Salt Sunday. Church-wide community service event.
May 12, 2013: Joy in Generosity
An overview of some key elements from the example of the Macedonian church. How to give, and the mindset we should have. It's a grace in which we should excel!
May 5, 2013: Covered by the Blood!
1 Peter Series message 16
Text: 1 Peter 2:24-25
Our text is one of the clearest declarations of the substitutionary work of Christ; that is, One suffered in the place of others. And as we receive the gift of eternal life, we are enabled and called to pursue holiness. We will mark Communion together after we examine our text.
April 28, 2013: Indefatigability Under Injustice
1 Peter Series message 15
Text: 1 Peter 2:18-23
That's a big word! It means tireless persistence. When we personally face injustice in life, be it an unfair boss or cruel family member, how do we respond? How does the Gospel change or thinking, or, our response? As we saw in Job and also thus far in I Peter, the Gospel is a game changer, it changes everything... for the good! We will examine a Christian's response to suffering, in the context of the mercy we've received.
April 21, 2013: Christians and Government
1 Peter Series message 14
Text: 1 Peter 2:13-17
We are citizens of heaven and pilgrims passing through in this world, so how do we interface with earthly leaders? God establishes rulers and Peter has instructions on how to relate with our governing authorities. Even if we do not agree with policies or are oppressed, the scriptural mandate is clear. Special attention will be given to the commands to honor, love, and fear.
April 14, 2013: The Battle That Rages
1 Peter Series message 13
Text: 1 Peter 2:11-12
On Sunday we will begin the second part of Peter’s letter. He moves from doctrine and basic principles to very detailed and practical advice on living it out. We're going to talk about worldly passions - a struggle to which we can all relate. His counsel is wise and uncompromising; we will do well to heed his words.
April 7, 2013: A Holy Nation
1 Peter Series message 12
Text: 1 Peter 2:9-10
Peter instructs us on two very important matters: who we are in Christ, and what our job is here on earth!
March 31, 2013: Jesus Christ, Our Risen Lord!
1 Peter Series message 11
Text: 1 Peter 2:4-8
Our text this week provides an insightful Resurrection Day theme. Peter reminds us that, while the Old Testament temple was made of brick and stone, now we are the living stones, which comprise the House of God. Through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are empowered to serve God in a meaningful way. After our worship service, we will baptize 11 people! HE IS RISEN!
March 24, 2013: Of Donkeys, Disappointments, and Delays
Text: Matthew 21:1-11
Special Guest Speaker (and awesome youth leader) Dave Neff
The crowd enthusiastically welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Hosannah!), but, within a week, their attitude on Him had soured (crucify Him!). God was obviously sovereign in all of this, but we can all relate to a pattern of periods of enthusiasm followed by periods of disappointment. Does Scripture offer any encouragement for staying enthusiastic about Christ?
March 17, 2013: Relationship Killers
1 Peter Series message 10
Text: 1 Peter 2:1-3
Peter gets very specific in telling us how to love one another, giving us five destructive habits to drop...NOW. Not surprisingly, he again points us to the Word. We are to passionately pursue Him through Scripture. To tie all these things together, we'll be hearing Ryan O'Neil's personal testimony on how Christians simply loving each other played a big part in his conversion.
March 10, 2013: Why We Love Others
1 Peter Series message 9
Text: 1 Peter 1:23-25
When in college, my faith grew by leaps and bounds as I immersed myself in God's Word. I was overwhelmed by the majesty of Scripture and its ability to speak directly to issues of the heart. This week Peter gives the reason we ought to love each other: our faith springs forth from God's Word, which is living and eternal. Our hope is inexpressible and our faith is rooted in God's written Truth, which has come to us via a most extraordinary path. We will focus on all of this on Sunday.
March 3, 2013: Fleshing Out Our Faith With Others
1 Peter Series message 8
Text: 1 Peter 1:22
Peter's direction to us thus far has been "be holy" and "reverence God", both of which have to do with our vertical relationship with God. Now, he addresses our horizontal relationships with each other. His emphasis corresponds exactly with John's in 1 John: A Christian is known by their obedience to God and love for others. We will close our service by marking Communion together.
February 24, 2013: No Surprises Here!
1 Peter Series message 7
Text: 1 Peter 1:20-21
Every Sunday when I step down from the pulpit I am already thinking about the following week's message. Peter's flow of thought builds with each verse and really prompts me to worship and trust Him more! Just as we were foreknown by God, so Christ was foreknown before the foundation of the world as our Savior. Our catastrophic fall in Adam did not catch God off guard; before the world existed, He was working His plan to redeem for Himself a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (I Peter 2:9) With special participation from members of our high school group, The Edge, we will see how Christ was specifically called out as our Savior, beginning in Genesis and all throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. All this helps us put our hope in God every day, and in every way. Amen to that!
February 17, 2013: Weighing Your Worth
1 Peter Series message 6
Text: 1 Peter 1:17-19
Peter continues his emphasis on our responsibility as Christians. Last week he emphasized a battle-ready mind; this week, he'll focus on our everyday conduct (one flows from the other!). We'll be reminded that, though we are priviliged to call God our Father, we must never take for granted His holiness. And if you ever question your worth - how amazing that the Son of God suffered and died to make us His own!
February 10, 2013: ALL of Me
1 Peter Series message 5
Text: 1 Peter 1:13-16
Picture this first chapter as a door. Written on the outside of the door are all the wonderful details of our great salvation. The door opens on the "hinge", which is the first word in verse 13: therefore. In light of God's bountiful goodness, seen in our salvation, we now walk through the door into the Christian life. How do we live in light of eternity, knowing we are deeply loved by God? The key is our mindset: prepare our minds for action, be sober minded, and set our hope completely on Christ's return.
February 3, 2013: What Angels Long to See
1 Peter Series message 4
Text: 1 Peter 1:10-12
When was the last time you approached Scripture with this anticipation? Angels worship in God's very presence and are commissioned by Him for mighty acts. But they’ve never been redeemed. You and I were dead in our sins BUT GOD caused us to be born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! The celestial beings are intrigued by the inner workings of God's inseparable love for us! Peter has been hammering the Gospel from different angles, helping us see the majesty of God's works in such a way that it frames our perspective on EVERYTHING. After marking Communion together on Sunday, we will identify 5 truths about the Gospel and make practical application to our lives.
January 27, 2013: Who Stole My Joy?
1 Peter Series message 3
Text: 1 Peter1:6-9
We've seen that the Gospel is God's work in us, and by His mercy our life perspective is radically changed in keeping with our new identity. We know that God is not aloof in our trials but purposefully uses them to affirm the authenticity of our faith, which is of supreme value. When Peter ties together trials and Christian joy, the word he uses is seldom found in secular writing. Why is this? Our joy is not found in the here and now, but in our view of Jesus through faith. How do we nurture this joy? How is it that we often don’t experience it? We will examine this, using our experiences with our building process as the backdrop.
January 20, 2013: Game-Changer
1 Peter Series message 2
Text: 1 Peter 1:3-5
Last week we set the stage. Peter was an uneducated fisherman with many, and sometimes quite hilarious, personal weaknesses. We love him for that. God got ahold of him, filled him with His Spirit, chose him to testify boldly, and pen some of the most majestic passages in all Scripture. He sealed his life’s ministry by dying a martyr’s death. Peter uses arresting language to teach us about our inheritance. It is real, it is spectacular, and it is future... and impacts us now. And there is a GAME CHANGER that provided this for us. We will trace the chain of how everything is different, now that God has stepped in and changed the course of our eternal destiny. I mentioned last week that Peter provides a feast for our soul and our mind: pull up a chair, get settled in, and prepare to be blown away by the goodness of God. Peter's driving point is that the goodness of God should shape our perspective in life, as we'll see in the weeks to come. And it all begins with God's GAME CHANGER.
January 13, 2013: Character Development
1 Peter Series message 1
Text: 1 Peter 1:1-2
This Sunday we'll begin our series in I Peter. We'll cover the first two verses as well as gain an understanding of the one writing the letter. Often, what we read is more meaningful when we know a bit about the author. Peter rebuked the Lord, acted impulsively, put his foot in his mouth and denied Christ. So, who does God tap to preach the first recorded Gospel sermon? Peter. This gives me great hope regarding how God can use me! And Peter definitely does not ease into his letter when he writes: within the first two verses he takes up predestination and the Trinity! Peter's writing is a feast for our mind and soul; I am looking forward to unpacking the rich truths, affirming words, and eternal perspective found within this epistle.
January 6, 2013: The Power of Presence
Before we crack 1 Peter, there is a Christmas-themed phrase I want us to ponder for the entire year and not leave it in December; God with us. This Sunday we will develop four practical action items from this famous phrase and culminate it by observing the Lord's supper.