PW Sermons: Recent Episodes
Praise & Worship Lutheran Church
Praise & Worship is a Lutheran Church in Branson, Missouri. To learn more about us, visit www.branson.church!
Thank you for joining us as we talk about our lives’ plans this Pentecost!
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Thank you for joining us on this Mother’s Day as we talk about a mother’s faith!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about how God does things in ways we might not expect!
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Thank you for joining us on this Easter Morning as we conclude our discussion of the different witnesses to Jesus’ Passion!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about the different witnesses of Jesus’ Passion!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about the different witnesses of Jesus’ Passion!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about the different witnesses to Jesus’ Passion!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about the different witnesses to Jesus’ Passion!
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Thank you for joining us on this series about the different witnesses to Jesus’ Passion!
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Thank you for joining us as Pastor Dar talks about our response to everything God has done!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about how Jesus’ life really affected us!
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Thank you for joining us on this first Sunday of the new year as we talk about the Ultimate Law!
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Thank you for joining us this Christmas Eve as we talk about the ultimate Love!
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Thank you for joining us for this fourth and final week of Advent as we talk about who Jesus really is!
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Thank you for joining us for this third week of Advent as we talk about who Jesus really is!
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Thank you for joining us on this second week of Advent as we talk about who Jesus really is!
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Thank you for joining us on this first week of Advent as we talk about who Jesus really is!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about this season of giving thanks!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about staying Safe and Secure on our way to the Promised Land!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about Delays verses Denials on our way to the Promised Land!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about the level of difference between Pride and Humility on our way to the Promised Land!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about the rescue from all our troubles on the way to the Promised Land!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about facing fear on our way to the Promised Land!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about fighting Envy on our way to the Promised Land!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about Breaking Down the walls to the Promised Land!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about Conquering the obstacles on our way tot he Promised Land!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about Moving to the Promised Land!
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Thank your for joining us as we talk about the key to the race we run!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about navigating the storms of life!
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Thank you for joining us as Pastor Matt Canaday is installed as Praise & Worship’s new shepherd!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about the changes a union with Christ brings!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about living with an eternal perspective!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about our role as branches of the Vine!
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Thank you for joining us for this second week of talking about Joining Jesus on His Mission!
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Thank you for joining is for this first week of talking about Joining Jesus on His Mission!
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Thank you for joining us as we talk about being a consecrated steward!
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Thank you for joining us for this first Sunday of the new year! Stay tuned for part 2 of Light in the Darkness next week…
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Thank you for joining us this Christmas Eve to talk about the REASON for the SEASON!
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Thank you for joining us for the third week of advent! There's more to celebrate than just Jesus' first coming, join for this and the one last week to find out everything that Christmas entails!
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Thank you for joining us for the second week of advent! There's more to celebrate than just Jesus' first coming, join for this and the next two weeks to find out everything that Christmas entails!
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Thank you for joining us for the first week of advent! There's more to celebrate than just Jesus' first coming, join for this and the next three weeks to find out everything that Christmas entails!
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Thank you for joining us in pondering the Five Kernels of Thanksgiving on the eve of all the festivities!
These are the basic teachings of the Bible and the Bible basis for Praise and Worship and its ministry. This series in Sunday Bible Class and Worship gives us all an opportunity to review what we believe and teach at Praise and Worship. So I would like to really encourage all participants at Praise and Worship to attend these Bible Classes and Sunday Worship Services. This would also be an opportunity to invite someone you know who might be interested in becoming a part of Praise and Worship – it would let them know where we stand on God’s Word! It will also put us all on a solid foundation together as we go forward as a “Christ-centered, Disciple-making Community"!
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These are the basic teachings of the Bible and the Bible basis for Praise and Worship and its ministry. This series in Sunday Bible Class and Worship gives us all an opportunity to review what we believe and teach at Praise and Worship. So I would like to really encourage all participants at Praise and Worship to attend these Bible Classes and Sunday Worship Services. This would also be an opportunity to invite someone you know who might be interested in becoming a part of Praise and Worship – it would let them know where we stand on God’s Word! It will also put us all on a solid foundation together as we go forward as a “Christ-centered, Disciple-making Community"!
Digital Bulletin
These are the basic teachings of the Bible and the Bible basis for Praise and Worship and its ministry. This series in Sunday Bible Class and Worship gives us all an opportunity to review what we believe and teach at Praise and Worship. So I would like to really encourage all participants at Praise and Worship to attend these Bible Classes and Sunday Worship Services. This would also be an opportunity to invite someone you know who might be interested in becoming a part of Praise and Worship – it would let them know where we stand on God’s Word! It will also put us all on a solid foundation together as we go forward as a “Christ-centered, Disciple-making Community"!
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Today, Pastor Barry is with us to share “Mission Possible” - based on Acts 1:6-11. He will also lead the bible class at 9:00 am on the Reformation - including five of his favorites from Luther’s 95 Theses!
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These are the basic teachings of the Bible and the Bible basis for Praise and Worship and its ministry. This series in Sunday Bible Class and Worship gives us all an opportunity to review what we believe and teach at Praise and Worship. So I would like to really encourage all participants at Praise and Worship to attend these Bible Classes and Sunday Worship Services. This would also be an opportunity to invite someone you know who might be interested in becoming a part of Praise and Worship – it would let them know where we stand on God’s Word! It will also put us all on a solid foundation together as we go forward as a “Christ-centered, Disciple-making Community"!
Digital Bulletin
These are the basic teachings of the Bible and the Bible basis for Praise and Worship and its ministry. This series in Sunday Bible Class and Worship gives us all an opportunity to review what we believe and teach at Praise and Worship. So I would like to really encourage all participants at Praise and Worship to attend these Bible Classes and Sunday Worship Services. This would also be an opportunity to invite someone you know who might be interested in becoming a part of Praise and Worship – it would let them know where we stand on God’s Word! It will also put us all on a solid foundation together as we go forward as a “Christ-centered, Disciple-making Community"!
Digital Bulletin
These are the basic teachings of the Bible and the Bible basis for Praise and Worship and its ministry. This series in Sunday Bible Class and Worship gives us all an opportunity to review what we believe and teach at Praise and Worship. So I would like to really encourage all participants at Praise and Worship to attend these Bible Classes and Sunday Worship Services. This would also be an opportunity to invite someone you know who might be interested in becoming a part of Praise and Worship – it would let them know where we stand on God’s Word! It will also put us all on a solid foundation together as we go forward as a “Christ-centered, Disciple-making Community"!
Digital Bulletin
These are the basic teachings of the Bible and the Bible basis for Praise and Worship and its ministry. This series in Sunday Bible Class and Worship gives us all an opportunity to review what we believe and teach at Praise and Worship. So I would like to really encourage all participants at Praise and Worship to attend these Bi8ble Classes and Sunday Worship Services. This would also be an opportunity to invite someone you know who might be interested in becoming a part of Praise and Worship – it would let them know where we stand on God’s Word! It will also put us all on a solid foundation together as we go forward as a “Christ-centered, Disciple-making Community"!
Digital Bulletin
These are the basic teachings of the Bible and the Bible basis for Praise and Worship and its ministry. This series in Sunday Bible Class and Worship gives us all an opportunity to review what we believe and teach at Praise and Worship. So I would like to really encourage all participants at Praise and Worship to attend these Bi8ble Classes and Sunday Worship Services. This would also be an opportunity to invite someone you know who might be interested in becoming a part of Praise and Worship – it would let them know where we stand on God’s Word! It will also put us all on a solid foundation together as we go forward as a “Christ-centered, Disciple-making Community"!
Digital Bulletin
These are the basic teachings of the Bible and the Bible basis for Praise and Worship and its ministry. This series in Sunday Bible Class and Worship gives us all an opportunity to review what we believe and teach at Praise and Worship. So I would like to really encourage all participants at Praise and Worship to attend these Bi8ble Classes and Sunday Worship Services. This would also be an opportunity to invite someone you know who might be interested in becoming a part of Praise and Worship – it would let them know where we stand on God’s Word! It will also put us all on a solid foundation together as we go forward as a “Christ-centered, Disciple-making Community"!
Digital Bulletin
These are the basic teachings of the Bible and the Bible basis for Praise and Worship and its ministry. This series in Sunday Bible Class and Worship gives us all an opportunity to review what we believe and teach at Praise and Worship. So I would like to really encourage all participants at Praise and Worship to attend these Bi8ble Classes and Sunday Worship Services. This would also be an opportunity to invite someone you know who might be interested in becoming a part of Praise and Worship – it would let them know where we stand on God’s Word! It will also put us all on a solid foundation together as we go forward as a “Christ-centered, Disciple-making Community"!
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You have seen the Words – Gather, Grow, Encourage and Share on our Praise and Worship logo and in the entrance of the Church building. Let’s focus on them again as we move forward as a congregation and look at the purpose behind them. They will help us continue to work together to be “The Church God Wants Us To Be!”. We will look at what is God’s plan and purpose behind the words! Join us on Sundays to look at this together.
Digital Bulletin
You have seen the Words – Gather, Grow, Encourage and Share on our Praise and Worship logo and in the entrance of the Church building. Let’s focus on them again as we move forward as a congregation and look at the purpose behind them. They will help us continue to work together to be “The Church God Wants Us To Be!”. We will look at what is God’s plan and purpose behind the words! Join us on Sundays to look at this together.
You have seen the Words – Gather, Grow, Encourage and Share on our Praise and Worship logo and in the entrance of the Church building. Let’s focus on them again as we move forward as a congregation and look at the purpose behind them. They will help us continue to work together to be “The Church God Wants Us To Be!”. We will look at what is God’s plan and purpose behind the words! Join us on Sundays to look at this together.
You have seen the Words – Gather, Grow, Encourage and Share on our Praise and Worship logo and in the entrance of the Church building. Let’s focus on them again as we move forward as a congregation and look at the purpose behind them. They will help us continue to work together to be “The Church God Wants Us To Be!”. We will look at what is God’s plan and purpose behind the words! Join us on Sundays to look at this together.
“God does some of His best work in times of change” - The way of God is to start fresh. God is all about fresh starts. Change is always an opportunity. An opportunity for reflection. An opportunity for discernment. An opportunity for improvement. An opportunity to grow closer to, and rely on God!
The Gospel is the Good News of the Arrival of a new King: Jesus, the Messiah! Gospeling is our words and actions making Him and His new Kingdom known to all people! We are Good Newsing all around!
Gospelers are those who are Gospeling. Today, as we dig deep into seven of Pastor Mark’s favorite Scripture Passages, we discover again WHO WE ARE and WHAT WE ARE ABOUT, and HOW WE SHALL LIVE: as GOSPELERS!
Stewardship is the free and joyous activity of the child of God, and God’s family, the church, in managing all of life and life’s resources, for God’s purposes. Our choices in Stewardship are a response to what God has done for us first! This is why it is a free and joyous activity! How does all this work out practically in the life of the church? What steps are instructed by God and how do we carry all those steps out? Today we learn the power of trusting His purpose unfolding in a bold and joyous open-handed generosity!
In our third part of "Open-Handed Generosity," we are digging deep into God's PURPOSE in all things. And it begins with His GRACE. He "lavishes" it upon us. To lavish means to "bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities on"! This is how God is, how His Kingdom is, and this is what He is making us into a New Humanity empowered with great riches to share with all people!
Have you ever taken the time to compare what you think is valuable with what God thinks is valuable? Where do those overlap? Where do they diverge? How do we respond to what God thinks is valuable? This is where we are going today as we dig deeper into OPEN-HANDED GENEROSITY!
What is your most valued experience, possession, or resource? Money? Time? Relationships? Where do you put your trust for these gifts? What would it mean to us to learn that God actually OWNS all things? What would it look like to seek His Kingdom first and to trust HIM for everything? You are invited to join us as we study these questions together!
Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served bu to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many,” (Mark 10:45). This is a compelling statement of great comfort! HE SAVES US! But then He invites us to join Him…so, where do we start? Have you ever tried your hand at acts of service? What would it look like? How would you fit in? What would your motivation be?
Join us as we discover the unpopular, less-than-desirable, call to suffer for the Name of Jesus. Now if that doesn’t sound inviting, what ever could? Today we are getting into the real issues of what it means to be His Witnesses.
There is one Savior. This is not a close-minded exclusivism, it is a reality-based inclusivism. If you are trapped in the fire, you need the one who can actually get you out. And He is here to save us all! Join us as we grow in this truth together!
The Kingdom of God ushers in CHANGE. Not a change where “bad” people are made into “good” people, but where death is resurrected in every possible way. We gather to receive God’s promises, God’s gifts, and God’s power SO THAT we can participate with Him in the restoration of all things! Join us as we discover and grow in the FIREPOWER God gives us for this very purpose!
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What happened on this day, 1989 years ago? The CHURCH was born. But, what is the Church? It is the assembly of those called out of the world. The Church is where heaven and earth overlap. The Church is where God's gifts are freely given, where healing is found, where hope is splashing all around, and where GRACE, MERCY, and the FIREPOWER of the Holy Spirit are poured out…FOR YOU. Therefore, you are invited to join us to receive His gifts today!
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We are going to sit at the feet of Jesus as He teaches us the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. Here we are going to learn what it means to love our neighbors as ourselves. Indeed, we are going to learn what love is…or rather, Who love is!
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Martin Luther once wrote: “Faith is a LIVING, busy, active, mighty thing...It is impossible for it not to be doing good works incessantly. It does not ask whether good works are to be done, but before the question is asked, it has already done them, and is constantly doing them.” Join us today as we study where he got this idea from in Romans 4 and James 2!
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Today we answer the question: Where does our faith come from? The answer is “Through Hearing the Word of Christ!” You are invited to join us as we discover together what that means for each of us in our daily lives as well as for all eternity!
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In the third part of our study on Faith, we come to the part of the story where a desperate father asks Jesus "IF" He can help. This reveals a condition in which we all find ourselves: When we come to Jesus we know we must rely upon Him but at the same time we discover we cannot stop relying upon ourselves. This paradox is what we are calling: "Faithing". You are invited to join us as we walk in this reality together!
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Faith is never something that comes from us, from our efforts, or from our gumption. On our own, we would never seek God. Instead, it is a gift that God puts inside of us and enables us to receive Him, seek after Him and trust Him. Because faith is a gift, we are able to immeasurably GROW in the assurance and conviction that God put in us...leading us to tremendous action! All of this happens by His power, as we continuously are relying upon Him! Join us as we discover all of this by studying His promises!
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What is faith? Bible students love to hurry to Hebrews 11:1 to answer this question. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This is Scripture’s true answer, but now compare it with another Scripture: “And Jesus said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease,’” --Mark 5:34. Jesus was talking to the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. Does this mean it was her “assurance” and “conviction” that made her well? Does this then also mean that people who are NOT healed of their diseases then LACK such conviction? Before you answer, consider carefully and join us for a study of Scripture’s answer to “What is Faith?”
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HE IS RISEN! But wait...isn't that just a matter of faith? Isn't that just a misty notion or a warm fuzzy? Similar to the Easter Bunny? You are invited to join us as we discover HE IS RISEN INDEED! HALLELUJAH!
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Was Jesus forsaken on this day? NO. He sacrificed Himself, fulfilling His Father's will. For He was sent to seek and save the lost. To be a ransom for many. He is the sacrifice that all other sacrifices point to. He is our Savior.
Join us for The Last Supper and the The New Command: two sides of the same coin. For the AGAPE MEAL gives us power to be AGAPE PEOPLE! You are invited to join us on this special night...
What sort of KING is Jesus? His arrival teaches us much. He is not like any other king. Ever. He is humble. He is gentle. He is the KING of KINGS and His POWER is expressed through LOVE because He IS love.
Join us for this special Palm Sunday celebration as the KING of KINGS arrives…not just on that day 1,990 years ago…but also…today.
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At Praise & Worship, we have learned much this year about what it might sound like to share our faith. Today we are looking at what it might LOOK like for us to do this...to be witnesses to what the Lord has done for us. You are invited!
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What is your calling? Each of us has different callings, to be sure. But there is a foundation to each of them. No matter if we are the baker, the brick-layer, or the candlestick maker, we have an underlying calling. No matter if we are son or daughter, father or mother, sister or brother, we have an underlying calling. Join us as Pastor Dar leads us in growing in that underlying calling: “Our Calling — Co-missioned by Jesus!”
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Have you ever wondered WHAT you need to bring with you if you were to follow Jesus? Today’s message is about answering that question as we read Matthew 5:2-16 and several companion texts. We are zooming in on Matthew 5:3 in particular and discovering exactly what we have to offer the Lord and what it will look like for us to be counting our blessings!
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The earliest church grew through the sharing of WORDS…specifically, through God’s Words! Those words of “the Scriptures” were the words of what we call the Old Testament! The apostles would REASON with and PROVE from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah! Join us as we study this and learn for ourselves how to emulate CHURCH 1.0 in our midst as God works through us to proclaim forgiveness and restoration for all who would hear!
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Today's extremely special service brings us nose to nose with the POWER of God to accomplish the Mission, to see the Vision, and to keep the Value He has given to us. His power may not be what you would expect, but it is what He is doing in our midst! And you are invited to join in!!
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Church 1.0 is less about "churchianity" (think here the traditions of people as related to church culture) and more about CHRISTianity where we center our lives around Jesus by trusting His promises and following Him! However, do we put our money where our mouth is?
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Where do we see ourselves going? This is our vision. Acts 2:43 tells us that "Awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.” Do you SEE us participating in the Kingdom of God in THIS way? That is our study today as we continue to grow in Church 1.0!
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What is the church and what does it do? Put another way, how does one "do" church? Put yet another way, what steps do we take in our path forward? To answer these questions we are going back to the beginning and studying the activities of the first church: CHURCH 1.0!
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Advent is about Jesus coming to us! First He arrived on that very first Christmas. Now He is coming again…but what is our PURPOSE until He comes again? Pastor Dar leads us in a special look at Jesus’ answer to this question which He gave to us as a mission…or rather a CO-MISSION!
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One Day, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. One Day, Jesus went to Jerusalem. One Day, Jesus is coming back again. One Day, this day, is our time to follow Him. And He gives us JOY on that very journey…as we walk in step with Him!
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The Season of Advent is about waiting on Jesus to arrive! We wait for Christmas, yes, but we truly wait for Him to COME AGAIN! But how? How do we wait? What do we do and how do we do it? Join us for today's study of John 10 and Galatians 3 where we discover that He came to make ONE PEOPLE and He does do by bringing PEACE...a PEACE that we now carry with us wherever we go!
Today we start the Advent season, learning about Jesus SECOND Advent! We begin at the end because the end is a new beginning, delivered through HOPE. This is because God’s plan, all along, has been to rescue humanity from a prison of our own making. And His final rescue is COMING, which is the meaning of ADVENT, and we are called to ENCOURAGE one another with these words!
Can you imagine being there? Hurrying out of the place where you had been enslaved for your entire life only to see an impossible path before you all while your captors are pursuing you from behind? This is where we pick up the story in Exodus 14 where the Lord invites us to SEE His salvation! To learn to not SEE him in our immediate circumstances but rather to SEE Him in His Promises and to trust that He will indeed do what He says He will do! Join us for this powerful study of Exodus 14…
Who is the judge of all creation? Did you guess God the Father? Or, is it someone else? And what is His judgment? And how do we deal with all of this in our lives? Join us as we discover the answers to these questions and more as we study Psalm 2 today and learn about THE ANOINTED!
When we read about “THE ANGEL OF THE LORD” in the Old Testament, we need to know: Just who IS this guy? Spoiler Alert: JESUS! But wait, what does this mean for us and why is it important? These are the questions we are setting out to answer today and those answers contain some important surprises that will help each of us tremendously on our journey of following HIM!
Where do heaven and earth fully overlap? Why is it important to know the answer to this question? It could be said that we cannot fully understand just who Jesus is without reading Leviticus, so today, as we arrive at part six of our journey of discovering Jesus in the Old Testament, we will do just that!
What is the Temple? Or, should we ask: Who is the Temple? Today as our resident historian Bill Crosby leads us in a study of the Old Testament story of the Temple, we will look at the original context of whose idea it was to build the temple in the first place and how that building took place. And then we will see what God did after that! You are invited!
Are you holy? How does one become holy? What does it take? Isn’t the whole idea to become holy so that you can go to heaven? Today we are asking these questions together and discovering what Scripture has to say about all of these things. You will be surprised at what God’s Word has to say to you as we enter THE HOLY PLACE!
God is not capricious. HE IS LOVE. He forces no one to do anything. At all times He preserves our dignity. This trial was not only to see what Abraham believed, but to also demonstrate to us what HE would be willing to do FOR us! Join us as we discover Jesus on The Mountain!
Who have you always pictured “walking in the garden” in the Book of Genesis? Some say this is all “metaphorical” or “anthropomorphic” language because they are using reason over and above Scripture. Join us today to see exactly how Scripture explicitly calls Jesus…GOD! And then, even more importantly, what does this mean for all of us?!?
Esther is a pivotal story both in its narrative and in its timing. Persia was a powerful empire, and, as you know Esther will represent the Hebrew people, and ultimately save them by her sacrifice. Does that sound familiar? A person willing to die for the people in order to save them through sacrifice? You are invited to join us as Bill Crosby leads through the story of Esther, which both looks back and prophesies forward!
In today’s special service, we hear from church planter Jim Bartok from Ozark, MO who is sharing a powerful message from Luke 7, where we read: “Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this, who even forgives sins?’ And Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’” Luke 7:49-50.
How do we “walk in Him”? We need His promises! We need to grow in these promises and ponder them. These promises tell us precisely WHO HE is, and that He is IN ALL THINGS, and that in Him, ALL THINGS hold together…all of which determines WHO WE are! Join us for a VERY special celebration of our Youth team’s ministry this year as they help lead our worship and study of God’s Word!
God works, on us/in us/through us, by way of His WORD. Join us as we rediscover key truths about the “out loud ness” of God’s Word and the implications of living in the “out loud ness” of it! The Words are indeed written for you, but written to be spoken! You are invited!!
You have heard it said: "Don't go to church. BE the church." This is great, but the truth is even better: You already ARE the church. You ARE the New Humanity! You HAVE BEEN called! This is what the Greek Word for church means: EKKLESIA = "the assembly of those called out".
You are invited to join us for the conclusion of our journey through 1 Peter as we ponder who we are: A New Humanity!
What WOWs us? More importantly, what about the WOW in Jesus…for us?
Because of God’s mercies, we are free to join Him in what He is already doing! But the world does not let go of us easily, and seeks for us to conform to its pattern rather than being transformed by Jesus! This is why we must always seek the face of Jesus found in His Word, by His Spirit, and in His love!
Join us as Pastor Dar Karsten leads us in the WOW in Jesus for us!
The Kingdom of God is marked by people enduring their circumstances. The kingdom of the evil one is marked by people who are enraged at their circumstances.
How does this play out in our lives? Join us as we take on the heavy-duty words of 1 Peter 4:12-19.
As THE NEW HUMANITY, we live as bearers of GOOD NEWS, not grumblers about all the things we dislike or despise. And yet, we all struggle with this challenge…so where do we get the power to participate with Jesus in the restoration of all things? The answer sounds strange at first, but join us as we discover God’s design (and power!) for you and me to be Gosplers Not Grumblers!
Is Baptism a mere symbol? Is it an “outward sign of an inward faith?” What does the Bible say? The Bible says: “Baptism now saves you.” Do these words mean what in fact they sound like they mean? Join us today as we ask these powerful questions together. Discover how God is Naturally Supernatural!
Is the Bible simply outdated? Isn’t it true that we’ve moved beyond God’s primitive ways and now we’ve come up with better plans…or, are we in fact still heirs of His grace? Are we still called to live in his household and therefore build lives that come from His household and reflect His household? But if that is true, then won’t we end up looking really…different?
Yessssssss! You are invited to join us today as we study 1 Peter 3:1-17!
Our youth team just returned from an epic trip to Houston! What happened there? What did we learn? How did we grow? Join us today as we tell the story of Jesus…IN ALL THINGS!!!
The world’s love has conditions. Sometimes money is the condition. Sometimes good looks are the condition. Sometimes agreeing with a particular point of view is the condition…Love is love…it would seem.
But, what is God’s love like? That is what Bill Crosby and the PW Spiritual Support Team is leading us in today while our Youth Team is in Houston for the National Youth Gathering. You are invited to join in as we discover, together, God’s LOYAL Love: Khesed!!!!
People who “do whatever they want” are not free. If you have tried this, you know it is true. There is more to freedom…much more. In fact, our “Uncle Marty” once wrote:
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A Christian is the most free of all, subject to no one.
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A Christian is the most servant of all, subject to everyone.
What is going on with these two seemingly contradictory statements? Where did Martin Luther get this idea from? From several Scriptures, including 1 Peter 2:13-25, which is what we are studying today! Join us!
Saying you are a “Christian” is the same as saying you are a “priest”. This is the kind of power and office Christians have. Each of us is called to tell of the mighty works of God in our lives and instruct others about what you have learned. For each of us we carry out this office as we are gifted to do.
But, um, HOW?
You are invited to join us for this special study of 1 Peter 2:1-12
So if it is true that we do not belong in this broken world…what do we do? Escape is not our plan. We have been made Completely Different, so that we could BE Completely Different by a God who is Completely Different SO THAT we could participate with Him in making a difference in the things that matter most.
Join us as we discover what it means to be HOLY.
We are “not from around here.” We are exiles, travelers, sojourners on this earth. And God has SENT us to the place where we are at!
So then, how do we “do church?” Do we just wait around for Jesus to return or does He have a mission for us? Does He not have a plan for us now? If we are Sojourners, how then shall we live in this foreign land?
What happened on this day, 1989 years ago? The CHURCH was born.
But…is that a good thing? Isn't the church just a big mess where there is division and distrust and oppression and frustration and gossip and hurt and sadness?
Yes.
Because the church is IN the world.
The church is where heaven and earth overlap. So the church is ALSO a place where God's gifts are freely given, where healing is found, where hope is splashing all around, and where GRACE MERCY and the PERFECT PEACE of the Holy Spirit are poured out.
You are invited to join us to receive His gifts today!
Dr. Barry Kolb joins us to share updates about resTore, prison ministry, and just how it is that we can walk through Hard Times. You are invited!
We have been celebrating the resurrection of Jesus! But…now what? HOW do we live resurrection? What do we do? What does it look like? Join us today as we grapple with these important questions!
We don’t put our trust in Jesus because He was a “good teacher” or because He was a “good man”. No, we follow Jesus because He rose from the dead. And His Resurrection changes everything, especially for us, because it defines who we are…not in mere terms of our short grief-stricken lives…but in terms of our eternal participation with Him in the restoration of all things!
Our world often describes death as a “natural part of life.” This is, by far, the biggest and most egregious lie in the universe. DEATH IS THE END OF LIFE. We were not created to die. We were created to live forever. This is why Jesus Came to Save Us! He came to give us eternal, bodily, resurrected LIFE!!!!!
While many have called Thomas “Doubting Thomas,” this is a false statement. Thomas wasn’t doubting. Thomas was drowning in unbelief! So what did Jesus do about it? Join us as we discover the reality of Jesus’ Resurrection!
We learned on Palm Sunday that God does not send people to hell, He saves people from hell!
We learned on Maundy Thursday that the Savior’s infinite generosity comes to us in a meal that gives us power to then PARTICIPATE with Him to take what we’ve been given and share it, namely His life-giving love.
We learned on Good Friday, Jesus' powerful words: IT IS FINISHED.
On Easter—RESURRECTION DAY—we are going to come to the tomb early and see His promises fulfilled as we discover the EIGHTH DAY OF CREATION...
This Holy Week we have journeyed with the Savior into Jerusalem.
We learned on Palm Sunday that God does not send people to hell, He saves people from it, this is why we call Jesus the SAVIOR not the condemner!
We learned on Maundy Thursday that the Savior’s infinite generosity comes to us in a meal that gives us power to then PARTICIPATE with Him to take what we’ve been given and share it, namely His life giving love.
Which brings us tonight, to the cross, where Jesus proclaims: IT IS FINISHED. What, exactly, is He talking about here? You are invited to join us as we go with Jesus to the cross.
Tonight is the night when He gave us His Supper, when He began the New Covenant to make us His people, and the night when He also gave us a NEW COMMAND, or mandatum, to love one another just as He has loved us.
But how in the world could we ever even begin to do this?!?
Well, that is exactly what tonight's gathering, which starts at 6:30 pm, is all about. You are invited!
Have we ever considered that we are fulfilling (in part!) the prophecy of Revelation 7:9-12 when we celebrate Palm Sunday? Join us today as we zoom in on just Who this King of Glory is and Why has he come?
The age old “faith vs. works” debate is a waste of time. Jesus, who IS the way, the truth, and the life, gives us new categories to work with: Our work IS to believe in Him! And when we believe, He gives us the power to do! You are invited to join us today!
Just who IS this guy anyway? So many have tried to quantify or qualify just who Jesus is. As CS Lewis famously described: He is either a liar, a lunatic or He is THE LORD. You cannot call Him a good teacher, for He has not left that option available to us! But once we start to grapple with this fact, then what does that mean for us?!?
How should we read the Bible? As a rule book? A guide to goodness? Great literature? Or, is it God's Word that points us to Jesus? The Bible has many rules, certainly does show how to "be good," and contains the best literature ever written, but make no mistake: The Bible was given to us to lead us to Jesus! And this reality is a matter of life and death!
Today as we follow Jesus in the Gospel of John, He calls God "My Father." This enrages the religious authorities to the point that they sought to kill Jesus, despite the fact that He was bringing justice and righteousness as He was sent by the Father to do…join us for our study of Father & Son!
Signs & Wonders provoke faith. They create a dividing line in history. Did they happen? Are they mere legends to illustrate a point or are they historical moments when God moved in our world to make a change? In our time, we often encounter the phrase “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” This is a clever quip which sounds “sciency” but is actually the opposite of science. Regardless of where we begin, with faith or science, the facts are where we must face the reality of Jesus. Join us as we go deep into these powerful places as we study John 4:43-54.
Jesus demonstrates the radical nature of His ministry by going to a place no one would go and to a people no one would love and to a person no would be caught dead with...but that He would die for! This reality introduces us to the notion that Jesus guides us to worship in Spirit & Truth!
What does “He must increase, but I must decrease,” mean when John the Baptist says it? When we study the context it may surprise you and it definitely will bless you! Join us today as we learn to rightly divide the heavenly from the earthly so that we are free to participate with Jesus in the restoration of all things!
What is Jesus’ purpose? What is God’s core value? What is faith itself? These foundational questions are at the heart of what Jesus has to say to us today as He proclaims His love and mission to rescue each one of us. Join us as we debunk many false narratives about who God is and proclaim the truth about what He is here to do as we contrast Light and Darkness!
Jesus, in a radical move, declares that it is God Himself who must do something to us so that we can be with Him. And this move it to literally give us birth from above! But, as Nicodemus asks today: “How can these things be?” Let’s go to Jesus together and discover the answers because they change everything! HE changes everything!
We are shown a radical scene: Jesus enters the Temple and intervenes in the corruption and evil taking place in the House of His Father. But then He does something far more radical: He declares HIMSELF to be the Temple! Join us as we delve into what this means for each of us as we are IN HIM and He IN US, so that the Church is made up of Temples, of which HE is the Head! You are invited!
In the midst of our journey through "Life In His Name", we pause to dig a little deeper into the word "LIFE" as we celebrate Sanctity of Life Sunday! Our founding Pastor Dar Karsten joins us to lead us in a study of "Chosen on Purpose"!
The Story of the Wedding at Cana confronts all of our religious assumptions! Did Jesus really turn the water into WINE? Why would he do a thing like that? The answers are surprising and amazing. Join us for "FEASTS & WINE" as we continue our walk through the Gospel of John and discover LIFE IN JESUS' NAME!
John the Baptist saw Jesus and said: “Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!” Why did John call Jesus THE LAMB and how does He take away the sin of the world? What does all of this mean for us? Join us as we jump with both feet into the words of John 1:29-51!
Advent is about waiting on Jesus…but what do we do while we wait? He had MUCH to say about this and it might shock you to discover just exactly who “WE ARE” in His grand scheme of the universe. Are we called to love our neighbors? Certainly! Are we called to love even our enemies? Of Course! But there is something more that we don’t want to miss as we conclude our Advent journey discovering exactly who WE ARE!
The Season of Advent reminds us of the POWER of God, which is the Cross and the Empty Tomb. And it reminds us of the POSTURE of God’s people, who are hoping, waiting, and expecting Jesus’ return! And this season restates our PURPOSE: we live our lives in HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE, discovering our Vocations and helping to build and expand our Master’s household! Join us as we grow as the people waiting for the ADVENT of Jesus!
What will it look like when Jesus has His SECOND Advent? What will it look like when Jesus comes again? That is what we are studying as we "Light Up the Sky" and continue our study of Matthew 24!
For our Wednesday journeys in Advent, we are digging into the book of the 12, sometimes called the “Minor Prophets.” Nothing is minor about their message, as we see tonight in Amos!
God’s people have ignored those in need, and have focused on Greed and Lust and earthly Power. That is going to come to an end and something different will arise in its place…join us to learn more!
We begin…at the end? YES! We eagerly await a Savior from heaven and He has promised us He is coming again! This is how we wait, this is how we observe Advent, the season of waiting!
Every day the devil tries to remind us of our past. When he does this, be reminded of his future! We begin at the end because the end is a new beginning, delivered through Hope!
How do we resTore broken lives?
Galatians 6:1-5 says: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.”
Why do we do what we do? It's about people—helping them change, healing their hurts & teaching them truth AND resToring their lives. We don't do this for our glory, but for their good. We do it to extend His name & His kingdom.
As followers of Jesus, we join Him in the Mission He has already begun. We are a church that was planted for the purpose of planting more churches! This is the best way to connect with those who are disconnected from Jesus. And the Lord is already moving to make this happen, we are joining Him in what He has started!
What is resTore? A missional community forming in Hollister, to be based near the Hollister High School, with a heart for the broken. Together we will do God’s work, God’s way, and trust in His supply.
Today we SEE repentance in action. It consists of two parts: Grieving Sin and Trusting Jesus.
But more happens in David’s story. Because an innocent child dies. Our sense of justice is inflamed. And even while we stare into the eyes of our Creator, He has a plan for another innocent person to die, so that we can, so that all things can be made right. Even while we are questioning God’s justice, He is planning to have an Innocent One die for the guilty!
And so while we might learn from David’s example, we are SAVED by Jesus’ Actions!
Is it possible that many of us have had the wrong view of the idea of "repentance"? What does God actually say about it? You might be VERY surprised! You are invited to join us as we study the answer together!
What did the blind man get to SEE? Nick and Lucy Della Valle present "Blind Bartimaeus", bringing the Bible to life by acting out the events of Mark 10:46-52...and what happened next! What happened to Bart when Jesus restored his sight? He followed Jesus and SAW. You are invited to COME AND SEE through Bart's newly opened eyes what he SAW!
Some among us are cancer patients. Some are survivors. Others will likely fight this or other similar diseases in the future. But what should we do about it? How should we react? What would the Lord have us do?
So often church becomes a myriad of personal preferences or is even viewed like a business like a restaurant or theater! CHURCH = BODY (Gather!) where we learn our IDENTITY (Grow!) and our STORY (Encourage!) and are formed into disciples through EXPERIENCE (Share!). Praise & Worship is a place where struggling, suffering, grieving, hurting, fearing and failing people GATHER, GROW, ENCOURAGE and SHARE! Because Jesus loves each one of us in this most excellent way! We are a Christ-Centered, Disciple-Making Community.
Our Mission Festival continues with our focus on us as Ambassadors! “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us,” 2 Corinthians 5:20. We exist as ambassadors through the love of Jesus, which manifests itself as encouragement! We point people to Jesus, we teach people about Jesus, and we implore others: “Be Reconciled to God!” You are invited to learn with us!
Our Mission Festival Continues! Today: we GROW! Growth happens through God's Word. Growth happens by the power of the Spirit! We plant, we water, it is God who GIVES the growth!! And His gifts come through His Word!!
You are invited to grow with us!!
The Apostles’ Teaching is God’s Word! The Fellowship, from the Greek word “koinonia” (in Latin it is “communion”!) means participating in community, which naturally includes the Breaking of Bread: The Lord’s Supper! The Prayers include the collecting of all the requests of the people! Our gatherings are based upon these powerful gifts of God and worship is exactly that: Where God serves us! We feast upon God’s Word, literally! And He is present with us, BODILY!
"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we ARE children of God...fellow heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:16). These are among the most important words we can ever receive. Our Father in heaven is intent on securing our true nature by demonstrating His true nature!
Join us as we see what this means for each one of us in real time even now, as Jesus invites us, by His Spirit, to participate with Him in the restoration of all things!
So many people cling to the notion of "free will" despite that they cannot freely choose to always do the right thing. Scripture confirms this: "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate."Romans 7:15. What we discover both in life and, more importantly, in God's word, is that our will is bound by another force: sin . So the debate is not about whether we have free will, but what to do about the prison we find ourselves in! And this prison is not only something that we have been born into, but something we help build and reinforce regularly!
We need the rescuer! And it is not going to be about some "sentimental" or "warm fuzzy" kind of feeling, but rather the POWER of the RISEN CHRIST who DOES SOMETHING ABOUT THE PRISON! Please join us for what might be one of the most important sections of Scripture in the whole Bible!
Dr. Barry Kolb leads us in a study of Hosea 3, as we conclude our look at this question: Why would God tell Hosea to marry a prostitute?
As we arrive at Hosea 2, we see the full reality of God's Wrath and God's Grace on full display! And we discover that God's plan has never changed: He will take those places of wrath--even when His people are ungrateful--and turn them into places of HOPE!
Why would God tell Hosea to marry a prostitute? What is he communicating to us, and what should we be hearing?
Join us for this special three-week dive into Hosea, as we seek to grow in our understanding of what the Lord is up to...as He pursues you and me as his BRIDE!
We are called to take a STAND! But how? And what does that look like? What does it mean to BE A WARRIOR?!?
Join us for this dramatic conclusion to UNITE!
What does “obey” mean? We have arrived at Ephesians 6! And we are called to obey. But what does that mean? And is this the place where the Bible condones slavery?!? You will be surprised by the answers!
This passage of Scripture seems to be out of date at best, or just flat wrong at worst. Why would God say that men are to be the head of women? Why would He command women to submit to men?!?
What would happen if the God of the universe called you and offered you His entire kingdom?!? Tune in for our study of Ephesians 5:1-21 to discover the answer!
When reading Ephesians we discover a fascinating dynamic: the more we see God's Grace in action, the more we see Him create UNITY. But unity is very different from uniformity, watch how this unfolds in Ephesians 4:17-32!
Join us for a special study of Ephesians 4:1-16. Is it POSSIBLE that we could actually have Unity? That we could actually be ONE?
Last week we learned that God works "Through The Church"! But how? What is His process, what is His plan? As we continue in Ephesians 3, we discover that He wants us Rooted & Grounded... in LOVE.
God makes a shocking promise in Ephesians 3! It is THROUGH THE CHURCH that He will make His wisdom known to the demonic realms. What sort of implications does this have for us?!?
a. How does God deal with racial tensions, religious conflict, and differing ideologies? Is it through more education or better practices or by way of getting everyone to see that they are wrong? OR, is there another way?
a. Scripture makes this controversial claim: You and I have already been made alive with Christ, have already been raised with Christ, and have already been seated with Christ in the heavenly realms! How can this be true?!?
How does God look at you? What does He call you? What is His plan for you? What is all of this, ALL OF THIS, about?
The Father's Plan was always to unite all in Christ, things in heaven, and things on earth. What are the implications of this? Is it even possible? Does He intend for this to happen now, or in the age to come? What does Scripture say?!?
He (1) tells us: HE IS RISEN! He (2) gives us faith to believe His words: HE IS RISEN INDEED! Then we (3) see: HALLELUJAH!
Good Friday is the day Jesus saved you. Why did He do it? Because He loves you. How did He do it? He went to the cross for you. What happened at the cross? That is where Jesus took your guilt: ALL OF IT. That is where Jesus took your shame: ALL OF IT. That is where Jesus took your sin: ALL OF IT? But He didn't just take those from you, He also GAVE you three things in exchange: HIS INNOCENCE, HIS GLORY AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS: ALL OF IT!
This special dive into what happened on Palm Sunday and why it happened is cause for us to hear again the word: "HOSANNA!" Hosanna means "SAVE US NOW!" This is precisely what Jesus is doing!!!!
Do we think it is possible that All Things are Possible? It is Jesus' promise to us! But why do we struggle with it? How should we deal with this struggle?
Jesus teaches us that it is not what goes "into" a person which defiles a person. But rather it is what comes "out" of a person which defiles him or her. Okay, but how does this work? How do we manage in a chaotic, broken world where the good that we want to do is not always what we do?
It is only when we trust Jesus that we can then SEE who He is. It is only when He grows our faith that we will be prepared for what comes next. We see Him most clearly: In The Storm!
Allow your reason and logic to sit just under the mystery of God's Word. The Word is Here. Now. Hear it. Receive it! Believe it! Believe HIM! And then you will see! Because He loves you. HE SAID SO!
Our journey through the Gospel of Mark takes us to chapter 3 where the question persists: Who is Jesus? But now, a new question emerges: who are we in relationship to Him?!?
Never forget Jesus' invitation for the weary and burdened to come to Him! HE IS THE LORD OF REST. The Good News of the Reign and Rule of God in this present moment is that JESUS TAKES THE BURDEN. JESUS DOES THE WORK. He is the Bridegroom, the Savior Who has come for us! He came to buy us back, to set us free...to give us REST.
Our eyes will be continuously attracted to the miracles. We will seem to always look for God to respond to our good behavior. But this is not why Jesus came. He came to save us, to provide us with forever healing, to freely give the greatest of all miracles, to restore that which is broken and make right all things!
Are you a religious person? Because if you are, you might not like this message. Jesus tends to offend religious people. What does this mean? HE IS WILLING!
There is no more waiting. God is here and looking you in the eye! Stop trying to "be good". Believe the good news! The "Kingdom of God" means that the Active Rule and Reign of God, through Jesus, the Messiah, has invaded this world with the most unstoppable force in the universe: HIS LOVE. Turn around and go with Jesus. Do it now.
In our journey with Ruth, we've discovered that we cannot always know why things happen. But we have been given the promise that God is good and is indeed working things for good...but what exactly is that good?
How should we move forward in this chaotic world? Is there any order to be found in the chaos? Why are things the way they are? Join us for Ruth 3: In Risk!
For those who follow Jesus, there is no such thing as being unworthy, no such thing as luck, no such thing as empty words, no such thing as failure...no such thing as hopelessness. We may not understand His plan, but God is—in fact—good.
How is God involved in the day-to-day joys and hardships of our lives? The answer is not necessarily what we want to hear, but it is something we desperately need to hear! The Story of Ruth is a powerful telling of how the very ordinary, seemingly mundane events of our lives play a part in God's master plan to restore the world. In fact, maybe they play a bigger part than any other!
Discover how the Lord relates what HE has done into how we should push forward, and how HE will continue to help us along the way!
What does God want? All the Glory? Yes. But it isn't what you think. Have you ever asked: WHAT is the Glory? Let's dig into that question and see what God is really interested in!
So if Jesus is the Foundation and we know from how He is the Cornerstone what His building plan is, the question remains: how will He go about building His Powerhouse?!?
What is God's Building Plan? What is He actually building? Join us for this second installment of Temples and Churches as we see how He drew up the plans, He leveled the ground and then proceeded to tear down the barrier as He carries out His Building Project!
We are building a new building for Praise & Worship! When you look at it, what do you SEE? Some might see a delightful country church, or the fulfillment of a Thomas Kinkade painting, while others might think it will be a bastion of Christendom, or perhaps the beginning of a megachurch, while others might think it will be a relic of a dying era...what do you see? What does God see?
PSALM 136 is sometimes called a “Hallelujah Psalm” because it contains no petitions, no complaints & no problems. Instead it contains a list of moments where God worked in history, each answered by the refrain “His love endures forever.”
The challenge with Anxiety is: can we trust God? Will He protect us? Will he deliver us? Is He faithful? Is He...good? Join us for part three of our series on Anxiety as we hear God's Promises once again!
We are deceived to think the Lord is far from us. The promise: FREEDOM is found in knowing and believing that He is NEAR. His presence is the source of our Joy!
The most simple truth is that God cares for you. The lie persists: you don't deserve His love and care...so it is time for the TRUTH to come out! Join us for this feast in the Good News about Jesus!
Our tenth core value is Participating in the Lord's Supper by faith in the words of Jesus! God's Grace that we can eat and drink! Join us!!
How do we know we can rely on the Bible? The first step is to learn that the Bible didn't come from heaven...the Word of God did! (And because of this we can trust His written word as most certainly true!!)
We need to CLARIFY who and what we are up against, IDENTIFY who we are and how we fit in the Story, and FORTIFY for our place in the Kingdom of God as Jesus advances it in this broken, hostile world…all through us!
Jesus did not say go therefore and make "church attenders" but rather "disciples"! What does this mean for us now?!?
What would happen if 100 people trusted the words of Jesus? What would happen if we didn't make it about getting a ticket to heaven but instead saw ourselves as the bringers of heaven...on earth?
The biggest obstacle to love is fear. The power to love comes directly from God because He IS LOVE. And it is through His dwelling in us that He drives out fear! Join us as we study our hearts with our fifth core value: Loving.
What do words like “righteousness” and “sin” and “justification” mean? Sometimes these can feel like “Bible words” that are detached from our real lives, when in fact, they are the most important things going on EACH and EVERY day in our lives! Join us to learn more!!
What if we changed our measurements of people? How do you measure yourself? How do you measure others? How does GOD measure you...and others?
Last week we asked: what is our front door going to be like? Now, we take the next step: what is our family room going to be like?
What is our front door going to be like? How do we measure where people are at in relation to God? Join us for a different kind of study, one where we study our hearts! Welcoming: The First of our Ten Core Values!
God's Word is alive and is God's powerful way of working in our midst: not just to inform us but to transform us!
Prayer is the most powerful action we can take! Never forget this and see how this works in our day to day circumstances as we are called to stand in this broken world!
Why does Jesus include "lead us not into temptation" when He teaches us how to pray? The answers to this are VERY important! Join us for "Lead Us"!
Forgiveness is what we need. But forgiveness can be very hard to give. Jesus teaches us we MUST forgive...how do we do this?
What does it mean when we ask God to provide for us daily? How does that work? Join Dr. Barry Kolb as he shares God’s Word with us!
What does it mean when we pray: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”? Join as we go to God’s Word in Romans 12 where we learn all about God’s Will!
What does it mean for us to pray “Your Kingdom Come” when we pray the Lord’s Prayer? What are we asking for? What does it look like when His Kingdom comes amongst us?!? Join us as we grow together in God’s Word about His Kingdom!
When we pray “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name…” we are asking that His name be made Holy among us! @e are praying that we would be filled to the full with God Himself! With God’s LOVE! That we would be the people who bear His name!
Trinity Sunday is a time to ask: what is the big deal about God being "three persons, but One God"? Who cares? Let's discover the answers together!
Don’t miss what Pentecost is about! God’s Spirit came DOWN. For ALL of us! This changed the world then and continues to do so!
How do we live by the Spirit? This is the age-old question and the answer will surprise you!
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Galatians 5:1 | True freedom is being free of shame, guilt, burdens, worries, anxiety and fear! Don’t return to the slavery of thinking YOU have to somehow claw and scratch and strive to escape from these things. Jesus has rescued you, set you free from all these things: even sin and death itself! See Romans 8!
Galatians 5:3 | “What MUST you do to be saved?” This is the question when Paul is bringing up the topic of circumcision! Many people think they are OBLIGATED to keep some or all of the Law (we think of this as the “Thou Shalts” and the “Thou Shalt Nots”). In Jesus, you have been set free from this! See Galatians 1:6-9!
Galatians 5:4 | Don’t ever forget this very serious warning from the Bible! Trying to become righteous PUSHES YOU AWAY FROM JESUS! People don’t go to hell because of their bad behavior, they go to hell because they don’t believe in Jesus. See Luke 18:9-14!
Galatians 5:6 | Read “circumcision” as ANY human effort that is required for righteousness. See Galatians 3:2-5! Only Faith! Which flows out through love! See 1 Corinthians 13!
Galatians 5:13-14 | You were called to be free! It is YOUR PRIMARY CALLING. Yes, sin continues to conflict us and contort us. The tempter continues to tempt, and the powers of darkness seek to pervert us. Focus on Jesus! He sets us free (FREE INDEED) and invites us to participate in His love. See John 8:31-59 and John 13:1-17, 34-35!
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1 Corinthians 15:53 | Remember: Natural = perishable & Spiritual = imperishable. Don’t fall prey to a false dichotomy of physical (seen) vs. spiritual (unseen), but instead see that Spiritual is what completes the physical! Example: John 20:24-31, where they could both SEE and TOUCH the RISEN, SPIRITUAL BODY OF JESUS!
1 Corinthians 15:54 | What is “victory?” Victory is ultimate! The REDEEMING of evil ones. The RESTORATION of that which was lost. All through RESURRECTION of the dead. See Romans 8:18-39.
1 Corinthians 15:55 | Any kind of thinking that doesn’t have victory over death is illusory and worthless. See Isaiah 25:5-8.
1 Corinthians 15:56-57 | Death comes directly from sin. Period. But the power of sin is the Law! The Law refers to the 613 commands in the first five books of the Bible (called the Torah). The Law is not bad because the Law is God’s will! But sin living in us (slowly killing us) draws its power from the Law, for the Law shows us our sin!
Therefore, the idea that somehow modifying our behavior will solve the problems of sin and death is actually sin! THE VICTORY COMES THROUGH JESUS CHRIST! See Romans 7:14-8:3.
1 Corinthians 15:58 | So we stand firm (remember 1 Corinthians 15:1-2!). The devil and rulers of this dark world seek to dislodge us from the Gospel (the Good News), trying to get us to take our eyes off of Jesus: the true reigning King who saved us. Because Jesus is Risen, you will rise. Knowing this, trusting in Him, let’s pour out the love and hope of this Good News for everyone…especially those with whom we struggle. We do this by loving all people unconditionally. This is the work of the Lord. And it is NOT in vain. See John 13.
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1 Corinthians 15:35 | Many of us grew up thinking that the Bible teaches that when you die you go to heaven and that’s the end of the story. Not true! The Bible teaches that those who die are “asleep”, waiting in Paradise with Jesus until the last day when He will return. On that day, all the dead will rise again! Those in Christ will live with Him (and all those who are in Christ!) forever in a physical world, made new, without the curse or sin or any darkness—in other words: also spiritual! No tears, no sickness, no death. Forever.
Read the story: Ezekiel 37:1-14, Matthew 24:4-14, John 11:21-26; 14:1-7, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Peter 4:7-11, 2 Peter 3:8-18, Revelation 20:11-22:211 Corinthians 15:42-44 | After spending time on the resurrection of Jesus, now we turn to YOUR resurrection! How will you be raised? Remember: Natural = perishable & Spiritual = imperishable. Don’t fall prey to a false dichotomy of physical (seen) vs. spiritual (unseen), but instead see that Spiritual is what completes the physical!
Example: John 20:24-31, where they could both SEE and TOUCH the RISEN, SPIRITUAL BODY OF JESUS!1 Corinthians 15:45-48 | We inherit our broken nature from Adam. This is the “law of sin and death”. We inherit redemption and restoration through the resurrection of Jesus. This is the “law of the Spirit of life”!
See the details in Romans 8:1-17!1 Corinthians 15:49 | Write these words on your heart: JUST AS // SO SHALL! Just as we inherited Adam’s failure SO SHALL we inherit the success of Jesus! It is his free gift to you! All because He longs to restore His broken family to an eternal life where the physical and spiritual are brought back together in completeness, all because of His undeserved loving kindness. The proof of all of this is when Jesus went to the cross to make sure you would never be punished for your failures, and then rose again to guarantee your resurrection so that all of us would be free to live with Him—one unified family—forever.
See the details in Romans 8:18-32!
What Jesus did, He did for YOU. Remember that ALWAYS. When you fail Him, and you will, focus on what He did. ALWAYS. When others fail you, and they will, focus on what He did. ALWAYS. Write His words on your heart: “And surely I am with you ALWAYS, to the very end.” Dig Deeper: Romans chapters 6, 7 and 8.
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Matthew 21:12-13 | Jesus comes to overturn all the tables of those who seek to use His name to oppress others. The “money changers” and “those selling doves” were there to take advantage of those who came in faith. People of this King are to welcome all people and to seek the restoration of those who are downtrodden! See Matthew 18:1-6!
Isaiah 56:7 | We get sidetracked on making a place holy when we should be focused on being who we are: co-heirs of the Kingdom! See Romans 8:16-17! The “house” in which Jesus overturned those tables is gone. It’s not coming back. A NEW Temple has come, and In HIM the “whole building is joined together to become a holy temple in the Lord!” See Ephesians 2:11-22!
Jeremiah 7:6-11 | Don’t trust politicians or the cable news channels (any of them!) for how we should treat people: listen to God’s Word! WE PUT OUR TRUST IN THE KING.
Matthew 21:14-16 | The people who were despised and considered “sinners” came to Jesus and HE HEALED THEM. The children were shouting: “Hosanna, to the Son of David”! It was the religious leaders who saw this, who heard this and got angry. Their authority, their rule was at an end because the True King was in their midst. The ruler of this world (read: devil) continues to oppress people the same way now and there are still those who are outraged by the radical truth of the Gospel: The Good News of the Arrival of the King! The One who comes to RESTORE. He uses all of HIS Authority to Save Us Now! TO SAVE YOU NOW! See Matthew 11:1-30!
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Matthew 5:38-39 | A Different Standard: Justice is to be couched in love, based upon a right relationship of our hearts to God and to our neighbors. We treat one another with our hearts fully dependent upon God: casting off earthly power, our so-called “rights”, including any sort of revenge or retribution.
Matthew 5:40-44 | Who is Valued: a question answered by a statement. If we value our enemies, then we are interested in their well-being, and our choices of how to handle conflicts and controversies is completely different.
Matthew 5:48 | Memorize this command of Jesus! It shows us HIS standard and that we cannot meet His standard on our own. It shows us this isn’t about what we do, but rather: in whom we trust!
Philippians 3 | The Holy Spirit guides Paul to write about his own accomplishments, to which he declares not only to be of no value, but to be despicable (using his language’s s-word). The ONLY thing that matters is CHRIST! To be found IN Christ! How? Not in his own righteousness (“that comes from the law”) but “a righteousness which is through faith in Christ”. It is a righteousness outside of us. It “comes from God and is by faith.” This faith leads us to the cross where we see what it looks like to turn the other cheek, where we see what it looks like when someone takes another’s clothes, where one is forced to go the distance up to the hill of Golgotha. We see where HE valued US enough to give up everything! Not so that we would feel guilty and be condemned, but so that we would have hope and be free! So that we would JOIN HIM! We see the empty tomb so we know what our future will also be!
Dig Deeper: Matthew 27:27-28:20; 2 Timothy 3:10-4:8
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Matthew 5:27-28 | Not Behavior, HEART. The notion that any of us could be righteous by our behavior is destroyed by Jesus! Whoever looks at someone with lust has ALREADY COMMITTED ADULTERY.
Matthew 19:5-6 | There are no loopholes! Jesus does not provide a system of approving certain divorces and not approving others. Instead He clarifies Genesis by adding: “What God had joined together, let no man separate!” Any attempt we make to “lower” or “soften” the law of God is always an attempt to provide a righteousness that is our own!
Dig Deeper: Genesis 1:26-28, 2:24-25; Matthew 19:1-15 (yep, include 13-15!); the short book of HoseaTruth & Grace | The Biblical story calls us to follow Jesus, to participate in the Restoration of All Things! This comes through HOLY RELATIONSHIPS, regardless if one is single, married or divorced. Holy means: “utterly different” or “set apart”. This always happens through the Gospel, which is what Jesus does! So, we don’t aim for a “culture of purity,” but a people who are being restored.
Dig Deeper: 1 Corinthians 6:12-7:39, Ephesians 5Colossians 2:8, 13 & Matthew 11:28-29 | Human Tradition and the Basic Principles of this World (Do more! Try Harder! Get Better!) will always seek to shift the burden upon us, upon our behavior. Jesus is relentless in centering upon our hearts! He invites those who are “weary and burdened” to come to HIM. He promises that we will find REST! For when we were DEAD (note how incapable dead people are) HE made us ALIVE!
Dig Deeper: Romans 3:21-26, 8:1-11; Ephesians 2:1-10
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WHO IS THE ENEMY—A Matter of the Heart: Part Three
Matthew 5:21-22a | Not Behavior, HEART. Jesus is making it clear: behavior is not the standard, but rather what is happening on the inside.
Matthew 5:22b | Merely using euphemisms doesn’t solve the problem: it is a matter of the heart. There are no loopholes! In fact, Jesus amplifies His language, moving from “judgment” to the “fires of hell”!
Dig Deeper: Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 2:8, 7:20-23; Luke 6:43-45; Romans 10:9-13; 1 Timothy 1:5
Matthew 5:17 | Not Religion, FAITH. Here we are defining “religion” as a set of practices by which people think they honor God. Jesus says, “go and be reconciled” and then do your religious practices. He is forcing us to consider: what is actually important? This reminds us of how our vertical relationship (God pours out His grace upon us) informs and empowers us for our horizontal relationships (that grace becomes a river which flows out).
Dig Deeper: Romans 12
Ephesians 6:12 | Faith is taking the world on God’s terms. Trusting His Word about everything. His testimony to us: those who are the enemy distract us, deceive us, and seek to destroy us, getting us confused about who is the enemy. They convince us to hurt one another when Jesus is calling us to love one another.
Dig Deeper: John 10:7-11; Hebrews 2:14; 1 Peter 5:7-11; James 4:1-10; 1 John 3:7-10
Matthew 5:3 | Before God, we have NOTHING to offer. We are made righteous by what JESUS does! We are BLESSED, which means SAVED. He sets us free so that we can love our neighbor. We take what we’ve been given and share it.
Dig Deeper: Romans 3:28, 4:13-15, Galatians 3:1-14
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Matthew 5:3 | Where Did Jesus Start? Before God, we have NOTHING to offer. We are made righteous by what JESUS does! We are BLESSED, which means SAVED. This is our STARTING POINT.
Dig Deeper: Romans 3:28, 4:13-15, Galatians 3:11Matthew 5:14 | Who Do You Think You Are? HE Who is the Light of the World proclaims that YOU are the light of the world. You are! YOU ARE.
Dig Deeper: Romans 4:11-12, Galatians 3:7-9, 26-29Matthew 5:16 | What Then Should We Do? Before the world, we have EVERYTHING to offer! We are the hands and feet of Jesus. We are a BLESSING to others. God works through His Word, which is proclaimed by His people. It is proclaimed in spoken, written and “sacramental” form! Remember: sacramental means the everyday mysteries of God.
Dig Deeper: Matthew 28:18-20, 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 12:12-27, 2 Cor. 5:13-21, 1 Peter 2:9-10Matthew 5:17 | Always remember that the Old Testament is ultimately about Jesus. We do not throw it out because it is about Jesus! We do not hide from it because it is about Jesus! We embrace it because…it is about Jesus! He is the fulfillment God’s Word! He is the Word made flesh and now He dwells in us! We PROCLAIM His Story! We TEACH His Story! We EXPERIENCE His Story! We EMBODY His Story!
Dig Deeper: Romans 4:18-25, 12:1-21, Galatians 3:19-25, Ephesians 4. 1 Peter 3:16
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Matthew 5:3 | “Poor In Spirit” means what it literally says: to be spiritually destitute, lacking what is needed, being without resource. For us to grapple with what is about to be taught to us by Jesus, we must grapple with this reality: those who offer NOTHING to God are BLESSED. And remember, the Greek word “makarios” which is translated as “blessed” does not mean “happy” or “doing well”; it means SAVED.
Dig Deeper: Isaiah 61:1, Matthew 11:2-6Matthew 9:10-11 | “Pharisees” were the religious leaders who saw it as their objective to be “faithful” to God by keeping the LAW (the “Torah” which is the first five books of the Bible). For them, doing things right was the pathway to faith. When they asked why Jesus would EAT with tax collectors and “sinners” they were offended because in their culture eating with someone meant you were choosing to identify yourself with them.
Matthew 9:12-13 | Jesus, in this concrete example, demonstrates what he means by “poor in spirit”. He commands the Pharisees, those who taught the Scriptures, to “go and learn” Hosea 6:6 where God tells us He desires “CHESED” (a thing found in the heart—Never Stopping, Never Giving up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love—and not “the religious practices” by which they were claiming to be righteous). When Jesus says He came to call sinners, not the righteous, He’s saying that this is a matter of the heart!
Matthew 5:8 | Hold “poor in spirit” in tension with “pure in heart”! These are two sides of the same coin! They live in tension! Tensions of love and justice, rest and work, comfort and challenge, staying and going, receiving…and being poured out all CROSS...upon our hearts.
Dig Deeper: Ezekiel 36:25-32, Joel 2:12-32, Acts 2 (compare Acts 2:38-39 with Ezekiel 36:25-27!)
Jesus is The Snake Crusher! Join us for this special study of Genesis 3 where God's Promise is given to us right in the midst of this most terrible event!
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By Dr. Barry Kolb | The Four Stages of Temptation
STAGE 1: SUBTLE & UNEXPECTEDGenesis 3:1
The idyllic life of the first man and woman in the garden of Eden is disrupted by the appearance of the serpent. This serpent tempts the woman to break God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Her choice to taste the fruit disturbs the order of creation and damages the relationship between God and His creation because now part of His creation is out of order.
STAGE 2: CONVERSATION & CONTROVERSYGenesis 3:1b-3
The serpent’s question omits the positive statement made by God in Gen 2:16. The serpent also distorts the earlier statement by presenting God as saying Adam and Eve could not eat from any tree at all.
STAGE 3: DOUBT & DESIREGenesis 3:4-6a
The serpent uses the ambiguity of the penalty’s wording to make the woman less fearful and more apt to follow his solicitation.
STAGE 4: COLLABORATION & CATASTROPHEGenesis 3:6b-7
Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, so they both experienced the new knowledge of rebellion. Their consequent behavior illustrates this: they covered themselves when they perceived that they were naked
Where was Adam when all this was going down? (1 Timothy 2:13-14; Romans 5:12-14)
What Next?
Further Study: Revelation 12:9; 20:2 Ezekiel 28:11-15; John 8:44; 2 Corinthians11:3
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GOD'S DESIGNGenesis 2:24-25 | Marriage was the plan all along, from before the fall on page three. However, because of what happened on page three, the word “marriage” now brings a freight train of baggage. We need to unpack it all...broken marriage, singleness, betrayal, loneliness, hurting, etc. All of it swirls in a cauldron of emotion. Jesus redeems us and restores marriage, even for, especially for: the broken, betrayed, and the lonely. See Revelation 19:6-9.
THE EVIL DAYSEphesians 5:15-16 | The days we live in are EVIL. They are wrong. They are broken. Those daily arguments, that gut-wrenching loneliness, the oozing feeling of brokenness are all part of the evil. We must be wise and face these days properly: See Ephesians 6:10-18.
Ephesians 5:21-22 | Following Jesus means submitting. This is where faith meets sin head-on. Sin, which is this thing inside us that fights against God and goodness in the world, sees submission as weakness. In Jesus, however, submission is based upon faith, so it is the daily reality of us continuously trusting in the Lord to make all things right. Jesus submits to the Father, the husband submits to Jesus, the wife submits to the husband. See 1 Corinthians 11:3 and Philippians 2:3-11.
HOW IT WORKSEphesians 5:23 | The husband is the head of the wife JUST AS Christ is the head of the church. How did Jesus use His authority? What did He do with His power? What motivated His actions? See John 17:10-19.
Ephesians 5:25| Husbands: you go first. Give yourself up for your wives. Period. See 1 John 4:7-18.
Ephesians 5:26-27 | This sentence is why marriage is so important for all people, regardless of who’s married, single, divorced, broken, damaged goods, or otherwise. Adam and Eve, before the fall, were naked and felt no shame. WE FEEL SHAME. So! OUR Bridegroom arrives and He washes us clean. CLEAN. With the water through the Word. All of this to present you and me to Himself as a RADIANT church, without stain or wrinkle or any blemish. HOLY. BLAMELESS. See Galatians 2:20, Revelation 21:2-4.