Cliff Terrace Church: Recent Episodes
Cliff Terrace Church
Let me encourage you to finish reading chapter 9. I want to skip down to chapter 10 and look at a story that is very important to all of us Gentiles. As we study the gospel message of Jesus Christ, it is important that we understand that this message is for all people. The story of Cornelius is a very…
This morning I want to remind you that the most important connection that you will ever make is the connection you will make with Jesus Christ. Today I want to show you a conversion that would change the course of Christianity forever. This conversion is about a man who we first became aware of when…
Imagine a large, ancient oak tree. It has stood in the same place for hundreds of years, weathering countless storms. The tree’s roots run deep, anchoring it firmly in the ground. One day, a powerful storm comes, with fierce winds and pounding rain. Other trees in the forest bend and sway, some even…
This morning I’m not going to read all of chapter 5 for you. I want you to go home and read chapter 5. However, I do want to briefly look at the first story about two people named Ananias and Sapphira. Some people get confused about this story. They wonder why they were struck dead on the spot. I want…
Has anyone here been to the Symphony before? Imagine a symphony orchestra preparing to perform a grand piece of music. Each musician plays a different instrument—some play the violin, others the trumpet, flute, trombone, or whatever. Each instrument on its own can sound beautiful, but it cannot capture…
Lamp Illustration: How many of you like my lamp? It is a nice lamp. When I look at this lamb, in my mind I see something that will shine bright for me to see. It will illuminate everything around me. (Try to turn lamp on) Nothing happens. The bulb is here, the wiring is fine, everything seems to be in…
The next two Sundays we are going to look at two messages that Peter preached. One message takes place right after the upper room experience. We will look at that one in a second. The second message took place a few days later after Peter and John ministered to the beggar at gate beautiful. Both messages…
Before we get to our text this morning, I want to give you a brief introduction into the book of Acts. The book of Acts is the second book written by Luke. It is written to the same person that He wrote the book of Luke to, Theophilus. We just finished the Gospel of Luke that gave us a beautiful look…
Last week when we left off we had looked at the death of Jesus. The followers of Jesus felt like it was over. They laid His body in the tomb. They saw the stone rolled in front of the tomb. There were guards placed in front of the tomb. They felt like it was completed and their wonderful master had died.…
Many years ago a man named Siddhartha, left the palace that he grew up in in order to see the world. When he left the palace, he didn’t like what he saw. He saw a world that was full of poverty. He saw a world where people were hurting. He decided that he wanted to end suffering. The first place that…
We have three weeks left of our series in the book of Luke. I want to remind you that we will be moving right into the book of Acts when we finish Luke. Acts was the second letter that Luke wrote to Theophilus. In Acts we will look at the church and how it began. But for now, we are towards the end of…
Today is our 24th week to be in the book of Luke. Including today we have just 4 weeks left. Over the next four weeks, we are looking at the last fews days of Jesus’ time here on earth. There are many verses to cover and we won’t spend a lot of time on each one. I know for many of you, you probably know…
I want everyone to take a moment and think about the time that you asked Jesus to be your savior. Did you feel an emptiness in your life? Were you running from God when you finally submitted to Him? Or were you like me and you decided at a very young age that you wanted Jesus to be in your life? Think…
I love a good story. I don’t read much. Most of the items that I read is either non-fiction or some kind of news item. However, I love watching a movies. There is something about a good story. I love it when a story takes us on an adventure. I also like a good story that teaches us something meaningful.…
Today we are continuing a series that we began in January. We are taking the long journey through the book of Luke. This is one of the Gospel accounts written by the physician Luke. The Gospel of Luke is written to the Gentiles. A Gentile is anyone that is not jewish. When we get to the book of Acts,…
Have you ever thought about what you would do if you only had one year to live? What would you do to finish up your life? Would you spend it making lots of money? Would you spend reaching out to family members that you have never met? Would you spend it going places you’ve never been before? These are…
Have you ever lost something of value to you? Have you ever lost something that was so important that you looked all over until you found this item? Today, we are moving right along in our series on the book of Luke. I am in chapter 15 and in this chapter Jesus gives us three parables of something that…
We are moving along in our series on the book of Luke. Today we are in chapter 14. Jesus is making his way towards Jerusalem. He knows that it is getting closer to the time that He must fulfill the purpose that He has come to earth for. Chapter 14 is a common scene that have been noticing throughout…
Two weeks ago, we left off where Jesus was addressing the crowd and His disciples. In the final verses of that weeks sermon, Jesus told a parable about a servant being ready for when the Master comes. This week, we finish up chapter 12. Jesus transitions us to another thought along this line. Look at…
Today, since it is Mother’s Day, I wanted to take a day away from our normal text in Luke and I want to make a tribute sermon to mothers. A 15 year old son comes how from school and he notices that his mom is laying down, he asks, “Are you okay?” She said, “I’m feeling a little sick.” The son thought…
If I were to ask you what the opposite of light was you would say darkness, right? Some of you probably think about this and some of you probably don’t. Some of you only think of the natural world that we live in. How many of you think about the supernatural world? First of all, the supernatural world…
Today, we begin Luke chapter 11. Do you remember the first time that you wanted to learn how to pray? For me it was probably early on in middle school or junior high. I was in my youth group and I felt this deep urge to want to know how to grow in my relationship with God. I knew in order to grow with…
Today we are continuing Luke Gospel in chapter 10. This is our 13th week in the book of Luke. I hope you have received something from Luke’s Gospel. Maybe you have noticed that Luke is a very thorough guy when writing his Gospel account of Jesus. I have said this many times in this series. Luke records…
For the past several weeks, we have been reading where everywhere Jesus goes, people have been asking the question, who is this man Jesus? When He calmed the storms, who is this man that even the winds and waves obey Him. When He cast the demons out, who is this man that even the spirits listen to Him…
Today is a special Sunday, because it is Easter. Why do we celebrate Easter? Because we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. If you look all throughout Paul’s teachings, he is always quick to point out the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is why we celebrate Easter. We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus…
Last week we ended with the first three verses of Luke 8 . If you missed last week, be sure and go back and catch up with this series. I believe it was a powerful message last week that you need to get a hold of. Today, I want you to know that Jesus wants us to receive. Jesus has so many truths that…
My prayer this morning is that you will figure out how to make some time with Jesus. Find a time and place and learn to get alone with the trinity. That is what we are going to talk about today is getting alone with Jesus. If you have your Bibles, go with me to the book of Luke. I am in chapter 7. We…
A couple of weeks ago, we left off with Jesus naming His disciples. If you remember, I said it reminding me of a pick up basketball game where you would pick teams, except Jesus picked 12 to be on His team. There were still more that followed Him, but He chose 12 to be in His inner circle and then He…
How many of you had the page of MVP’s on the back pages of your high school yearbook? You know the one’s that said, “Most Likely to Succeed.” Or, “Most Athletic.” How about “Cutest Couple?” I never made any of those pages. I don’t even think I made the top 10. Here in a little bit we are going to name…
Last week we ended at verse 29 of Luke chapter 4. Today I want to go back to verse 16 for just a moment. How many of you understand that punctuation is important in the English language? It is important to know when to use and not to use the common and a period. For instance, if I was to say, “Let’s…
Today we continue our series in Luke chapter 4. Let me remind you that Jesus has just been baptized. The Holy Spirit has ascended on Him like a dove and God has spoken from Heaven. Jesus leaves the baptism and goes off into the desert where our text today picks up in chapter 4. So, if you have your Bibles…
Today, we begin week 4 of our series that is taking us through Luke’s writing in both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. So far we have gone through chapters 1 and 2. If you have not been doing so, please read through the books of Luke and Acts with us. These messages on Sunday morning will mean…
This evening I want to give you a brief word from God about the church. As I was studying I came across a word found in Ephesians 3 different times. The word is fullness. The Greek word for Fullness is pleroma. It means that which is or has been filled. So, let’s look at each of the instances where this…
Have you ever received exciting news but you couldn’t tell no one? I hate it when someone comes up to me and says, “I’m going to tell you something but you can tell no one.” I’m not talking about pertaining to my job. As a Pastor people tell me stuff all the time that I can’t tell anyone about. I keep…
Today and for the next several months we are going to be studying in depth the books of Luke and Acts. As you read these books you will notice that it is one continuous story divided into two books written by the same author, a physician named Luke. But before I get started in Luke, I want you to go…
Tomorrow, we begin a new year, 2024. Do any of you think about what a number means. Numbers are important to God. Numbers are so important that He wrote a book about numbers called Numbers. It is the fourth book in the Bible. Today I want to give you a look into what the number 24 means. First, all of…
Let me begin this morning by saying Merry Christmas to everyone that is here. We have finally made it. This entire year ends with a celebration of the one that came to bring hope, love, joy and peace to our earth. He came here to save us. Jesus is truly at the heart of Christmas. If you have your bibles…
We are one week away from Christmas. Over the last few weeks we have been looking at what is at the heart of Christmas. We have talked about hope, peace, and joy. Each of these has a place at Christmas time, but one thing that many of us would think about at Christmas time is love. Love is truly at the…
One of the most beloved Christmas songs of all time is Joy to the World. Did you know that this song was written not as a Christmas tune but it is a song about Christ’s second coming? It was never intended to be sung at Christmas time. However, I thing it to be a fitting tune at Christmas time. It is…
I’ve told this story before. I like it so much that I wanted to tell it again. On Christmas Eve night 1914 something amazing happened. Something that still has the world scratching its head. It was at the beginning of WWI and there was a fierce battle going on in Belgium between the French and the English…
Today we begin a new series called The Heart of Christmas. Over the next few weeks and concluding on Christmas Eve, we want to look at what is exactly at the heart of Christmas. Today, I want you to know that hope is at the heart of Christmas. Let me take a moment and show you what I mean. I remember…
Today we are concluding our series on the seven churches that are featured in Revelation. Before we look at the entire passage, I want to look at how Jesus greets this church. If you notice Jesus greets each church by describing Himself to them. This one is no different. Look at Revelation 3:14 14 “To…
Over the last few weeks, people have talked about the end times more than in the weeks prior. I have preached about the end in the last few years more than I have in the years prior. I believe that Christ is returning soon. It is so important that we get ready. In our text today, Jesus tells the church…
This is the first Sunday in November. Early this morning we all set our clocks back. We had our first true frost of the year this past week. Everything that was alive is dead. Have you ever seen something that looks alive but it is completely dead on the inside. I have seen trees that on the outside…
I hope everyone has been enjoying this series the last few weeks. Today marks the half way point of this series. We are on the fourth church. If you look at a map of where these three churches were located and where Patmos was located, where John wrote these letters from Jesus. They just kind of make…
I hope you have been enjoying this series on the seven churches. We are moving right along. Today we are on church number 3 mentioned in chapter 2 beginning at verse 12. If you have your Bible go with me to Revelation chapter 2. Let’s see what Jesus wrote to the church at Pergamum. 12 “To the angel of…
Thank you for joining us today. We began a series last week on the seven churches that Jesus writes to in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. Today our focus is on the second church. If you have your bibles go to the book of Revelation, chapter 2. I will begin at verse 8. As an American church and as American…
How many of you remember what it was like the first time you fell in love with your spouse? Maybe you remember the butterflies you had. Maybe you remember the moment it clicked for you. You remember the feelings you had and you knew that you did not want to spend the rest of your life without that person.…
This is our final week of the series Jesus is Greater. I hope that I have shown you areas of your life where Jesus is greater. Today we want to continue with this thought. I want to look at your relationships. All of us have relationships. The people that are in our life and important to us. We don’t…
Have you ever asked yourself the question, why are we here? Why are we here on this earth? Why are we living in Fort Smith, AR in the year 2023? Have you ever thought about what the purpose of life was? Today I hope that I can give you an answer to this question. This week, I’ve had to do some soul searching.…
Today, we are continuing our series called Jesus is Greater. Does anyone know what an idol is? When we think of idols we think of small statues that people worship. The truth is an idol can be anything that people place above their relationship with God. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. This…
Today we continue a series that we started last week called Jesus is Greater. I want to look at the thought today, Jesus is Greater than your sin. We are continuing throughout this series in the book of Colossians. Let me encourage you for these next few weeks to study the book of Colossians while we…
Today we begin a new series called Jesus is Greater. I begin a new semester of school a couple of weeks ago. Last semester I received my associate degree and that was so easy, I decided to go ahead and finish up my bachelors degree in Church Ministries. One of my classes this semester is having us do…
Today, we are finishing up this series called Family Matters. I have said this for the past few weeks now, but family is the greatest gift, other than salvation, that God has given us. I hope you have learned something from this series. Today, I want to conclude this series by talking about leaving a…
Last week we began a series called Family Matters. Family is one of the greatest gifts that God has given to us. It is something that we shouldn’t take lightly. We need to love and cherish our family. Today we want to look at family conflict. How many here likes dealing with conflict? Anyone. None of…
Since television sitcom series began, we have been watching shows about families. The very first sitcom to air on television was a show called Mary Kay and Johnny. It starred a real life married couple. Since then we have watched many television families for many years. From the Huxtables to the Seavers,…
As we close this series today on the Beatitudes, let me begin by saying this. People who follow Christ and live according to the principles of God’s Word will face opposition and rejection. There are people in this world that do not like Christians and do not like what we believe and what we stand for.…
I believe I have talked about playing this game before. When I was a kid we use to play this game called mercy. We would always play this game after church on Wednesday nights, while we were waiting in line at school, or when we were bored. But you would lock hands with another person and you would then…
There are two ways that we can mourn. We mourn over something or someone that has passed. This is the most common way that we think of when it comes to mourning. All of us have probably lost a loved one in our life. Maybe it was a grandparent, a parent, a spouse, a child or some other type of friend…
Today we begin a series on the Beatitudes. I know I have done series in the past on this subject, but this one will be different. This is an 8 week series. Of the 8 weeks, I will do four of those. I have asked two of our own to help me with this series. Pastor Bill will do two of these and David Cox…
Today we are concluding our series on the Book of James. If you have not read James, go back and read this short book. There are only 5 chapters. It won’t take you long to read it. If you don’t like to read, find it in some kind of audio device and listen to it. Over the last few weeks we have learned…
Again, let me reiterate how important it is for you to be reading the book of James along with us as I am teaching this series. If you have already read it through, all five chapters, read it again. It will only help you to understand what I am saying to you each week. This week is a biggie. We are going…
I hope that you have been engaged in reading the book of James. My hope is that you read this book as I am teaching from it. I believe that you will get a better understanding of what James is trying to teach us. This is our third week in this series. Today we move to chapter 2. If you have ever attended…
Tell me if you have ever been a part of this scenario. You are in the same room as your child. You are in your chair and they are on the couch. And trash day is tomorrow. It is this child’s job to take out the trash. So you tell them, “Hey, go take out the trash. I need you to go do it now, please. Don’t…
Today we begin a new series on the book of James. If you haven’t already, let me encourage you to begin reading the book of James. This is a five week study and by the time we are through you should have an overall view of the book of James and what the book means. The book of James is believed to be…
Let me ask you a question. Have you ever been gripped by terror? You know the feeling—a shiver down your spine … the hair standing up on the back of your neck … your stomach sinking … your mouth dry. Maybe you were a crime victim—or afraid you might be. Did you know that in today’s crazy society the…
How many of you are ready to get rid of more baggage this morning? Let me ask you a question. Do you know anyone that seems to have a hard letting go of the past? Maybe someone that keeps reliving their glory days in high school. Kind of like Uncle Rico in the movie Napoleon Dynamite. Take a look at…
How many of you like to go on trips? Do you like to travel around the country? Or do you like to go to the same place every year? I know some people that they plan an annual trip to the beach every summer. They may go to a different beach every year, but they will go to that same area. What is one thing…
Today we conclude this series on Matthew. I hope that I have given you a view of Jesus from Matthew’s perspective. I have tried to cover as much of the book that I could in these 14 weeks. I hope that you have taken just a piece of what Matthew wrote and begin applying it to your life. Today is no different.…
Since the beginning of this year. We have looked at the book of Matthew. We began with the genealogy of Jesus and these next two weeks we are looking at the ending of the life that Jesus spent here on earth. Next Sunday is Easter and we will look at the Resurrection and what Jesus said to us as He was…
Before we begin, I want to make sure that everyone has received a cup of juice and wafer. In our text today we are going to look at the last meal that Jesus would have with His disciples before His death. Have you ever thought about what you would want as your last meal here on earth. If you had a choice…
We have four weeks left to wrap up our series on Matthew. This is week 11. I know I am skipping quite a bit but I want to finish this series up on Easter. Today, I’m going to look at the great commandment. Next week we will look at the Lord’s Supper. We will also partake in communion next week. Then…
I want you to think about confession for a moment. What is confession exactly? It is an admission, especially of guilt or sin. Confession is also a statement of religious belief. When you confess it means that you either agree or promise or you admit to something. When you look in the bible there are…
This is our 8th week in the book of Matthew. Let me encourage you. If you have missed any of these messages, be sure and go back and listen to these messages. They will help you as you are reading through Matthew. Last week we looked at one of the points Jesus made in the sermon on the mount. In chapters…
Can you believe that Easter is less than two months away? It will be here before you know it. When I was a kid I loved Easter Egg Hunts. We would go over to my grandparents house and my cousins and myself and my sister would hunt eggs all afternoon. It would start out with the parents hiding eggs and…
This is week five of our sermon series on the Book of Matthew. We are moving right along. I told you last week we will do a series on the beatitudes this summer. We will completely unwrap each of those and their meanings. So, for today, I want to move to the next section. Many of you have heard many…
We are in week four of our series that is on the Book of Matthew. We are still in the beginning stages of Jesus ministry. Last week we looked at the temptation of Jesus. Today, I want to look at the mission of Jesus. I believe He has a three fold mission on what He came to do. I believe we see a glimpse…
Last week we began a series on the Book of Matthew. My message pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. It is important that we understand Jesus as being the Messiah. Today we will be reading Matthew chapter 3. This is what starts the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. About 20 years have past since we last heard…
Do you remember the song we use to sing when we were kids? This Little Light of Mine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine let it shine let it shine. Won’t let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine. Gonna let it shine till Jesus comes, I’m gonna let it sine. Let it shine…
This is the fourth and final sermon of our Ugly Christmas Sweater Series. For the past few weeks we have looked at the ugliness that can take place during the holidays. Today I want to look at the ugly actions. During all seasons we have to be mindful of our actions, but Christmas is a season when we…
This is week three of our Ugly Christmas Sweater series. We will end this series next Sunday, Christmas Sunday and then on New Years Day we will have a Candle light and Communion Service. We have looked at Ugly Thoughts and Ugly Words. Today we want to look at Ugly Motives. I remember several years ago,…
Last week I begin a series called Ugly Christmas Sweater. We are looking at the some of the ugly things that happen this time of year. Last week we looked at our ugly thoughts. It is in the mind where thoughts begin and sometimes those thoughts can lead to action and motives and today’s topic, ugly words.…
Let me begin by starting this Christmas season here at Cliff Terrace by wishing all of you a Merry Christmas! I hope you have your ugly Christmas Sweater on and I hope you are ready to share in a meal with all of us after service. We are kicking off this Christmas season by celebrating the birth of our…
Today, we conclude this series on money. We have taken the time each week to look at what the bible says about earning money, saving money, spending money and today we want to look at giving money. First, I want you to understand. I am not preaching this sermon because I need your money. I am also not…
There was a word that came into our everyday vocabulary a few years back. Some of you may know it and some of may have used it. That word is hoarding. If you look it up online at the Webster’s Dictionary web page you will get 3 definitions. I want to read to you two of them. The first one says... Hoarding…
Today we are starting a new series called “Money Talks”. When you think of that phrase, “Money Talks,” you think about people that have lots of money can use money to get what they want. We live in a world where they tell you that those you have money can do what they want. If you want something you…
Today we are concluding this series called Bridge Builders. This is our fourth week talking about forgiveness and unity. We talked about needing blueprints and tools to complete the bridge. Last week we talked about there are times that we need to rebuild, start all over, mistakes are made. And today…
So far during this series we have looked at that it takes a good set of blueprints to build a great bridge and it takes the right tools. And today the next step in the process is sometimes it takes rebuilding. Sometimes in order to bridge the gap and mend relationships you have to start a rebuilding…
Last week we started a series called bridge builders. We learned that it takes the right blueprints to build a bridge and that bridge be successful. Today we want to look at the next process and that is having the right tools for the project. During the American Revolution, a man in civilian clothes…
Today we are starting a new series called Bridge Builders. When you think of a bridge builder you think of someone that designed a structure to allow people access from one point to another. Usually bridges are used to drive a car from one point to another. One of the most famous bridges in the United…
Today we are finishing up a series that we began a few weeks ago called Following Jesus. We’ve talked about spending time with the one that wants to spend time with us, Jesus. We’ve talked about getting into God’s Word and studying it, knowing what He says to us. Last week I talked about how community…
How many of you like to be a part of something? I believe that most people like to be a part of a group. Whether it is a social group or religious group or an online community, we do better as people when we are a part of a group. We like being with people that have the same interests that we do. When…
How many of you remember writing those notes in elementary school to the person that you had a crush on? They would say something like: “I like you. Do you like me?” and then they would have two boxes, one for yes and one for no. You would hand that person the note and then you would hope so bad that…
Have you ever noticed how distance changes our perspective of something? Think about it. You see someone waving in the distance and they seem to be waving right at you. But when you begin to look around you realize they are waving at the person behind you. And many times, as they are moving closer to…
I like to preach in series. I feel like we can stay on a particular topic for several weeks. Last week we just finished a series on Prayer. Next week we will begin a series on Following Jesus. But, I also like to have a single sermon placed in amongst series so that I can give you a lesson that is not…
Do any of you ever wonder if God is paying attention to you when you pray? A 5-year-old said grace at family dinner one night. “Dear God, thank you for these pancakes.” When he finished his prayer, his parents looked curiously at him and asked him why he thanked God for pancakes when they were having…
This morning we are continuing our series called Prayer that Works. I hope you have been using your prayer journals these past couple of weeks. I am agreeing with you to receive the answers that God wants to give you. Today we want to look at the topic of persuasive prayer. If you have your Bibles go…
Last week we began a series called Prayer that Works. We looked Elijah’s prayer and how we can pray like a righteous man. Today we are going to look at the prayer of Daniel. How many of you pray a prayer and then you feel like giving up? Supposedly this is a true story. There was a Welsh Woman who lived…
Today we begin a new series on Prayer called Prayer that Works. For the next several weeks we are going to look at different people that prayed in the Bible and look at the results they had. I would guess that probably all of us have struggled with prayer at one time or another. I can see it now, you…
For the past several months this year, God has been dealing with me on the discipleship that is in place for this church. Sure we have different opportunities for you to grow in your relationship with the Lord but I still believe that there are things missing that we need to put in place. About three…
We have been in this series for 4 weeks now. One thing that I believe I have made perfectly clear is what is know as the Principle of the Path. That is... Your Direction Determines Your Destination What gets your attention determines your destination, and ultimately, our destination. Or here is a shorter…
How many of you have been traveling on a vacation or just a random trip and you got lost and you did not know where you were at? Back before GPS and before kids, Kelly and I were moving back to Fort Smith. All we had was a road atlas that our insurance agent gave us. We had stopped in Atlanta to stay…
Before I begin today, I want each of us to go to Philippians 4:8 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. When you are traveling…
Last week we began a series called The Path. All of us are headed on a path in life. The direction you are headed in always determines your destination. If you are headed north, eventually you will get to Canada. You may have all the intentions in the world to go to the Beach on the Pacific or the Atlantic…
Some of you are making plans or you have already made plans on where you will go on vacation this Summer. Many, if not all of you, will get in a car and you will drive. You will put your destination in your google maps or apple maps and you will drive to that destination and enjoy however long your vacation…
Video - San Andreas Official Movie Trailer #2 The United States has seen its fair share of earthquakes over the years. The earliest one recorded was in 1886 in Charleston, South Carolina. It was a magnitude 7.7 earthquake. 60 people lost their life from this earthquake. The largest earthquake measured…
Last week, we talked about being God’s Masterpiece. Just so we all understand this, turn to your neighbor and remind them that they are a masterpiece. Have you ever noticed that everyone tends to gravitate towards people who are like us? People who look like us. People who think like us. People who believe…
I don’t know if you have noticed the ones plastered all over the room and in the hallways and foyer. Our series starting today is called One. For the next three weeks we are going to look at how God has made us to be one body working together in community. Even though we are individuals we come together…
For the last few weeks we have been looking at the church and what makes a church. The church does not exist without the Resurrection. The resurrection gives us hope. Every step that we take on this spiritual journey should move us to another level. Today, I am concluding this series called The Easter…
Some of you may remember the story. It happened in January of 2018. A state worker chose the wrong menu item for the state alert system and sent an alert to the entire island of Hawaii that said, “Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill.” For about a half…
If you were to walk around our city, you could go to areas that are building new homes and you would see concrete slabs. The rest of the house can’t go up until the foundation is laid. No walls can be built. No roof shingled. No plants planted. No windows installed. No walls painted. No memories made…
There are not too many crime dramas that I haven’t seen over the last 20 years. CSI, CSI Miami, NCIS, NCIS New Orleans, SVU, Criminal Minds and I could name others. They all look for one thing to make their case and that is the evidence. You have no chance of winning a case in court without the proper…
I hope for the last few weeks I have given you something to think about. You have been created by God for something significant. Today, I want to conclude this series by looking at the life to come. The last parable in these 3 chapters of Luke that we have been looking at for the last few weeks is a…
If I was to tell you that you only had five years left of your life, how would you live it? Everyone of us knows that we only have one life to live. How are we going to spend the time that we have here on earth? How are we going to invest our time? How are we going to invest our energy? The first three…
For the last few weeks we have been in a series talking about why God created you. You were created to do something wonderful for God. When He brought you into this world, He already had a plan for you. 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you…
Last week we began a new series called Created for Significance. I want to begin this week by telling you once again that you are significant in God’s Kingdom. You have a place in His kingdom. You have an important role to play. Today, I want to ask each of you a question. What’s really important to…
Today, we begin a new series called Created for Significance. Each of you are important for the Kingdom of God. Each of you have a ministry purpose. It is up to us to spend time in prayer to see what God is calling us to do. My message today is called What’s My Purpose? If you were to look up what the…
Do any of you like to see the upcoming movie trailers they play before the main attraction? For me they do two things. One, they give me more time to get in to the theater and get a good seat before the main attraction starts. And two, they give me a look at the new movies that are coming out that I…
The other morning my daughter and I was talking on the way to school about when she is called on at school by the teacher to answer a question that she doesn’t know the answer to. Don’t you hate it when you don’t know the answer to a question? I want to let you in on a secret this morning. In our Christian…
Last week we began a new series called Surprise the World. I challenged you to bless three people. Did you have good luck with this? Don’t Stop! Make it a point to bless three more people this week. Today I want to give you another way that you can live a life that will make people want to ask you questions…
Today is the last week of this series, “Hooked”. My prayer is that each week you have more of a desire to reach the lost than ever before. Our time on this earth is short and we need to do what we can to be disciple makers. God is wanting to use each of you to go into the world and that is what our text…
Last week we looked at the verse where Jesus likened the kingdom to a fishing net. There are all types of people in this net. And one day there is going to be a great separation where God will separate those that have followed Christ and those that haven’t. I told you that it is our job to participate…
If you have ever been fishing, you will definitely be able to relate to this series for the next few weeks. The series is called Hooked and we are going to talk about fishing but not about fishing for fish. I’m sure I will tell you some fish stories and we will talk about things related to fishing like,…
Play Video - “Whatever” This year is a new year and we need to focus on what can I do for God to change the world around me. How do I do that? How do I not let the past determine who I am going to be in Christ. If you have your Bibles, I want us to look at what the Apostle Paul told us. It is found in…
This morning I am giving you an end times timeline of everything that we have talked about for the last several weeks. This is what I have according to what I have read and researched. Again, since these things have not occured yet, it is hard to tell everything that will happen. We have to try and interpret…
Take a moment and think about your best days ever. You have probably had several in your lifetime. If you are married that is probably one. If you have had children that is probably one. And I would certainly believe that the day you asked Jesus to come into your heart is at the top. Last week we talked…
For the last several weeks we have been covering the End Times. We have talked about prophecies that have been fulfilled, we have look at events that have been foretold by the sun, moon, and stars, and last week we covered the rapture of the church. How many of you like to travel? You makes plans for…
I hope you have been able to follow along with what we have been talking about for the last couple of weeks. The main thing that you need to understand is that Jesus is coming soon. We do not know when but we do know it will be soon. We all have to be ready and we have to proclaim the good news of Jesus.…
Last week we started a series called Return of the King. Jesus told us in the final chapter of Revelation that he is coming soon. Let me go back over the highlights from last week real quick. We talked about 7 signs coming from the nation of Israel that signal that Jesus is preparing to return soon.…
Today, we begin a new series called, The Return of the King. When I say king, I am meaning King Jesus, the ultimate king. Before we get started, turn in your bibles to the very last chapter of the last book of the bible, Revelation chapter 22. Jesus speaks 3 times in this final chapter. 7 “Look, I am…
Today we are concluding our Fear Not series that we begin a few weeks ago. We have covered a lot of ground over a very short time, but I believe that if you will take to heart everything that I have told you then I believe that you will be able to walk on this journey and not fear. Today is no different.…
Today we begin week 3 of our series Fear Not. I want to give you 7 reasons not to worry. But before I do I want to show you this promo about our next series that starts November 7th. Take a look! Show Return of the King Social Promo. It is going to be good. We are going to get look at some prophesies…
Last week we began this series by talking about healthy and unhealthy fear. I hope that you are able to recognize the difference so that you can respond appropriately. Remember what Paul told us in 2 Timothy 1:7 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.…
Video - Jaws-official reissue trailer In the summer of 1975, people flocked to theaters to see the movie Jaws , but the movie had an adverse impact on beach attendance, with anecdotal reports that people were staying away from the water. The film was so effective by putting fear for sharks in the minds…
Jesus said in 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. So, if Jesus said that he came that we may have life and have it to the full, is it any wonder at all that God wants us to be happy. There is no wonder. Looking back at our…
Most of us have experienced what happens to motorists when one of those huge graders goes to work on a highway repair job. when the machine is operating on a busy road, traffic is halted and the cars lined up in opposite directions are allowed to proceed alternately. A veteran operator of one of those…
The Webster’s Dictionary says prayer is an address (as a petition) to God or a god in word or thought. Have you ever listened to little kids pray? Here are a few examples of what they sound like. Dear God: Please send a new baby for Mommy. The new baby you sent last week cries too much. Debbie, age 7…
If you have ever grown up in the church or you have attended church for any number of years, you have probably heard the word anointing or anointed. We sing songs about it and we teach about it, but do we fully understand it and what it means to us. Today, I am concluding the Power Shifts series. Power…
What do you think of when you hear the word Abundance? Here is my definition to fit my sermon for today. A supply that never runs out. J. Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China once said... “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.” J. Hudson Taylor, Missionary to China In the books…
This is supposedly a true story. It took place off the coast of Newfoundland with the Canadian authorities. The event was chronicled in the following transcript. Naval Ship: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision. Canadians: Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees…
I want to begin this morning by asking you a question. I want to get a mic and have a few of you give me your feed back. Raise you hand. What Is Love in Action? Why do we say “I love you?” “I love you” is an empty phrase without a demonstration of commitment and a willingness to sacrifice with some type…
Many of us have heard the phrase, “Attitude is everything.” And when it comes to us thinking about missions attitude is important. Today we want to look at Attitude. This is the first power shift that we will look at. The Apostle Paul wrote... 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.…
I want to begin today by asking you a simple question. Why are We on Planet Earth? Jesus gave us two foundational mandates to this question. They are both found in the book of Matthew. The first one is found in chapter 22 and the second one is found in chapter 28. I will read both of them to you and…
Today, we are concluding a series that we began several weeks ago called Collide. So far, we laid the foundation of standing firm in our faith when the world attempts to convince us of a different value system. Next, we talked about the importance of allowing God to transform our minds, and from there,…
Today is week 3 of our Collide series. The first week we laid the foundation for standing firm on the word of God, the only truth we can find in this world. Then last week, we talked about the first thing God desires out of our lives once we initially learn to stand firm in our faith, amidst the conflicting…
The last time I was with you I began a series called Collide. There are two worlds that exist today. One of Believers and the other of unbelievers. God is calling all believers to reach out to those that are unbelievers. These two worlds are colliding. In order for us to reach the unbelievers we must…
We live in a world where there are two forces. Those forces are Christians and unbelievers. We hear of Christians watering down their beliefs all the time. Denominations have been split because of questionable beliefs. Church’s have pulled out of denominations because of a change in beliefs. Since the…
For the past several weeks we have talked about Spiritual Warfare. And while it is important for us to face the reality of spiritual forces and the ways that we face spiritual opposition, it’s equally important to remember that ultimately God is victorious on our behalf. God is Victorious! You can walk…
Simple Answer for Resisting Temptation Today we are continuing our series called Reality. We have been talking about Spiritual Warfare. A big part of spiritual warfare is temptation and I have a simple solution for temptation. Watch this video! Play Video of Mad TV - Stop It! Of course if it was as easy…
One Enemy That is Truly Our Enemy Today we are starting a series where we will look at the supernatural realm. We live in the physical realm, but there is more going on than what we can actually see. In the spiritual realm, what we cannot see, is a whole other world. Paul talks about this realm in Ephesians…
Last week we talked about discipline, but the discipline is no good if we as parents don’t practice what we preach to our kids. Today, as we conclude this series, I want us to look at discipleship. The Best Discipleship is Modeled at Home. When we look at what the scriptures tell us we need to remember…