Seeking Jesus is an incredible gift from God. Along the way, it means dealing with questions and frustrations. It could even mean we will overlook Him from time to time. That’s not surprising knowing our own shortcomings. But what if it is Jesus who is being elusive? What then? Will we be motived to seek and find Him even when it is difficult?
A first-century pagan named Epictetus once wrote, “While the emperor may give peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to give peace from passion, grief, and envy; he cannot give peace of heart, for which man yearns for more than even outward peace.” Today, we all are still searching for that peace. Who is able to offer mankind the peace that they are seeking?
Two simultaneously stunning aspects are true of God. First, He is involved in our lives. How sweet that is! Second, we don’t automatically see His involvement. Ugh! However, as we continue seeking Jesus, we discover how God is at work. Through the snapshot of two individuals in the Scriptures, we see how God is at work in, through, and for us.
More than two thousand years ago, a baby was born in Bethlehem, and nothing has been the same since. Regardless of what you personally believe, no person has ever come close to the kind of impact that Jesus of Nazareth has had on our world. Jesus forces every single one of us to make a decision. Will you be compelled or repelled by him?
Do you ever feel like the middle has no meaning? The middle of the road trip, the middle of the line, the middle child, the middle of my education/career/life… The middle can leave us wondering, "What’s the point of all this?" The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth helps us know what to do and what to expect as we continue seeking Jesus, even in the middle.
Jesus once said, “Give back to God what is God’s.” So, the question becomes, "What is God’s?" Could it be that God is calling each of His followers into a radical mindset switch and lifestyle? God is challenging us to adopt a new posture, one that shifts the conversation from ownership to stewardship. Ultimately it comes down to trust!
What comes to mind when someone says, “Give God your best”? Do you start acting better, giving extra, trying harder, attending more? Perhaps it’s opposite — you back away feeling like you don’t have much to offer. The Bible repeatedly expresses to us that God’s best is revealed out of the people and places where nothing good seems possible.
We're celebrating the goodness of God through the Let's Give It All Away offering, Feed My Starving Children week, and stories of Kingdom impact through our local, regional, and global partners!
Most of us have multiple nagging fears in our minds such as, “What if there isn’t enough for me?” or “What if I miss out on an opportunity?” Or maybe even, “What if this God stuff isn’t real?” A scarcity mindset, a fear of missing out mindset, or an Epicurean mindset motivates us to hoard, to hurry, and to focus on self. What if there was another way—the way of Jesus?
Pray earnestly. Pray often. Pray when you are in trouble. Pray when you are full of joy. Seek prayer when facing all kinds of illness. Pray with clean hands and pure hearts. The prayer of the righteous is powerful. Pray with God’s name, God’s Kingdom, and God’s will as your focus. Don’t stop praying!
We live in an economic system that preys on our lack of self-control and mindless consumption. We give advertisements, our neighbors, and social media facades permission to sow discontent in our souls and cultivate an insatiable desire for more. James cries out like the prophets of old and warns the Church of the dangers of wealth and challenges us to live, instead, with radical generosity.
They say life, like football, is a game of inches. Each of us face “little things” or “final details” which can make all the difference in our lives. The biblical author, James, makes a big deal about a small thing in hopes that we will trust God with the big and small parts of our lives.
The Africa Gospel Church (AGC) Baby Centre in Kenya is one of NMC’s major international partners. From the beginning, the goal was not to be an orphanage, but rather a place for orphaned and abandoned babies to find restoration in a forever home. Since the first babies arrived in 2006, more than 500 children have come through the Baby Centre—500 lives rescued, redeemed, and restored by the work of Jesus through this place! Over many years, NMC has been privileged and honored to witness stories o...
An underlying theme in the book of James is a general concern that the Body of Christ is failing to put their faith into practice. To James, this life matters, and what we do in this life matters. So, the question asked of the early church and the question that should still be asked today is “What are you doing?”
Regardless of your faith (or lack of faith) in Jesus, we experience pressure, strain, loss, and struggle. We face "trials of every kind." The invitation from James is to welcome wisdom. But what kind of wisdom? The result of that choice will make all the difference in our world, our communities, and our closest relationships.
Jesus was abundantly clear with His followers when He said, “In this world, you will have trouble.” Jesus is telling His followers to brace themselves, there will be resistance to those who align themselves with Christ and His kingdom. Here, James offers significant insight into how followers of Jesus are to understand and face trials of many kinds.
Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave clear instruction on living as a citizen of the kingdom. He ends with a strong warning to those who believe they are following Jesus. Many will miss it. As the rain falls on the just and the unjust, the foundations will be exposed and what is in our hearts will be revealed. Listen to the words of Jesus and put them into practice.
When one kingdom rises, others will react. Jesus brings His kingdom toward the kingdoms of our world and our personal lives. He knows there will be resistance – but resistance can become the very thing Jesus uses to bring God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus, the revolutionary, is advocating for a profound and transformative love! Through Jesus, we find a compelling example of embracing love for our enemies as the most compassionate way to live. In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus had something to say to the Pharisees of His days about this problem, and His words are specifically relevant to us today when God’s people have once again developed a reputation for hating other people.
Living in two worlds is challenging. Swimming upstream is difficult. Riding against the wind can be brutal. Jesus, in the Greatest Sermon Ever Preached, challenges His followers to do exactly that. In what’s known as The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lays out the tension between living in the world yet walking in His ways. It’s all about “Kingdoms In Conflict!” Which one will you choose?
It would be an understatement to say that Jesus radically shifted the way people think, not just in His time, but in every generation since. Do we have the right thinking when it comes to who God is, who we are, and what life is? On the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges people to change their minds, to think differently and rightly. Will you change your mind?
The Apostle Paul, kneeling before the Father, prays a prayer for the church, a prayer for all generations. May our prayer be the same for our brothers and sisters. May we be able to experience the surpassing love of Christ in such a dramatic way that it changes our lives and the way that we pray.
Jesus shares this profound parable in response to a teacher of the law’s two questions. Jesus flips the script, and instead of being challenged by the teacher of the Law, He becomes the one who does the challenging. Jesus offers us insight into what the Kingdom of God is like and how we can experience His Kingdom.
Nearly all of us would agree that a marker of faithfulness to God is obedience to His Word. After all, James tells us that we should not merely listen to the Word, but we should do what it says. However, many of us are not quick to consider the attitude with which we “do” it. In Psalm 119, we are challenged to move beyond begrudging compliance to a joyful engagement. Today we’re challenged to think about what kind of obedience marks our lives.
May the church never lose sight of how great our God is in all the heavens and the earth. May the church never forget to consider the majesty, the magnitude, or the might of our God. O Lord, our Lord forgive us of making too much of ourselves and too little of You. O Lord, our Lord how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
Today in our service we’ll be hearing of a miracle story of God’s grace. We hope that your heart will be blessed and challenged.
In this Father's Day message, Pastor Kevin Moore will help us dig past the surface and give us four foundational traits that we can build our life on.
