Peoples Church | Fresno, CA: Recent Episodes
Peoples Church | Fresno, CA
Welcome to the weekly podcast of Peoples Church led by Pastor Dale Oquist. Our mission is to help people see God and participate in His redemptive story. To learn more about Peoples Church, visit http://peopleschurch.org or download the Peoples Church App (pcfresno).
The purpose of this series must get us to see beyond the immediate and to get a grander view upon the kingdom of God. It is to get us to see the Comprehensive Reality of History. The comprehensive reality of history is breaking human existence. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” The kingdom comes through the church and comes through the commonwealth. The commonwealth is a governing system for all.
Pastor Dale discussed that just as animals have an instinct to flee in a predictable direction or to escape a tsunami hours before it occurs, so we as humans are wired to worship. It is not a question of “Do we worship?” but rather “Who (or what) do we worship?” He showed a video of a huge music concert, with people raising their hands and jumping up and down, and noted that we as Christians tend to subdue ourselves in church when we worship--instead, we need to be our natural selves before God in worship.
Pastor Dale taught us that worship is to be a transitive verb. A verb that requires a direct object. There’s only one direct object worthy of our worship, God. Without it, all of life will become unsatisfactory.
Today Pastor Dale talked about the story from John 9:1-34 about the man born blind. After the blind man was healed, the religious leaders criticized Jesus for healing him on the Sabbath. They were too wrapped up in their own legality and missed their opportunity to worship God.
Pastor Dale spoke about the Israelites being delivered by bondage in Exodus 25:1-8. God gave Moses direction for the Israelites for worship there were specified items needed for the offering a sacrifice in The Tabernacle. Exodus: 1-24 was the redemption of God’s people Exodus: 25-31 were instructions on how to worship Exodus: 35-40 was the response to worship
Pastor Brent talked about commitment, and how authentic commitment is critical to your relationship with The Lord. Many examples throughout the Bible show us what authentic commitment is, it also shows how our commitments and beliefs can change.
On Sunday, Dale continued our series called: Wired. We are being challenged to learn how to worship and how to utilize our unique abilities to worship with more clarity.
In his message, Dale described 3 different lives of worship: 1) a Life of No Worship of God – is the mirror of your life pointed at you or at God? 2) a Life of Erroneous Worship – since sin entered the world, we have worshipped things and people that were never meant to be worshipped 3) a Life of True Worship – it’s about the attitude of my heart
Life’s existence can often be like a long road trip; making you wonder, “When will we ever get there?” Always another step, always another level, and everyone around always ratcheting up expectations. Ample movement and no progress. And the question that begins to spring in your spirit, “Is any of this really going anywhere?” On Sunday, Dale shared the finale of our Seize Tomorrow series, “Faith for Tomorrow.” Faith for Tomorrow is dynamic and not static. While static faith just tries to maintain and hold on without getting swept away, dynamic faith is the faith that says, “I can’t stay here. I’ve got to move on. Give me that mountain!” May we be people who look out in the distance and see a journey with Jesus so incredible, we can’t stay where we are.
“Loving Culture” is one part of the Peoples Church mission. We love all cultures- our own as well as those that are different from our own. We call cross cultural ministry or missions. Why should we be involved in missions, in crossing cultural boundaries? On Sunday, Terry shared “Helping People See God.” He shared from The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). These are some of the final words Jesus gave us before he left earth. Jesus is not just giving us a suggestion or good advice; it is a command. Jesus’ message to us is very simple and very clear, “I’m going to be leaving soon. And, here is what I want you to do. Help (all) people see God and participate in his redemptive story.”
Sunday was 1 Big Day at Peoples Church! We held 1 big gathering in multiple venues on the PC campus. Dale shared a message, “I Have Decided (to be Baptized).” Baptism is a symbol and a public declaration that we have been united in faith with Christ. Everyone then joined together to cheer on the 100’s of people who were being baptized right after the gathering. It was truly 1 Big Day to celebrate and to be ignited and renewed in our faith!
On Sunday, we continued our “Seize Tomorrow” teachings from the book of Joshua. We have seen some inspiring characters along our journey; Rahab, Joshua...and now Caleb- who was one of the original 12 spies that Moses had sent into Canaan. The hero of our story asks for and is given the portion of land that had been promised him over four decades earlier (Deuteronomy 1:36). Our text shows us this fiery old man asking, demanding, reminding Joshua of the promise given to him 45 years earlier. Don’t ever count this guy out! Caleb declares to us all that, as long as we have breath, God is still working in us and through us!
It is easy when there is a lot of excitement and emotion to be engaged and energized about a job, project or faith. What about when things aren’t going that well? What about when opposition arises? How strong are we then? Doesn’t it take someone of special faith and remarkable character to press through to become a story for the history books? Maybe not. We are on the last few teachings from the book of Joshua. On Sunday, we focused on a character named Caleb. We don’t know a lot about him, but what we do know, we like because it is inspiring. From what we do know from the first 6 books of the Bible, there is nothing in his background that makes him a hero. Yet, his was a life upon which God had placed His purposes in unmistakable ways. And that is encouraging for all of us. We don’t have to be a celebrity or a hero to possess the tomorrows God has for us!
Since we are studying the book of Joshua, Dale used a mother from the story as the focus of his teaching on Mother’s Day. Rahab has long had a label attached to her life. Rahab the harlot, the Gentile, the Canaanite.... would eventually be part of the lineage of Messiah Jesus (Matthew 1:5). How do we break free from labels? How do we alter the external monikers that others have placed on our lives? Dale tracked the life of this world-changing mom to extract the truths that will help us break free from the labels that plague us.
“Learning from your own mistakes is smart. Learning from other’s mistakes is wise. Not learning from either is foolish.” Dale continued our series on the book of Joshua called Seize Tomorrow. In our quest to lay hold of our tomorrows, it would be wise for us to learn from other’s blunders. That was the big idea for Sunday’s teaching.
On Sunday, Brent continued the “Seize Tomorrow” series about having the faith to seize the tomorrows God has for us. He shared from Joshua chapter 8 when all of Israel assembled together at Shechem to renew their covenant with the Lord.
On Sunday, Dale continued the series called, “Seize Tomorrow!” It is all about laying hold of the tomorrows God has for us. It is about being on route to our future, not allowing intimidation to dominate us.
On Sunday, Rich Guerra shared with us from Luke 13 about what it means to be “A Church For The Community” - to see other people as God sees them; to go from being a container of God’s blessing to being a conduit of God’s blessing; to not just be a reservoir of His grace, but a river of grace; and to move beyond not just our own personal response to God’s love to now our responsibility to share God’s love.
Negative reports always seem to overwhelm any positive news. That is similar to the story we looked at in Joshua 7 as part of our Seize Tomorrow messages. Israel had just experienced a great victory over Jericho. Now, a little city was the next move – Ai. It was so insignificant that Israel did not bother to use all their military on them, only about 3000 men. And they got routed, losing 36 men in the process. What went wrong? There was sin in the camp. On Sunday, we learned some important lessons from this lone defeat in Israel’s quest to lay hold of their tomorrows. Remember: What you do today affects your tomorrows.
Life has many minutes, but only a few moments. It is the moments of life that are memorable. And the same can be said of history – yes, even God’s history with us. On Easter Sunday, Dale spoke to the key moments in all of history that have changed all other moments. Moments that benefited us in ways that are often unappreciated and even ignored. The moments when God and mankind intersected. May these be the moments we will never forget.
On Sunday we came to one of the great stories of scripture – Joshua and the city of Jericho. There are many lessons to be learned for our lives. One of the greatest is that obedience precedes blessing. Consecration precedes conquest. We want the blessings and victory in life, without having to pay the price for it. Joshua was a great general, and yet he bowed down to the Divine General to get instructions for the immoveable walls he was facing. Those instructions defied every level of logic; just by marching and shouting the walls will come down? The wall that Joshua faced was called Jericho. What about the walls that we face? How can that which seems hopeless and beyond our control have a turnaround? Dale shared a few practical (not necessarily logical) approaches to see the walls in our lives come down.
We are in a series on the book of Joshua called “Seize Tomorrow.” It is the narrative of the children of Israel, after wandering in the desert for 40 years, crossing the Jordan River to possess the Promised Land. Yet on Sunday, Dale took us back to the days of Moses and his strange encounter with a burning (but not burning) bush. On an ordinary day while Moses was 40 years into a boring job as shepherd, he saw a sight that would change ALL of his tomorrows. He saw a desert scrub bush in flames – yet not consumed. His curiosity and boredom caused him to check it out. What he did not expect was to hear the voice of God. In the pursuit to embrace the dreams God has for our lives, we may need to be encouraged by an event that will convince us that we are not alone. Moses experienced this, Joshua experienced this... now, quite possibly, it’s our turn.
Much about our study in Joshua is about “timing.” It seemed like the wrong time to cross the Jordan River because the River was a flood stage – yet God said NOW! In our study of Joshua 5 on Sunday, the people had just crossed the River and there was excitement. The Kings of their enemies were terrified of them and it seemed like the perfect time to attack and start taking the Land God had promised. But God said WAIT! There would be a most unusual time of preparation before they were to take Jericho. Not only would God require them to wait, he would require them to go through a process of consecration to him that should have been done all along. Not only would this require patience, it would require obedience. It is so easy for us to worry about God’s timing. We know what God wants us to do, and therefore believe that NOW is the time to do it. Maybe not. When we have to wait we can easily grow impatient. We lose joy and peace when we grow impatient with God because we are not trusting him. One of Dale’s main thoughts on Sunday, was the recurring idea throughout scripture, “Obedience is the highest form of worship.” May we trust God enough to be patiently obedient!
Our most radical Christianity should never be in our past. You can’t go with God and stay where you are. It takes initiative to step into divine opportunities. If we will throw our carnal cautions to the wind what could God do? On Sunday, guest speaker, Sean Smith shared this inspiring message from 1 Samuel 14.
On Sunday, as a follow-up to BSAC, Dale began a new series today called, “Seize Tomorrow!” It is all about laying hold of the tomorrows God has for us. It is about being on route to our future, not allowing intimidation to dominate us. It is about seizing tomorrow through faith! We started in Joshua chapter 3 where Israel is about to cross the Jordan. Israel had confidence to cross the Jordan River, until they SAW the Jordan River. It was not what they expected. They expected a creek and got a raging, mile-wide river. What do we actually DO when our faith calls for ACTION? What do we do when what we see with our eyes and feel in our heart makes us want to shrink back into “the way things already are?”
Sunday was VISION SUNDAY at Peoples Church. Pastor Dale continued our BSAC (Be Strong and Courageous) series of messages and gave us a vivid picture of the vision that lies ahead of us for 2016 and beyond. As Joshua faced the future, he had to be wondering if God would show up for him as he did for Moses; “How will this be accomplished?” What Joshua did not know of were the miracles that were just beyond the horizon. Joshua needed the words, “BSAC” to be able to move forward in faith and obedience; the same words God is speaking to us today.
On Sunday, Terry continued our month long BSAC (Be Strong and Courageous) series of messages. He used passages from the Book of Numbers to give us some practical lessons from the life and leadership of Joshua. At the people’s request, the Lord had Moses send a representative from the 12 tribes of Israel to spy out Canaan. After exploring the land, the spies brought back a mixed report; 10 gave a negative report while just 2 (Joshua and Caleb) were positive.
We are in our fourth week of BSAC (Be Strong and Courageous) series of messages. The Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land. They will see a 600 year-old promise fulfilled. God has been preparing this generation to take possession of the land and begin a new chapter in Israel’s history. Yet, it will not be easy. It will take strength and courage to lay hold of the promise, the patterns that God has set for them, and lay hold of God himself. Everything that has happened up to this point in time has been orchestrated by God for this moment. The same is true for you. God has placed a specific purpose and plan on you for this season of your life. When we step out toward that purpose God works miracles on our behalf because that plan is guaranteed and secure in the Lord. It’s time to step in the Jordan!
We are in our third week of BSAC (Be Strong and Courageous) series of messages. Four times in the first chapter of Joshua the phrase/command “Be strong and courageous” appears. The Israelites had every reason to be afraid as they were called to cross the Jordan River and possess the Promised Land. There was the danger of the crossing itself. But that did not compare to the fortified cities and the giant type people that awaited them on the other side. Regardless, the command was the same, BSAC. On Sunday, one of the questions Dale asked was: What is your Promised Land? What is the place of victory and blessing in your life? To get there will not be a matter of “trying” to do something. It will be a matter of our faith versus the fears that we face. We must Be Strong and Courageous so we can overcome fear, doubt and discouragement.
We continued our series called BSAC, which stands for the theme of Joshua chapter 1 – BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. Joshua 1:1-9 is not a call to military service, but a call to obedience. Typically, a military commander would be given tangible goals and objectives for how to fight the battle. Here, however, God does something different: He calls Joshua to obey, to trust His every command. God is not calling His people to do something in the power of their own strength. He is calling them to obedience and trust! If Joshua does what He is told, He will prosper!
We began a new series for the new year called BSAC, which stands for the theme of Joshua chapter 1 – BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. It is going to be an encouraging and challenging word for the year ahead. In light of the battles we face and the obstacles in our way, the call is to be strong and courageous. Dale is going to take 4 weeks to unpack all that means for us. When we are done with, our hope is that God will show you the ways to believe him for greater things than ever before.
On Sunday, Dave shared a New Year’s message, ReNew. He used a passage from Luke 5 and encouraged us to ReNew our commitments to Hope, to Joy, and to Grow in 2016 and beyond.
On Sunday, Brent continued our month long theme of “Hope is Alive.” He used passages from the prophet Isaiah that foretold the coming Hope, Jesus Christ.
On Sunday, Dale began our month long theme of “Hope is Alive.” He taught from Luke 2:1-7 which describes the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. And we learned about the key elements of this event – What does it matter that Jesus was born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago? What does it mean for people today? And then, how should we respond?
The more a person understands the grace of God the more giving and thankful they naturally become. There are numerous Biblical passages about this connection between grace and gratitude. This past weekend, Dale shared one of those passages. It is an obscure Old Testament story that shows how amazing God’s grace is – and the corresponding gratitude from an unlikely character.
On Sunday we continued our series on “The Church” from the book of Acts. We looked at a story in Acts that was a divine date with destiny. Dale spoke from the latter part of Acts 8 where Philip the evangelist encounters the Ethiopian official. This short conversation changed a life and changed all of history. The Ethiopian that Philip ran into that day in Acts 8 was not only the first non-Jewish convert to Christianity, but his conversion brought the Gospel to all of Africa. It all transpired because of a date with destiny on a lonely desert road in Israel.
On Sunday Dale paused his teaching on The Church to share some thoughts that have really encouraged him lately. He took us on a journey with Joshua of the Old Testament. We heard the words that Joshua heard numerous times; “Be strong and courageous.” Hear these encouraging words in a new and fresh way. Let them lead you to believe God for something that is completely beyond yourself and will require strength and courage from God. Let’s believe together.
When was the last time you used the word “FELLOWSHIP” in a conversation? It tends to be a word used exclusively in church circles. Dale continued his teaching on The Church on Sunday. He used Acts 2 as the template for who the church is and what the church is to be about. And a key term used to describe the critical activity of the church is FELLOWSHIP. Fellowship is a strong word. It has great implication. We will explored what that meant to the early church and then what it means to us today.
Sometimes we are so accustomed to using a word (like church, devotion, fellowship) in Christian circles that we lose the strength of their meaning. On Sunday, Dale began a series of teachings on THE CHURCH today. He taught from the second chapter of Acts. Acts is a history book. It chronicles the history of the church from its birth to the vast and explosive growth it witnessed spreading the Good News about Jesus. We began to answer: What is CHURCH? What does it look like to be a part of THE CHURCH? What does the Bible have to say about who the church is and what the church does? And, does that match our beliefs and actions?
On Sunday, we welcomed International Speaker, Mark Gungor of Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage. Mark shared with us the Be Attitudes of Marriage. His fun, comedic approach and use of unforgettable illustrations helped teach us principles that will strengthen and enhance our relationships and communication.
Think of the most productive three years of your life. A lot of accomplishments? World-wide fame? What about the entirety of all of our lives so far? Is there anything that would put us in history’s record books? For most of us, “No.” And that’s ok. Now, think of the three years that Jesus spent in his ministry. He was in an out-of-the-way region of the world, yet in those three short years he made an impact that altered all of history. That can be said of no one else. On Sunday, Dale concluded our thoughts on ReMastered: the Message of the Gospel in High Definition. The focus of his message was the impact Jesus has made on all of our lives, whether we follow Jesus, believe in Jesus or reject his claims. If you look rationally at history, there is no one who has influenced history like him. And he impacts the story of our lives as well.
On Sunday, we began Missions Week. We welcomed Ron Brown (Executive Director of Teen Challenge, SO CAL) and the Teen Challenge Choir. Teen Challenge is a discipleship ministry for men and women, teens to adults, who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. It was a true blessing to have them with us and to hear them share with us their powerful messages of God’s redemptive story. Through the Teen Challenge programs, Jesus Christ is transforming lives. Beyond My World: Pursuing Our Commission is our theme for Missions Week this year. It is a reminder for all of us that we need to get out of our comfort zones from time to time.
We continued our series called ReMastered: The Message in High-Definition. In Matthew 16 Jesus took his disciples up to an out-of-the-way place to ask them some key questions. The answers to these questions will determine their future when Jesus is gone. Peter answers the first question from Jesus correctly – sort of. He then proceeds to show how wrong he really was. Dale used these two questions as the basis for his teaching on Sunday and showed how Jesus cuts to the core of all issues by asking them.
We’ve all experienced looking so hard for something that it becomes hard to find, even in plain sight. We get this idea of where it might be and what it looks like where it might be – and when it isn’t there, our minds have a hard time “seeing” anything else. It is called a visual bias and it blinds us to anything other than what we think we should “see.” It is also easy to miss Jesus even when he is right in front of us. There were groups of people in Jesus’ day that were looking very diligently for the Messiah. Their bias as to what Messiah would look like blinded them from seeing Jesus, even though Jesus fit the exact description of Messiah. Even the disciples had a difficult time grasping all that Jesus was communicating with them. We continue our ReMastered series on Sunday – a series that shows the message of Jesus in high-definition. We explored both of the above scenarios- the religious mindsets of the Pharisees and Sadducees as well as the disciples’ mindset toward Jesus. We explored truth to keep us from missing Jesus so we can celebrate God’s presence among us.
On Sunday we continued our new teaching series from the New Testament called: Remastered: The Message in High Definition. The series will focus on the life of Jesus and how the New Testament brings into clarity what the Old Testament pointed toward – a view of Jesus. Dave shared a verse from Matthew 5 (The Sermon on the Mount) where Jesus teaches us to go an extra mile (go “above and beyond”) in our service to others.
On Sunday we began a new teaching series from the New Testament called: Remastered: The Message in High Definition. The series will focus on the life of Jesus and how the New Testament brings into clarity what the Old Testament pointed toward – a view of Jesus. Dale gave an overview of the Old Testament to show us how it has been broadcasting us a picture of Jesus that has only become clear through the New Testament. The focus of Sunday’s message was that the more clearly we see Jesus, the more clearly we see ourselves, and our need for him.
The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) is not an encouragement, suggestion or advice. It is a command. These are some of the final words Jesus gave us before he left earth. Jesus’ message is very simple and very clear, “I’m leaving. Now, here is what I want you to do.” And God calls us to a sense of urgency for this mission. On Sunday, Doug Lowenberg shared about his vision to transform Ethiopia (The African Horn) by making disciples of Jesus.
On Sunday, Dale shared the final installment of Agenda: A Study in the Prophets. We looked at the message Malachi had for the people of Israel. They had returned to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon. You would have thought they would approach their freedom with zeal for God and a passion to know him and make him known. That was not the case. They were utterly bored with God. And it would show up in every area of their lives. God had a loving word of warning for them through Malachi. Maybe their warning can help us today guard against any indifference we may have toward God.
Sometimes God wants us to do something that doesn’t fit into what we feel we know about God. God does strange things sometimes that we cannot put into categories; like Abraham being puzzled that God would want him to sacrifice his son Isaac after he had waited many decades for Isaac to be born. The story of Hosea – is one of those crazy – “I can’t believe God told him to do that” – type stories. Dale talked about this story in a very unique way. And, instead of reading about the story, Dale showed us the story of Hosea.
On Sunday, Kaci shared from John 15 that we are loved and chosen by God. The overwhelming desire to be liked and accepted is an all consuming, soul strangling and life stopping force. In a moment a switch flipped in the apostle John’s heart and mind when he realized that Jesus didn’t just like him, but that Jesus also outrageously loved him. And the moment we have this same realization, we will be empowered to do more for Jesus than we could do before.
The Guinness Book of World Records has awarded the title of “The World’s Oldest Game.” Any idea what that game is? The Blame Game. It feels very comforting to hold other people responsible for the problems and issues we face, but it is not productive at all. On Sunday, we continued our AGENDA SERIES: studying Old Testament prophets, we heard from the next spokesperson of God – Ezekiel. In Chapter 18, Ezekiel speaks directly to the issue of THE BLAME GAME. God doesn’t buy into the Israelites spiritual problems being blamed on a previous generation so He speaks through Ezekiel to make sure they know. The point that Pastor Dale challenged us with is the fact that each person is responsible for their own behavior. This is the key to living your life in grace and freedom.
On Sunday, we continued our series, AGENDA: A Study in the Prophets, with a look at Jeremiah. He spoke for God to a people who had to live with the very people who had defeated them and now hold them captive in a foreign land (God’s people in exile in Babylon). The instructions God gave through Jeremiah may not match the very way we approach living in our culture where people hold different values and views.
What we have learned from the Old Testament so far this year is that God’s people acted obedient and compliant at times. Yet at other times they were unruly and OUT OF CONTROL. The reason they were out of control was because sin got out of control and God had to do something about it. On Sunday, we continued in Isaiah with our series AGENDA: A Study in the Prophets. We already heard how God judges to restore relationship with those he loves. This week we heard Isaiah speak for God about a coming Savior and a new system to deal with this uncontrolled sin issue.
This week we began a new series of teaching from the Major Prophets entitled, “Agenda.” The Prophets, just like Press Secretaries to the President, spoke forth the agenda (the heart and the mind) of God for that moment, for that time, for that people. Through the Prophets, God makes judgments, but the purpose of his judgments is always restoration.
On Sunday, Dave used Isaiah 1 to show that God desires a connection with us that goes beyond just our outward (religious) observances. Following Jesus is a being aware, moment-by-moment, of His presence in our lives and allowing Him to infuse everything we think, say, and do.
We all face storms. It’s not if or when storms will come, but how will we respond to them when they do come? On Sunday, Brent used two different storm stories from the book of Mark to encourage us that Jesus is with us in the midst of our storm.
June 28, 2015 Gathering How do we face the perplexing questions and still keep our faith? How do we wrestle with the unfairness of life without losing hope in God?
Life maturity and spiritual growth begins when we deal with this unfairness. That is the very issue the writer of Psalm 73 wrestles with.
Dale continues our series with The Struggle for Answers. He used this Psalm to help us find God in the midst of life’s inequities.
This week we continued our study in the Psalms (The Struggle, The Search, The Psalms) in Psalm 23. Joni used this Psalm to help us know that we can trust God even in the middle of the “valley-times” of life.
We are continuing our study in the Psalms (The Struggle, The Search, The Psalms) in Psalm 71. We tend to sing or hum or whistle only when we are content or happy. But, the Psalms, this hymn book and prayer book of the Hebrew people, shows that songs are most powerful and uplifting when sung in the “dark night of the soul.” Think of the songs that came out of slavery and how music was a comfort for them in depressing times. On Sunday, Dale used the Psalms to show us why it is important to sing, especially when we don’t feel like it. That singing and expressing music in those moments can be an avenue to experience God’s presence that we would otherwise miss.
We began a new series of teachings today from the book of Psalms “The Struggle. The Search. The Psalms.” Many times the images and ideas we have of prayer don’t come close to the prayer life we currently have. The Psalmist understands our struggle with life and connecting to God, so we have the Psalms. The main idea of Psalms 1 has to with what or who influences your life. More central to the message of the first Psalm is that we have a choice as to what influences our life on a daily basis – the culture around us or the Word of God. Choose wisely!
Pastor Dale shares a message on baptism, "Going Public", as we have 1 Big Day at Peoples Church. One gathering in 4 different venues. Over 225 people were baptized following the gathering.
Pastor Dale shares the importance of giving God priority in our lives and placing him first in our finances.
The characters of the Book of Ruth know all about severe disappointment. Sunday’s teaching hit on those moments of life that seem unfair if not altogether cruel, and how God turns it all around. The story found in Ruth is one of the most beautiful short stories in all of literature. It has the tension of tragedy and the glory of restoration and redemption. This story is a small version of the biggest narrative of redemption through Jesus. Yet there are many, many lessons to glean from this short story.
Pastor Dale continued our “I love a good story” series today with the great and epic story of David and Goliath. This story is not so much about human courage and effort. It is more about the awesome power of a life built on bold faith in God. Based upon that, Goliath really had no chance, right? So, is this really an underdog story? Or, who is ultimately the underdog? David had a deep faith and deep confidence in God. He had sheep to take care of and God helped him do that, so God would help him take care of Israel! The giant we face is that which intimidates us to the point of keeping us from taking God at His word!
Pastor Dale continued our “I love a Good Story” series on Sunday with the story of Gideon. It is a story of grace and growing up. It is about trust in God. It is about learning what is means that “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). It is about knowing that even in the toughest times of our lives, God has not abandoned us, but is with us as much as when everything is going great.
Pastor Dan spoke on the topic of why do bad things happen to good people? His first answer was that he did not have all of the answers. Pastor Dan explored many examples of suffering in the bible and God’s role in the suffering. The theme he pointed out that is existent all through the bible is God is Good, God is Great, and innocent people sometimes suffer.
Bible teachers remind us that the Old Testament is the New Testament illustrated. For every truth of the New Testament, there is an Old Testament story that illustrates it. Last week on Easter we talked about the resurrection of Jesus. What Old Testament story illustrates the resurrection? It is the story we studied Sunday. By the end of the story, we will learn again that resurrection is a revival of hope and changes the story of our lives. We will be encouraged that Jesus is on the other side of all our stories.
Moses gets the Israelites prepared for those moments they will have in the Promised Land with some important instructions. Really, only one instruction – which is to remember God, is with them.
Moses was taking the people of Israel on a little road trip. It was intended to be an eleven-day journey but ended up lasting 40 years. This period of time in their history is called the “Wilderness Wandering.” It was a time of testing (Deuteronomy 8:2) to reveal the disposition of the people of God. It was a time of humbling for them to cure them of self-reliance. It was a time of teaching (Deuteronomy 8:3) making sure they were reminded that we need more than food to keep us alive and thriving.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “First World problems?” It is when we complain about something inconvenient in our comfort-saturated world. It is a “problem” the rest of the world doesn’t have. Likewise, the Israelites should have been content with how God was providing supernaturally for them, yet, they weren’t. (All started with Adam and Eve, I guess. They had EVERYTHING and weren’t satisfied.)
Dale continued his overview of the Old Testament, Sunday’s message was from Leviticus. If you have ever read it through, you deserve a medal. It explains how God deals with our sin. It seems barbaric, yet there are some powerful things to understand why God doesn’t just forgive us and let us off the hook. The word Atonement was a key word in the message. The idea of covering for or paying for someone’s debt is a powerful idea.
We all have heirlooms in our family. Items that are exceptionally precious to us. The way we feel about heirlooms is how God feels about us. Pastor Dale talked about the Ten Commandments and the years leading up to their creation. It may surprise you to find some of the observations he has when it comes to Chapters 19 and 20 as it relates to why we should keep the Commandments.
One of the universal struggles of life is dealing with injustice – particularly when it happens directly to us. Dale continued his study in the book of Genesis. He is teaching from Genesis 37-50 today, the story of Jacob and his son Joseph who had to deal with more than his share of injustices.
Do you remember the times in your life when you ran into some random person you happen to meet, and find out you are connected to that person in numerous ways. The phrase we use at that moment is… “It’s a small world.” We use it to express how connected the human race is despite the size of the planet and population growth. An individual unknowingly infected with Ebola in West Africa can fly to America and eventually instill fear in an entire nation. We are more connected than we think.