Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
Matt Price
Today, Pastor Matt advanced our series on the Minor Prophets with a study of Micah, highlighting the vital role of understanding God’s goodness in helping us live as He intended.
Pastor Jay spoke from the book of 2 Kings today, illustrating the fact that we don't need to offer God something special in order for Him to make something special out of our lives.
Today, Pastor Matt wrapped up our sub-series on Jonah by exploring how we can sometimes stray from following God, as well as the steps we can take to return to Him and the blessings that may follow.
Pastor Matt continued our series on the Minor Prophets today with an further look at the book of Jonah. This time, we focused on chapters 2 and 3, delving into the qualities of Jonah’s prayer to God, the nature of what was missing in that prayer, and the Ninevites’ response to his message.
Pastor Matt reconvened our series on the Minor Prophets today with an introductory exploration of the book of Jonah. By delving into the entirety of chapter one, we gain profound insights into the severe dangers and repercussions that arise when individuals resist the call of God.
Pastor Matt delved into the book of Obadiah during our series on the Minor Prophets today. He explored the recurring themes of God’s judgment on sinful behavior, while also highlighting his unwavering love for those who repent and follow his path.
Pastor Jay resumed our series on The Minor Prophets today with an exploration of the book of Joel. Covering all three chapters, we see how God used Joel to bring judgment to Israel but that this judgment was not without an option of escape and capacity for hope.
Pastor Jay guided us through Easter Sunday today with a message from John and 1 Corinthians about the significance of the resurrection and the many reasons that we have for believing it actually happened.
Pastor Jay launched our Passion Week sermon series today by exploring Matthew 21, where Jesus returns to Jerusalem amid the crowd's adoration—the same crowds who would later reject Him. This passage invites us to reflect on our own tendency to turn away from God when following Him becomes difficult.
Today, Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on the Minor Prophets with a deeper look at the book of Amos. We’ll see God’s warning to Israel about their sin, the consequences of their disobedience, and the ultimate hope of forgiveness that is still to be found in Him.
Pastor Matt continued our series on the Minor Prophets today with an introduction to the book of Amos. Exploring the striking parallels between modern believers and ancient Israel, seeing how God relentlessly pursues a relationship with His people.
Today, Pastor Matt wrapped up our series on Hosea, the first of the 12 Minor Prophets in the Old Testament that we’ll be exploring over the coming months. He delved deeper into the parallels between God’s response to Israel through Hosea and how it reflects our own relationship with God today. The message highlighted God’s relentless pursuit of us, even in the face of our continual wandering and unfaithfulness.
This week, Pastor Matt continued our series on the Minor Prophets, diving deeper into the book of Hosea. He highlighted God's relationship with Israel and drew powerful parallels to how sin continues to impact the lives of believers today.
This week, Pastor Matt continued our new sermon series on The Minor Prophets by diving into the book of Hosea; exploring the first three chapters to highlight the powerful parallels between God's relationship with Israel and His continuing relationship with believers today.
Today, Pastor Jay launched our new sermon series by introducing The Minor Prophets. He provided a broad overview of who these prophets were, how they are depicted throughout Scripture, and what lessons their lives can teach us today.
Guest speaker Pastor Sajjad, of Shining Light International, spoke to us today about the importance of prayer; as well as his life, ministry, and how we can also be a part of his extraordinary work in Pakistan.
Pastor Matt finished our sermon series on growth today by focusing on what it meant for Jesus to grow in 'favor with Man,' seeing that Jesus also struggled in human relationships to find rapport with others while simultaneously remaining committed to the truth of God's will.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on growth today, focusing on what it meant for Jesus to grow in 'favor with God' and how this applies to us as we strive to do the same in our own lives today.
Pastor Matt continued our new sermon series on spiritual growth today by focusing on what it meant for Jesus to have grown in 'stature,' revealing the deeply human difficulties that Jesus endured while also providing hope for his followers in discovering God's plan for their lives.
Today we heard from Dr. Dale Johnson, the Executive Director of ACBC (and featured guest speaker at this year's Mens' Retreat), concerning a passage in 2 Corinthians, in which we learn to battle the enemy in commonly overlooked strongholds, so that every thought would be captive in obedience to God.
Pastor Matt continued our new sermon series today, about learning how to grow spiritually like Jesus, by continuing to focus on what wisdom itself even means; providing two different definitions and various Biblical perspectives from the book of Proverbs, as well as Matthew, James and the book of Colossians.
Pastor Matt started a new sermon series today called "Just Like Jesus," in which we focus on the maturing and development of our faith in the same way that was once required of Jesus; today focusing on what 'growth' is all about in general, both in terms of what it requires to start growing and in terms of what is required to maintain our growth after it has begun.
Pastor Jay spoke from the book of 2 Peter today, illustrating the difference between what God has 'given' to us and what God 'expects' from us, as we continue to seek Him and grow in the perfection of our faith.
Pastor Matt took a moment out of series today to reflect on the coming New Year; relying mainly on a passage from the book of Lamentations, we learn to see that grief and sorrow can become useful in the Kingdom of God, if we have the courage to confront those concerns directly in the light of our salvation.
Pastor Matt continued our Christmas sermon series today with a look at the concept of Peace, drawing on a number of both New and Old Testament scriptures to illustrate the quality of peace that only God can provide and of which we have a unique opportunity to accept through Jesus.
Pastor Jay continued our sermon series on Christmas this week with a look at the birth of Jesus, reading from the second chapter of Luke to find an illustration of the radical peace and joy that only Christ can bring into our lives.
Pastor Matt started a new sermon series today in light of the Christmas season, looking at the significance of Christ being born and taking the time to appreciate just how lost and hopeless we would be in a world without the birth of a savior.
Pastor Matt concluded our three-part sermon series on Gratitude today by taking a look at the benefits of remaining thankful in all seasons of life, seeing how our choice to remain grateful to God for his many blessings is essential in our ability to both glorify God and to live as He intended.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on Gratitude today by taking a look at what it means to intentionally cultivate gratitude in our current age of entitlement, providing several steps that we can take to shift our focus from the things of this world toward living in a place of joyous surrender to God.
Pastor Matt began a new three-week sermon series on 'Gratitude' today, stopping to consider the kind of gratitude that Scripture calls us to embrace and the kind of gratitude that we all want and seek to cultivate in our lives as the proper fruit of believers.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series "Free to Follow" today by looking at a summary of the journey that God took the Israelite on when they left Egypt to enter the Promised Land, making a point to also notice the parallels in our own lives and the various impediments involved in our efforts to follow after God.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series “Free to Follow” today with a message called “For the Love of…” in which we survey the costs of placing anything else in life ahead of our concern for Jesus and his will for our life, noting that in spite of all the difficulty involved in making various sacrifices to be in alignment with Christ, it will always prove to be worth it in the end.
Pastor Matt Price started a new sermon series today called "Being Free to Serve" in which we look at the freedom that we have in Christ which can only be found through discipline; seeing here how God wants to call us out of our ordinary place in life and how the sacrifice of obedience to this call is worth it in the end.
Pastor Jay continued our sermon series on Stewardship today with a look at what it means to live our lives in view of eternity, as we continue to strive for the greater reward involved in serving the kingdom of God and all that He would have for us.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on Stewardship today by exploring the concept of how we manage the money God has given to us, learning the importance of taking great care to spend that money wisely, in pursuit of His kingdom, and with a concern for the eternal rewards that are at stake.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on Stewardship today by exploring the concept of how we use our gifts and abilities, drawing on a number of different scriptures and focusing on a parable from Jesus, we see the importance of understanding our gifts for what they are and also of putting them to good use, specifically by giving them back to God for the furtherance of His kingdom.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on Biblical Stewardship today with a look at what it means to be good stewards of our time, which we learn requires thoughtful evaluation, wisdom, and discernment, insofar as our time choices have eternal significance in which the only way to to truly please Him and maximize our time on Earth is to spend our days wisely, beginning with humility and prayerful dependence.
Pastor Matt continued our new sermon series on Biblical Stewardship today, drawing from a number of different scripture references to illustrate our existence as stewards over the Earth after once being made in the image of its creator, finding a responsibility to take care of our environment without also elevating it to an unnecessary place of worship or spiritual priority.
Pastor Matt started a new sermon series on Biblical Stewardship today, looking into what it means for us to live a life that is in a relationship with the Lord and which properly recognizes what truly belongs to Him, as we learn to relinquish control over what does not belong to us so that we might live to see His work manifest more abundantly in our lives.
Pastor Matthew Gille continued our sermon series on the book of Psalms today with look at psalm 147, where we find the psalmist praising the Lord for his many virtues as we focus on all of the reasons that we have to be in a continuous attitude of praise towards God and the many works He has revealed to us.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on the book of Psalms today with a look at psalm 51, where we find David acknowledging the profound depth of his sin against God, while also recognizing his need for God's mercy, and ultimately finding the reconciliation that was sought through a process that transforms his heart into one with a deeper desire to worship God and guide others to Him.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on the book of Psalms today with a look at Psalm 23, where David likens the relationship of God to man as one of Shepherd to sheep, as we continue to explore all that this relationship implies.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on the book of Psalms today with a message from Psalms 19, where we see David praising the manner in which God has revealed himself to us, as we focus upon what it means to be in a relationship with the Lord through these revelations.
Pastor Jay continued our sermon series on the book of Psalms today with a message from Psalm 2, where we find the psalmist in amazement that the cultures and governments of the earth would try to ignore God, as we draw parallels to our current political climate in an attempt to refocus our priorities back towards serving the one and only King of Kings.
Elder Brent Gibson spoke today from his personal experiences and from the 22nd chapter of Psalms, where we find David in deep existential pain, questioning God and why He would allow something horrible to happen, while also finding ultimate counsel and hope through faith in His word.
Pastor Matt commenced a new sermon series today on the book of Psalms, focusing in today on Chapter 1, where we learn about the differences between the righteous and the wicked as well as a general outline to what living a life that pleases the Lord looks like.
Pastor Matt finished our series on the book of Ephesians today with a concluding look at Chapter 6, where Paul finishes talking about putting on the armor of God before offering some concluding remarks that offer insight into the intended life of believers.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on the book of Ephesians today with part two of a look at Paul's section on Spiritually Warfare, as we continue to look at what this means and how to best engage our spiritual enemy.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on the book of Ephesians today with an opening look at Paul's section on Spiritually Warfare, as we begin to look at what this means and how to best engage our spiritual enemy.
Pastor Jay took a break from our sermon series on Ephesians today to take a look at a passage from the book of Matthew concerning Jesus and John the Baptist, as we learn more about what it means to live as a Christian and grow in the Lord.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on the book of Ephesians today with a look at an opening passage from Chapter 6, where Paul is discussing the relationship between masters and salves, as we learn about how the nature of this relationship represents much of how we are to live as Christians in response to a broken world.
Pastor Jay continued our sermon series on the book of Ephesians today with a commencing look at Chapter 6, were Paul speaks of the proper relationship between parents and children, as we learn more about the interplay of these relationships and their role in drawing us closer to God.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on the book of Ephesians today with part two of a concluding look at Chapter 5, were Paul speaks of the proper relationship between a husband and wife, as we continue to delve deeper into the nature of these relationships and how they can be better maintained over time.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on the book of Ephesians today with part one of a concluding look at Chapter 5, were Paul speaks of the proper relationship between a husband and wife, as we delve deeper into the nature of how this kind of love is supposed to unfold in the context of relationships.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on the book of Ephesians today with another look at the first half of Chapter 5, where Paul talks about 'walking in love,' as we continue to see what this love is like and how to continue walking in it as we live throughout each day.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on the book of Ephesians today with another look at the first half of Chapter 5 (where Paul speaks about 'Walking in Love'), as we learn the importance of assuming Godly characteristics through focusing on what we think about God and the extent to which God has called us to show His love to others.
Pastor Jay continued our sermon series on the book of Ephesians today with a look at the first half of Chapter 5, where Paul is describing what it is like to 'walk in love,' as we learn about how the most critical aspect in doing so is related to the story that we tell ourselves about God and in our ability to nurture the right one.
Pastor Matt continued our series on the book of Ephesians today with a look at the last part of Chapter 4, where Paul is describing the 'new life' we have in Christ, as we delve further into some of the details about how this 'new life' in Christ is supposed to look and function.
Associate Pastor Matthew Gille continued our sermon series on the book of Ephesians today with a look at the first half of the second section of Chapter 4, where Paul discusses in some detail what it means to live as someone made new in Christ, as we continue to delineate those ideas.
Pastor Matt returned to our sermon series on Ephesians today with a look at the second section of the first half of Chapter 4, where Paul focuses on what it means to be a follower of Jesus as we surrender our gifts to Him in an effort to serve others for the glory of God.
Pastor Matt took another pause from our current sermon series on Ephesians today in order to address the recent passing of Bobby Gibson (the eleven year old son of our Elder Brent Gibson), helping us to stay grounded in the truth of our Savior and the hope that we have in Him beyond this life.
Pastor Matt took a break from our series on Ephesians today in order to celebrate Easter and to reflect on the miracle of Jesus' resurrection from the grave, contemplating all that this implied about humanity and all that this means about our relationship to Him.
Pastor Matt spoke on Palm Sunday today (from the book of Matthew) before continuing our sermon series on Ephesians with a look at the first part of Chapter 4; where Paul urges us to live in 'a manner worthy of the calling' to which we have received, as we learn that this has a great deal to do with grace, love, and humility.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on the book of Ephesians today with a concluding look at Chapter 3, where Paul prays that we would be strengthened with power through the Spirit of God in our inner being with the "love of Christ that surpasses knowledge," as we continue to dwell on these ideas and contemplate the extent of their implications.
Elder Shawn Bergen continued our series on Ephesians today with a look at the first part of Chapter 3, where Paul speaks of the mystery of Christ made known to us, as we learn more about the significance of the Church and all that God has planned for it in revealing His glory to a lost world.
Pastor Jay took a break from our series on Ephesians today, speaking from the book of Hebrews, as he recounted his recent time spent leading a mission to India with a group from our church, relating how God promises the blessing of those who serve Him.
Pastor Matt continued our series on the book of Ephesians today with a concluding look at chapter two, where Paul continues to examine the unity that we all have in Christ, as we look at the importance of this work that God has done and the ways in which He desires to use it in our lives.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on Ephesians today with a look at the first half of the second section of chapter two, where Paul talks about how we are ‘one in Christ’, as we learn more about the importance of this concept and exactly what it means.
Pastor Jay counted our sermon series on Ephesians today with a message from the next two verses following last week, in which we see the importance of grace in the role of our salvation, as we focus on how to more fully articulate the nature of this grace that we have been given.
Pastor Matt continued our series on the book of Ephesians today with a look at the first part of chapter two, where Paul discusses all that Christ has done for us, as we continue to consider the many nuances of what is involved in the saving power of Jesus.
Pastor Matt continued our current series on Ephesians today with a look at the concluding portion of Chapter 1, where Paul prays and gives thanks for God's people, as we continue to to get a better understanding of exactly what it means to be a member in the family of God.
Guest speaker Don Love, who recently led our Men's Retreat, continued our current series on Ephesians today with a closer look at part of a section we covered last week, going into more detail about what it means for us to have been predestined according to His plan and sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
Pastor Jay continued our new series on the book of Ephesians today, covering the first half of chapter one, where Paul discusses what it means that we have inherited every spiritual blessing through Christ, as we dive deeper into all that this statement entails.
Pastor Matt started a new sermon series today on the book of Ephesians, focusing primarily on the first two verses of the book, where Paul introduces himself as an apostle of Christ, and we learn all that goes into being in league with Paul through his mission to follow Jesus and spread the Gospel.
Pastor Matt spoke on New Year's Eve today about the dangers of being complacent in life while assuming the Lord's blessing and failing to seek after Him in the more difficult ways that also bring life's true value to light.
Pastor Jay continued our Christmas series today with a look at what it means for Jesus not just to have existed before time and in time but also after time, or into the future of how his Kingdom continues to function and will continue to function throughout eternity.
Pastor Matt continued our Christmas sermon series today with a look at what it means for Jesus to not just have existed before the world was created, but to have also been born into the limitations of human flesh and lived a life of frailty and temptation here on Earth, just like the rest of us.
Pastor Matt started a new Christmas sermon series today focusing on the birth of Jesus, who as we all know is the reason for the season, but who is also someone that most of us tend to overlook or properly respect in the recurring celebration of Christmas.
Pastor Matt finished his series within the series on the Law of the Harvest this week, with a continued analysis of what it means to sow good seeds in life, through thought and deed, that we might later reap a bountiful harvest in God's timing.
Pastor Matt continued his sermon from last week (making this part two of an eventual three in our larger Thanksgiving series about the Law of the Harvest) where we continue to focus deeply on the necessary relationship between sowing and reaping as well as the actionable steps we can take to ensure a good harvest in life.
Pastor Matt continued our new sermon series on the Laws of the Harvest today with a look at what it means to sow good seeds for a fruitful life in the Spirit of God, specifically with ten actionable steps that we can take to help ensure a good harvest in our lives as we follow after the Lord.
Pastor Matt spoke from the book of Galatians today, focusing on what we have to be thankful for and the inextricable law of reaping and sowing that the Lord has built into life, of which we must all learn to work with as we mature in the Spirit.
Pastor Jay spoke primarily from the book of Ephesians today, where we find instructions on Christian living, as we peer into the roots of bitterness together and further study how it should be addressed and rooted out of our lives, before we might experience it's more devastating consequences.
Pastor Jay spoke from the book of Ephesians today; where Paul gives instructions concerning wives and husbands, children and parents, bondservants and masters, and putting on the whole armor of God; as we see the many ways in which these instructions can be implemented in our daily lives.
Pastor Matt concluded our series on the Gospel of John today with a look at chapter 21, where Jesus appears to his disciples and to Peter, and we continue to contemplate the ongoing importance of the mission Jesus has for us as believers.
Pastor Matt continued our series on the Gospel of John today with part three of our look at chapter 20, where Jesus appears to his disciples after his crucifixion and we continue to think more deeply about what his resurrection means for us today.
Pastor Matt continued our series on the Gospel of John today with part two of our look at the 20th chapter of John, where Jesus appears to his disciples and to Thomas after his resurrection and we dive more deeply into both what happens in the passage as well as what it means for us personally in a modern context.
Pastor Matt continued our series on the Gospel of John today with a first look at chapter 20, where Jesus appears to Mary and then to his disciples after his resurrection from the tomb, and he learn more about exactly why Jesus chose them and what their reactions to his resurrection say about him.
Pastor Matt continued our series on the Gospel of John today by finishing chapter 19, where Jesus is crucified and buried, and we learn about the details of his death from a Biblical perspective while confronting the reality of what his death means for us personally.
Pastor Jay continued our series on the Gospel of John today by covering the last part of chapter 18 and the first part of chapter 19, where we Jesus is taken to be crucified and we learn much about what it means to live the Christian life when we are faced it's inevitable difficulties and hardships.
Pastor Matt continued our series on the Gospel of John today by starting Chapter 18, where Jesus is arrested and taken before the high priest as Peter denies ever knowing Jesus, and we learn a great deal about what it means to live as a Christian even when life becomes difficult.
Pastor Matt continued our series on the Gospel of John today by going over everything we have learned up until this point (before going into Chapter 18), and by taking a closer look at the Holy Spirit, insomuch as this is what Jesus promises to those who follow him in Chapter 17.
Pastor Matt covered all of Chapter 17 today in our series on the Gospel of John, where we see Jesus in a moment of personal prayer that can be categorized in three different sections: a prayer for himself, a prayer for his current disciples, and a prayer for future disciples; all of which focus on the glorification of God through service and membership in his kingdom.
Pastor Matt finished up chapter 16 today in our series on the Gospel of John, where we see the certitude of trials in following after Jesus, but we also see the reassurance and peace of our salvation that is found in he who has overcome the world.
Pastor Matt continued our series on the Gospel of John today with a look at the first part of John 16, where Jesus prepares his disciples about everything they would go through over following him while also promising the presence of the Holy Spirit to assist them in completing the tasks ahead.
Pastor Jay continued our series on the Gospel of John today with a look at the end of chapter 15 and the beginning of chapter 16, where we find the supreme importance of learning to abide in Him through following His example, relying on the Spirit, and being cautious of the obstacles along the way.
Pastor Matt took us through the first part of chapter 15 today in our series on the Gospel of John, in which Jesus declares himself to be the 'true vine' and we see how learning to remain in him is the very essence of a life that pleases God.
Pastor Matt continued our series on the Gospel of John today with a look at the second half of chapter 14, where Jesus promises the Holy Spirit, as we learn more about the importance of the Holy Spirit in fulling our relationship to God and experiencing all that he would have for us.
Elder Shawn Bergen continued our series on the Gospel of John today with a look at the first part of Chapter 14, where Jesus talks about the necessity, value, and the purpose of following after him and trusting in him as the Son of God.
Associate Pastor Matt Gille continued our sermon series on the Gospel of John today with a look at the passage where Jesus declares himself to be "the way, the truth, and the life," as we see and learn more about the blessed assurances that we have in God through our understanding of this fact.
Pastor Matt spoke from the 13th chapter of John today, where Jesus gives us a new commandment and predicts Peter's denial as we learn more deeply about what it means to glorify God and to love one another—a process which involves far more selflessness and sacrifice than we might have imagined.
Continuing our series on the Gospel of John, Pastor Matt spoke from a passage in chapter 13 where Jesus washes his disciples' feet, and we learn much about the nature and importance of servanthood in the Kingdom of God.
Pastor Matt took us through the end of Chapter 12 today in our series on the Gospel of John, where we learn more about what it means to be a committed follower of Jesus and how important it is to promptly respond to the voice of Jesus when He speaks to us.
Pastor Jay continued our series on the Gospel of John today with a look at Jesus' triumphant entry to Jerusalem and his teaching on what it means to follow him through losing possession of your own life.
Pastor Matt continued our series on the Gospel of John today with a passage from the first part of chapter twelve, in which Jesus is anointed by Mary; and we learn much about why and how to follow Jesus, as well as what a living relationship with Jesus begins to looks like once it's genuine.
Elder Shawn covered all of chapter 11 today in our series on the Gospel of John, in which Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead and we learn the many reasons to follow Jesus, trusting in His timing for all things as an eternal sense of strength.
Pastor Matt covered all of chapter 10 today in our series on the Gospel of John, in which Jesus is compared to the idea of the Good Shepherd, and we learn how following the guidance of our shepherd makes all the difference in life, especially as he continues to guide us each day.
Pastor Matt covered all of Chapter 9 today where Jesus heals a man born blind, and we learn much about the difference between the spiritually blind Pharisees who remained in sin and the physically blind person who was healed.
Pastor Matt covered the rest of Chapter 8 today in our series on the Gospel of John, discussing the various feasts of Israel and the extent to which Jesus came to set us free from a life of bondage to sin and errant wondering.
Pastor Matt spoke on the first part of the eighth chapter of John today, dealing with the story of the woman caught in adultery and looking at the ways in which this story also relates to our own personal walk with the Lord.
Pastor Matt resumed our series on the Gospel of John today with a talk on all of Chapter 7, covering the Feast of Booths and the ways in which this chapter illustrates the supremacy of Jesus in all things as well as the nature of what it means to be in relationship to him in life.
On this Easter Sunday, Pastor Matt took a break from our series on the Gospel of John to discuss the miracle of the resurrection and the profound significance that this event has over our daily lives.
On this Palm Sunday, Pastor Jay took a break from our series on the Gospel of John to speak from the passage in Matthew where Jesus enters Jerusalem, drawing out the deep significance of this event and the basic distinction that it illustrates between the fear of man and the fear of God.
Pastor Matt covered all of chapter 6 today in our series on the Gospel of John, discussing the miracles of feeding the 5,000 and of walking on water, as well as the way in which this passage of scripture ties into the theme of Passover (revealing much about the nature of Jesus and who he is as the "Bread of Life").
Pastor Jay covered the rest of Chapter 5 today in our series on the Gospel of John, discussing the authority of Jesus over the leaders and traditions of his time, and the extent to which that same authority still exists presently over each one of our lives.
Pastor Matt got us started on Chapter 5 this week in our series on the Gospel of John, discussing the miracle of Jesus healing the paraplegic man by the pool on the Sabbath, and the many issues of faith that this story illustrates about Jesus' ministry.
Pastor Matt finished chapter 4 today in our series on the Gospel of John, taking a look at the distinction between miracles and signs and how the former can often become an unnecessary hindrance to finding a life of true faith in God.
Pastor Matt takes us most of the way through Chapter 4 today in our current series on the Gospel of John, discussing the story of the woman at the well in Samaria, where we begin to see the kind of radical grace and love that Jesus' ministry would come to represent.
Elder Shawn Bergen continued our series on the Gospel of John today with a look at the story of Jesus and Nicodemus, where we see Jesus giving the instruction that we all must be "born again" if we are to enter the Kingdom of God.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on the Gospel of John today with a look at the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine, in order to illustrate the nature of who Jesus was and what he means to us.
Pastor Matt resumed our sermon series on the Gospel of John today, with a look at what it means to follow the call of Jesus and to be be his disciple, as modeled upon the initial call of Jesus to his first disciples and various talking points throughout scripture.
We took a break from our series on the Gospel of John today in order to receive a message from our special guest Dr. Samuel Thomas, in which he relied primarily on the book of James to illustrate the evidence of a faith that is genuine and healthy.
Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on the Gospel of John today, with a look at who John was as a person, what it is that John has to say about Jesus, and what those revelations from John mean to us now.
Pastor Jay continued our new sermon series today on the Gospel of John, with an examination on the truth of who Jesus is in accordance with this scripture and the various consequences that this truth should have over the outcome of our lives.
Pastor Jay commenced our new sermon series today on the Gospel of John, showing us key insights to John's general purpose for writing the book, as well as illustrating an underlying structure to the book as a whole, with regard to the framework of: seven titles, seven statements, and seven signs.
Pastor Matt concluded our series on faith today with a sermon about what it means to serve God and have faith in His plan with a consideration of the long term goals that God has in mind, as we often get lost in the setbacks and difficulties along the way in pursuing His path.
Pastor Matt continued our series on faith today with a sermon from the perspective of Mary and Joseph, seeing how faith often involves trust in God even though it seems difficult, while knowing that the true difficulty will come from ignoring His plan.
Pastor Matt continued our series on faith today with a sermon about what it means to live by faith, even when the justification for our faith isn't as certain or as obvious as we might have expected.
Pastor Matt continued our series on faith today with a sermon from the book of 1 Samuel, where we see the story of David and Goliath and learn how choosing to live a life of faith can bring about miraculous results, if we are willing to have the courage to confront our difficulties in the way that God has instructed.
Pastor Jay continued our series on faith today with a sermon from the book of Joshua, where we see a more detailed examination of what faith is and how it works through the life example of Rahab.
Past Matt continued or series on faith today with a sermon from the book of Numbers and Joshua, where we see the profound consequences of living a life without the self-sacrificial necessities involved in following the Lord's commands.
Pastor Matt continued our series on faith today with a sermon on the life of Moses, seeing the many ways in which faith proves to be less about our own immediate comfort and more about the willingness to endure hardship for the sake of God's plan and the greater results that His path will provide.
Pastor Matt continued our series on faith today with a sermon about the life of Joseph, showing us a clear example of what it means to be a person of faith, living a life that is radically different than the one that the rest of the world is living, as we learn to find our integrity and strength in His promises.
Pastor Matt continued our series on faith today with a talk on what it means to live the life of faith by reorienting our understanding and expectations so as to begin to truly rely on Him to provide for our needs.
Pastor Matt continued our series on faith today with some concluding remarks about the story of Abraham and how it addresses the heart of what it means to be faithful to God despite the considerable cost and uncertainty that can sometimes be involved when trusting in His promises.
Pastor Matt continued our series on faith today with a discussion about what it means to hold on to faith even when we have fallen short of God's commands and are experiencing the results of faithlessness first hand.
Today, Pastor Matt continued our series on faith with a study on the call of Abraham, as we learn about the value and nature of remaining faithful to God and his promises, even when it seems like we have no reason to continue upon the path that was revealed to us.
Pastor Matt continued our current series today, this time discussing the faith of Noah and seeing how our integrity in the Lord continues despite obstacles and is often furthered or even matured through them.
Pastor Jay continued our 'Living by Faith' series today, in which we examined the faith of Cain and Able, noticing how the same process of responding to God in faith still applies to us today through Jesus.
Pastor Matt continued in our new series this week by leading us through a passage in Hebrews where we analyze the faith of the patriarchs and how it relates to our own walk with the Lord today.
Pastor Matt started off a new sermon series today in which we consider the question of what it means to not just have faith, or be a people of faith, but to actually live by the implications of that faith. Today, we focused in primarily on the actual definition of faith from a biblical perspective, relying on a passage from Hebrews as our guiding text throughout the series.
Pastor Jay walked us through a passage in Galatians today, where we dive deep into the nuances of what it means to bear one another’s burdens in a way that is both healthy and biblical.
Pastor Jay took us through a passage in Colossians today where we see the intentional role that we each play in living for Christ, as this involves the continued pursuit of Him throughout a number of different areas in life.
Pastor Matt took us through the end of 1 Timothy today, where we see Paul discussing the nature of wealth, taking full measure to ensure our understanding of the differences in value and priority over worldly wealth and spiritual wealth.
Pastor Matt took us most of the way through chapter 6 today, where we see Paul's 'final charge to Timothy' to remain grounded in the Lord, so as to avoid further pitfalls and unnecessary trouble in life.
Elder Shawn took us through the middle section of chapter 6 today, where we see Paul warning against the many dangers involved for those who meander from the truth of God's word into the false concepts of heretical teachings.
Pastor Matt got us started on Chapter 6 this week, where Paul considers the relationship between the roles of master and slave, as we see the ways in which these instructions are relevant for our relationships to everyone.
Pastor Jay walked us through the end of Chapter 5 today, where Paul continues to address group dynamics within the early church; and we get a better understanding of what it means to be in community with others, as well as how to maintain the integrity of this community in turn.
Pastor Matt continued speaking from Chapter 5 today, where we find specific instructions on caring for widows and we discover how this kind of love is at the heart of God's will for all of us.
Pastor Matt started us off on chapter 5 this week, where we find Paul addressing relationships within the church, and we see how this relates specifically to area of conflict resolution with the absolute importance of imitating Christ's love in all circumstances.
Pastor Gille spoke from the end of Chapter 4 this week; where we continue to find Paul discussing what it means to be a good disciple of Jesus, this time providing a list of 5 actionable characteristics.
Pastor Jay guided us through the middle section of Chapter 4 today; in which we find Paul discussing what it means to be a good servant of Jesus, and we begin to see how this is in direct correlation to the degree of our appreciation for the value that Jesus has in our lives.
We read through the end of Chapter 3 this week and into the beginning of Chapter 4; where we see Paul addressing the need to remain in Christ and to dedicate ourselves to living for the sake of the Gospel.
Pastor Jay guided us through most of what remained in Chapter 3 this week, where Paul continues to discuss the merits of leadership within the church and we begin to see the call of leadership on each of us.
We covered the first part of Chapter 3 this week, in which Paul discusses the requirements of church leadership (and how this applies to own walk with the Lord, regardless of a specific call toward any leadership position).
Pastor Matt continued the sermon from last week in which he attempted to unpack the many nuances that stem from the second half of 1 Timothy chapter 2.
We finished up the second half of chapter two this week from 1 Timothy, in which Paul provides some difficult instructions to interpret and over which we have a tendency to lose sight of the big picture.
Pastor Jay took a break from our series in 1 Timothy today in order to talk about good church principles, and to get a better look at what it means for us to be a healthy congregation.
This week we read through the first half of Chapter 2 in 1 Timothy, where we find instructions on how to live in a way that is both pleasing to God and politically responsible.
This week we covered the remaining portion of the first chapter in 1 Timothy, from which we discover revelations concerning the nature of the Gospel and how it relates to living in a way that pleases God.
In returning to our series on the book of 1 Timothy, we find an analysis on the nuances of the law of God in relationship to the grace of God.
Looking back at the Easter story, we see what was at stake when Jesus went to the cross, and we also can't help but be awestruck by the profound significance of his resurrection.
In looking back on the events of Palm Sunday, we see the essence of our faith and the heart of God's love for us, despite our rebellious and broken behavior.
In continuing our sermon series on 1 Timothy, we discover what it means to be together as a church, and how to walk in love despite difficulty or disagreements with others.
Starting off a new sermon series on the book of 1 Timothy, we discover a lot in the opening verses about Paul's understanding of himself and how this relates to our own way of being in the world.
A significant aspect of our mission as a church is found through the role of the church in facilitating the membership of believers.
Our mission as a church has a lot to do with our mission as The Church, which is deeply involved in the process of intentionally discipling others in the same way that we have also been discipled.
In attempting fulfill our mission as a church body, we see what it means to connect with Christ, what it means to connect with the Church, and why this should be a priority.
Looking closely at our mission as a church, we find the need to serve others, the nature of who 'others' are, and the many ways in which it is possible to care for them.
In examining the fundamentals of our mission as a church, we see a heart of service and care for others through the result of God's love for us.
In continuing to analyze our mission as a church, we see the necessity of having the correct understanding of the Gospel in our efforts to care for others.
Pastor Jay illustrates the need for putting Jesus first in our lives, as it leads to the best possible outcome for our souls and has an effect in every dimension of our being in the world.
Elder Shawn Bergen fills in for Pastor Jay today by walking us through Isaiah chapter 6, in which we find a number of revelations about the glory of God.
As we continue to examine our principles moving forward into the new year, we are confronted with the stark reality of who we are in Christ and what it means to live in response to that understanding.
As we continue to move forward into the new year, we need to stay grounded in the basic assumptions of our faith; so that we may pursue a greater connection to Christ and further continue His purpose in our lives.
In a world of ever increasing uncertainty, we should remain focused on the mission and call of God's spirit moving forward.
As we begin the new year and look towards resolutions of improvement, it's wise to reconsider our goals in light of the cross and have a view toward the eternal goals that God is calling us all to achieve.
As we look to the new year, it's important to remember the character and promises of God while we also having the wisdom to temper our own expectations.
In looking at the Christmas story a little closer, we can see some interesting parallels in feeling like the world might end and in finding the promised Savior.
In a world of constant foreboding, there is the response of faith and the hope of a solution that we have in Jesus.
As we continue to analyze the constantly crumbling nature of the world all around us through the context of scripture, we find that the answer to all of our distress has already been given.
When our world caves in and all seems hopeless, we can turn to scripture to deal with questions of God's sovereignty and to find the appropriate response to our calamity.
Taking counsel in the words of Jesus, we find reasons not to be afraid, even in a world that feels like it will soon come to an end.
Looking at Philippians 4:4-9, we see what it means to stay grateful for all that God has done in a world that seems to be falling apart.
Drawing from 1 Thessalonians and Zephaniah, we see reasons to find encouragement in a world that seems like it may be going through the 'end times' as prophesied in Revelation.
Pastor Matt starts off a new series on how to deal with the world in its current state of ever increasing confusion and chaos.
As we finish our study in Colossians, we see a picture of the early church that illustrates a selfless, healthy, growing community that was also fragile and in need of care.
In continuing to examine the last part of Colossians, we see unique illustrations of what it means to work together with other believers in terms of conflict and differences.
In Part 1 of our mini-series on the last segment in Colossians, we find many different life principles exemplified in the interactions of early believers.
From this passage in Colossians, we learn the importance of walking in wisdom, as we carefully consider our words; using them as a testimony of God's goodness and as a means to advance His Kingdom.
In this update from the President of Hopegivers International, we focus in on how the finger of God can be tranced throughout scripture (from creation and calamity to cleansing and renewal).
Though we may face hardships in life, we can take refuge in the fulfilled word of salvation.
Keeping ourselves constantly grounded in Christ through prayer is the only way to endure life's hardships.
As we continue to look at this passage from Colossians regarding Christian households, we find that there is the potential to get caught in sin when submitting to others in love; and so wisdom and discernment are necessary in grey areas of service to others.
In continuing to discuss Paul’s instructions to Christian households, we learn how we should love and serve others as a natural reaction to the changes brought about in us through the experience of God's grace.