The day of Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit came to indwell the followers of Jesus to form the Church, is one of the most spectacular events recorded in Scripture. But behind the strange scene described in Acts chapter 2--fire coming down on the disciples and miraculous speaking in foreign tongues--we see that the purpose of the Spirit's coming was, and is, to empower Christians to accomplish their mission.
Immediately after Jesus' ascension into heaven, we see His followers demonstrating dependence on God as they awaited the power from the Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised He would send. Their response of praying earnestly together, seeking God's will from His revealed word, and then acting in accordance with His will is a pattern that will mark these early disciples' ministry and life throughout the book of Acts.
We hope that as we study the book of Acts together we will be reminded again where the power of God is found--in the gospel. As we see how the power of the gospel was unleashed among Jesus' followers in the first-century church as the Holy Spirit powerfully worked through them, we hope also to experience fresh strength, boldness, and spiritual power through the glorious truths of the gospel.
Wes Crawford, worship pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in Kansas City, Missouri, shares the gospel-centered ministry vision of Redeemer.
In this message we Kendall Ellis explores the meaning and practice of the Lord’s Supper, explaining our church’s view of this ordinance and encouraging us to remember and cherish all the blessings of God in the gospel whenever we come to the Lord’s Table together.
After exposing the self-centeredness of the hearts of both the younger and older brothers in Jesus' parable of the Prodigal, where do we turn? If they are both wrong, then what is the answer? What does a community of believers who center their hearts on the gospel look and feel like? And how can we follow the example that the father in this parable displays?
Forgiveness is a wonderful thing. It's at the heart of every relationship--our relationship with God and our relationships with others. But this next message on Jesus' parable of the Prodigal reminds us that forgiveness always means there is an absorbing of the pain, a paying of the debt, on the part of the forgiver. That's what God has done for us. Is that what we are quick to do in order to show forgiveness to others?
Rebellion, arrogance, selfishness, worldly pleasure-seeking. Sound familiar? Many of us at one time or another have been down the same path as the “prodigal son” of Jesus’ story in Luke 15, only to find a dead end. As we continue our five-week series on this parable of Jesus, in this message we take a closer look at this younger brother to discover the true intentions of his heart
Sin always brings separation. Our selfish, worldly, prideful pursuits separate us from the relationship with God that we are made for. But they also separate us from other relationships. Sin often drives a wedge between us and other people we need and care about. Over the next month, we'll be taking a detailed look at one of Jesus Christ’s most well known parables. It’s a story in which we'll see how misguided loves can destroy a family and a community. The answer to this brokenness is the gospe...
Jesus told those who followed Him that they were not merely His servants, but His friends. What does it mean that the Son of God is our friend? And if He is our friend, how does that affect the kind of friendship we pursue in our relationships with other people?
We call fellow believers 'brothers' and 'sisters', but do they really have that privileged a place in our lives--that kind of access to our time, our thoughts, our homes? As we continue our study of the disciplines of grace, we look at the nature of gospel-centered community and how it transforms every relationship we have.
Have you ever struggled with being gracious to the people you meet everyday? In this message Mike Sheer, Missions Director of Denton Bible Church, addresses this question. He reminds us--as the apostle Paul in Titus chapter 3 instructed men of God to remind the Church--that in order to show grace to others, we must constantly look back to the astonishing amount of grace that God has shown us.
Women are complex creatures. As a result, their sexual identities are layered in deep emotional connections forged in early childhood and nurtured throughout life. In this message from Ricky Chelette of Living Hope Ministries, we explore how early bonds are formed and how childhood experiences can shape adult relating and intimacy from a redemptive, Biblical perspective.
Is there anything more instinctive in a relationship with God than prayer—the simple act of talking with God? And yet Christians consistently struggle to make prayer a significant part of their lives. As we continue our series on the Disciplines of Grace, we look at the way Jesus told His disciples to pray.
The ability to forgive is one of the greatest indications that one truly believes and understands the gospel of Jesus Christ. Understanding that I am forgiven and therefore should be quick to forgive others is a key ingredient to freedom in Christ Jesus. As we continue our series on disciplines of grace, this message reminds us that we should not, as we often do, overlook forgiveness as a Christian practice that should be a regular part of our lives.
Fasting. Just for Hindi gurus or monks or super-spiritual fanatics, right? It’s not something “normal” Christians do, is it? Well, actually the Bible has a lot to say about fasting. Just about every major personality spoken of in Scripture practiced fasting as a spiritual discipline: Moses, Elijah, David, Job, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul...One author has noted that fasting is mentioned more times in Scripture than baptism. So why is it probably the most neglected of the...
This week we look at what is perhaps the lost piece to the puzzle of an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. If I truly want to unlock the beauties of Scripture and nourish my soul I must learn to meditate on God’s Word, but what does that mean? In this message we explore the essence and value of Christian meditation.
If we're going to love God, we have to love His Word. We have to believe and become intimately familiar with the truths that reveal who our Creator is. It's hard work, but it's a discipline that we will develop by God's grace if we believe that this Word is completely authoritative, infallible, eternal and personal.
Often when we present Christ to those in need, we have a tendency to put a “spin” on the gospel—to sell Jesus. Take a deeper look at this temptation that many of us face as we study Jesus' words in Matthew 16:13-17.
Do you feel that your faith is dry or stifled? Do you want to know how to grow and keep your relationship with Jesus Christ vibrant? This message begins a six week series on spiritual disciplines. We pray that this series will bring life and growth into your relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Last week we had Ricky Chelette come and speak to our church regarding the way sexual identity is developed in children. In the process we realized that sexual identity comes back to the roles of mom and dad in parenting…particularly dad with young boys. This week I would like to respond to what we heard last Sunday and address how the gospel of Jesus Christ should engage this critical topic.
The Gospel is transformational! It is so powerful that it can change a person from a sinner to a saint, from a murderer to a mother. The Gospel transforms our identities and redefines our lives in miraculous ways. In this special message, Ricky Chelette of Living Hope Ministries, explores how our identities are formed and how Christ can truly bring healing and wholeness to all those who are sexually and relationally broken.
The Gospel is transformational! It is so powerful that it can change a person from a sinner to a saint, from a murderer to a mother. The Gospel transforms our identities and redefines our lives in miraculous ways. In this special message, Ricky Chelette of Living Hope Ministries, explores how our identities are formed and how Christ can truly bring healing and wholeness to all those who are sexually and relationally broken.
We all have weaknesses. If studying the book of Haggai revealed anything to us, it’s that. At times we all have the wrong priorities. At times we focus on the wrong things. We lose perspective. We doubt God’s promises and provision. We allow impure thoughts and impure desires and impure actions to enter our lives. In this message from the book of Hebrews we'll see how Jesus is presently able to help us in all of our weaknesses as He perfectly fills the role of our great high priest.
Words of encouragement mark the last message recorded in the prophet Haggai's book. It is a message of promise, a message of hope…and hope does not disappoint us!
Idolatry is valuing anything else in life above God. Whether it's a house, a career, a spouse, a child, a reputation, a hobby, an addiction--we all have an idol in our life that God is determined to remove. Haggai's charge to ancient Israel, and to us today, is that the people of God purify themselves of every rival to His place of preeminence in the heart.
We have seen that God has called us to live out the gospel as the mission for our life, knowing that He is with us always by the indwelling and empowering of the Holy Spirit. In this message we will examine one more element of having the proper perspective on our lives. We will see that faith is living in a way that is marked by His imminent return.
With this message we continue to see the power of God’s Spirit not only in our midst as in Haggai’s day, but now within us. How does our perspective on life change when we understand that we are indwelt with the Spirit of Christ?
In life, discouragement is inevitable, but having God's perspective makes all the difference in our responses, attitudes and actions. As we continue our study in Haggai we see God’s subtle reminder to Israel: “I am with you” despite the adversity you are facing.
Easter is about the most important event for the Christian faith, and it demands a response. It demands our lives. Wherever you are in your life, Christian or non-Christian, we invite you to consider the significance of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Are you willing to change everything in your life in response to the truth of Christ?
