Drenched (Week 5) So many of us long to live a life of deeper passion and love for God, but yet we continue to do things the same way while trying harder and harder. As Jesus called Peter and the disciples out of the shallows and into the deeper water, he is calling us to pray boldly and worship greatly as we too step out of the shallows and into the deeper waters of our life. (Luke 5, Hab. 1:5, Psalm 63:1, 1 Cor. 2:9)
Read MoreDrenched (Week 4) There is a joy available to you, a joy that can not be explained. Because of the Salvation that is found in Jesus, we can now have a joy in all situations. Even though we may experience major trials and pain, there is a joy that He gives to us through many different things such as The Holy Spirit, other believers, and belonging to the Kingdom. (Rom. 15, James 1, Gal. 5, Acts 13)
Read MoreDrenched (Week 3) This evening in a very special service, we celebrate 16 baptisms in our church and hear stories of God's faithfulness and love in the lives of each and everyone of us. Worship is expressed through the sharing of our gratitude, so we proclaim how grateful we are for all He has done for us! (Gen. 1, Rev. 22)
Read MoreDrenched (Week 2) Why do we worship? When we begin to recognize what God has done for us and who He is, it begs a response of love from our hearts. Too often the temperature of our worship is based on how we feel about God in the moment or what we feel like he has done for us recently. What about the times when we don't feel like praising? Worship isn't a feeling or an emotion, it's an acknowledgement of who God is. (Isaiah 6:1-8, Romans 1:21-23, Luke 17:11-19)
Read MoreDrenched (Week 1) The first message in our new series about worship is focused on baptism, what it means, how we participate in it, and why we do it. This visible response to an invisible expression of faith is a powerful form of worship and a sign of dedication to God. (Matt. 3:11, Acts 8:36-37)
Read More5 (Week 4) Do we have a desperation in our faith? We read stories in the Bible of men and women experiencing miraculous wonders of God because of their great faith. We have religion, but no desperation. We must be willing to do the labor of growing our desperation for Him for the breakthrough that is awaiting. (Matthew 8 & 9, Luke 4)
Read More5 (Week 3) What happens when God's people pray? Stories from scripture inspire us this morning as our church begins two weeks of 24/7 prayer. Persistence matters in all areas of life and prayer is no different. When a prayer becomes the cry of your heart, that's when God starts to move. (Acts 1, 2, 3, Matthew 26)
Read More5 (Week 2) We all have faith and choose to put it in different things, such as our jobs, our friends, etc. We don't have a lack of faith problem, but a placement of faith problem. What is it that you are putting your faith in? Jesus is calling us out of the comfort of the boat and the safe places of our faith and asking us to step out onto the water of a new journey of trust in Him. Take courage, do not be afraid. (Matthew 14, 2 Tim. 1:7)
Read More5 (Week 1) When God calls us into deeper things, He asks the question "Do you trust me?" In the month that we celebrate our 5th year as a church, we are called back to our original steps of faith and recognize the wave of what God is doing in our community. He is inviting us to get swept up. (Acts 1:12-14, 2:1-2)
Read MoreWhat does it mean to live a successful Christian life? If we are living in to what God has called us to, we will have stories of the work that He is doing in us. Today we hear three powerful examples from people in our community of the dreams God has given them and the way He is moving in their life.
Read MoreThere are many ways that God reveals Himself to us. This morning we read Psalm 19 and look at three specific ways He makes Himself known through His creation, His word, and His grace. The beauty of this revelation calls us to respond in worship. (Psalm 19)
Read MoreEphesians (Week 16) This morning we hear from Clint Williams and Ashley Stephen as we re-cap our series on the book of Ephesians. We discuss Paul's instructions on the practicality of daily relationships, his call to be fearless, and the significance of his parting words of peace and grace. (Ephesians 6)
Read MoreEphesians (Week 15) We are in a battle of not just flesh and blood. We must be aware of who we are fighting and how we are instructed to fight this battle. By arming ourselves with the Gospel of Jesus, we can stand firm knowing that we are prepared and equipped for anything that comes our way. (Ephesians 6:10-20)
Read More(Ephesians Week 14) In this section of Paul's writing in Ephesians, he discusses how we should live within our families and our workplace. When we examine these instructions within the big picture of the narrative of the Bible, we have a hope for our marriages, our children, our parents, and out jobs. With this big thinking, we can extend grace and establish peace. (Eph. 5:21-6:9, Matt. 7)
Read More(Ephesians Week 13) In our everyday life we have the opportunity to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and chose to live our life intentionally. We have the option to chose between what is easy and safe and what is intentional and purposeful. We are challenged to trade up to the more meaningful things of life and look through the lens of intentionality. (Eph. 5:14-20, Acts 2:12-15)
Read MoreEphesians (Week 12) Far too many believers get stuck imitating the old traditions of the faith, but the actual story of the gospel is set in the future, it is a story of future restoration. We all can point to something or someone who we are imitating with our behavior and actions. However, we are called to be imitators of God and in doing so we will be a light leading the way forward for all to see. (Eph. 5:1-11, 4:24, Matt. 15:16-17, Acts 10, Acts 11:1-18)
Read MoreEphesians (Week 11) In the first Sunday of this new year, we are challenged in Ephesians 4 to put off an old self and put on a new self by recognizing who we ought to be and renewing our minds. It takes realizing how much we owe God in order to realize what we ought to be. And when we realize who we ought to be, we have the desire to change. (Eph. 4:17-33, Phil. 2)
Read MoreIn our last Sunday of 2017, we reflect back on the highs and lows that we have each experienced and look to the story of Joseph as an example of how we should handle 2018. In his life he experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but throughout it all, he looked to The Lord first. (Matt. 6:33, Gen. 39, 40, 41)
Read MoreEmmanuel, God With Us (Week 2) Sometimes we know more about God's presence then we actually feel. Today we are challenged to embrace His presence through the story of His birth and recognizing that the birth of Jesus is a history splitting, movement making, human saving, world shaping moment in history. (Psalm 139, Joshua 1:9, Matt. 28:20, Deut. 31, Isaiah 41:10, Rom. 8:38-39, Luke 2)
Read MoreEmmanuel, God With Us (Week 1) Throughout history, God has been reminding us that He is with us. From Moses and Joshua to Elijah, He repeatedly proclaims the comfort and peace of His presence in our life. Sadly, His presence is often one of the most ignored things in our life. We seek Him in the big flashy things, but His presence is often found in the silence and the whisper. (Matt. 1:18-23, Isaiah 7:14, I Kings 19:3-13)
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