What's Right When It Costs You? | Character Counts
On graduation Sunday, Pastor Chris says the dividing line between success and failure is character: the will to do what is right, as God defines it, no matter the cost. He looks at Daniel in the lions' den (Daniel 6), who was about 80 years old when his faith put his life on the line, and shows how good character is built over time through a daily walk with Christ. Skycrest Community Church · 125 N Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL…
No Greater Love | Memorial Day 2021
On Memorial Day weekend, Pastor JP remembers the lives laid down for our freedom and points to the life Jesus laid down for us. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13, NIV). Through the story of Lazarus in John 11, he shows that Jesus loves His followers, knows all things, and has power over life and death. Skycrest Community Church · 125 N Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL 33765 Sundays: Group…
Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin? | Half Truths Pt 2
Many people read Jesus' words "Do not judge" (Matthew 7:1, NIV) as a total ban on judging others. Pastor Chris reads the passage in context and shows what Jesus actually taught: when we should not judge, and how to do it with humility when the goal is to restore someone. Skycrest Community Church · 125 N Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL 33765 Sundays: Group Bible Studies 9:00 AM · Worship 10:30 AM Wednesdays: Pastor's Bible Study 6:30 PM Plan your visit,…
God Said It, I Believe It, That Settles It? | Half Truths Pt 1
"God said it, I believe it, that settles it" once summed up how most Americans saw the Bible. Pastor Chris explains how postmodernism, the belief that there is no absolute truth, changed the way our culture views Scripture, and what that means for believers who still trust God's Word. Skycrest Community Church · 125 N Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL 33765 Sundays: Group Bible Studies 9:00 AM · Worship 10:30 AM Wednesdays: Pastor's Bible Study 6:30 PM Plan your visit, watch…