SIMPLE FAITH
Do you remember Christmas as a child? It seemed so easy to believe back then. But with age, life became more complicated. And with these complications came doubts. And struggles. And worries.
This Christmas, unlock the real meaning of Christmas from some of the greatest Christmas movies of all time. In the process, you might even recapture the simplicity of child-like faith – and in the process, find new vision for life.
STAND OUT
Violence, racism, greed, selfishness, social division and even a complete depraved indifference to life itself … These unfortunate descriptions are not just limited to the extreme corners of our culture.
They represent values that go against the spirit of Jesus in every way and their ugly realities spill out into our schools, workplaces, neighborhoods and even families. And they give us the challenge and the opportunity to be Christ in an anti-Christ world.
ENTRUSTED
All of us have been entrusted with money and resource by God. And the truth is, we are responsible for what we are GIVEN, not for what we WISH we were given.
Stewardship is one of the most critical areas for God to use us, stretch us, and grow us spiritually.
DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE
How do you make sure not the waste your life? That’s a BIG question.
Does it mean to be successful in a career? To be as happy as you can? To have a world changing accomplishment? To help as many people as possible? To find true meaning in life?
All those are good things, but they aren’t enough. Even adding in serving Christ or glorifying God with your life is not enough.
We were created to glorify God and, at the same time, to find our ultimate joy in Him.
To not waste your life, you need to discover and be driven by that singular passion.
And God has called us all to just that!
LOST
Jesus has a radical and, we might say, reckless way of pursuing people far from God. He even said His mission was to seek and save them.
Jesus’ logic is skewed. His math is off. We would say His business and resource management skills are weak.
It just doesn’t make sense to put so much energy in trying to find one who is lost if it means neglecting or not appreciating enough what is already found.
But that radical and reckless approach, filled with passion and love, is exactly how Jesus reaches out to everyone who is far from God . . . including you and me! And when you finally get what Jesus did for you, you can’t help but develop the same approach He did.
Train Up
Everyone has influence over someone, especially young people. We usually miss and neglect that reality. So, whether we are parents, grandparents or associated family and friends we have a role to play in influencing young people throughout their lives.
Preparing them for success in the world is important, but our goal must be to do more than just to make them good. Good, in this case, is just not good enough. No, we’re out to raise godly men and women who know and love the Lord.
SONGS
Our God is alive and active. He created everything, including us, so that we would know Him and love Him.
He relentlessly pursued us in Christ all the way to the cross, refusing to take our sin and separation from Him as the last word. Jesus defeated sin and death at the cost of His life. And by the power of the Holy Spirit, God is pursuing us still.
He is reaching out to us in good times and bad. He is calling us to Himself. So, we can’t help ourselves. We live to glorify and praise and thank Him. That is why we worship and that is what we sing!
LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY
Prayer is our way of directly communicating with God. It is about connecting our heart with His. He wants that. We need that.
Throughout the Bible, there are key examples and models to help us develop this important spiritual practice. We’ll be able to grow in having a direct and dynamic conversation with God.
THE MONSTER IN ME
Ever said . . .
“I can’t believe I said that!”
“I never thought it would get that big or go that far!”
“That’s not who I am!”
Maybe it feels like there is a monster lurking beneath the surface, ready to jump out when the circumstances are just wrong. You hate it. You would do anything to change it, but the monster in me never seems to go away.
In this series we’re going to take an honest look at the monster in me and the steps to send it away for good.
IDENTITY
What is your name? What is your identity? There’s a lot of power in a name! The names we embrace are the names we become.
In the Identity series, we are discovering our true identity in Christ (or what it can be) instead of the false and shameful identities we are carrying.
THE MAZE
When it comes to the issue of sex and relationships, our world is wandering through a MAZE of change, swaying opinions and a great deal of confusion and pain.
However, as Christians we are not just people with opinions, but people under authority. So for the month of February, we are going to let God’s Word guide us out of the MAZE and into freedom.
Vision
If you want to enjoy the fruits off your own apple tree or pear tree the best day to plant that tree . . . was 20 years ago! And the second best day . . . is today! If you have been a Christian for some time, it’s easy to
dwell on the time and opportunities you might have lost serving andglorifying God with your life.
dwell on the time and opportunities you might have lost serving andglorifying God with your life.
You can’t change your past, but you can
change your future. As a church, we want to be a people who live with joy out of the reality that Jesus gave His life for us. Because of that, we want to glorify God by giving our lives for others. And we know that TODAY is that day!
change your future. As a church, we want to be a people who live with joy out of the reality that Jesus gave His life for us. Because of that, we want to glorify God by giving our lives for others. And we know that TODAY is that day!