We are a community of people dedicated to follow Jesus in all that we do. If you’re looking for a church committed to loving God, loving each other, teaching his word, and worshiping him, then we invite you to come join us at any of our worship gatherings and activities for adults, youth, and children (see our About page and Activities page). Also, if you’re looking to learn more about Jesus and what it means to be his follower, I would love the chance to talk with you (also, see our About page for contact information, or see our Follow Jesus page).
Check out our site, read the blog posts below for news updates and devotional posts, and check out one of our worship gatherings!
~ Pastor Mike
Sunday Morning Schedule
9:45am ~ Small Groups / Sunday School
10:45 am ~ Worship Gathering
This Sunday we’ll take a look at Luke 6:17-26, where Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount, and we’ll see what it means to life a happy (blessed) life through Jesus. We hope to see you there!
Schedule
@945 Small Groups / Sunday School for all ages
@1045 Worship Gathering
@6pm Why? Video Study by Chip Ingram in the youth room
Sermon Notes The Happy Life ~ Luke 6:17-26
The sermon in one sentence: True happiness flows from Christ, not the riches, pleasures, or acceptance of the world.
Jesus healed many in a large, diverse crowd and than began to teach on the subject of happiness (being “blessed”; 6:17-20)
Happiness comes from being rich in Christ, not from being rich in the world (6:20, 24)
Happiness comes from finding satisfaction in Christ, not from feasting on the banquets of kings (6:21, 25)
Happiness comes from finding pleasure in Christ, not from chasing lesser joys without Christ (6:21, 25)
Happiness comes from acceptance in Christ, not from the applause of the world (6:22-23, 26)
Songs for Worship I Stand Amazed in the Presence Give Thanks to God Satisfied My Worth Is Not in What I Own I’d Rather Have Jesus
In Mark 9, Jesus took the inner circle of the apostles–Peter, James, and John–upon a mountain. While there, his appearance changed, so even “his clothes became dazzling–extremely white as no launderer on earth could whiten them.” In this transformation, Elijah and Moses appeared alongside Jesus, and the Father spoke from heaven: “This is my beloved son, listen to him!”
The three disciples stood dumbfounded.
In that moment, those three received a taste of glory, few others have experienced this side of heaven (perhaps, closest, would be Moses himself when he asked to see God’s glory in Exodus).
What they learned and what we are reminded of is that Jesus of Nazareth walked the earth as no ordinary man. He might have had the DNA of Mary and he might have been known as the carpenter’s son, but he was still the Son of God.
The Father calling Jesus beloved shows his delight in him. In his book Rejoicing in Christ, Michael Reeves states that Jesus being called the “beloved Son” means “there is nothing more precious to the Father than him.” For us, then, “there cannot be any blessing higher than him or anything better than him… He is the treasure of the Father, shared with us.” [1]
To taste the glory of Christ is to sample the greatest joy of all. Psalm 16:11 states that “in [God’s] presence is abundant joy and at [God’s] right hand are eternal pleasures.” It is Jesus himself that we find at the right hand of God (Hebrews 1:3).
Yet, where the disciples stood agape in that moment, we find our salvation and sanctification in beholding Jesus’ glory through the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:15-18). Therefore, holding Jesus as our greatest joy, we “listen to him.” He gives us his very word to hear and obey that his joy might be in us and our joy be made complete in him (John 15:11).
Gaze upon the glory of Christ. Feast upon the goodness of his word. And find the greatest joy your heart can ever know.
All scripture quotations taken from the Christian Standard Bible.
[1] Michael Reeves, Rejoicing in Christ (IVP Academic: 2015), 21.
This morning we’ll think about the lives of the twelve apostles that Jesus chose in Luke 6:12-16, and we’ll see how if Jesus could use them in all their flaws and weaknesses to change the world, he can and will use us to do the same. Jesus, after all, is greater. We hope to see you there!
Schedule
@945 Small Groups / Sunday School for all ages
@1045 Worship Gathering
@6pm Why? by Chip Ingram, video study in youth room
Sermon Notes Jesus Is Greater ~ Luke 6:12-16
The sermon in one sentence: When Jesus calls us to himself, he takes us as we are and transforms us by his grace and Spirit into people who can change the world, because Jesus is greater.
Jesus is greater than your doubts and fears
Jesus is greater than your attitude
Jesus is greater than your age
Jesus is greater than your education and occupation
Jesus is greater than your politics
Jesus is greater than your anonymity
Jesus is greater than your betrayal
Songs for Worship Higher Ground Let it Be Said of Us Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling The Love of Christ Who Died for Me My Faith Has Found a Resting Place
The Book of Ruth tells a story of hope during a dark period in Israel’s history. We know Ruth took place “during the time of the judges” (1:1), which in itself had plenty of ups and downs. Specifically, Ruth occurred when a famine struck Israel. A man named Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons sought refuge in Moab. They migrated for a season to a foreign land seeking to survive.
While there, the two sons found wives; but then tragedy struck. All three men died.
When the famine ended, Naomi planned to return to Israel, and attempted to convince her daughters-in-law to remain behind, thinking it would be better for their future. Orpah stayed but Ruth refused.
“Wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” Ruth told Naomi.
So, the two ladies went to Israel. But when they arrived, Naomi made a request of those who knew her, “Don’t call me Naomi,” which means pleasant. “Call me Mara,” which means bitter. In the society of that day, land and resources passed from one generation to the next through father and son. With them dead, Naomi felt she had no hope. This hopelessness came across in her self-given nickname.
That was just the beginning of the story, however. Turns out there was a man named Boaz, a close relative who could marry Ruth and redeem the land that belonged to Elimelech. The women concocted a plan that was guided by God’s providence. Long story, short, Boaz and Ruth married, Boaz redeemed the land, and the two had a child.
Bitterness turned to joy and hope. Even more, this child, Obed, became the father of Jesse who was the father of David, the great king of Israel whom God chose and to whom God gave promises that led ultimately to Jesus being the great Son of David.
There is a line in the book The Return of the King that states, “Everything sad will come untrue.” In the book, it actually is in the form of a question–will this be? The answer for Naomi was Yes!
But the move from bitterness to joy and hope that Naomi felt was only a small taste of what we experience through Jesus. He is the greatest Redeemer. He does not simply ensure the future of our land and family but of our lives in eternity. He gives a joy that never ceases. And when he returns, all bitterness will be no more. King Jesus forever makes the sad untrue.
All scripture quotations taken from the Christian Standard Bible.
Jesus did something astonishing in Mark 6. He fed a crowd of five thousand men (plus women and children) with five loaves of bread and two fish. When the crowd finished eating, he sent his disciples to pick up the scraps and they returned with twelve baskets full–more than what they began with.
You would think that such a thing would leave a lasting impression, but two chapters later in Mark 8 we read about Jesus miraculously feeding four thousand. He told the disciples that he had compassion for the hungry crowds and wanted to feed them. The disciples replied, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?”
It was as if they completely forgot about the miracle with the five thousand and the fact that they were in the presence of the Son of God. It’s a little surprising that we don’t read in response that Jesus “sighed deeply in his spirit,” like he did with the Pharisees in 8:12
After the confrontation with the Pharisees, Jesus warned the disciples to “beware the leaven of the Pharisees,” meaning their teaching. The disciples misunderstood and thought Jesus referred to the fact that they had brought no bread with them. Jesus then asked them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread?” He then brought to their attention the feedings and the amount of food they collected when it was finished.
It was Jesus’ way of saying they were missing the point. Bread didn’t matter; He did. He could multiply molecules into enough bread to fill their stomachs time and time again. And it was all because of who Jesus is. The Pharisees didn’t get it and in that moment the disciples didn’t either.
This reminds us that we need to be reminded–constantly reminded. As saints-in-progress, people saved by the grace of God who are being transformed into more Christ-like people by that same grace, we need to be reminded of God’s grace and to constantly set our eyes on Jesus. Our hearts are slower to learn than we want them to be.
That is why church gatherings are so important. They remind us of the grace and power of Jesus on a regular basis as a group of rebels-turned-sons-and-daugthers feast on God’s word, cry out in prayer, and sing praises to our great Savior-King.
Scripture quotations taken from the English Standard Version.
We’re excited to celebrate this morning the resurrection of Jesus, our Savior-King. In worship, we’ll be taking a look at 1 Corinthians 15:12-22 and see how the resurrection is at the core of Christianity. The Apostle Paul wrote that if the resurrection didn’t happen and is just a myth, then Christianity is meaningless; but since it did happen, it changes everything for our lives and world.
We hope you can join us. We’ll have breakfast in our gym at 9:45, followed by our worship gathering in our auditorium at 10:45.
You can’t help but chuckle a little when you read the story of Gideon in Judges 6&7. In 6:12, the Angel of the Lord says to Gideon, “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.” This just after we’re told that Gideon was threshing wheat in secret to hide from the Midianites. Those enemies of Israel, after all, had been oppressing the people by destroying the produce of the land.
What we read about Gideon shows more a fearful man than a “valiant warrior.” He hid in a winepress while threshing grain. He tore down an altar of Baal, but did so at night “because he was too afraid of his father’s family and the men of the city.” Then, when God used him to gather an army and fight Israel’s enemies, he first requested that God give him a sign and then another using a fleece so he could be sure. Finally, after promising Gideon victory with a small army, God told him:
“But if you are afraid to attack the camp, go down with Purah your servant. Listen to what they say and then you will be encouraged.” (7:10-11)
And Gideon did just that.
It is an irony that God would call Gideon a “valiant warrior,” when Gideon was obviously a fearful man. Yet, God still used Gideon and worked through him. Despite Gideon’s fears, God did turn him into a valiant warrior.
God is bigger than our fears. Sometimes, he overcomes our fears by granting us great courage. Other times, he overcomes our fears by working in our lives despite them. The trick to conquering fear is trusting in the God who is infinitely stronger, infinitely bigger, and infinitely wiser than anyone else.
All scripture quotes taken from the Christian Standard Bible.
