A provocative video is making the rounds on social media, declaring that “Jesus was from Palestine,” “hated capitalism,” and “was a communist.” It’s garnered thousands of shares, with commenters either celebrating its boldness or denouncing it as heresy. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: both the political left and right have been guilty of the same…
Category: Religion
A Glimpse of the King’s Return: A Comprehensive Sermon & Study of Luke 9:28-36
This Sunday, Pastor Joey Sampaga led us through Luke 9:28-36, “A Glimpse of the King’s Return.” Have you ever experienced a moment so profound, so overwhelming, that words failed you? A moment when heaven seemed to break through into your everyday reality? For three disciples on a mountain in first-century Judea, such a moment came…
The Transformation of Church Music: From Heartfelt Worship to Commercial Enterprise
An Examination of How Modern Worship Has Lost Its Way The scene unfolds in countless Baptist churches across America each Sunday morning. Congregants stand, holding hymnals or gazing at projection screens, as music fills the sanctuary. Yet something profound has changed. The older hymns possess singable melodies, logical harmonic progressions, and rhythmic patterns that invite…
The Cost & Confession of Following Christ: A Bible Study and Pastor Joey’s Sermon on Luke 9:18-27.
The digital landscape isn’t a boundary—it’s a frontier that God already inhabits. At East Valley International Church, we embrace screens and servers not as obstacles, but as new waters where the Spirit stirs. From WiFi signals to instant messages, there’s room for grace to travel further and deeper than ever before. AI and digital platforms…
E.V.I.C. Sunday School Notes: A Biblical Study of Romans 6:22: The Freedom of Slavery to God.
Welcome to Sunday School at East Valley International Church! Each week, we gather to explore the essential truths that form the foundation of our Christian faith. Through our “Fundamentals of the Faith” study, we’re discovering together what it means to follow Jesus, understand God’s Word, and live out our beliefs in everyday life. Today, we’re…
E.V.I.C. Sunday School Notes: “Fundamentals of the Faith” – Free Will, Predestination, and Salvation
Welcome to Sunday School at East Valley International Church! Each week, we gather to explore the essential truths that form the foundation of our Christian faith. Through our “Fundamentals of the Faith” study, we’re discovering together what it means to follow Jesus, understand God’s Word, and live out our beliefs in everyday life. Today, we’re…
Conquering the Battlefield Within: A Christian’s Victory Over Temptation
The arrow was already in flight. Not a physical arrow, but something far more deadly—the trajectory of a thought that had escaped its proper boundary, a glance that had become a gaze, a momentary consideration that had transformed into intent. King David stood on his rooftop that fateful evening, and in the space between one…
From Screen Time to Sacred Time: The Schedule Swap Modern Christians Need
There’s something almost comical about a wooden cigar store Indian winning an election. Back in 1883, that’s exactly what happened when “Abner Robbins” (no relation) secured victory in Allentown, New Jersey, beating a real person by seven votes. Then, in 1938, a mule named Boston Curtis won a political race in Washington state. The town…
The Departure from Faith: An Investigation into Why “Professing Christians” Abandon Christianity
The phenomenon of individuals “walking away” from Christianity has become increasingly visible in contemporary Western culture. Social media platforms overflow with “deconversion” stories, testimonies of former believers, and communities dedicated to those who have left the faith. The rise of the “ex-Christian” movement demands serious theological examination—not as an exercise in judgment, but as an…
What Was the Protestant Reformation All About?
What Was the Reformation All About? Introduction “We are beggars. This is true.” These were the final words penned by Martin Luther on February 18, 1546, as he lay dying in his hometown of Eisleben. In that simple confession lies the heart of the Protestant Reformation—a movement that would shatter the unity of Western Christendom…