As our "Hard Sayings of Jesus" series draws to a close, come on Sunday to learn what Jesus meant when he said it was harder for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich person to get into Heaven. Think you're not rich? Wrong.
Hey Family, Last week we were reminded of what the gospel says about judging other people, and how important it is to address the condition and issues of our own hearts. If we accept the forgiveness and healing that Jesus holds out to us, those same feelings should overflow from us onto those we tend to be critical about. This Sunday as we continue with our summer series, "Hard Sayings of Jesus," we get to one of the most abrasive statements our 21st-century ears can hear: "Repent or perish." Th...
Hey Family, In every society there's a concept that everybody agrees is negative, that offends everyone who hears it. In our culture, it's the concept that other people have the right to judge us. The idea that someone else would pronounce moral rightness or wrongness on anything that we're doing is abhorrent to us. That's where the saying "Don't judge me" started. This Sunday, as we continue with our series HARD SAYINGS OF JESUS, we'll find out what the Bible says on judging. I think you'll be ...
Hey Family, In every society there's a concept that everybody agrees is negative, that offends everyone who hears it. In our culture, it's the concept that other people have the right to judge us. The idea that someone else would pronounce moral rightness or wrongness on anything that we're doing is abhorrent to us. That's where the saying "Don't judge me" started. This Sunday, as we continue with our series HARD SAYINGS OF JESUS, we'll find out what the Bible says on judging. I think you'll be ...
Hey Family, I hope that you are being blessed by our current sermon series, HARD SAYINGS OF JESUS. This Sunday we'll be talking about something that every Christian should know. What is the one sin that will not be forgiven? Jesus tells us very plainly. As with all these hard sayings of Jesus, when we understand them, we realize that Jesus is telling us these things out of his great love. He came to earth to seek and save the lost. So come this Sunday and learn what this very startling passage m...
Hey Family, This Sunday we continue with our series called Hard Sayings of Jesus. Some of the things Jesus tells us are genuinely difficult to understand, and that's why they qualify as "hard sayings." Other times his words are perfectly clear--but we find them difficult to apply to our lives. This week we'll spend time talking about one of the most controversial things that Jesus ever said [and that's saying something!!!]. Basically, he said "Hate your parents." What on earth does Jesus mean by...
Hey Family, Join us this week as Pastor Gus Rodriguez opens up God's word to help us understand why temptation comes to us. Clearly we are not exempt from facing temptation--Jesus himself was led into the wilderness to be tempted. It happens to us all. What does it reveal? What can we learn from such a situation? From Genesis to Revelation, God has been actively involved in providing for His creation. In a moment of temptation, we can trust Him to provide the help we need. Come on Sunday at 10 a...
Hey Family, Did you ever read something that Jesus said and say to yourself, "Ow, Jesus, that's harsh!" Sometimes he seems to be asking more than we can possibly deliver. Doesn't he want us to follow him? Then why does it seem so difficult sometimes? Answering that question will be the point of the new series called HARD SAYINGS OF JESUS, which starts this Sunday at 10 a.m. We're going to look at some things that Jesus said and really get into the meaning of them. Jesus came to seek and save the...
Hey Family, This week's message will be a powerful one. Have you ever done something that left you feeling absolutely ashamed? Being a Christian doesn't mean we won't have those feelings once in a while--but how do we deal with them in a new way? That's what the speaker this Sunday, Pastor Will McGee of Crossroads Church here in Brooklyn, will be talking about. How can we, as Christians, overcome the shame of our past and move forward into spiritual maturity?
There are moments when we pray for faith, not realizing that it is something we already possess. The real question is not whether we have faith, but what does faith look like? And who is my faith in? Join us this Sunday as Pastor Gus leads us in learning that faith is a journey and not a station. I look forward to seeing you at 10 a.m.
Special guest speaker Zac Martin
Hey Family, All of us have at one time or another experienced rejection. How you respond to rejection affects all that you do. Join us this Sunday as we learn how to have Victory over rejection. I hope to see you at 10 a.m.! --Edwin
Happy Mother’s Day! Every year we set aside one day out of the year to celebrate all that mothers do. It’s the one holiday that’s completely free from controversy, because everybody recognizes the value of mothers in society and in our own lives. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday when we not only celebrate mothers but offer instruction on how to continue mothering in a way that glorifies God and brings moms joy. Invite your mom to this sermon, you will be glad you did
Hey Family, I hope you've been blessed by our current series, Beginnings. This week we'll be looking at the basics of walking in Christ. Once we've been called away from our old identities to a new life in Christ, how do we respond? The answer lies in that wonderful how-to book, the Bible. Whether you're new to a relationship with Christ or you've been growing in that relationship for a long time, you will find something new to think about this Sunday. I look forward to seeing you here at 10 a.m...
Hey Family, It was wonderful to see so many people at last week's Easter service. I hope that this will be a time of new spiritual growth for many of you. This week we continue with our new sermon series, BEGINNINGS. Last week we learned that we all have to start somewhere in our Christian walk.God meets us right where we are and, when we accept him as savior, we begin to walk alongside him. This week, we hear about a new beginning for a man people would never expect Jesus to even speak to, much...
Hey Family, Throughout our lives there many times when we can become completely distracted and fret over an issue rather than call upon our Heavenly Father and ask for his guidance in what we should do. This can cause us a great deal of strain. Worrying can affect our marriages, the way we parent our children, the choices we make in our working lives and in all our relationships. This Sunday is Palm Sunday, and as we continue our series ENCOUNTERS, we'll learn about how God is there to deal with...
Hey Family, We've been in a series called Encounters which looks at the New Testament and how people who encounter Jesus are never the same after that experience. Encounters with Jesus are meant to transform us and change us--and he does that very thing whenever he encounters sin in our lives. So how does it actually work? What does Jesus do to change us from people who are harming ourselves and hurting others into people who reflect the love of Christ? Come on Sunday at 10 a.m. and find out! Yo...
Hey Family, Every one of us has a moment in life where if we could go back in time, we would change what happened because there's so much pain attached to that mistake, that error in judgment. These moments can have a crippling effect on our lives. This week when we gather together we'll learn how our encounters with Jesus address even the darkest shame of our lives, enabling us to live free and with head held high. A lot of people think church is where we feel shame, or we are put to shame. The...
Hey Family, This Sunday at 10 a.m. we will share Communion together as a church family and continue with our series called Encounters, which leads up to Easter. But I'm pleased to announce that we also have a unique opportunity to bring hope to so many people. After service, those who would like to share their testimonies about recovery will be videotaped. Their messages will be used to help people whose family members are struggling with addiction. Please bring your stories of hope and encourag...
Hey Family, I am so excited to be speaking this Sunday for the first time this year! I really think that God is going to move powerfully through this new series called Encounters, which will lead us up to our celebration of Easter. Major encounters never leave us the same. They always change us in some way. And this is never more true than when we're talking about Jesus. Whenever Jesus encountered the culture around him--the people, the religious leaders, the sinners--they were never the same af...
Hey Family, Can you imagine what it would be like to hear Jesus himself speak from the pulpit? It happened to the people of Jesus' home town in the scripture that we will hear about on Sunday, when Pastor Pedro Rodriguez will bring the message. Jesus stood before the people of Nazareth and told them about the good news--good news for the poor, freedom for prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, and freedom for those crushed by oppression. We can still hear and believe that message today, bec...
Hey Family, How often do you invite a friend to church? When someone you know is in pain or is straying in dangerous ways, you may not know how to preach the gospel. You may not have the words that will lift the shadows from their heart. But you can always invite them to come with you to a Sunday service or prayer service. That's how we can do our part. The rest is up to God. I hope to see you this Sunday at 10 a.m. when Pastor Ray delves into this. If you want to look ahead of time at the scrip...
Hey Family, A new life in Christ Jesus leads to a new way of living for us. Have you thought recently about what it means to be a born-again Christian? We often hear that term, but we may not know what it means. Jesus spells it out in the book of John, and this Sunday you are invited to hear Pastor Gus speak on the words of Christ regarding this topic. Use this opportunity to invite someone who has been asking what it means to be a Christian.
Hey Family, I hope you'll make a special effort to join us this Sunday to hear guest speaker Pastor David Louw of Trinity Grace Church. He'll be talking about the new family we all join when we accept Christ as our Savior. Being part of that new family means we experience all kinds of blessings that we never had before. Service starts at 10 a.m.--hope to see you there!
Hey Family, If you attended our 10 p.m. New Year's Eve service, you heard Pastor Raymond Ramos give a passionate talk on Isaiah chapter 40. This Sunday he will continue that message. What happens when we trust in the Lord, even when it seems that he does not see our pain and our troubles? What happens when we come to understand who God truly is, and what he is able to do in our lives? You will be blessed by this message on Sunday. I hope to see you at 10 a.m., and this would be a perfect time to...
Hey Family, When you look around at the world we live in and the problems that so many people suffer from--poverty, homelessness, no way to speak up for themselves--what do you think? Do you have sympathy for those in need or do you turn aside and hope not to see anything too disturbing? God tells us in His word that we are to have a heart for the needy. What breaks God's heart should break ours as well. This week Pastor Pedro Rodriguez will speak on some verses from the book of Isaiah that will...
Hey Family, Every first Sunday of the month we take communion together as a church family. Have you ever wanted to get deeper into your understanding of that sacrament? Communion with Christ is being in union with Christ. During the Last Supper, Jesus established a new covenant in his body and blood. Faith in Christ leads us to commune with him. Come join us this Sunday at 10 a.m. as we learn of the significance of communion in the believer's walk with Jesus. For your calendar: Every Thursday du...
Hey Family, The last week of an old year, and the beginning of a new year, are wonderful times for reflection. We get to think deeply about God's grace and mercy in our lives, and about where the Spirit has been leading us. This Sunday we'll talk about what new things look like, and how to start a new year not through following short-lived resolutions, but by being led by the Holy Spirit. I look forward to seeing all of you at one or both of our Sunday services! We'll have our usual morning serv...
Hey Family, The last week of an old year, and the beginning of a new year, are wonderful times for reflection. We get to think deeply about God's grace and mercy in our lives, and about where the Spirit has been leading us. This Sunday we'll talk about what new things look like, and how to start a new year not through following short-lived resolutions, but by being led by the Holy Spirit. I look forward to seeing all of you at one or both of our Sunday services! We'll have our usual morning serv...
Hey Family, This Sunday we're looking forward to a very special day as we come together with Resurrection Church for a joint service. The Bible speaks about how when Christians are unified, we demonstrate the beauty of Christ. So coming together is a very special thing to do, and this week we get an incredible opportunity to see how two different churches from two different backgrounds can really learn to enjoy unity in Christ. The message will continue our series called WAITING. We'll look to t...
