As I mentioned last week one of the more unique, and interesting angel-type appearances which occurs several times in Genesis and other times throughout the Old Testament, is the appearance of "The angel of the LORD." Literally the angel of "Yahweh." But this angel is also referred to as "The Lord," "God," simply "angel," and even "a man." So, who is he really? What is he really? Let's look together at a few of these appearances of The Angel of the LORD and see what we can learn. The very first ...
Oct 05, 2014•36 min
There are many misconceptions put forth regarding the evil spirit world. Some people give the Devil and his minions too much credit. In the midst of these realities in the culture around us, we cannot skeptically ignore everything related to angels and demons nor can we gullibly believe everything we see or read about in the popular media. To accurately understand angels and demons we can't gain accurate information from today's popular TV, movies, or novels, we have to learn to think biblically...
Sep 28, 2014•35 min
Our big take away from this synagogue synopsis of Jesus' anointing was that Jesus' anointing is our calling. We, as the church- those touched and being transformed by Jesus-are called to carry on his ministry with those around us. It's a positive refreshing message of grace, and hope...shared (splashed) on others one life at a time...in the power of the Spirit. It has been said that there are no perfect churches. I think that is true. But, why? Today Jesus tells us why there are no perfect churc...
Sep 21, 2014•42 min
On May 10, 1869, crews from the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads converged at Promontory Summit in northwest Utah. Their purpose was to connect their two railroads into the first transcontinental railroad. You might think the key to their success was skilled engineering, cartography, and a detailed blueprint. But you'd be wrong. They certainly had incredibly skilled engineering. They had the best maps available. But the real key to their success was something else. It was their abilit...
Sep 14, 2014•47 min
Today we are bringing a close to our series Malachi: Debating with God. Over the course of these last 5 weeks we have gotten a front row seat to 5 debates between the nation of Israel and God. Right from the get go we learned that the nation of Israel was struggling. They have just been released from their exile in Babylon, they have rebuilt the temple and they were expecting the Messiah. They were expecting the one who will set them free and save them from their pain, suffering, persecution, bu...
Sep 07, 2014•29 min
Friends there may be some of you who are sitting in this worship center or in the venues that are in the same predicament of Israel. You have been beaten, crushed, by the waves of life. Addiction and past habits tossed and turned you and this whole time you've been pulled by the current of this culture and have been spit out onto the shore, and you have just come to the realization that you are yards away from God. There are probably others of you who have been walking closely with God for years...
Aug 31, 2014•44 min
The people of God in Malachis day had watched God do a miracle in allowing them to come back to rebuild the Temple and work miracles to help them rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. They people renewed their covenant with their God, as the sacrificial system was restored. When those things happened their expectations and hopes for the miraculous appearing of the messiah were stirred to a fever pitch. But, the messiah did not appear at that time. The people remained under Persian rule. The "promi...
Aug 24, 2014•36 min
What God is pointing out in our debate today is that the way we treat people matters to him. There is a connection between our relationship with him and our relationships with others. We cannot compartmentalize. This means that our faithfulness or lack thereof, in our relationships with others directly impacts our faithfulness to God. So, when we love the people around us well, it reveals that we are loving God well. But failure to love others well, reveals a failure to love God well. Not mincin...
Aug 17, 2014•46 min
God after establishing his love for Israel transitions the debate from that about Love to that of Theology. Throughout the rest of Chapter 1 and the first 9 verses of chapter 2 we see God and Israel debate theology. Before we engage in this debate over theology it is important for us to have an understanding of what I mean when I state theology. Formally, the study of theology is defined as a set of doctrines or statements regarding God. However, in a nutshell I like to refer to theology as "wha...
Aug 10, 2014•42 min
Have you ever found yourself debating with God? Questioning him? I know many of you have lost loved ones, even recently. Often times the grieving process is made up of us questioning God looking for answers. Some of you are currently going through rough times as I speak, you have just been diagnosed with cancer, or are jobless after years and years of applying for different positions. Have you ever found yourself debating God? Why? Seriously... why debate with God? Is that even Godly? or Christi...
Aug 03, 2014•39 min
Today we look at our third conversation with God, when Jesus talks with Simon Peter on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Unlike the previous conversations where Jesus spoke with strangers, this scene has some important back-story that we need to look at first. As we look back at the life of Peter, I hope communicate to you that we don't have to be superhuman to be disciples of Christ. Peter was one of the inner circle of disciples around Jesus, but he was just a man. He had a few really remarkab...
Jul 27, 2014•44 min
Today we want to look at John 4 and eavesdrop on a conversation between Jesus and a woman as they sit by a well in the middle of Samaria. So, open your bibles to John 4. If you don't have a bible, feel free to grab one from the below the chair near you, put your name in it and make it your own. Bring it with you each week because it's your handbook for knowing and walking with God.
Jul 20, 2014•44 min
Today we begin a three-week series we're calling: Conversations with Christ. We are going to be looking at three extended conversations Jesus has with three different individuals that I believe each of us we will see ourselves in. Today we're going to listen in on Jesus conversation with Nicodemus. Spiritual darkness keeps people from seeing how to get to heaven. John 3:1-2 Nick comes at night. Many reasonably believe John tells us this to show that Nick didn't want his colleagues to know he was...
Jul 13, 2014•35 min
Over the past 6 months or so, as our staff has been praying through the prayer requests that have come in from Sundays, we have been moved by the myriad of requests for all sorts of healing-mental, emotional, spiritual and physical. In addition, I have had a number of conversations with folks around our church who have carrying God sized burdens where they desperately need God to work a miracle, because there are no other options. During this same time frame, we have had the opportunity to pray ...
Jul 06, 2014•39 min
King David, Israel's greatest king wrote, "Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain" (Ps. 127:1). As it goes for the home, so it goes for the country. Some of you will naturally want to make this a political sermon, and you will listen to it with the bias of your own personal political views. Instead of that, I'd invite you to weigh this message against God's Word, the way that you weigh every message tha...
Jun 29, 2014•39 min
Now today, I want us to close off our time in this letter by going back to it's opening and a prayer that Paul prays for these Colossian believers. I thought exploring this prayer would be a meaningful way to wrap this series up together because it has become a prayer that I pray for myself, for our staff and ministry leaders and at times, I have found it fitting for opportunities for private prayer with some of you.
Jun 22, 2014•40 min
We've been saying that just as caterpillars have the DNA of butterflies long before they can fly, so to Christians have godly DNA and the Spirit empowers a growth in them so that they can mature into who they are in Christ. Practically this means that people who know you but haven't seen you in awhile when they run into you, they will notice that you are different than when they were around you before. One of you sent me this picture this week to illustrate this. Today, Paul turns his heart towa...
Jun 15, 2014•39 min
Welcome to our 2014 Annual meeting and celebration. Before we take care of the more formal and legal matters as a church together, I want to briefly share with you what God laid on my heart for us this morning, as we stop and take stock in what God has brought us through this past year and what he seems to be leading us to this next year. If you have your Bibles with you turn to Mark 8. Leading up to the opening of Chapter 8, Jesus is traveling about the towns and villages of Galilee. He's coach...
Jun 08, 2014•29 min
Today we take another step in our series that I'm calling "Christ-Centered Freedom." So far we have been breaking down Christ-centered freedom into some smaller components. We are to use our freedom in Christ to keep at the change process because God's energy is zealously and actively re-creating us-at work in us to change our will and affect our actions in order to fulfill His good purposes. As Paul attempts to fulfill His calling as an Apostle, he alludes to this same interactive, dynamic coop...
Jun 01, 2014•43 min
Last week Brian reminded us that just as the caterpillar has all of the DNA inside it to be a fully developed butterfly, so it is with us. "God has given us the DNA of complete and full godliness." In Christ we have been given the gift of his righteousness, nothing we do can make us more righteous or cause God to love us any more. This morning we get to look at the process of putting on the new self and finding out what that means.
May 25, 2014
And now in our text for this week, Paul begins to describe for us how caterpillars can fly, so to speak. He is asking us take this freedom mindset and see the new opportunities it presents to us and begin to live them out. That's why I'm calling this message freedom's new opportunity. Today Paul begins to get real specific about how those who now have this Christ-centered freedom he's been talking about actually live it out. Turn in your Bibles to Colossians 3. In these opening verses of chapter...
May 18, 2014•43 min
Today our Colossians text Paul is speaking to our mindset...our outlook....our perspective!!! Paul is fundamentally arguing for a change of mindset for these new believers. He's basically saying, " Christian...you have to start thinking about yourselves differently." He's trying to open their minds to their new reality "of being complete in Christ." Their old ways of thinking about how to find favor with God, and how to awaken the spiritual dimension in their lives, all has to change. Before Chr...
May 11, 2014•39 min
Today, we are continuing on in a series that we started on Easter titled "Christ Centered Freedom." In this series we are breaking down Paul's letter to the new Christian Church in the City of Colossae. As we discussed last week the city of Colossae was a lot like that of the United States. It consisted of a melting pot of worldviews and religions. The church was surrounded by a bunch of Greek cults that worshiped little gods; gods of the cosmos and the elements. There was also a huge Jewish pop...
May 04, 2014•42 min
Whether it is your wedding day, the birth of a child, or those times when you just look up at the stars; when was the last time you where amazed by someone or something? Do you remember that feeling? OK... so now when was the last time you were just completely amazed by Christ? Not amazed by what he has done for you but amazed by just simply WHO he is? I'm not talking about oh yeah Jesus is cool.... No!!! When was the last time you just sat back and you have just been taken by the majesty and wo...
Apr 27, 2014
Athletes often use the need for redemption from some past failures, mistakes or poor performances to motivate themselves to train and prepare. For example, teams who blow large leads and lose to a team they are favored over try to come back the next week and redeem themselves. They try to perform better to make up for their failures earlier. In instances like these, it seems that athletes, teams, or celebrities who have failed, fallen, or acted foolishly can in some way redeem themselves in the ...
Apr 20, 2014
Today I want to wrap up our "From Garden to Glory" series by talking about the Big Idea of the entire Bible! Though we have seen that the Bible is written over the course of two centuries, by thirty-seven authors, in sixty-six books, and though it doesn't always read chronologically and isn't always easily understood, there is an overall unifying theme that reveals it's ultimate author's purpose and message! This big idea or unifying theme has been called the Scarlet Thread of Redemption.
Apr 13, 2014•37 min
Welcome to Session #9 of our 10-part series I'm calling From Garden to Glory: Getting and Overview and Grasping the Big Idea of the Bible. We've been stepping through the Nine main eras of the Older Testament and these last few weeks we have stepped through the first two eras of the New Testament called the Gospel era and Church era. Today we're spending some time in the final era-the missions era where the news of forgiveness of sin through faith in Jesus begins to spread around the world....
Mar 30, 2014•37 min
Last week in our Bible overview we stepped into the New Testament and began to look at the Gospel era. In the chart on your note section today, we covered that first column called the Gospel era. Today, we take another step into the history of the NT in order to get an understanding of the beginnings of the church in the next column called the "Church era."
Mar 23, 2014•40 min
From the time of Malachi more than 400 years pass before the storyline of God is picked up again in the times of the New Testament. These 400 years have come to be referred to as the Silent Years or the time between the Testaments. It seems best to understand "silent" to mean that while God still moved among his faithful, inspiring and leading them, he didn't inspire anyone to write additional writings to be included in the Bible. In fact, quite a bit happened during these centuries as God prepa...
Mar 16, 2014•43 min
Welcome back to week 6 of our series: From Garden to Glory where we are trying to get a broad overview and high level perspective of the Bible. Though we are not unpacking specific verses we have been able to identify major themes and broad sweeping life lessons from this high level pass over the Bible. On your sermon note page today I placed the chart that I presented to you week one. Take a look at that with me. It's a good time for us to see where we've been and how the pieces we'll cover tod...
Mar 09, 2014•44 min
