July 24, 2022: Trust Him!

Be Strong series message 3

Text: Proverbs 3:5-6

There is a beautiful passage in Proverbs that you are likely familiar with. It has brought comfort and guidance for generations. Trust in the Lord, we are told, and do not lean on our own understanding. Think about it - we've seen stunning imagery from space recently. In the vastness of our universe, God cares about us...each of us. The "fear of the Lord" is recognizing just how awesome God truly is, taking comfort in His love for us and in His grace, and ordering our lives in accordance with His wisdom, not ours.

July 17, 2022: Wisdom!

Be Strong series message 2

Text: Proverbs 2:1-15

In this message, we'll hit the pursuit of wisdom (Colin) and the benefits of getting wisdom (Rob). God's wisdom is available to all and worthy of the diligent pursuit to obtain it.

June 26, 2022: Redemption in Everyday Life

Text: The book of Ruth

How often do we stop, take a breath, and really look for God's work in our lives? God's work is usually not loud proclamations, miracles, signs, and wonders. As we will see in Ruth, God's work is often quiet and woven throughout normal everyday life. Yet that quiet work is powerful, redeeming, and accomplishing His plan through everyday people. Everyone matters in the family of God: widows, outsiders, farmers and, yes, you!

June 19, 2022: A Faithful Servant

Text: Acts 5:40-42

In this message we're putting the spotlight on early church history and focusing on a player everyone should know about. He modeled for us doctrinal precision and conviction, faithfulness to those he served, and willingness to suffer for the Name of Christ. He shaped much of what we may take for granted today but was a key player in a pivotal stage of church history. He's worth knowing about.

June 12, 2022: Fellowship

Text: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

In this message we’ll look at a passage that has caught my eye recently as we've been discussing it in our Tuesday morning men's study: II Corinthians 1:3-11. It's a beloved passage for many, and I'd like to highlight a sub-theme that should get more attention when we read passages such as this one. Christian fellowship is key to successful disciple making, and disciple making is the great commission given the church!

June 5 2022: Assurance!

1 John series message 27

A key theme in 1 John is assurance of salvation. John ends his letter on a note of confidence - “that you might know…” It is a precious gift for believers to enjoy assurance of our salvation, which produces joy and gives strength in our service! We'll speak to this wonderful doctrine in this message.

May 29, 2022: The Message of 1 John

1 John series message 26

John's writing style is unique - warm engagement with vivid imagery and stark contrasts. He takes the foundational truths of the gospel and puts them well within reach for everyone to understand, revisiting truths to make his case airtight. In this message we recap and present the essence of his letter using his favorite words - all the words selected are used the most by the Apostle John in the NT. However, there will be one imposter in our list...

May 22, 2022: Keep Yourselves From Idols Pt. 2

1 John series message 25

Text: Acts 24:16

Last week we considered John's important injunction, keep yourselves from idols. John's admonition raises an important question: what role does our conscience play in determining what is an idol in our life and what is not? Furthermore, what is our conscience and how do we train it? We'll explore these and other important questions about our conscience and its role in our Christian walk.

May 15, 2022: Keep Yourselves From Idols

1 John series message 24

Text: I John 5:21

We finish John's letter with a most profound injunction, one every Christian needs to hear over and over again. It is human nature to place people, things, identity, and pursuits on the throne of our hearts. John's parting shot is exactly what each of us needs to hear. He does not tell us to avoid a specific list of sins. He gets to the root of it all, the heart of the matter: yield to Christ alone in your priorities, in your affections, in your thoughts, and in your worship - and keep it that way. But note - his word is a gentle word to us, full of wisdom.

May 8, 2022: This I Know

1 John series message 23

Text: I John 5:18-20

John's concluding thoughts in 1 John are a masterpiece! No less than 32 times, he uses the word know throughout this letter. He instructs us to such confidence in spiritual truths! Three times in our sermon text he declares, we know. The truths he proclaims are critical knowledge points for a thriving walk with the Lord.

May 1, 2022: Loving One Another

1 John series message 22

Text: 1 John 5:16-17

The life of God in the hearts of people produces love one for another. A key application of this is when we see our loved ones engaging in sin - we love them enough to do something about it, namely, pray for them!

April 24, 2022: Confidence!

1 John series message 21

Text: I John 5:13-15

Assurance of our salvation and the confidence it yields in our daily Christian living are themes that run all through John's letter. The apostle now pulls these truths together in a most beloved passage for believers.

April 17, 2022: His Victory is Our Victory

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:20-28

A king’s reign is fully established when all of his enemies have been defeated. Jesus died to be the final and perfect sacrifice on our behalf, but His resurrection on the third day proclaimed Him victorious over all of His enemies. It also means that all who trust in Him will share in His victory. It is a proclamation for today and a promise for tomorrow that changes everything.

April 10, 2022: When God's People Go Through Hard Times

Text: Job
The book of Job is a fairly well known story within both secular and religious groups. We will look beyond the
obvious story of perseverance paying off in the long run (James makes the statement: “You have heard of the patience of Job”) and go beneath the surface to uncover many subtle aspects and truths of the book that are very applicable to our present day trials. After presenting my observations and what I have learned about God’s sovereignty, I will provide some Biblical advice for Christians going through trials as well as for friends who are encouraging others going through trials.

April 3, 2022: This is God's Testimony

1 John series message 20

Text: I John 5:6-12

As we continue in our semon passage, we'll consider three basic questions:

Whose testimony will I value and pursue?

What will I do with God's testimony?

What is God's testimony regarding Jesus and eternal life?

March 27, 2022: By Water AND Blood!

1 John series message 19

Text: I John 5:6-12

John is developing his case for assurance - a true Christian is one who has faith in Jesus. It is not the strength of our faith, but rather the object of our faith that saves us - so we must get it absolutely right, regarding who Jesus is. With typical Johanian clarity, his answer thunders in his epistle.

March 13, 2022:

1 John series message 17

Text: I John 4:13-21

God’s love to us, in us, and through us is a sight to behold! In this message we examine what it looks like when the love of God to abides in us.