New King Church: Recent Episodes
Ben Presten
New King Church exists to help as many people as possible find and follow Jesus. We love seeing lives changed as people come to know who Jesus is, and what he has done for them. We are located in Burlington, Vermont. This is a channel of podcasts from our weekly Sunday sermons!
As we continue in our study of Hebrews the author concludes the chapter repeating multiple times this idea of a sacrifice. The verses this week will compare sacrifice in the Old Testament and the New Testament to make clear a few very important points: that our redemption is based on the superior sacrifice of Christ, in a superior holy place, offered with superior effectiveness, leading to a superior hope.
The author of Hebrews uses the word "eternal" three times in this passage: Eternal Redemption, Eternal Spirit, and Eternal Inheritance. This should catch our eye and make us wonder, "Does God have a message for us in this word repetition?"
The answer is a resounding “YES!” with extremely practical implications for living out our Christian lives today.
Have you ever felt guilt about something you did or maybe still experience guilt about something you did in the past? How do we remove that guilt? How do gain assurance of our relationship with God despite doubts that may remain? These questions are all answered our focus verses in Hebrews 9 where we will learn that Christ has won us forgiveness and purity by His death on the cross. Hebrews 9:1-14
The main message of this section is that the old Mosaic covenant is obsolete and that we live in the New Covenant, which is so much better. But here's the reality: for some reason, we as Christians, have a strong tendency to revert to the old covenant, back to the law. Why? Why do we do that if the New Covenant is so much better? How can we recognize this tendency and instead, live fully in the New Covenant? Hebrews 8:6-13
As we continue on in our study of Hebrews the author moves from the theme of Jesus’ superior priesthood to the theme of Jesus mediating a better covenant. This better covenant is founded on better promises, in a better holy place, and through a better sacrifice. As we see the truths of this passage, may we be encouraged to greater faithfulness. Hebrews 8:1-7
Have you ever felt hopeless? Have you ever felt distant from others or even God? The author of Hebrews addresses these questions as we continue in Hebrews 7:11-28. Here the author will remind us that because of Jesus we have a better hope that assures we are now able to draw near to God. Hebrews 7:11-28
After taking a break from talking about Jesus as our High Priest the author will return by introducing a mysterious figure named Melchizedek. Who is this person and why is he so important in Hebrews? Join us this Sunday as we see how Melchizedek points us to Jesus! Hebrews 7:1-10
Last week the author of Hebrews gave his readers some strong correction but began to transition towards encouraging them. This week we will see the continuation of that encouragement as we are reminded of the certainty and source of our hope. Join us this Sunday for some strong encouragement! Hebrews 6:13-20
As we continue our study in Hebrews we come this week to a difficult and challenging section. Here the author calls on his readers to proactive maturity. These verses will challenge us to ask how we respond in the midst of challenges. As we will see the truth of Jesus motivates us to pursue active growth in our lives! Hebrews 5:11-6:12
Have you ever wrestled with the reality that despite God being perfect, you are not? Do you struggle to understand God’s grace in light of your own frequent missteps? This Sunday we will address how God answers our doubts by reminding us that Jesus is our Eternal High Priest who has provided Eternal Salvation! Hebrews 5:1-10
This week we are continuing our study of Hebrews 4 where we will see a new theme being taught: Jesus the Great High Priest. This passage can be difficult because it talks about Jesus in a way that may feel foreign to us. To help us we will answer two questions: what does it mean that Jesus is our great high priest? And, how should we respond in light of this truth? Hebrews 4:14-16
The topic of Hebrews 4 is God's Rest. Given the chaos all around us today, we sure need some rest! But when we read the chapter, it seems quite confusing because God's Rest is described as past, present, and future. Which is it? And how does it apply to me? Come to New King this Sunday and together, we'll study God's Rest by answering four questions from this chapter: What is God's Rest? How do we get it? How do we lose it? How do we maintain it? (Hebrews 4:1-13)
This week we’ll continue in Hebrews as we wrap up chapter 3. We’ll see how we are called to hold fast to Jesus by listening to His voice and encouraging one another. We can’t wait to see you there! Hebrews 3:7-19
This week we will be studying a new theme in the book of Hebrews. In chapter 3 the author begins to tell his audience that Jesus is greater than Moses, for that reason they must remain steadfast to their heavenly calling and faith in Jesus. Hebrews 3:1-6
Have you ever found it difficult to trust Jesus with the things going on in your life? This week in Hebrews chapter 2 we will see the author give his readers several reasons to pursue perseverance because of who Jesus is. Hebrews 2:5-18
As we continue our study in Hebrews we have reached the first warning passage in the letter. Here the author takes time to encourage his audience to stay committed to the Gospel. While we study these verses we will also be asking ourselves how is it that we are being called to remain committed to the Gospel here in Vermont.
We are now into our second week in our sermon series on Hebrews. Having studied the introduction last Sunday we will now continue our study seeing how Jesus is presented as greater than God’s angels. Here we will see how Jesus is the Son of God whose reign has no end. We can’t wait to study Hebrews and see how God’s word guides us in our lives today!
This week we are beginning a new series in the book of Hebrews. Here we will see how Jesus is the ultimate and final expression of the complete nature of God. We will also see how the sufficiency of the work of Christ inspires us towards faithfulness in the midst of temptation and suffering. Hebrews 1:1-4
This past Sunday we finished our sermon series on the book of Exodus. It ended with the glory of God dwelling with His people despite their sin.This week we will look at the resurrection of Jesus and see how God not only dwells with His people but how He has dealt with their sin. (Luke 24)
This week we are wrapping up our study through Exodus. The book culminates with one of the most significant moments in history as the glory of God fills the tabernacle. Why is it so significant? What exactly is the glory of God? Come find out this Sunday!
As we come to the end of the book of Exodus we finally see what we have long hoped for, Israel’s faithful obedience to God. But what inspires this obedience? And how do they carry this out? We look forward to seeing you Sunday as we answer these questions and see how they inform our lives today!
After the past few weeks hearing about the character of God being gracious and merciful the time has come for the people to respond. But how will they respond to the Lord’s forgiveness? And what does this passage teach us about the kind of heart He desires us to have? We hope to see you Sunday as we study these questions! Exodus 35
We've seen in Exodus that things have gone terribly wrong for the people of Israel. They've broken the sacred covenant by making an idol and worshipping it. What will God do in the face of such failure? What about when WE fail? Come this week and see God's astonishing response in Exodus 34 and how it relates to us. God is the God of second chances and new beginnings! Thank God He is! Exodus 34
Have you ever had moments in your life where you thought God felt far away? Well that is what the people of Israel will experience in Exodus 33 this week. Here the Lord will withhold His presence from the people as a result of their sin. How will God be present with His people again? How can we know God is present with us? (Exodus 33)
The last several weeks we have seen how God is giving Moses important instructions in order that God can live with His people. This week the story continues with Israel committing terrible sin against God. As a result we will see the danger and consequence of sin as well as the need for a faithful mediator.
Have you ever wondered to yourself what God’s house would look like? Would He have furniture? Would there be food? Join us this Sunday as we explore how God’s presence dwelled with His people in Exodus—and how He dwells with us now! Exodus 25-31
We’ve been studying Exodus for the last few months and we’ve seen the institution of a covenant- the Mosaic Covenant, the Covenant of Law, or the Old Covenant as the writer of Hebrews calls it. Hebrews tells us that this Old Covenant was not faultless and that it’s now obsolete, replaced by the New Covenant. This week we'll look at the New Covenant and see what's so new about it.
Now that God has presented His covenant and Israel has confirmed it, we turn to God’s instruction for the tabernacle. In the midst of these specific guidelines is a significant theme in the Bible—God’s desire to dwell with His people. This Sunday we will study why this is important for the Israelites and how it points us to God’s ultimate plan. Exodus 25
This Sunday, as we continue our study of Exodus, we will get a special glimpse into several major themes of the Bible. These themes will help us answer important questions: What is God’s goal in the book of Exodus? How do God’s people reach that goal? And how do we reach that goal today? Exodus 24
Last Sunday, we studied God’s giving of the Ten Commandments to Israel so they might know Him and turn from their sin. This week, we will see how Israel’s relationship with God directly shapes how they treat one another. An important lesson emerges: right worship of God is demonstrated through just treatment of others. Exodus 20:22-23:33
This Sunday we will continue in our sermon series in Exodus studying how God invites Israel into relationship with Him through the giving of the Ten Commandments. As thunder, fire, and smoke surround the mountain, the people respond with awe and fear, recognizing the seriousness of standing before a holy God. This passage shows us both God’s righteous standards and His gracious invitation to draw near to Him through reverent obedience. Exodus 20:1-21
This week we jump back into Exodus and look at the people of Israel coming into the presence of God. It is a fearful encounter that highlights the incompatibility of the people and their God. What is God trying to teach them about himself and how should we respond? Come this Sunday and find out!
As 2025 closes out and we look forward to 2026, we think it's useful for us at New King to understand God's purpose. If we know His purpose then we'll better know how to live as Christians in 2026 and beyond. So this week we'll look at four things- four purposes- that God defines in the book of Ephesians. These are God's Ultimate Purpose, God's Purpose for the Church, God's Purpose for Church Leaders and finally, God's Purpose for Christians.
This Christmas we celebrate the reality that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, and focus on how that truth changes everything.
This Sunday is the final Sunday of our Advent series from Isaiah 9:6: “His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” On this final week, we will focus on the fourth title, Prince of Peace. We will see that Jesus came to give the world peace with God, peace with each other, and peace in our hearts.
This Sunday, we're continuing our Advent series from Isaiah 9:6. "His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This week, we'll focus on the third title: “Everlasting Father". Come this week to hear how Jesus is our King whose reign is marked by His compassion for His followers. John 14:1-14
This Sunday, we're continuing our Advent series from Isaiah 9:6. "His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This week, we'll focus on the second title: “Mighty God". Come this week to hear how Jesus is revealed to be “Mighty God” and how that truth changes everything! Colossians 1:15-23
This Sunday, we're starting our Advent series based on the famous passage in Isaiah 9. "His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Each week, we'll focus on one of these amazing names for the one to come, Jesus. Come this week to hear how Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor, full of care and wisdom. 1 Kings 19:1-18
Paul says "This one thing I do". We live in a time of incredible distractions with 1,000 things vying for our attention. And Paul seems to have incredible focus, putting aside the distractions of his day. Why is focus important? What is his focus? Where does he get it? And, how does it relate to New King's mission and values? Come this Sunday to hear the answers to these questions and MORE! Philippians 3 & 4
As we continue our mission and values sermon series we come to Philippians 2. In this chapter Paul will encourage his readers to pursue unity through having the same mindset. To motivate the believers to unity through humility he points them to the ultimate example of self-sacrificial service: Jesus Christ. We look forward to worshipping together Sunday as we study the example of Christ’s humility and how we can follow His example here at New King! Philippians 2
This week we are excited to begin a new three week sermon series in the book of Philippians! Here we will study how Paul encourages his readers to growing in Christ and how that looks here at New King. We hope you will join us this Sunday as we learn from God’s word and how we can grow together to reflect Christ in Vermont! Philippians 1:1-11
This week we are taking a break from our study in Exodus by looking at Jesus temptation in the wilderness. These verses show how even though Israel gave in to temptation in the wilderness Jesus remains faithful! We hope you will join us this Sunday as we see how Jesus is inviting people to follow him and how we can fight temptation in our lives. Matthew 4:1-11
As we continue our study of the book of Exodus we come to chapter 18, where Moses meets back with his father in-law Jethro who praises the Lord for His redemption of Israel and imparts valuable instruction. We hope you will join us Sunday as we study the importance of these verses; how they point us to Jesus; and how God wants to use us in His body! (Exodus 18)
This week in our study of Exodus the Israelites are attacked by another nation called the Amalekites. Will Israel prevail against this ambush? Will the Lord protect His people? We will see that the Lord will not only help them win this victory but also give them hope for future battles.
We hope you will join us as study the book of Exodus and how it points us to victory in Jesus! (Exodus 17:8-16)
How do you respond to being thirsty? It's one thing to be "hangry"- angry over not eating- we saw that last week in Exodus 16. And we did see thirst already in Exodus 15. The people grumbled in both cases. Now thirst comes back and the people not only grumble, but they take it up a notch and quarrel with Moses. This story is really about what happens when we suffer trials- when God tests us. Come this week to see how the Israelites respond and how it relates to us today. Exodus 17:1-7.
This week we are continuing our study of Exodus where we will see the Lord continue to test His people in the wilderness. Here we will see how the people’s grumbling is evidence of their lack of trust in God. Despite how the people are responding in the midst of doubt God still provides for His people’s needs. Ultimately we will learn that life and satisfaction comes from God and His word. (Exodus 16)
Last week we saw the celebration of God's miraculous delivery of his people from Egypt. As they begin their journey towards the land that God promised them, it becomes clear that, although they are now redeemed, they will struggle to overcome their bitter experience in Egypt and learn to trust and desire God. This week we will see how God can bring healing to our soul and turn bitter experiences into spiritual sustenance. Exodus 15:22-27
In our sermon series this week we will be in Exodus 15:1-21. Here Moses, Miriam, and the people sing a song of praise to the Lord because of how He freed Israel from slavery in Egypt. We will see, in the same way, Jesus is worthy of praise because of how He has freed His people from slavery to sin. Join us Sunday as we praise the Lord and study His word together. (Exodus 15:1-21)
This week, we're at the climax of the story, the crossing of the Red Sea. The Israelites find themselves hemmed in- on one side is the dreaded sea and on the other, the Egyptian war machine is advancing bent on violence. And they're paralyzed with fear! It seems there is much violence around us and we feel like we're drowning in the sea. And we're afraid. Come to New King this Sunday and see what God does in situations like this. Exodus 14
This week we are taking a break in our study in Exodus to focus on the theme of unity. To do this we will answer a couple important questions like: what is the foundation for our unity as believers? And, when life within the body is difficult how do we maintain unity? As we will see, the foundation and sustaining source of our unity is found in Christ’s finished work on the cross.
We are continuing our study in Exodus this Sunday where the Israelites have been freed from slavery and are now beginning their journey to the promised land. In this week's passage we will see God give important instructions about how the Israelites and their future generations will remember how God freed them. Join us as we study Exodus and how it teaches us about right worship. Exodus 12:43-13:16
This week we are back in the book of Exodus after a few weeks off. We jump back in at the climax of the tenth plague where all the firstborn in Egypt die. Here we will study the responses and see how God leads his people out of Egypt. We hope you will join us as we continue our study in Exodus and see how these verses encourage our faith in Christ! Exodus 12:29-42
This week, as we continue in our sermon series in Exodus, we are going to stop to study an important biblical theme that begins in Exodus. The theme of redemption. We will look at how Exodus talks about redemption and how the New Testament talks about the true and better redemption that can only be found in Jesus. We hope you will Join us!
We've been in the book of Exodus the last couple of months and last week we came to the final plague and at the center of it, is an innocent, helpless lamb. This week we'll take a break from Exodus and see that the Lamb is actually a key theme in scripture, from the Old Testament to the New Testament. As John the Baptist exhorts us, come on Sunday and Behold the Lamb!
After studying plagues one through nine last week we now come to the tenth plague. Here God gives a warning about the final plague and how Israel can be protected from it. In these verses we will see how God gives Israel complete freedom from slavery and how these verses point us to complete freedom through Jesus death on the cross. Exodus 11:1-12:28
This Sunday we are back in the book of Exodus. The focus of our study will be on God enacting the plagues against Egypt. We will see the sovereignty of God on display as He not only defends His people but He also will deliver His people. We hope you will join us as we study the word together and see how these verses point to deliverance in Christ! Exodus 7:8-10:29
We're in the book of Exodus and we're seeing this troubling situation where God hardens Pharaoh's heart yet still holds him accountable for his actions. This unsettles us and our immediate response is to get angry and cry "Foul! That's unjust!" Paul deals with this topic in Romans 9 and uses a number of Old Testament passages to show us something profound about ourselves and more importantly, something utterly profound and unexpected about God. And surprisingly, the result won't be anger, confusion, or doubt. It will be worship!
The last few weeks we have been going through the book of Exodus and seeing how God, in the midst of suffering, reassures Moses that He will fulfill what He has promised. This week God will close His final commands to Moses before He sends the plagues upon Egypt. In our study we will see how what God says gives hope to Israel and points us to Jesus.
After God reassures Moses of His original promises in Exodus 6:2-9 the chapter takes an interesting turn. In our study this week in Exodus 6:10-30 we will read the genealogy of Moses and Aaron and see how God has been working in their story.
This week in our study of Exodus we will continue in chapter 6 to look at God’s response to how he will rescue Israel from slavery. In these verses, God reminds Moses of His original promises and how He will personally bring Israel out of slavery to the land He promised in the past. We will also see how God desires to do the same with us today.
We are continuing our study of Exodus this week in chapter 5 with Moses and Aaron asking the Pharaoh to let God’s people go. We will see how the Pharaoh responds and makes their labor even harder. We hope you will be there Sunday to hear how God responds to the suffering of His people and how it applies to our suffering.
This portion consists of three events and the middle one describes one of the strangest encounters with God in the entire Bible. Come hear how they all connect and point to something, something that you won't believe!
As we wrap up our look at Moses' calling at the burning bush, we see that he lacks faith and tries to turn God down. This week we will see how a patient, loving God overwhelms Moses with his grace and empowers him to fulfill his calling. Come learn how we too can experience God's grace and live confidently in his strength.
This week as we continue reading about Moses before the burning bush. We will see that when God calls he provides his presence and readiness to help Moses, Israel, and us today. Exodus 3:13-22
This week in Exodus we come to the all too familiar story of Moses’s encounter with God at the burning bush. This story often makes us question God’s will for our own lives, but with one glaring difference: what if God doesn’t come to me in a burning bush? Join us as we seek the answer to that very question!
This Sunday we are continuing in Exodus in chapter 2:23-25. Here we will see how God has seen the suffering of His people and how the stage is set for Him to personally act! Not only that we will see how this gives us confidence that God personally knows our suffering and desires to act upon it.
In the midst of terrible suffering and slavery how is it that the Lord will work? This week we will continue our study of Exodus in chapter 2:1-22. Here we will see how the Lord is preparing the way to rescue his people through a specific person. Join us as we study how the Lord has prepared the way for His people’s rescue!
How do we respond to adversity? In the case of the situation in Exodus 1, it means that God is on the move and adversity offers an opportunity to be a hero. Join us as we see two heroes emerge in the face of ruthless oppression.
We have finished our study in Mark and are now going to go through the book of Exodus in our sermon series. We are so excited to start this new series and see how God will use in our church. This Sunday we are going to do an overview of the book of Exodus and talk about ways this book points us to Jesus.
Happy Easter New King family! We are so excited to be worshipping together to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. This week we will be studying Mark 16:1-8 where three woman go to Jesus tomb thinking His body will be there and yet are astonished when it isn’t. Our focus will be on all of what the reality of the empty tomb meant for Jesus disciples and our lives today.
What happens on the cross when Jesus cries out, "My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?" This week, as we uncover the truths of the cross, we will see why Jesus had to go where none of us could so that we might be forever adopted as the children of God.
This Sunday we will continue our study of Mark in 15:21-32. In this passage, we will see Jesus lead to His crucifixion. Many in this passage mock and ridicule him, but as we will see Jesus dies on the cross for the sins of the world.
We will be continuing our study of Mark in chapter 15:1-20. Here Jesus will go before Pilate, be traded for a criminal, and be mocked by Roman soldiers. We hope to see you Sunday where we will study these verses in depth and see how everything Jesus goes through was on our behalf.
This week we will finish Mark 14 covering Jesus' betrayal, trial, and Peter's denial of Jesus. No one stood by Jesus. Some sin in order to get away from him. A look at Peter's life will help us see how God is working even in the darkest nights of our soul. He alone is the lifter of our heads.
Who is Jesus? As we've seen all through Mark, He's been the one in control of every situation. He's never rattled; He's never shaken. Then, in the darkness of Gethsemane, Jesus is staggered with emotion. Why? What's happening in the dark that causes Jesus such agony, such distress, such sorrow- even to death? On Sunday, we'll peer into the darkness and see the astonishing agony of the King and see what it means for us.
We are continuing through the gospel of Mark in chapter 14:12-31. Here we will see Jesus establish the Lord’s Supper and predict that His disciples will abandon Him. At the end we will reflect on the faithfulness of God and the significance of the Lord’s Supper for us today. We cannot wait to see you Sunday!
This week in Mark we will see the plotting of the religious leaders, the extravagant love of a woman for Christ, and the betrayal of a disciple. At the end we will ask ourselves: How will I respond? How can I show my love for Christ?
Looking forward to seeing you all! Mark 14:1-11.
This week, we will be studying Mark 13, where Jesus is asked about future events by his disciples. As we will see, Jesus' answer gives us assurance of His return and motivates us to be faithful in the present. We hope to see you Sunday!
This week we finally come to the end of Mark 12 and the back and forth we see between the religious leaders of the day and Jesus. Jesus casts judgment on the Scribes of his day and in doing so shows us what true service to the Messiah looks like. We only have the ability to see the outside, but God truly sees our hearts.
We are continuing our study in the Gospel of Mark in chapter 12:18-34. Just like we saw last week, Jesus will be presented with more questions from the religious leaders of Israel who have come desiring to trap Him. This week we will see how true life and hope can only be found by believing in Jesus. We hope to see you Sunday!
Hello New King Church, we are so excited to continue our study in Mark this week through chapter 12:13-17. Here Jesus addresses the Pharisees' questions about paying taxes and being faithful to God. These verses will challenge us to consider where our true allegiances lie and how we can honor God no matter where we live. We hope you will join us Sunday!
The Parable of the Vineyard (or of the Tenants) that Jesus tells is in response to the religious leaders questioning His authority in the previous chapter. The parable is violent and ends in death and destruction. Why did I volunteer to preach this section? How am I going to relate it to 2025? Come this week and hear about three main themes: Temple, Authority, and Commitment and see how they relate to your life!
Good afternoon New King Church family. We are continuing on in our study of Mark in a familiar passage to many where Jesus curses a fig tree and cleanses the temple. This Sunday we will study why it is Jesus does this and how to apply these verses to our life today. We hope to see you there!
Finally, we are back in the Gospel of Mark after spending the holiday season discussing our values and advent. This week Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem in a passage that has often been called “The Triumphal Entry”. However, as we will see, in Mark’s account the surprising details he shares will both encourage and challenge us as we learn what it means to follow Jesus. We can’t wait to see you Sunday!
It's been weeks since we last preached from the Book of Mark. Next week we will pick back up in chapter 11. In order to refocus our minds and prepare our hearts to continue our series "Who is Jesus?" we will spend this week recapping and looking forward to the events in Mark. We will also reflect on the incarnation of Jesus and how we should celebrate Emmanuel all year long.
The advent of Jesus was the joyful realization of the long-awaited Messiah, yet Christ's arrival, like our lives, was also marked by grief and hostility.
This week we will see that, even through the hardships of life, we can experience complete joy through Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:1-4
Peace, it's something we all long and search for but it seems so hard to get. In our world we see the absence of peace in wars around the globe, recent political elections, chaos from it all, our own anxieties and fears, and broken relationships in our lives. Where can we find peace in the midst of no peace? In this week's sermon we will look to the scriptures and then see Jesus Christ the one who makes peace for those who are in turmoil.
Join us this Sunday as we continue our Advent series with Jesus the Light of Comfort. This week we'll look again at the story of Simeon who was waiting for the long promised Messiah, the one called the consolation or comfort of Israel. We'll learn what comfort is, what comfort looks like and how to get it.
Join us this Sunday as we begin our Advent series with Jesus our hope. This week we'll look at the story of Simeon who was waiting for the long promised Messiah. From this passage, we'll see what hope is, what hope looks like, and how to have hope. Luke 2:25-35
This Sunday our sermon will be on our third value, depth of bible study, and our fourth value, multiplication. We will focus our study on the example of the fellowship of believers in Acts 2:42-47. Here we will see how their devotion to God and his word led to faithful witness to those around them! We can’t wait to see you Sunday!
New King's first and second values are Jesus and Hospitality. Because Jesus is the highly exalted King, he naturally is first in all things, including everything we do at New King. In Colossians, Paul points us to the grandeur and glory of Jesus in both his person and in his work. He then exhorts us to live as God's chosen ones in the same way that Jesus lived as he came to rescue us.
This week we will take a break from our study in Mark to take time to discuss our mission and values at New King. The topic this week will specifically be on our mission to be a church that helps people find and follow Jesus. Our focus passage for this week will be John 17 where Jesus prays to the Father for Himself and His disciples. We can’t wait to see you on Sunday!
In Mark chapter 10, Jesus has taught us about what it means to be His disciple in very practical ways. He taught about marriage, children, and possessions/money. And His teaching was profoundly counter-cultural. And now in this section, Jesus teaches about leadership. And guess what? His view of leadership is counter-cultural and upside down just like all the others.
This week we are following up our discussion in Mark 10:17-31 with a practical study on biblical stewardship. The focus of this sermon will be on God’s call to live generously and the benefits of following this call. We will also look at how the bible instructs us to be good stewards, not just of our possessions, but of our whole lives. We can’t wait to see you on Sunday!
This week will be continuing in Jesus’ teachings “on the way” from Mark 10:17-31. Here we will see Jesus interact with a rich young man who asks life’s most important question. Through Jesus' answer to the man and his following conversation with the disciples, we will see how we are to enter the kingdom of God and how to view our monetary possessions in this life. We hope to see you Sunday!
This week we will continue studying Jesus' teaching to his disciples on the way to Jerusalem from Mark 10:1-16. Here Jesus will use the examples of marriage and children to reveal what should be at the heart of every true disciple. In this passage, we will also see how we can enter God’s kingdom and address the hardness in our heart that separates us from God.
Jesus and three of the disciples have just had an amazing experience on a mountain. Now they come down to the bottom of the mountain and are faced with the sad reality of Satan at war with humanity, faithlessness of not only a father, but also Jesus's disciples.
We will see that even though our faith can often be imperfect, our perfect Lord and Savior is compassionate to help us in our weakness. Not only that, but we are reminded that prayer builds up our faith.
As Jesus disciples struggle with his teaching in the previous chapter, Jesus invites Peter, James, and John to witness the revealing of his glory and the confirmation of his deity which will change their lives forever. Join us this Sunday as we examine Christ’s transfiguration and see that, Jesus wants us to recognize his deity and he wants to know us personally.
In this passage, Jesus asks a very important question about His identity and Peter gets the right answer, but has the wrong understanding. Jesus corrects him in the most dramatic way- "Get behind me Satan!" and goes on to tell Peter he has wrong thinking. How is our thinking clouded by our place in history and the events going on around us? How do we get our mind right about Jesus and what it means to serve Him? Come this Sunday and see what Jesus has to say about this.
This Sunday we will read through Mark 8:10-26. Here we will see Jesus interact again with the Pharisees and the Disciples. Mark will use this interaction to help his readers, and us, question what their understanding is of Jesus and what keeps people from truly seeing Jesus. We look at these themes and how they apply to us on Sunday. We hope to see you there!
This week we will be studying Mark 7:24-8:9 where we will see Jesus going into the areas outside of Israel and interacting with several surprising people. Jesus will perform two healings and even miraculously feed four-thousand people all of whom you would think are outsiders. But Jesus treats them like they are all a part of God's family.
This week we will study Mark 7:1-23 where Jesus confronts religious leaders in Israel about their rejection of God's word through their man made traditions. We will see that only Jesus can cleanse the human heart and not our actions or religious practices.
In this next story, the disciples are in a boat, struggling against the wind and the waves. Jesus sees them and goes to them, walking across the water. Mark uses this intriguing phrase "He meant to pass them by." And Mark tells us that the disciples didn't understand about the loaves. What is Jesus doing out there on the water? What is He trying to teach them, for a second time?
This Sunday, we are studying Jesus feeding the 5,000 from Mark 6:30-44. Here we will see Jesus compassion and miraculous power on display to show us rest and satisfaction can only come from Jesus.
Jesus has shown us that he is more powerful than nature. He has shown us that he is more powerful than the demons. In this week's passage will he prove to be more powerful than sickness and even death? In Mark 5:21-43 we meet two people, both fearful of their circumstances, who come to ask Jesus those very questions. And what is his response? Only believe!
In 1968 The Rolling Stones released their famous song, Sympathy for the Devil. Looking at this song through the Christian world view one particular lyric stands out. “I’ll tell you one time, you’re to blame.” There is some truth to that. From the beginning Satan and his demons have been spinning the lie of “Did God really say?” Then pointing the finger back of blame and accusing. How can we deal with such an enemy who lies so well and can even posses humans? This Sunday we will see that Jesus Christ has ultimate authority over the demonic. And only in Christ we can resist and be free from the lies of the devil.
At this point in Mark's gospel, Jesus' disciples have been with him for a while and have seen him perform many miracles. However, they are far from trusting him as they should and have many hidden anxieties. In this simple story, Jesus demonstrates his omnipotence and lovingly confronts their fear and lack of faith. This Sunday we will discuss the difficult work of confronting our own fear and trusting our Almighty God. Mark 4:35-41.
As we continue in Mark 4, we see 3 parables about the Kingdom of God. When Jesus came announcing the Kingdom it was small and unlike anything anyone expected. Jesus promised that one day it wouldn't be small, but that it would grow and expand. Each of us play an exciting role in the expansion of the kingdom into the hearts of men and women around the world. Mark 4:21-34.
The Parables of Jesus are meant to provoke our thoughts. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus asks the question: "Who am I and how will you respond to me?" As believers, we must toil the ground of our hearts to be receptive to the Word. Join us Sunday as we see how this parable teaches us to have ears to hear Jesus. Mark 4:1-20.
This passage has haunted people for hundreds of years because Jesus teaches about committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit- the unpardonable sin! And when it's read that's what draws our attention. If we're not careful, we'll miss two profound truths about who Jesus is: He's the Stronger Man who binds the Strong Man and He offers an infinite willingness to forgive.
In Mark 3:13 Jesus withdraws and summons the twelve to appoint them as Apostles. Through these understated verses we see Jesus’s plan for the Kingdom: the sending of ordinary disciples to declare to the lost, “Repent and believe, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!” Join us Sunday as we examine these verses and see how the mission of God is undergirded by his presence.
Mark 3:7-12. Mark at this point, provides a summary of Jesus' ministry and who He is using three recurring themes. And of course, these themes recur not just in Mark, but all of scripture. Come this week and see how these themes provide a clear identity of Jesus.
The Pharisees keep hounding Jesus and his disciples; this time with questions about the sabbath. Instead of answering their question directly, he gives them signs that he is the Messiah. Showing them what the sabbath was truly all about.
This passage begins with a question about fasting. In Jesus’ response, He tells us something vitally important about who He is, who we are, and what we should be doing.
The scribes were appalled by Jesus. He ate with tax collectors and sinners. What was he thinking? Didn't he know these morally filthy people would make him unclean? They didn't see the reverse happening. When Jesus comes to us, he isn't made dirty, we're made clean.
Guest Preacher Tyler Twombly joins us this Sunday as we begin Mark chapter 2. Jesus heals the paralyzed man, and in the middle of this miracle, he makes a bold proclamation: "your sins are forgiven." Come to New King Sunday morning as we hear about both the ability and authority that Christ has to forgive sins.
The parables of Jesus are not the only stories in the Gospel meant to teach us lessons. The miracles of Jesus do the same thing. In Mark 1, Jesus encounters a desperate leper seeking healing. From this encounter though, we learn our own plight, our own desperation, and the goodness of Jesus to restore us completely.
As Israel looked for their promised Messiah, they expected someone who would be much like their beloved king David. This week we will see the ways that Jesus both is like king David, and is not like king David. To be sure, this Jesus is setting up a kingdom. But it is becoming clear that his kingdom is not of this world. Join us this Sunday as we learn about Jesus, the Liberator King.
As we continue in Mark's Gospel we see the good news that the King has come and brought the Kingdom of God to earth. However, the coming of this kingdom demands a response that not all are willing to make. This Sunday we will be introduced to the kingdom of God and will consider how we are to respond to Jesus as King. (Mark 1:14-20)
The entire goal of Mark's Gospel is to answer the question, "Who is Jesus?" Here at the very beginning of his Gospel he lets us know: Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God! Jesus is the One we have been promised. He's the One we've been waiting for.
In 1 Peter, the apostle is writing to a group of believers who are experiencing suffering and persecution. He exhorts them by turning their gaze away from their trials to the living hope given to us through the resurrection of Jesus. The message is simple: the Resurrection changes everything. Join us Sunday as we celebrate the risen Lord!
In our final sermon in Genesis, we see Joseph’s brothers fall down at his feet and beg for forgiveness. Their father is dead, and now they fear that their brother will get his revenge. But instead they are met once again with surprising grace. There is GOLD in this passage when we see Joseph as a type of Christ. Join us Sunday as we dig beneath the surface to find gospel truths for our hearts today.
We typically refer to Genesis 37-50 as the story of Joseph, but throughout this narrative of Joseph's life, Judah plays a significant role. In Genesis 49, as Jacob is dying, he calls his sons to his bedside to bless them and prophecy about God's blessing the nations through their family. A major focus of this blessing is Judah, the patriarch from which the Messiah will come, bringing endless celebration and joy through the establishment of his kingdom.
In Genesis 47 Jacob and his descendants arrive in the pagan land of Egypt where they must maintain their identity. While this is not their true home, there is work for them to do and they will grow into a great nation as they wait for God to bring them to the land of promise. This Sunday we will examine the themes of this chapter and discover how they apply to us as we work while waiting for Christ's return.
In Genesis 46 the story focuses back on Jacob. He is 130 years old, his body is failing, and he has become fearful and self-centered. However, even though Jacob has to leave the land of promise, his spirit is revived, he receives a fresh calling from God, and he finishes his life strong in faith. This Sunday we will see how God uses Jacob in the last chapters of his life and how we too can finish strong.
Last week Nathan showed us from Genesis chapter 45 that Joseph displayed radical forgiveness to his brothers and the result was family reconciliation. This week, the sermon will build on this foundation and apply it to us today. Come to New King on Sunday and learn how we can forgive like Joseph forgave.
We finally reach the climax of the story of Joseph's brothers returning to Egypt to find food. Joseph reveals himself, but instead of judgment, Joseph extends forgiveness. The purposes of God have not been thwarted, but God in his providence has woven together a story of salvation.
This Sunday the story in Genesis once again highlights Judah. Jacob’s sons must return to Egypt to buy grain and this time Judah is taking the lead. He is a very different person than the Judah we saw back in chapter 38. Once in Egypt, Joseph continues testing his brothers and Judah responds in an incredible way. How did all of this transformation take place in Judah’s life? Join us this Sunday as we learn about the process God uses to produce holiness in the lives of his children.
This week in Genesis 42, Joseph is now second in Egypt to only King Pharaoh. What Joseph interpreted in Pharaoh's dreams has come true. 7 years of good harvest have come and gone. Now, the first year of another 7 years of famine has begun. Providentially, God brings Joseph and his brothers together. Not for a family reunion, but for healing that will only come through transformation. We will see through Joseph and his brothers how God can use our positive and negative guilt for our transformation too.
In Genesis chapter 40, we, once again, find Joseph in the pit. Things were going so well, but they all came crashing down in Potiphar's house. The Lord is with Joseph, though, and caused everything he did to be successful. Through a series of dreams, God will raise Joseph not just out of the pit but into Pharaoh's palace. Through Joseph's life we learn to trust God even when all hope is lost, believing that he is working in us an eternal weight of glory.
The last time we saw Joseph, he was being betrayed and sold as a slave by his brothers. But in Genesis 39 we pick back up with the story of Joseph and find that God is with him and is blessing him even though he is a slave in Egypt. His master’s wife sets her sights on Joseph and this young man is faced with a terribly difficult temptation. Given what we’ve read so far in Genesis, we expect Joseph to give in, and fall flat on his face. But instead he withstands temptation and remains sexually pure. It is a story about the faithfulness of God to uphold him, but there are several things that we can learn from Joseph as we pursue holiness in our own lives. Join us this Sunday as we learn how to fight for purity in the midst of temptation.
This Sunday we are diving in to the story of Judah. It’s messy and hard and surprising. Moses gives us insight into a long season of Judah’s life that is riddled with sin and scandal and brokenness. But there’s more to the story than that. Yet again, we’ll see how God uses it all to bring Judah back to himself and transform him into an entirely different person before it’s all over. It’s a story that gives hope to all of us. See you Sunday.
This week, we start our new sermon series in Genesis, called The God of Providence. This last section in Genesis tells the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob, and it begins with a series of unfortunate events that land Joseph in a waterless pit and then sold into slavery in Egypt- by his brothers of all people! Come this week to hear about how God's Providence works in his life, using chance encounters to accomplish His will.
In our advent series we have remembered the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But the Scriptures still have more to share about Jesus as a young baby. The stories of the shepherds and later the wise men coming to see Jesus Christ are wonderful and awe-striking, but there is one more less known story about Jesus that is equally wonderful and awe-striking. Simeon and Anna, two unassuming and unnoticed older folks get to share in the glory of the promised Messiah.
For 400 hundred years God left his people Israel without a prophet, without a word. Then on an ordinary day, with an ordinary priest, God burst onto the scene with the proclamation of salvation. In total disbelief, Zechariah was silenced for 9 months as he awaited the birth of his son. Out of his silence came shouts of praise to God for the deliverance of his people through the forgiveness of their sins.
When we talk about the Virgin Birth of Jesus, it seems so out of place in our world today- so old-fashioned, so antiquated, so irrelevant. But actually, it's one of our core beliefs and absolutely vital to the Gospel of Jesus. Our very salvation depends upon it! Come to New King this week and hear this vital doctrine explained and applied.
It’s hard to believe it’s already Christmas again. And if your life is anything like mine, it will come and go before we know it. We’ll sing some carols, and decorate, and shop, and watch a couple Christmas movies, and nothing will change. But it doesn’t have to be that way. This could be a Christmas season that changes everything. God is willing to move in exciting ways in our lives, if we’ll only prepare the way. Join us this Sunday as we learn from the ministry of John the Baptist what God calls us to do to make ourselves ready for the Lord.
Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus gathered the disciples on a mountain in Galilee. He commanded them to go into all the world and make disciples. That command, which we call the Great Commission, has been passed down through the ages to us today. Join us as we finish our series on New King's mission and values looking at the six characteristics of a disciple in Matthew 28:16-20
This week we're going to continue our short series describing New King's identity. Last week we looked at our mission statement and this week we're going to describe our first two New King values- Jesus and Hospitality. The text is John 4:1-42 and we'll see how these two values are portrayed in the story of the woman at the well.
America is obsessed with safety. We engineer our lives to avoid as many risks as possible. But what happens when that mindset infiltrates the church? How does it hinder our obedience to the Great Commission? And what are the effects on our personal lives? Join us this Sunday as we learn that risk is right.
As we conclude our study of the life of Jacob, we find that, once again, his life is full of turmoil. In the midst of the turmoil, God reaches out to Jacob and brings him back to Bethel for a time of renewal. This Sunday we will see how our gracious God invites us to be renewed and how we, like Jacob, can respond well.
The story of Jacob’s night wrestling with God is the climax of his life. Everything changes for him that night. But it isn’t just about Jacob. This is a story about us too. This Sunday we will learn why we must all wrestle with God, and what that looks like in practice. Come early and prepare your heart to hear from God. I believe he has a word for you.
The story of Jacob in the book of Genesis is marked by two miraculous meetings with God: Jacob's ladder and Jacob wrestling with God. Between those two events, Jacob spends two decades in his uncle Laban's household working to earn the favor of God. Spoiler Alert! God's favor cannot be earned-- that's true for Jacob and it's true for you!
This week, we have the classic Sunday School story of Jacob's Ladder and it's a little darker than normally taught to the kids. Jacob comes from a very messy, dysfunctional family and flees because his brother Esau literally wants to kill him. His mother Rebecca schemes and misrepresents the situation to her husband Isaac. Isaac in turn sends Jacob away- Jacob who longs for a relationship with his father is sent away- to Uncle Laban to take a wife. Bible scholar Bruce Waltke describes the situation so well: “Back in Beersheba, Esau lies in wait like an angry lion. Ahead in Haran, Laban waits with his spider web to trap and suck the life from his victims.” Jacob is between a rock and a hard place! Then, Jacob has a dream that changes everything. Come to New King on Sunday to see what happens!
This week we will be digging into the famous story of Jacob stealing Esau’s blessing. But what’s all this talk about blessing anyway? And what is going on in this dysfunctional family? We’ll learn all of that and more. And we’ll see that (as is often the case) there is a deeper meaning behind what we initially see.
In Genesis 26, God promises Isaac that he will be with him and will bless him. But he soon learns that consistently believing that promise is easier said than done. And so it is with us. Jesus has promised to be with us always (Matt. 28:20) and we believe that is true!.. until we don’t. The difficulties of this life press in upon us and before we know it, we are fearful and no longer standing firm in faith in the God who is with us. Join us Sunday as we learn from the life of Isaac just what it means that God is with us always.
Tells the story of two brothers at odds with each other. Esau, hangry from working in the fields, is desperate for his Jacob's soup. Tempted by sin, he chose temporary satisfaction over the promise of tomorrow. Like Esau, each of us are so easily ensnared by sin, but with persistent faith, we can keep our eyes on Jesus.
We're starting a new sermon series this week in Genesis looking at the life of Isaac and Jacob. Chapter 24 is the longest narrative in Genesis (67 verses!) and tells the story of finding a wife for Isaac. As this long narrative unfolds, it illustrates four principles of how God normally leads us in determining His day-to-day will for our lives.
We read through the gospels and see Jesus speaks often of the Kingdom of God, but how does God's Kingdom come? This week we are looking at 1 Thessalonians 2:13 and read that God's Word does the work, but there is work for us to do as well.
If you have ever read any of the gospels, you might have noticed that after Jesus calls his disciples to follow him, it isn't long before he's sending them out on mission. That is because living on mission is at the heart of what it is to be a Christian. But many times we can drift from that outward focus to more of a self-focused version of Christianity that is mostly about my walk with Jesus and the things he's doing in my life. If that's happened to you, I hope this Sunday can be a missional reset, as well as give you some handles to hold onto as you begin to think of yourself as a missionary right where you are.
We are taking the next 3 weeks to learn more about our role to help advance God’s kingdom on the earth. This week we are going to see how a biblical self-understanding propels us into God’s mission. The way that you think about yourself has a tremendous impact on the way you live your life. If you see yourself the way the Bible instructs you to see yourself, you will find that the natural effect is a passion to do whatever you can do to help advance God’s Kingdom. I hope you’ll be there for all three weeks of our new series, “On Mission!”
Genesis 22 stands as not only the climax to the story of Abraham's life, but is a pivotal moment in the Old Testament narrative. It is the story of tests and faith. It's the story of fearing God and believing against all hope. It's a story that leaves us in awe of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!
As Abraham's relationship with God deepens, he continues to struggle with hardships and failures. Through it all God remains faithful and Abraham learns to trust in the eternal nature of God. This week we will consider the Everlasting God and how keeping an eternal perspective is a key to understanding our lives on this earth.
We've seen Abraham's relationship with God grow since God called him out from his country and his people. And in this section, Abraham pleads with God face-to-face. And what's astonishing, is he pushes and pushes and pushes. And God keeps agreeing. Come this Sunday to hear what this shows us about Abraham and what it shows us about God.
In chapter 18 of Genesis, three men appear at Abraham's tent and one of them is the Lord! And they're not so much interested in Abraham as in previous encounters, but in Sarah! And her response is to laugh. Come to New King and find out why Sarah laughed.
In Genesis 17, God Almighty appears to Abram to "double-down" on his covenant of the promised seed. Giving Abram the sign of the covenant: circumcision. In spite of Abram's unfaithfulness and lack of integrity, God reaches down in faithfulness and integrity renewing his covenant with Abram.
Everyone deals with doubt. We learned in Genesis 15 that God is gracious to us, assuring us of his promises. But what happens when we allow our doubts to turn into sin? Genesis 16 teaches us what happens when we turn to expediency rather than waiting on the promises and purposes of God.
If there's one thing true about our Christian life, it's that we all deal with doubts. We doubt God and we doubt ourselves. And Abram, the Father of the Faith, is no different. Join us this Sunday for chapter 15 of Genesis where Abram voices his doubts to God and God responds in two amazing ways.
Last week, in Genesis 12, we saw the call of Abram and God's sevenfold promise to him. Abram obeys God's calling but quickly shows that he does not fully trust God's promises. In Genesis 13 and 14 we will see how Abram's faith increases as God deepens the trust and relationship between them. Join us this week as we discover faith-building truths about our God Most High!
Join us this Sunday as we move into the next section in Genesis, "God of Promises." We'll begin by looking at the call of Abram in Genesis 12:1-9 to leave his country, his family, and his father's house. How does Abram respond to a call to "leave it all behind?" How would you respond to such a call?
One of the most popular rock and roll songs of all time is Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven". It came out over half a century ago and it describes "a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a stairway to Heaven." Understandably, that song caused a stir in the Christian community when it came out- we know we can't buy our way to Heaven. This week, we look at a story that came out thousands of years ago describing a people who wanted to build a tower to reach Heaven, the Tower of Babel, in Genesis 11:1-9. What was their purpose? What were they trying to achieve? How did God respond? And how should we, the Christian community, respond today?
It’s easy to think of the story of Noah and the flood as little more than a good children’s Sunday school story. But Jesus, and the inspired authors of the New Testament, saw it as having much more significance than that. So, how did they think about the flood and how should we? That’s what we’re going to learn this Sunday as we explore the connections between the flood in Noah’s day and the coming judgment at the end of this age.
We often look to physical blessings when we look for God's hand on our lives but how often are we to see spiritual blessings for what they truly are? Join us Sunday as we look at the story of Cain and Abel and see how Abel's faith can be an encouragement to us today.
“The fall” refers to the moment that sin entered into the world through the first man, Adam. Because of Adam’s sin, the whole universe is corrupted. It is not what it was meant to be. We are not who we were meant to be. Without understanding what takes place in Genesis 3, not only will we fail to understand the world we live in, but we will fail to understand the rest of the Bible. Join us this Sunday as we learn about the practical and theological implications of Adam’s sin in the garden.
God’s World is very good.
But in order to experience its goodness, we must learn to operate according to his design. We must learn to live in his world on his terms. This Sunday we will look at Genesis chapter 2 and focus in on some of the ways God designed the world to operate. We will learn that it’s possible to become too attached to the world, but it’s also possible to become too detached. We’ll learn about the gift of human innovation and God’s design for gender. See you Sunday!
The main point of last week's sermon on the creation account was that "By His powerful Word, the Almighty, Sovereign God spoke the cosmos into existence, investing it with purpose and destiny."
Join us this Sunday as we see His day-by-day creation unfold. We'll spend time looking at God's creation of mankind in His image and likeness. Are these two descriptions saying the same thing twice? Or are they different?
Join us on Sunday and find out!
This week we're starting a new sermon series on the book of Genesis. The first part is called "Beginnings" and will highlight events in Genesis chapters 1-11. This week we start with creation and those majestic opening words "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Join us on Sunday as we'll learn that the way God works in the initial creation is a pattern for how He works throughout history.
The final verses of 2 Timothy contain Paul’s last instructions to Timothy. In them, we see evidence of God’s grace despite Paul’s impending execution. They remind us that regardless of our circumstances, our lives are full of the grace of God.
On Tuesday Charles Stanley, who was the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta for 50 years, died at the age of 90. My parents attended his church before I was born. He has impacted countless lives through his television and radio teaching ministry. And he remained faithful to the Word of God and to Christ until the end. It is a thing to celebrate whenever someone remains faithful to Christ until the end. This Sunday, we will consider how it was that Paul made it to the end of his life still trusting Jesus, still loyal to Jesus, and still loving Jesus. And we will learn from his example how we can do the same. I hope to you’ll join us as we learn how to fight the fight of faith.
Finding a healthy church can be tedious but Scripture helps us with this by giving us handles to discern if what we are being preached is God's gospel or someone else's. Join us as we read 2 Timothy 4:1-4 and learn how Paul charges us to distinguish and remain under healthy teaching.
Join us as we celebrate our risen Lord Jesus and consider what his resurrection means for us today.
Is an encouragement for all of us to stay anchored in the Word of God. If Scripture is truly from God, it affects every aspect of our lives. Join us as we dive into the glorious doctrine of Scripture!
This Sunday we continue our study in 2 Timothy. We will see what it looks like to be a fully-formed disciple of Jesus. Learning new information is part of discipleship, but it’s really only the beginning. Join us as we discover what a fully-formed disciple of Jesus is, and how we can step into what God intended for us.
Continuing from Our Family of Churches Conference 2023, join us as Pastor Aaron Clark from Imago Christi Church moves us into how to love the Lord with all your strength.
Continuing from Our Family of Churches Conference 2023, join us as Pastor Ben Presten from New King Church moves us into how to love the Lord with all your mind.
We were so blessed to join our church plants for Our Family of Churches Conference 2023, our focus this year was on Mark 12:30 with a fresh commitment to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, and strength. Listen as Pastor Michael Badger from Redeemer Church starts our first session with a message on how to love the Lord with all your heart.
Throughout Paul's letter he encourages Timothy not to shy away from the hardships he will face while living out God’s calling. Now Paul warns Timothy that many are living a counterfeit version of the christian life that allows them to appear godly while avoiding the hard work that comes with being an authentic christian. This Sunday we will discover how Paul is exhorting us to put away our natural desires and embrace our calling to live in the Spirit.
Paul and Timothy were faced with personal attacks, persecution, false teachers, and times of discouragement yet Paul instructs Timothy that, in order to be a vessel that is useful to God, he must be kind to everyone. This is only possible if we have experienced and are experiencing God's transformational lovingkindness. This week we will see how the kindness of Jesus can fill our lives and overflow onto those around us.
What do you think of the church in America today? It's easy for us to be discouraged by much of the church news we see in the headlines. Timothy had reason to be discouraged as well, as false teachers were destroying the faith of some believers. Paul reminds him that there's a firm foundation that he can rely upon during difficult times. Come to New King Church this week and hear how Paul encourages this young pastor. [2 Timothy 2:19-22]
At New King, we believe the Bible is more than just a book. We believe it is the very Word of God. There is nothing on this earth with more potential to transform our lives than the Bible. But we need to learn how to “rightly handle the word of truth” if we are going to experience the transforming power that is available to us. This Sunday, join us as we take a deep dive into the Bible in order to learn how we should study the Bible.
In our passage this Sunday, Paul is encouraging Timothy to remember Jesus. But he means more than to simply not forget. The word he uses means to keep something in your mind and not let it go. He’s telling Timothy to continually think about Jesus. But why? And what happens if he doesn’t?Join us this Sunday as we learn what’s at stake if we lose sight of Jesus and how to refocus on Jesus in a distracting world.
In 2 Timothy 2, Paul encourages Timothy to pass on the message of the gospel to others who will in turn pass it on. Join us as we seek to understand the life of a disciple and the calling God has for each of us.
The culture today seems to be a me-first culture that looks to "get" rather than "give". It's based on what I want, being authentic to meeting my needs and fulfilling my dreams. And ditching anything- job, spouse, relationship- that I deem gets in the way with that. Since we're a part of the culture we live in, how do we NOT bring that culture into the church? How do we change from "getters" to "givers"? The key is in a bonus verse, 2 Tim 2:1, that tells us where we get our strength from. (2 Timothy 1:15-2:1)
Paul was able to face head-on the reality of how big, and weighty, and hard the road of faithfulness to the Lord and to his calling on his life was and he could confidently say, “I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able.” This Sunday we will learn one of Paul’s great secrets to this unswerving confidence. I hope to see you there!
Have you ever wished that you could have more courage to share your faith? Ever wished you could naturally bring up spiritual things in conversations? Have you ever had the perfect opportunity to speak up about Jesus, but instead you shrunk back in fear? Well, join the club. We all struggle with fear when it comes to sharing truth with the world around us. In our passage this Sunday, Paul begins to encourage Timothy with wise, spirit-filled words about how he can grow bold in his witness for Christ.Join us as we unpack these ancient words of scripture, and learn how even the most timid among us can find the courage to speak up and point others to Jesus.
This week we begin a new book, II Timothy. Paul is an old man in chains in prison, awaiting execution, and he pens a letter to Timothy, his beloved son in the faith. What does he write? What are his topics? What's important to pass on to Timothy? Come this week to hear an overview of the important themes of this emotional letter of a father to a son. Since we're starting a new book for the New Year, it's a great time to invite a friend, a neighbor, or a family member!
With a New Year comes a sense of expectation and hope for a great year. Join us as we dig into Psalm 1 and discover the secret to a genuinely happy New Year!
Christ is the greatest gift given to mankind, a gift we remember and reflect on most during Christmas. One big question we must ask ourselves, though, is how do we respond to the Gift of Christ?
Christ came to fulfill the covenants that God had made to his people long before: that He would set a Son of David upon his throne forever. The question we must ask ourselves it this: have we joined this Kingdom, or are we continuing to build our own?
This week, as we continue in our Promises of Advent series, we come to the promise of Immanuel, God with us. Join us as we rejoice over the promise that God is indeed with us!
We are continuing this week in our Advent series on the Promises of Christmas! This Sunday, we are looking at the promise from God to Joseph- the promise of a Son who will save his people from their sins.
This week we're starting our Advent Series called The Promises of Christmas. The first one will focus on the Promise of Preparation from Luke 1:13-17. The question is, the preparation for what? Join us as we find out.
If you missed part one of THIS IS US last Sunday, you’ll want to go back and listen to it on our podcast, website, or Facebook. This Sunday we’ll unpack our values of Hospitality and Multiplication and learn what they mean for each one of us in our daily lives. Don’t miss this crucial series about the values that drive New King Church!
For the next two Sundays, we are going to be doing a deep dive into New King’s mission and values. We’ve seen God do incredible things in the past few years through our church, but he’s just getting started. Do you believe that? I hope you do, and I hope you’ll lock arms with us in this mission. These next two weeks call us to refocus on what the Lord has called us to go for together. Don’t miss it. See you Sunday!
What does it mean to live life fully? A google search of that question yields 100’s of lists, books, and websites. A quick perusal of them shows a couple of things at the top of the lists. The first is to “live true to yourself”- you make the rules, you set the standards and you please yourself first. The second most common is to “live for the moment”- you concentrate on the present and have no concern for the future. This week we’ll see what Paul says it means to “take hold of what is REALLY life.” Spoiler alert…it has to do with helping others and living for eternity.
We’re in the last part of 1 Timothy and the tone ramps up. Paul exhorts Timothy “Oh Timothy, you’ve got to flee! You’ve got to pursue! You’ve got to fight! You’ve got to take hold!” Why all this action? And where do we get the energy and perseverance to flee, to pursue, to fight, to take hold? Paul tells Timothy that he has two great sources to draw from: God the creator and Jesus the faithful witness.
In this sermon, Ben digs into 1 Timothy 6:1-10 and answers the question, "Who is the truly rich person in this life?"
How often do we make giving honor a part of our daily or even weekly lives? All too often we see leadership as something to constantly criticize and critique. In 1 Timothy 5:17-25, Paul encourages Timothy to give the elders of the church double honor. The calling to lead God’s church is a difficult one. Join us this Sunday as we consider what double honor even is and how we can show honor to those who lead us well.
God’s family is known by our love for each other, and we love each other by honoring every person in our family, beginning with those who may feel least among us. Few things are more COUNTER-CULTURAL than this. A church that cultivates honor for every member of the family will shine bright in our world today.
In our passage in 1 Timothy, Paul challenges this young pastor to pursue growth in his service to Christ so that “all may see [his] progress.” That admonition has been such a challenge to me personally as of late. I have wondered, “When others look at my life, can they see my progress?” This Sunday we will look at very practical ways that you and I can pursue growth in our spiritual lives, so that 6 months or a year from now, those around us will be able to say, “I see your progress!”
This Sunday we will be having a guest preacher from the ministry Next Level Worship! Dwayne Moore has devoted his life to serving the church by raising up and training worship leaders across the world. He and his team will be leading a conference for worship leaders in the state of Vermont at New King on Saturday. We are excited to hear about his vision for genuine worship within the church!
Where is your devotion and what does devotion look like practically in the life of believers? Join us as we go through 1 Timothy 4:1-5 and learn how we can be devoted to God in our daily pursuit of Him.
Do you like mysteries? Some of the best are the Sherlock Holmes detective series. As you read you try your best to figure it out. In the end, Holmes explains the details and clues that led to the final conclusion, and his sidekick Watson marvels. "Why Holmes, the evidence was in front of our noses the whole time! Now that you've put it all together, it's no mystery at all!" And Holmes replies with his famous line "Elementary my dear Watson, elementary."
Come to New King this Sunday and learn about the greatest mystery of all time. The evidence is there and once we put it together we marvel and exclaim "Great indeed is the mystery of godliness!"
How does serving fit into the life of a Jesus follower? Is it for everyone? How do you serve regularly without burning out? This Sunday we will answer these questions and more as we dig into God’s Word together. Hope to see you there!
How does the church pick a pastor? Seems like we want a pastor first and foremost to be an electrifying speaker- eloquent, commanding, riveting, articulate, and relevant. If he has THAT ability, then there’s no question- he’s the guy for us!
Or is he? Come to New King this Sunday to hear Eric give us a different view from I Timothy 3:1-7. We’ll learn that maybe, just maybe, there’s something that’s much more important than being an electrifying speaker.
Satan has launched an all-out assault on gender in our culture. But why? Of all the things to come after, why gender? This Sunday we will seek to answer that question and we will learn about God’s design for manhood and womanhood within the church. There may be no teaching more counter-cultural than this in our world today. Join us as we learn to love and embrace God’s good design for men and women in the church.
How often do we go about our days without a single thought to the unseen realm all around us? I know for me personally, there are whole days that go by where I don’t give a single thought to the fact that I am in a fight, much less that I have an enemy who wants to destroy my soul. This Sunday we are going to look closer at Paul’s instruction to Timothy to “wage the good warfare” and we’ll examine the weapons that Paul reminds Timothy that he has at his disposal. They are spiritual weapons that Christians often forget to use in our battle against the darkness inside our flesh and all around us.
In the second chapter of 1st Timothy, Paul begins to give instruction on how to effectively carry out the mission of the church. This week we will examine what this mission is and how we are to fulfill it. We will see how God's desire drives our mission and is the reason for how we are to conduct ourselves. Join us as we study 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
In the second chapter of 1st Timothy, Paul begins to give instruction on how to effectively carry out the mission of the church. This week we will examine what this mission is and how we are to fulfill it. We will see how God's desire drives our mission and is the reason for how we are to conduct ourselves. Join us as we study 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
In the second chapter of 1st Timothy, Paul begins to give instruction on how to effectively carry out the mission of the church. This week we will examine what this mission is and how we are to fulfill it. We will see how God's desire drives our mission and is the reason for how we are to conduct ourselves. Join us as we study 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
In the second chapter of 1st Timothy, Paul begins to give instruction on how to effectively carry out the mission of the church. This week we will examine what this mission is and how we are to fulfill it. We will see how God's desire drives our mission and is the reason for how we are to conduct ourselves. Join us as we study 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
In the second chapter of 1st Timothy, Paul begins to give instruction on how to effectively carry out the mission of the church. This week we will examine what this mission is and how we are to fulfill it. We will see how God's desire drives our mission and is the reason for how we are to conduct ourselves. Join us as we study 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
In the second chapter of 1st Timothy, Paul begins to give instruction on how to effectively carry out the mission of the church. This week we will examine what this mission is and how we are to fulfill it. We will see how God's desire drives our mission and is the reason for how we are to conduct ourselves. Join us as we study 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
In the second chapter of 1st Timothy, Paul begins to give instruction on how to effectively carry out the mission of the church. This week we will examine what this mission is and how we are to fulfill it. We will see how God's desire drives our mission and is the reason for how we are to conduct ourselves. Join us as we study 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
In the second chapter of 1st Timothy, Paul begins to give instruction on how to effectively carry out the mission of the church. This week we will examine what this mission is and how we are to fulfill it. We will see how God's desire drives our mission and is the reason for how we are to conduct ourselves. Join us as we study 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
In the second chapter of 1st Timothy, Paul begins to give instruction on how to effectively carry out the mission of the church. This week we will examine what this mission is and how we are to fulfill it. We will see how God's desire drives our mission and is the reason for how we are to conduct ourselves. Join us this Sunday as we study 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
Paul’s first letter to Timothy is all about how we’re to conduct ourselves in the church, the household of God. Last week, we looked at teachers in the household of God, both good and bad. This week, Paul transitions to worship in the household of God- who we worship and why we worship. Join us this week as we look at I Timothy 1:12-17.
Today’s culture has a myriad of voices telling us how to live our lives. This is also true for Christian church, the household of God. The various media sources are chock full of Bible teachers vying for our attention. Who do we listen to? Who has the authority to speak to us, to teach and instruct us and who doesn’t? Join us to hear what Paul has to say to Timothy (I Timothy 1:6-11) about teachers in the household of God- how to distinguish the good ones from the not so good ones.
This Sunday we are excited to be launching into a brand new series called Counter-Culture going through 1st and 2nd Timothy. Ever wonder why Christians care so much about what people believe? Can’t we all just agree to disagree and live in peace and harmony? God’s word shows us that beliefs have consequences. Right beliefs lead to right living. And wrong beliefs lead to broken lives and a broken society. And so it matters very much that our beliefs align with the truth. Join us as we begin our study in 1st Timothy!
We’ve been given a seemingly impossible task; the evangelization and discipleship of the whole world. And deep down each of us knows we’re not qualified for the job! We are anxious, stumbling, struggling, weak disciples ourselves. How will we play a role in accomplishing this great mission? This Sunday we’ll look closely at WHAT exactly was commanded of us in the Great Commission, as well as WHO has commanded it. And finally, we will examine HOW He said it would be done, so that we can step into this mission armed with truth and filled with faith. Don’t miss this Sunday as we conclude our series in the book of Matthew!
We celebrate Christ's resurrection, but when Jesus rose from the grave, many of his closest followers did not believe he was truly alive. Jesus' death on the cross left his followers scared and confused wondering how this could have happened. Even though Jesus told them about his coming death and resurrection, it did not fit with their plans and it greatly shook their faith. The resurrected Christ reveals himself to his followers in various ways that renewed their faith and strengthened it for the work ahead. This week we will celebrate Christ's powerful resurrection and examine how we can respond when our faith is lacking.
All of Matthew and all of human history have been building to this crescendo. God's Son is hanging on a cross, beaten, bloody, rejected, and despised. Why did it all come to this? Why did Jesus have to die? We've all heard that Jesus died to offer us forgiveness of our sins, but what if that's only a part of the reason Jesus died? What if that isn't even the main thing his death accomplished? What if I told you that the cross was a key that unlocks never ending, ever increasing joy for all who believe? This week we will look at the centerpiece of human history with the Scripture as or lens and see the chief reason for the death of God's Son.
In our study of Matthew, we now come to the point where Jesus is put on trial before the Roman governor Pilate (Matt 27:11-26). Pilate's not quite sure what to do with this "King of the Jews", so he appeals to the crowd. "who do you choose?" he asks, "Jesus the Christ or Barabbas the murderer?" To this day, we're shocked when the crowd chooses the murderer. We know that we'd have made the right choice. We know the full story...
Or do we? join New King this week and learn some surprising things about the situation, especially how relevant the question is for our day.
Who do you choose?
Sin will take you further than you want to go and keep you longer than you want to be there. I dob't think Judas realized just how far things would go when he offered to lead the religious leaders to Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. When Judas saw that Jesus was actually condemned to die, he regretted his sin. He was overcome with guilt and tried to give the money he was paid back to the chief priests. He even made a confession of his sin. You could say that Judas repented. He hated what he'd done. He made an effort to turn back from his sin, but his repentance wasn't true repentance, because true repentance leads to life and Judas' repentance led only to death. This week we will learn to discern the difference between true and false repentance.
We all know what it's like to get taken by surprise in a moment of temptation, and we all know how it feels to limp away from that battle with a bloody nose. The Bible sometimes calls that the 'hour of temptation' or 'hour of trial.' In our passage this week, we are going to learn from Jesus how to stand up straight in the hour of temptation and come out of it honoring God with our character still in tact. If you're tired of limping away from your hour of temptation and you want to learn how to stand firm in trials, Join us this week!
Up to this point in Matthew's gospel, Jesus remained calm in every obstacle and situation. In the face of snarling demons, He simply said 'come out'. In the face of vehement accusations, He quietly answered with a teaching, parable, or probing question. In the face of a raging sea, he responded 'peace, be still." But now we're in for a surprising change. This Sunday, we have Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and His response is very different. The Son of God, the King himself, is staggered with emotion. What could possibly bring the King to his knees in emotion so intense that it feels like death? Join us this week as we consider the astonishing agony of the King and what it means.
Have you ever felt like you sinned too much to be of use to God? Have you ever felt so ashamed of your sin that you avoided prayer? We've all been in that place of shock at how sinful we truly are, and wondered if there was any way the Lord would still want us. This week we are going to be looking at Peter's greatest failure along with his restoration. We will learn what we should do after we blow it and turn away from the Lord. We'll learn how to deal with failure so that we, too, can be restored.
The Lord is doing a fresh work in my heart, you might even call it a 'Gospel Awakening.' I am coming awake once more to the astounding gift of grace that is ours because of the cross. My eyes are beginning to open up to a new discoveries found within the old truths of the good news. There is a lightness and a freedom in my heart. There is a joy and a renewed excitement in my relationship with Christ. I am seeing that the finished work of Christ on the cross is really and truly sufficient for our current, ongoing struggles in this life, not just our past sin. I see that the Gospel is more powerful, more expansive, and more satisfying than I've ever experienced. I see that practical holiness is a work of grace that comes through faith and nothing less. And all of this ties back to the simple, but powerful practice of communion. I can't wait to share the things the Lord has been revealing to me. I'm praying that he will open your hearts to a fresh discovery of the Gospel. Come expectant. - Pastor Ben Presten
What's your legacy? How long will you be remembered after your life ends? To put it another way, many of us have clear memories of our grandparents and a few of us may even remember our great grandparents. Beyond that, well we might not even know the names of our great grandparents or what they did for a living. They've fallen out of memory. This Sunday, we welcome back Eric to preaching! He will start off a new section of Matthew's Gospel: The Passion of the King. In these beginning verses, we'll see something touching and beautiful wedged between two ugly incidents describing the betrayal of Jesus. While all three have come down to us over the centuries, Jesus says that one of them will be remembered and proclaimed whenever the Gospel is told. Join us this Sunday and find out how to make memories that last.
This Sunday we wrap up the Olivet Discourse where Jesus is answering his disciples' questions about the end of the ages and the coming of His Kingdom. In this passage, we will get greater insight into why God will judge the world through His Son, as well as what it will be like to stand before Him on that fateful day. We will learn who will be welcomed into His Kingdom, and who will be sent away into everlasting punishment. Don't miss this very important sermon on the final judgement that is coming!
This week we will be learning about Jesus' parable of the talents. We will see that God considers us fellow workers in His Kingdom, and we'll see why that is quite a responsibility. The question we must all ask ourselves is: Am I serving Christ with what He's given me? Join us as we dig deep into this passage of Scripture together.
The last few years have left many of us tired and cynical about the future. We wonder why get our hopes up just to have them dashed with another disappointment, but the Bible would instruct us differently. The Bible would tell us to lift our drooping heads. The Bible would tell us to get out hopes up! Because Biblical hope doesn’t disappoint. This Easter, join us as we look to the resurrection of Jesus and learn why we can have a joyful, confident hope even in the midst of a broken world. Even if you’ve never come to New King or we haven’t seen you in a long time, we would be thrilled to see you this Sunday.
This week we will continue in Matthew 24 with the Olivet Discourse. Jesus explains to his disciples, and by extension us, what to look for as the end of the ages draws near. The question many of us have as we read of world events is -- Are these the last days? Join us as we learn from the mouth of Jesus what to look for, and what to expect as we await His second coming.
This week Lucius will be preaching from Matthew 24 where Jesus talks about end times and prophecies of wars and destruction. But in the midst of it all, Christ is calling us to remain faithful to His Kingdom and endure to the end.
This week we are continuing where we left off last week in Matthew 23. In part two, we're going to stay on the topic of habits. Ben will share ways in which we can replace some of our bad habits with new ones that can shape our hearts to love God.
We are back in Matthew, learning from the poor example of the scribes and pharisees once again. They had heads full of Scripture, but their lives were still marked by hypocrisy, people-pleasing, and sin. They preached God's Word, but failed to put it into practice. We will see why intentional habits are so very important if we want to avoid becoming Pharisees. Our habits actually have the power to change our lives for good or for ill.
The Lord has done so much in the past few years, but now is not the time for us to let up! There are disciples yet to be made and churches yet to be planted. These are evil days, but God is not threatened. His Gospel is not bound. His Kingdom will advance. If the fire of your faith has smoldered, join us this Sunday and let God reinvigorate your passion.
This week, we're back in our Kingdom Come series. Jesus has been firing more pointed critiques at the religious leaders. He is exposing them for who they really are, and now they attempt to fight back. How will Jesus stand up against the greatest minds of His day? How will He navigate the trap they set for Him? Why do we learn about Jesus, and how should we live differently based on what we see?
Join us as we hear from Pastor Tim Owens, a fellow pastor in Vermont! Tim has played many roles in the local church and is currently the planting and lead pastor at Mission City Church in Rutland. We are grateful for his service to New King and are excited to sit under his teaching!
Join us as we hear from Pastor Brandon Mallette of Valleydale Church! Brandon is the College Pastor at Valleydale, one of New King's partner and supporting churches. He has been on staff and leading the College Ministry for over five years. He will be preaching for us from 2 Corinthians 10:1-5.
This week we will be digging deeper into what might appear to be a random story in the middle of Matthew 21 (verses 18-22). After Jesus cleanses the Temple, we read about Him cursing the barren fig tree. Why is this story relevant to all that Jesus is doing and teaching in Jerusalem? What does it have to do with us, if anything? Join us as we dive into the meaning of this story and see what it means for our lives today.
This is a trailer for our new podcast called For Your Joy created to restore your faith in a world of discouragement. Join Ben & Lucius as they discuss the truths that have the power to restore your joy and spur you on in the faith regardless of the challenges you might face. Use this link to follow this podcast on your favorite listening app: https://anchor.fm/for-your-joy
This week we're going to look at the Parable of the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22:1-14. That's the one that strikes terror in our hearts! The King inspects the guests and finds a person without a wedding garment, and he's thrown into outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth. What kind of king is this? What kind of a kingdom is this? Am I dressed appropriately?? Come this Sunday and be surprised at the answer!
Do you ever wonder what God wants you to do with your life? Do you ever wonder if it really matters whether or not you are committed to a local church? This week we are going to be looking at the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple in Matthew 21. We will learn how this story applies to the church today. We will see just what each one of us should be giving our lives to day in and day out. God has a clear purpose for the church, a clear purpose for our lives. Join us as we learn what that is.
What does it mean to be truly great? What does it mean to hold authority and to lead? The world (and worldly churches) produce leaders, pastors, husbands, and fathers that are domineering, abusive, irresponsible, and self-interested. The answer of many today is to revolt, rejecting authority altogether. But what is Christ's Way to greatness? What is greatness in His Kingdom? Come and find out.
One of the first phrases that we voice as children is 'that's not fair!' No one has to teach us to say that when we're given a smaller piece of birthday cake or have an earlier bedtime than our siblings. It seems we have this innate sense of getting what we deserve that we carry into adulthood -- to our jobs, our relationships, and even to the church. Join us as we return to Matthew's Gospel where Jesus tells the parable of the workers in the vineyard to teach us about how the Kingdom of Heaven works. Is it based on fairness or on what we deserve? No, it's based on the riches of grace bestowed by the Master of the vineyard.
Whew! We made it through another difficult year! What will 2022 bring and how will we handle it? We begin with the most fundamental qualities of self -- our identity. Our core identity determines our values and our actions, how we think and how we live. Join us as we study Ephesians 2:1-10 and learn who we were, who we are, how we got there, and what we are to do.
Start the New Year off on the right foot! Maybe this past year, you’ve gotten out of the habit of coming to church or your prayer life has suffered or your worship hasn’t been whole-hearted. If that’s you, we encourage you to get on your knees and confess that to God. Don’t come into 2022 with unrepented sin.
The last couple of years have taken a toll on us. Anxiety and depression were already an epidemic in our country. The pandemic, social and political unrest, and divisions have only exacerbated our sense of foreboding. Our world only offers us coping mechanisms and management tools for our anxiety, but the Bible offers us a solution. This Sunday we are going to learn why Jesus is called the Prince of Peace and how we can experience real peace through Jesus here and now.
This weekend we'll continue our Advent series looking more closely at the person of Jesus. This Sunday we will be considering the Lordship of Christ. What does that really mean and how does it influence the way we relate to Jesus? The fact that Jesus is Lord has more implications for our daily lives than we can possibly imagine. We hope you will join us as we come together to learn more about our Savior, who is Lord.
Last Sunday we started an Advent series to celebrate the coming of our Savior Jesus into the world. We dove into the Old Testament looking at Jesus as the Son of David, the long-promised king. This Sunday, we will look at what is behind Jesus' most used title for himself: the Son of Man. Why did he prefer this title for himself even though almost no one else used it in reference to Him? We'll see that it's because it unpacks mysteries about the Gospel that had been hidden for ages. Join us as we see these glorious mysteries for ourselves! We'll be in Daniel 7:13-14.
This Sunday we're starting an Advent series at New King to celebrate the coming of our Savior Jesus into the world. Each week, we'll look at a different title used for Him, such as Son of Man or Son of God. This week, we'll dip into the Old Testament and will look at Jesus as the Son of David, the long-promised king. Join us as we shout "Hosanna, to the Son of David!"
This week we are learning about the encounter Jesus has with a rich young ruler. This young man was invited to be one of Jesus' disciples, and he turned it down. Something else had his heart, and it can easily have ours too. Join us as we learn how to fight against the blinding effects of money in our own lives.
There are so many ideas surrounding marriage, but what does God's Word actually say about these things? Listen as we learn about King Jesus' vision for marriage, how He allows for divorce, and why He commends celibacy.
In the household of God, our Father expects His kids to live in loving relationship with each other. But for some reason, that isn't always easy. We are still broken people, and that result is that our relationships are frequently broken to one degree or another. We are wounded, and we wound others. We are criticized, and we are critical. In Matthew 18:15-35, we'll learn from Jesus how we can still practically experience deep, loving relationship with our brothers and sisters. We'll learn how to be set free from a critical spirit. We'll also learn about conflict resolution in the family of God.
In Matthew 18, Jesus says that unless we turn and become like children, we can't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Becoming a child of God involves trust and humility and results in peace and joy. But we aren't home yet. There is darkness and danger all around us. There are enemies seeking to destroy us. What are they? How do we fight in the battle? How do we complete the journey home?
Jesus had no problem befriending tax collectors and prostitutes. He went to their parties, dined at their tables, and was associated with drunks and gluttons. But something wore on Him to the point that He exclaims, "How long am I to bear with you?!" It caused him to survey the landscape of the culture around Him and call it a 'twisted generation'. You might look around today and think the very same thing about our own culture. What turns a people into a 'twisted generation'? And how can we keep ourselves from such a fate?
The King Jesus had performed miracles, but He had not as of yet shown His glory and His power - not until the day of His Transfiguration. The greatest Apostles (Peter, James, and John) would look back at the moment and recount how they had seen His glory. Come and behold Him in His glory!
What kind of path is our King Jesus calling us to take? We're going to see in this week's passage that He's calling us to take a path like the one He took - a path that will require us to deny ourselves and to give our lives away. Join us to learn about the path of the Kingdom citizen.
A few weeks ago, Eric was talking to someone about his faith and he asked her where she was on her faith journey. She paused. "I have so many questions," she finally replied. "So many questions for God."
That resonates with all of us -- those beginning the journey and those far along the path with God. But the most important question ever asked is posed to us from the Lord Himself. And our answer determines everything about the rest of our lives and our eternity.
Join us as we continue our study in Matthew 16 and see Jesus pose the question and Peter's answer.
In the end of Matthew 15, Jesus yet again feeds a multitude with a few loaves and small fish. Soon after that, near the beginning of chapter 16, the disciples are worrying about not having bread to eat even though they are with Jesus. How disappointing to see their small faith! But between the miracle of feeding the second multitude and the sputtering faith of the disciples, something occurred that affected them, even though they were unaware. The same thing happens to us. Join us as we learn to become aware of all that weakens our faith.
When we need God to come through for us or we are in serious trouble, how do we pray for breakthrough? Join us as we dive back into Matthew 15 to learn how one unlikely woman received a miracle from Jesus. From this story, we will learn the secret to praying for breakthrough.
Fewer young people are identifying as Bible-believing followers of Jesus. Christians need to make some radical shifts in how we think about training up the next generation because what we've been doing isn't working. Some 70-80% of kids raised in Christian homes walk away from the faith by the end of their freshman year of college. Fortunately, we have a perfect example to learn from in our Heavenly Father.
This Sunday we will look at how God fathered His children and see what needs to change in how we are raising up the next generation to follow Jesus. This will be a great sermon for singles, young people, parents, and older folks alike. We all have much to learn and a part to play in helping the next generation find and follow Jesus.
In Matthew 15, Jesus has another run-in with the Pharisees and this time he calls them out for their hypocrisy. Jesus rebukes them for talking a big talk, but not really loving God at all. How did they get to this place -- going through the motions of religion without a heart that burned for God? And how does the very same thing happen to us? We'll learn three big lessons from this passage that can guard us from accidentally becoming Pharisees ourselves.
Just one look at the news and we begin to get that sinking feeling - fires, floods, the virus, wars and violence. We feel like we're in the middle of a storm, sinking into the cold waters of doubt. The interesting thing about Jesus is that He's often there, right in the eye of the storm. That's where he shows up and we see who He really is. Join us as we take a little walk with Peter right into the storm.
Have you found yourself in a desolate place or a dark time? Have you found yourself with not nearly enough means to meet the need? So did the disciples. Yet Christ showed His power to satisfy even in desolate places.
This Sunday we see what happens when Jesus gets word that his cousin, John the Baptist, has been murdered. Instead of responding with rage or even giving up on sinful humanity, we see Jesus respond in a surprising way. The sinfulness of those around Jesus did not smother the flame of his love for sinners. Join us Sunday as we peer into the heart of the Savior and learn to love the way he loved.
This next story in Matthew that we are studying is about how those most familiar with Jesus rejected Him as the Messiah. We are going to look at the dangers of familiarity and how that same thing can sometimes happen to us.
From one perspective, the Christian life might look like sacrifice and from another it might look like gain. For example, take the Apostle Paul who was whipped, stoned, imprisoned and hunted the entire time he followed Jesus. He certainly made sacrifices. But from another perspective, Paul didn't "sacrifice" anything. From his perspective, his life looked like gain. Throughout Paul's journeys, he experienced a joy unlike anything he'd ever known before, a joy that made al the losses he experienced seem like nothing. This Sunday, we learn more about the joy that comes from discovering the treasure of the Kingdom of Heaven.
What is the Kingdom of Christ (Kingdom of Heaven) like? Jesus teaches us parables that begin to answer this question. The first thing He wants us to know about His Kingdom is that it's a mixed bag! The Lord is calling us to not take our eternal comfort from being in a church, but to instead seek fruitfulness by His Spirit and by faith. Join us to learn more.
We all love a good story, don't we? It seems that Jesus did as well.
In Matthew 13, Jesus tells seven short stories or parables and after the first, the disciples ask Him, "Why do you speak in parables?" Jesus' reply indicates that stories are far older, stretching back across the centuries to the great prophet Isaiah. This Sunday we hear the surprising explanation of the purpose of the parables and their effect on the hearers. Do you have ears to hear?
This Sunday, we started a new series called The King's Parables.
The Word of God has life-imparting power. Like a seed that contains within it all of the potential for generations of fruit, every time you hear the Word of God, it brings with it the power to change your life. However, just as a seed must go down into the earth, the Word must go down into our hearts in order to grow up into maturity. We must hear it for what it truly is. Join us as we learn what we can do to release the power-packed Word of God into our lives so that we might bear fruit to the glory of God.
This Sunday, we looked at the Old Testament characters of Saul and David to learn what caused Saul's downfall as king and what drew the Lord to David as his replacement. Come and learn how to be a man or woman who is after God's heart.
Join us for a special guest preacher. Ben Whittinghill from Rivertown Church in Brattleboro will be joining us.
When asked for a sign, Jesus responded that "no sign will be given to you except the sign of the prophet Jonah." Surprisingly, the sign of Jonah is a complex sign that reaches across the ages and shows God's supreme control of governments to bring about His purposes. Join us as we continue our series in Matthew.
God's Kingdom has come, in the power of the Spirit, to despoil demons! To free prisoners from Satanic slavery! And yet, there are those who will oppose the liberating work of the Spirit and the power of Christ's Kingdom to such an extent, that they will forfeit all forgiveness and lose all room for repentance. Join us to hear about the great work of the Spirit and about the one sin that is unpardonable.
Tensions mount between Jesus and the religious leaders of the day. The Pharisees come to the decision to destroy Jesus. But what brings them to this point of insanity? What was it that made these men so blind and what can we learn from their horrible error? Join us as we continue our study in Matthew.
What does Jesus have to say to those of us who feel weary? What can we do if we feel weighed down by the trials of this life or weighed down by guilt? Jesus offers us rest for our souls, but there is something we must do. Join us as we learn how to find rest for our weary souls.
After a long hiatus, we return to Matthew's Gospel chapter 11! Immediately we find this question to Jesus from John the Baptist: 'Are you the one?' There is no question more important in our lives and for all eternity than this one.
Listen to hear Jesus' response as He deals with doubt, discontentment and disbelief.
This Sunday is Vision Sunday! We will zoom out and get a 30,000-foot view of where we are heading and what we should be focusing on as a church. God is doing some remarkable things in and through New King, and we believe there are big things in store for us in the days ahead. Come and learn about the ways God is leading and how you can get in on it.
You have knowledge of the Gospel and of repentence, so why do you still feel weak and ineffective? There could be a few reasons! But what if it's because you have not received by faith the promise of power? Join us this Sunday as we discuss the mighty power of the Spirit at work!
This weekend we were excited to celebrate the St. Albans church plant of Redeemer Church! In honor of that, we have a team-teaching with Pastor Ben and Pastor Michael Badger (soon to be pastor of Redeemer Church) on Jeremiah 1:1-12. This is what it's all about, seeing the kingdom advance through the multiplication of healthy, Christ-exalting churches.
This Sunday, Pastor Ben preached a message on the Ten Commandments and what they tell us about our awesome God. We tend to look at the Ten Commandments as a stand alone list of rules, but taken in the context of the unfolding story in Exodus, the Ten Commandments were so much more than just a list of rules. They were an introduction to the God who had just rescued the Israelites from Egypt. This week we’ll see what things we can learn about who God is by looking at the Ten Commandments.
Ben walks us through some of the first trials that Israel faced after the Exodus from Egypt: believing that God truly was among them.
Easter is a time of remembering the resurrection of our great King Jesus and what this day means to believers and the life we live day to day until we see Him again. Join us as we learn what our faith in Jesus calls us to and to celebrate the goodness of the gospel proclaimed in Jesus!
We've learned so much about the complete grace we receive in Christ through faith. He's our perfect sacrifice, our High Priest, etc. So if His work is complete, is His work IN US complete? Not yet! Join us to strengthen your faith for the work ahead.
Over the last three weeks, we’ve learned of the unshakable grace we have through Jesus that gives us a clear conscious before God. However, many times we find our very position before God attacked with thoughts like “God doesn’t really love me” or “my Christian life is just a hoax- who am I kidding?” or “I can’t talk to my friend about Jesus- I’m such a failure.” This Sunday, we’ll look at an amazing portion of scripture that will give us insight as to where these accusations come from and how to have victory over them.
We were made to be satisfied by one thing alone...the presence of God. Under the New Covenant of grace, we have been given access to his presence, but it's up to us to draw near. How do we draw near to a holy God when we are so far from holy? How can we have confidence to approach a God who is so awesome? This week we learn the answers to these crucial questions and gain the confidence to enjoy the amazing God who created us.
Last week we learned that we are not under the law anymore. We're under grace. We don't service God in the old ways of the written code, but in the new way of the Spirit. Now we dive into how a person lives in this new way of the Spirit, under grace.
This Sunday Ben kicked off a new mini-series called Unshakable.
What has the power to make us stable and immovable in unstable times? What can keep us from the constant ups and downs we are so prone to experiencing day-to-day? We believe that the church needs a reawakening to the grace of God that is offered to us in the Gospel. When we are captivated by the Gospel of grace we can joyfully endure whatever comes our way. Only grace can stabilize and energize the believer through the trials we will all face.
After commissioning the Christian witness, Christ describes their reality: hated by the world. But knowing they are to be hated, what should their manner of a witness be? Courageous.
We've seen Jesus commission His disciples for a mission, but how will the world treat those that the King sends out? Hatefully. This Sunday we hear what realities we should expect in our Christian witness, and how that expectation should shape our witness.
This Sunday Aaron shows us how our King is a Sending King. When the King sees the state of the people, how does He address the situation? By sending workers invested with His authority.
Our sermon series in Matthew has been all about the authority of Jesus. When we hear the word 'authority', we can recoil at the thought of a dictatorial leader that heartlessly imposes his will on those in his or her charge. In this message, Eric shows us how The King's Authority is radically different and profoundly compassionate.
As we continue in our series in Matthew, we read in Chapter 9 that Jesus encounters a man who is paralyzed. But before he heals him, he forgives him of his sins. The crazy thing is that he didn't even ask for forgiveness! This Sunday, Ben shares why Jesus first addressed the man's sins before his healing and what that has to do with Christians today.
We've seen Jesus' absolute authority over our visible world -- leprosy, disease, fever, wind and waves -- but what about the invisible world of spiritual beings? What happens when Jesus encounters a powerful, rebellious, spiritual being? Does his authority extend even there and does any of this have bearing on the world in which we live today?
This Sunday, we continue in our Kingdom Come series as Pastor Michael Badger teaches us how Jesus' authority ought to set the standard of discipleship and why He is worthy of it all. Matthew 8:18-27.
This Sunday we started a new series on the King's Authority. Pastor Aaron shows us the significance of how Jesus' authority was far different than that of every earthly conception of authority.
As we look forward to 2021, we must change our focus. For many of us, our focus has been on the unprecedented storm of events in 2020 resulting in feelings of hopelessness, powerlessness, and discouragement. We're beaten down by the wind and the waves of these events and fear grips us as we feel ourselves sink.
This Sunday Eric takes us through Colossians 3 to see how raising our focus to Jesus and His things will not only give us a new perspective of hope, but energize us to make a difference in 2021.
Often we can find ourselves not looking forward to the time to come and what is promised to us in Scripture. With the promise of Jesus coming back- at any moment- we should be living in expectant hope and eagerness for that time. In Luke 2:25-38, Simeon and Anna are a great model for us, they were long awaiting their Savior and when Jesus came, they were ready. Are we?
What would our lives look like if we saw things from Heaven's perspective? This Sunday Pastor Ben leads us through Luke 2:1-20 as we see how the shepherds were given a fresh perspective on their earthly troubles and how they received heavenly news with great joy.
Pastor Aaron continues our Advent series called: A Thrill of Hope by looking at the life of Mary. She was favored by God and demonstrated deep faith in Him to do the impossible. Join us this Sunday to find out how Mary's example applies to us, the Church.
This Sunday Eric Carter kicks off our new Advent series called: A Thrill of Hope. Over the next four weeks we will look at different characters around the time Jesus was born and find out how they reacted to this new reality.
All throughout the New Testament we are shown the importance of baptism and how it is a mark of obedience in our walk of faith. This Sunday Pastor Ben goes over what baptism signals in the life of a believer with a call to walk in obedient faith with our Heavenly Father.
This Sunday we took a break in our Matthew series to hear how God has been working in and through our church by hearing testimonies from those in our church! We hope you are encouraged and your faith is strengthened by what was shared. All praise be to God for all the work He is doing!
As Jesus concludes his Sermon on the Mount, he aims to bring his hearers to a decision. But apparently not everyone who calls Jesus their Lord is actually a Christian. How do we discern if we are truly saved?
Many of us have difficult relationships with our earthly fathers. As fathers in this fallen world, we admit that we fail in so many ways - we're distant, we're harsh, we desert. And that may cause you to disregard our heavenly Father. This Sunday, we'll look at how Jesus describes a better relationship with a Father that longs for conversation with us and won't disappoint.
Our culture has a definite view of 'judgment' - it condemns it! But is that what Christ taught us? Is that what He meant when He said, "Judge not"? This Sunday, we're exploring the Scriptures to get a better picture of what exactly we're called to when it comes to 'judgment.'
Anxiety and stress reveal something to us the way a warning light on your dashboard reveals a problem under the hood. Your anxiety is telling you something....But what's it saying?
Out of all the things we make time for every day are we prioritizing prayer like Jesus did? In Matthew 6:7-15 we are taught not only how to pray by Jesus but also to value and honor the One we are praying to. If there is one thing that makes the enemy tremble- it is prayer.
Matthew 6:1-18.
Who do you live to please? Who are you when nobody is watching? Towards what reward are you striving after? When your audience is the One to Whom everything was meant to point towards, the questions don't only get answered- but lived out.
As modern-day Christians, how do we view the law? How should we view the law? What does the Old Testament mean for us in the present? Jesus' answer in Matthew 5:17-32 shows us how we are to honor the law and how we are to see what His sacrifice means for where we are in relation to the law.
In the most famous sermon preached Jesus clarifies the blessed life we are intended to live as opposed to the life we see lived out in the world around us. Continuing on in Matthew in chapter 5, verses 5-13, we see what "right-side-up living" looks like and how that will look in an upside-down world.
From Matthew 5:1-10, The Beatitudes call us into the realization of what the blessed life looks like along with how Jesus works on people- through their heart. Pastor Ben explains these to us with applications throughout scripture and shows how upside-down the teachings of Jesus are compared to what the world teaches.
When it comes to the topic of the Kingdom of Heaven, we can quickly read over it without stopping to pause at what that Kingdom looks like as opposed to what earthly kingdoms look like. In this message from Matthew 4:12-25, Pastor Ben talks about what the Kingdom of Heaven looks like (as opposed to the ones we are familiar with), Who is the King of Heaven is, how does a person enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and what our part to play in it is.
Our scripture for this Sunday was Matthew 2:1-11. We focused on who the wisemen were and how their reactions to the news of the coming Christ set them apart from the multitudes- which should be said of us as well.
How can we have courage in what we believe if we don't hold fast to the truth of what we believe? And how can we take courage in times of great disorientation when all isn't going as we have planned? Both of these questions find their answers in the Word of God and what He has given us by the gift of His Son.
This Sunday we kick off our new sermon series on the study of Matthew starting in chapter 1:1-17; The Genealogy of Jesus Christ. Through this record of the origin of Jesus, we can see that God is not limited by broken people or a broken history to bring His glory into fruition. He is faithful to bring us to Him despite our shortcomings.
What does it look like for us to seek and and do justice? What does it look like?
This Sunday we are in Luke 10:25-37 and Micah 6:8 and learn from the Good Samaritan what it looks like to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God.
God loves justice, in fact, His throne is founded on righteousness and justice (Psalm 89:14). In His Word it reveals that justice and righteousness go hand-in-hand, when we value one without the other we no longer are acting in accord with either.
Our Father, the Creator of all, created us in His image. So, as Christians we need to weep with our brothers and sisters, who have all been made in the same image, and look not look with partiality but with equality of love for God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11).
Today's scripture comes from James 2:1-13.
Unity can only be found by people who practice and cherish Christ’s attitude of humility and submission and that will lead to suffering. Christ emptied himself, changing his setting, changed his social class, he surrendered his riches for poverty, and he exchanged comfort. What are you being called to do? What kind of change is He calling for your life?
This week our sermon scripture is 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. Pastor Aaron asks the question, "Is unity possible?" During times like these it's hard to know how we can be unified as a church, a community, or even a nation; they all look quite bleak. But when we look to scripture we can find hope in the Word of our living God.
This Sunday we are in Matthew 24:12&13 and looking at what God has to say about times like these when lawlessness seems to continue to spread and love is lacking. What is the reaction of the church and God's people?
This Sunday, we continue in our 'God Is' series as we search to know more about God through what He reveals to us in His word. We explore what the gospel is and how we can be quick to make God to fit what our expectations are rather than taking Him at His word and our tendency to set our hearts and minds on the greatness of Heaven rather than the greatness of our God.
The love the Father has for the Son has been lavished on us as believers through the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ- so what does that mean for us? How can we display that to others? This Sunday Pastor Ben highlights the truth in John 17:20-23 and continues off of Pastor Aaron's sermon (Sunday 5/17/20) on 'God is Love' so that we can have greater understanding on the love God has in His Son and Spirit and how we are welcomed into that love as believers!
Join our pastors- Michael, Ben, and Aaron, as they discuss this past Sunday's sermon on "God is Love" and share what they learned.
Because God never changes, we can trust him no matter what happens in our lives. In this sermon we learn the practical implications of this attribute of God on our everyday lives. Do you struggle to understand why the definition of morality changes with every generation? Do you want to stand on a solid rock no matter what happens in our world? Then, you need to learn about the aseity of God - that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
What do you run to when the pressures of life bear down on you? When you feel stressed, or bored, or discouraged, do you escape into social media, or food, or sleep? Do you run to entertainment, or distraction so that you don't have to think about your situation? God wants us to run to Him first. In this sermon we learn how we can run to God as our refuge from every pressure we experience in life.
With so much happening in this season and so much uncertainty, there is One we can be certain of and He is in control.
Join us as our Pastors discuss questions from the Easter sermon and go into more detail on the joy of Christ!
Listen along as our pastors discuss Sunday's sermon along with questions from the sermon in our new series "GOD IS".
Pastor Ben teaches us about what God is saying to the world. Verse reference: Hosea 2:6-8, 13-15
With how easy it is to be fearful with all the news that we receive daily, it is important that we are kept mindful of Who has authority over our lives. Our scripture today was James 5:13-18, out of this James talks about the prayer of faith and we learn what that means for us as the body of Christ.
In the Great Commission from Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus calls us to make disciples but He gives us two very important directions within that call that we can quickly overlook or fail to take seriously. We need to be certain that within the call to go and make disciples we are teaching others to obey gospel and then to respond to the gospel- through the gift of baptism.
From our sermon this past Sunday on James 5:1-11, we are continuing to explore the weight of suffering and what that means for our fellow Christians around the world along with how we can honor God in our own dealings in suffering. Be sure to subscribe and listen along as we try to apply these teachings practically and purposefully each week.
There tends to be two misconceptions when it comes to patience in suffering, we tend to see it as passive and sometimes pointless, if we are being honest with ourselves. However, we are shown in our passage today of James 5:1-11 that patience is active and purposeful as long as we are waiting in hope in Christ.
Episode #5 - Coffee with the Pastors of New King Church - 2/24/2020 Pastors of New King Church in Burlington, VT discuss this past Sunday's sermon - James 4:13-17 - on how "Boasting about tomorrow" is evil, but it's looked at as normal and "wise" in our own culture.
What are your plans for the next week? The next year? Or even the next 5-10 years? Making plans tends to be a way that we can stay organized and on track, but we need to make certain that we are putting our plans at the feet of our Father. We need to be planning in submission to the will of God and letting Him direct our steps, we are shown in James 4:13-17 that anything else is boasting. The frailty of tomorrow is that we know not what it will bring, but our Heavenly Father does.
Reading from James 4:6-10 this Sunday, Pastor Ben broke it down into more a more understandable framework for our daily lives. How can we humble ourselves and submit to God? How do we recognize the devil enough to know when to fight and resist him? What does it look like and feel like to draw near to God? How can we cleanse our hands and purify our hearts? Let us be a people broken for what grieves our Heavenly Father.
Welcome to the beginning stages of our new podcast: Coffee With The Pastors! We are in the process of beginning a new podcast that welcomes listeners to the pastoral discussions that follow our Sunday sermons mixed with the personality of our unique team. We hope that our insights and conversations are uplifting to your week as we seek to follow Christ wholeheartedly.
This week, we looked at James' warning about worldliness and his challenge to us to put God at the center of our world. When making sacrifices in our day-to-day life, what are we willing to compromise on? The scripture focus was on James 4:1-5, with James showing where our true allegiances are, to be aware of our intentions and what our choices lead us to.
We are in week 5 of our series on the book of James with our focus this Sunday being James 3:13-18. Who is wise? How can we be wise? And where should we look for wisdom? We explore this as we look into what James has to say about wisdom and where tend to fall short.
NKC #Burlington #Vermont
Join us in our first sermon in our new sermon series Wisdom for Life that we are studying out of the book of James!
God asks us to be faithful with where we are before He leads us to where He can use us. By being good stewards in what we have now we are honoring God and waiting for His timing and His plan. God's work will always be His idea, will always begin with His initiative, and if God has initiated a work He will see it through. "Keep your eyes open to where the invisible but involved God is at work." Pastor Ben
Jesus is so good. He loves us so much and asks for so very little. This Sunday we looked at Luke 10:38 with the story of Mary and Martha and studied the relationship that Jesus invites us into through the example that they leave us. We are called to serve God, it is good to do so, but we need to be careful that we aren't letting our serving become an idol. We need to intentional about taking the time to sit at Jesus' feet and worship Him through soaking in His divine presence.
This Sunday at New King we learned about God Doing Work - how rebels come into the presence of a Holy King. Come and feast on God’s Word as we see what God is doing in the world and how He’s accomplishing it!
We are starting a brand new 8 week series called Experiencing God! We are going to learn how to have an interactive, growing relationship with God. You can know God’s will for your life, and we want to show you how that’s possible.
This week we finished up our Slowing Down series with Pastor Ben teaching us what the Sabbath is and how we can partake of the rest God offers us each week. We’ll take a look at our tendency to over-do it, and zero in on an ancient spiritual practice instituted by God to guard us from burning out.
In a Fast-paced culture that constantly seeks to rob us of our attention, it is increasingly rare to find Christians who know how to focus on what’s really important. The fact is that we will be formed by whatever we focus on, and so we cannot afford to lose the battle for our focus. Listen and learn exactly what we should be focusing on, and how we can take back our ability to focus.
Jesus was never in a hurry but we can find that we always are. We get caught up in business and hardly ever have time to catch a break. It's usually not the life we would like for ourselves and it's not the plan God has for us.
With how much value is placed on the need for personal advancement in our current age, having authentic humility seems to be something that is extremely rare to find. The thought of having our own importance brought low for the betterment of another is also something not easily considered so this Sunday, Pastor Michael shared with us 5 practical steps to authentic humility. May this lead to more steps taken in our journey to become more like Christ!
This Sunday we were blessed by the reading of Matthew 23 in order that we may learn how to be authentic in our journey with Christ. Through the reading of the “7 Woes to The Scribes and Pharisees” we learned how easy it is for us to fall into a hypocritical mindset that lacks Godly authenticity. May we focus our hearts and minds on becoming prayerfully genuine so that we can be more like Christ.
This Sunday, Aaron lead us in learning about the mindset that we need to have amidst our suffering. The path to the Kingdom of God is a path of suffering, we got a glimpse of David's and Jesus' heart in suffering in Psalm 22. May we also learn what it means to be a people armed with the same mindset to suffer.
Worship takes many forms apart from what we usually see it as with singing and Psalms; a form of worship that we tend to not give as much weight to is the remembrance of what God has done for us through past and present graces and also future graces that we haven't yet received but are promised to us. An Ebenezer is "a stone of help" which is set up as a reminder for us to remember the assistance of God in our lives- where in your life do you need an Ebenezer to remember how good God has been to you?
Our modern world has only increased feelings of loneliness, as we are losing our intentionality when it comes to pursuing close personal friendships with others. David and Jonathan's friendship reflects perfectly the way in which we should pursue relationships with others and with God. We should connect over commonality, express loyalty and concern for each other, and provide constant encouragement.
Genuine courage is hard to come by, but David always had an abundance of it, why? Because he knew he was fighting for God and that those who defy Him don't stand a chance; David had no doubt that God would come through. This Sunday we learned how trusting God and knowing what His Word says is what keeps us in confidence that the actions we take in faith will produce results that show the world how mighty our God is.
God doesn't always give us what we ask for but by entrusting us with something small He can see whether or not we will be faithful with what we have been given. For David, after he was declared king, he was back tending sheep for his father. However, instead of just waiting around for the thrown to be handed to him, he worked hard and protected the sheep at the risk of his own life. "When God goes looking for men and women, He goes to the fields to find those who are being faithful where they are" -Pastor Ben. Let's trust God's timing and learn to be faithful no matter where we are or how small the tasks we have been given seem to be.
"To obey is better than sacrifice" 1 Samuel 15:22. This Sunday, Pastor Ben taught us the correlation between divination and rebellion and the great cost that rebellion takes in relationship with Christ. Saul was a king with a rebellious heart so his kingdom didn't last, but David was a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14) and despite his failures, he remained a strong ruler with wholehearted obedience. Listen as we learn the keys to obedience and bask in the grace that we are given even when we fail.
Our identities tend to center around who we think we are or who we are in relation to those we are around (community), which leaves us building ourselves up with something very unstable and can result in a lack of self-esteem. Instead, we need to be seeing identity as "something to be received, not achieved" (Pastor Ben). This Sunday, we learned the value of centering our identity in Christ and how rooting our confidence in God will give us freedom from the feeling of insecurity. Join us in moving forward to find our identity in Someone unshakeable.
Happy Resurrection Sunday! What a great time we had together celebrating the greatest gift ever given so that we could be made whole and in right-standing with God! Jesus paid the ultimate price which gives great reason to rejoice! Jesus came so that "we could be restored to the life we were intended to live" (Pastor Ben), which is a life in deep, soulful relationship with our Creator. He is offering you a new life and a new beginning if you will turn to Him. Scripture reading- John 11:21-27.
We hope you all had a great Palm Sunday! This week, we continued on in the sermon series Jesus According to Jesus with this teaching being on Jesus' statement, "I Am the Vine" through John 15:1-11. As nutrients flow through vines to the branches, God flows through Jesus to help us advance the Kingdom. We are powerless by ourselves but by abiding in Jesus and His Word, we can do all things. So listen in to learn how to draw closer to God and bear fruit so that we may glorify His name!
How do we get to the Father? How can we have confidence in our Christianity? By following The Way. Jesus is The Way, the only Way. "The way to the Father is not following the way of Jesus, but The Way to the Father IS Jesus" - Pastor Ben. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone [Ephesians 2:8-9]. This Sunday we learned about how Jesus is all we need now and all that we will ever need, "The Way isn't a lifestyle or a teaching to adhere to but a person to know and enjoy" (Pastor Ben). Let's live in that truth.
This Sunday, Aaron Clark spoke about the true goodness of our Good Shepherd with a main focus on the scripture verses of John 10:1-30. Jesus came so that we would be able to know our shepherd and be guided into true abundant life. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus cares about our souls; He knows us better than we know ourselves and Ezekiel 34 is a foreshadowing of our Shepherd by showing us what He will do to bring us back to Him. In John 17:3 Jesus defines eternal life as "knowing God," and we need to make sure we are getting to know our Good Shepherd- let's make this a priority in the days to come!
There is a distinct difference between the God who loves us and the god of this world. This Sunday Pastor Ben taught us how deadly ignorance and distraction is along with how our choices are what is determining which god we serve. We have a say in this battle- we can choose the domain of darkness, or we can sacrifice our flesh and live in the presence of The Light of The World (John 8:12).
This Sunday we started in our new sermon series with leader Aaron Clark teaching on the importance of finding satisfaction in the Kingdom of God rather than the world we live in. Jesus is the only source of life and we have a tendency to "seek Christ to use Christ rather than to satisfy and delight in Him" (Aaron Clark). We need to be living in such a way that we can remove ourselves from a life of covetousness and worldly desires to life of joy in Christ. Listen as Aaron describes more of the life we are intended to pursue.
This Sunday at New King we had the privilege of hearing from Ben Whittinghill who pastors Rivertown Church in Brattleboro, VT. Ben Whittinghill was our Pastor Ben's first Christian friend after coming to Christ in college at the University of Georgia and has also been called to Vermont for church planting! We are so grateful for his presence this past Sunday and teaching. Listen as Ben takes us through the scriptures to look at the ascended Lord Jesus and see who He is for us today.
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work" (John 4:34).This week Pastor Michael taught us that from the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) we, as Christians, are called to make disciples and not only when it's convenient to us. There will be a lot of times when making disciples may not go way we want, or the opportunity comes at a time not befitting of our schedules- but that doesn't mean that the call gets put on hold. God has a plan, don't let yourself stand in the way of opening the door for someone else to learn about Jesus.
This Sunday we continued in our Made for More series with Aaron leading us into how we were made for love. Jesus didn't come into the world to condemn it, but to save it (John 3:17); this shows the immense amount of love God has for His children. We have a Father that not only offers us grace, but also sympathizes with our weaknesses. "The love we were made for is truly amazing" (Aaron Clark) so let us learn to live in that love. (2/17/19)