LightHouse Podcast: Recent Episodes
Joshiah Barton
The sermon podcast from LightHouse in Gloucester, Virginia. We post Sunday sermons by Pastor Ken Cramer and others in our community and beyond.
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Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740
Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Click this link to connect with us:
https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740
Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740
Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740 Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740
Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Click this link to connect with us:
https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740 •
Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
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Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Join us for a powerful message from Pastor Ken! • Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740 • Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Join us for a powerful message: 5 in 5. Five people from the LH family are sharing 5 minutes each on a favorite scripture! • Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740 • Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Join us for a powerful message from Pastor Ken! • Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740 • Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Enjoy a powerful panel from 5 friends of LH, sharing 5 minutes on a favorite scripture with practical application.
Please enjoy a special message from Dr. Lyn Westman! • Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740 • Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Please enjoy a powerful message from Pastor Ken Cramer! • Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740 • Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Join us for a powerful message from Pastor Alex Bridger! • Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740 • Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Please enjoy a powerful word from Pastor Daniel! • Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740 • Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Please enjoy a powerful message from Guest Speaker Bob Hazlett! • Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740 • Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Join us for a powerful message from Pastor Ken! • Click this link to connect with us: https://lighthouseva.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87740 • Click this link for online giving: https://www.lighthouseva.life/give
Please enjoy this powerful message from Kurt Holthus with Hope International Ministries.
Tune in for Part 4 of Soul Talks, from Pastor Daniel. *Notes below
1) But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2) At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3)The teachers of the law and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4) and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5) In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6) They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7) When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8) Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9) At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10) Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11) “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared, “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John, 8:1-11)
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WHO IS MISSING?
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SET-UP
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STONECOLD TRUTH
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WHERE ARE THEY?
Tune in for Part 3 of Soul Talks, from Pastor Holly. *Notes below
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. [a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
Is your soul out of alignment?
Your gift shifts from being a blessing to being a burden.
You’ve been living with unrealistic expectations.
You’re frustrated about the changes you think needs to happen in others.
Your purpose is being determined by what you do or what you’re known for.
How do I get my soul correctly aligned?
Invite God to shine his light into the depths of your heart.
Go against the grain.
Guard against jealousy and unforgiveness.
Feed your soul so your purpose is strengthened, and your motives purified.
Tune in for Part 2 of Soul Talks! *Notes below
We are not a body with a soul. We are a soul with a body.
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Ps. 42:5
Why are our souls heavy?
Heavy with hurts from the past.
19 I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Lam 3:19-20
Heavy with trouble in the present.
But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed. Job 4:5
Heavy with anxiety about the future.
…(Jesus) began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death…" Mark 14:33-34
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and 6 my God. Ps. 42:5-6
Tell your soul to:
Remember God’s faithfulness in the past.
I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lam 3:19-23
Cry out to God in the present.
2 I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble… 5 I cry to you, O Lord; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." 6 Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need. Ps 142:2, 5-6
Trust in God’s power for your future.
Hezekiah, king of Judah said, 7 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles." 2 Chron 32:7-8
Tune in for the final part of Can We Talk? & Easter Sunday! *Notes below!
John 20:10–18 (NIV84) 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11 but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni !” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
The Disciples turned back after the funeral and missed the miracle.
They turned back:
To their old homes
To their old habits
To their old friends
To their old identities
Mary investigated the death of Jesus and the tomb more deeply.
She found:
Two Angels (messengers with a message)
A reason for Joy instead of mourning
A new understanding of Jesus
A new understanding of life and death
The Master fulfilling His Mission
Her own new identity
Refuse to go back to your old way of life. God has redeemed us through the power of the resurrection from every old identity. He wants you to hang on to Him and allow Him to transform you. Refuse to hang on to a powerless picture of Jesus. He is no longer on the Cross, but He sits at the right hand of the Father with the title deed to heaven and earth in his hands. Receive God’s Power for your progress in life. He is changing you from Glory to Glory
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV84) 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Tune in for part two brand new series: Can We Talk? - Notes Below!
Luke 19:28-40
Psalm 118:19–29 (NIV84) 19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter. 21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. 22 The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 23 the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. 27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. 29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
The King’s entrance brings the promise of our right standing with God (v 19)
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When God declares you are righteous, then you are righteous, regardless of your feelings or circumstances.
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We must enter in HIS WAY, not OUR WAY.
The King’s entrance brings the fullness of our salvation (saving, delivering, healing v 21)
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The work gets completed in Christ. He is the Author and the Finisher. He begins the work and completes it.
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Don’t stop trusting until you see yourself complete in Him.
The King’s entrance brings victory and thanksgiving to our souls
Hebrews 10:20 (NIV84) John 10:7–10 (NIV84)
Think about it: Jesus came into Jerusalem as a royal prophet and then passed through the city as a King. Where have you allowed God to touch you supernaturally, but you haven’t allowed Him to reign as King?
Tune in for part two brand new series: Can We Talk? - Notes Below!
Luke 16:19–31 (NIV84) 19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
I.) Wealth and possessions in this life are meaningless in the next life Mark 8:36–37 (NIV84) 1 Timothy 6:17–19 (NIV84)
II.) There are only two places where people live in the next life: Heaven or Hell v22,23 John 14:3 2 Corinthians 5:101 Peter 1:4
III.) There will be no do over when this life is over v25 2 Corinthians 5:17–21 (NIV84)
IV.) We have an obligation to tell the whole world about a Father they have never met! The whole world has a Heavenly Father they’ve never met! Every Man, Woman, Boy, and Girl must know their Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer!
Tune in for a brand new series: Can We Talk? - Notes Below!
Luke 17:20–33 (NIV84) 20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” 22 Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. 23 Men will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. 24 For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Genesis 19:15–17 (NIV84)
Genesis 19:25–26 (NIV84)
Her husband thought she was saved, but she was lost
Her children thought she was saved, but she was lost
Her neighbors thought she was saved, but she was lost
The Angels thought she was saved, but she was lost
The Sinners thought she was saved, but she was lost
She was almost saved, but she was lost
2 Peter 2:7–10 (NIV84)
With the Kingdom of God in your Spirit, the battlefield is in your mind and your body:
I.) Filter your thoughts by how they lift you. Not just positive thinking, but Life-giving thoughts from the Word of God. Colossians 3:2 (NIV84)
II.) Don’t be overcome by earthly struggles. This life is the dressing room for eternity. Don’t be distracted.
III.) Put to death the weights and sins which hinder you. Hebrews 12:1–2 (NIV84) Colossians 3:5 (NIV84)
Tune in for Vision Sunday 2022. Pastor Ken shares some insight into who we are and where we are going as a church body.
Enjoy a message from Pastor Ken from our brand new series: Money Talks *Notes below
Proverbs 13:11 11: Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.
Proverbs 6:10–11: 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— 11 and poverty will come
on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
Efficient Living starts with the small things and builds to the larger things.
It asks questions like:
How many different ways can I use this item?
Is this a need, a want, or a fad?
There is nothing wrong with having nice things. However, you simply do not have to settle for
paying retail pricing.
Food Costs
If it is a need:
“What is the best price I can find locally?”
“What is the best price I can find in another market?”
Vehicles
It has been said, “Sometimes you make money when you buy, not when you sell.” I’ve seen
many people buy a vehicle right, maintain it well, and sell it for the same or more than what they
paid many years later.” They drove the car “for free.”
The converse is also true…If you buy a car making payments and it breaks down, you still make
the payments as it sits in the yard. My Dad called that “paying for a dead horse.”
I have learned:
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Buy older, maybe from an original owner with maintenance records.
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Get the best price you can negotiate.
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Keep the maintenance up, doing as much of the work yourself.
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Drive it as long as you can.
Some of the cars we used to have are still on the road today in the hands of sons and
daughters.
If we had made car payments, it would have made it more difficult to sell them cheap or give
them away (which we were led to do on occasion.)
Romans 13:7 (NIV84)
7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if
respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Luke 14:28 (NIV84)
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to
see if he has enough money to complete it?
Oftentimes we use credit rather than trusting the Lord. We don’t take the time to count the cost
and hear the voice of the Lord on a matter. We operate in the flesh, rather than getting the mind
of God and allowing Him to show the way.
Enjoy a message from Pastor Ken from our brand new series: Money Talks *Notes below
Proverbs 24:3-4 3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; 4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
Allocation - “The action or process of distributing something.”
Good Spending plans have a few things in common:
1.) They account for all income
2.) They account for all expenses
3.) They plot a clear path forward to cover the “big four” Shelter/utilities, food, transportation, and basic clothing.
4.) They are easy to read for all involved
5.) They are looked at and regularly evaluated against an objective standard In preparation for your regular finance meeting, you need to spend a little time looking over your spending plan and updating it.
Ask questions of the numbers like:
Is this still important to me/us?
Does it support our goals?
How much longer do we need to pay on this debt?
Are there better ways we can track this expense?
Are there ways to minimize or eliminate this expense altogether and move the money toward our future?
What spending behaviors can we stop, start, or change to move us toward the bigger goals we have for our future?
What would we do with an extra $50-$1,000 per month? How could we raise it?
What if we went on a spending freeze for a week or a month?
How much could we save to eliminate debt?
Automation - “The technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a system operate with minimized human input.”
Money doesn’t care how you feel; it simply goes where you tell it. The difficulty we often have is our moods dictate how we handle money. If I am feeling blue, I might randomly search for something on Amazon, and just the hit on the “buy it now” button will make me feel incrementally better. Unfortunately, I just told my money to go do something which will impact me later and maybe short me on my financial house.
For some inspiration regarding these thoughts:
“Start Late, Finish Rich” David Bach
“The Automatic Millionaire” David Bach
“Smart Women Finish Rich” David Bach
Enjoy a message from Pastors Ken and Holly Cramer from our brand new series: Money Talks *Notes below
Alignment- A position of agreement or alliance.
- Deuteronomy 14:29 - 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
- Deuteronomy 15:10 - Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.
- Deuteronomy 23:20 - 20 You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a brother Israelite, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess.
- Deuteronomy 28:8 - 8 The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
- Deuteronomy 28:12 (NIV84) - 12 The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.
Begin with first things, they always belong to God.
- Exodus 13:2, Exodus 13:12–13 (NIV84), Exodus 23:19
Here is the Principle of First Things: The Tithe (first ten percent), firstborn, and first fruits all belong to God. Once they are given over to Him, He blesses the rest.
- Romans 11:16 (NKJV), Proverbs 3:9–10 (NKJV)
Jesus is God’s First Fruits. He was sacrificed to bring us out of sin and darkness.
- Romans 5:8 (NIV84), Romans 8:29 (NIV84), Matthew 16:25 (NIV84)-
Agreement- A negotiated and binding arrangement between parties to an agreed-upon course of action.
- Amos 3:3 (NIV84), Matthew 12:25 (NIV84)
Come to terms with your Spouse regarding money:
1.) Do a date night and write one word with a marker on an index card to say what money means to each of you.
2.) Based on each of those words, write your household goals regarding money.
Examples might be: Retire by age 60, Be Debt Free in ten years, Have a regular family vacation, etc.
3.) Establish roles for the processing of money. Who pays the bills, who keeps the files in order, etc.
4.) Establish a regular household finance meeting. Suggestion: Do it whenever you get paid. Determine when and where you want to have the meeting. Share how much you have, what needs to be paid and when, what’s leftover, and any progress you are making on your goals.
5.) Create a spending plan/budget. This step will be talked about in next week’s message.
Enjoy a Q&A session between Pastors Ken and Holly Cramer and our missionaries to Ecuador, Pastors Thom and Becky Davis.
Enjoy a message from Pastor Daniel McKee out of our brand new series: Pray With Your Eyes Open *Notes below
JOHN 9:1-12 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him. ”But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. 11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”12 “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.
Jesus “saw”
- Seeing is believing
Wrong questions lead to wrong answers
- Who sinned?
- Real talk
Therapy session
- Maturity in Christ requires extending ourselves beyond our limited understanding
- “Some” people “see” and believe
- “Other” people “see” and still don’t believe
- We believe and see
Enjoy a message from Pastor Ken Cramer out of our brand new series: Pray With Your Eyes Open *Notes below
Acts 1:8 (NIV84) 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 2:4–8 (NIV84) 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?
Acts 2:29–36 (NIV84) 29 “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ’ 36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
I.) To be a witness you need to Know Jesus not just about him.
Romans 1:16 (NIV84)
II.) To be a witness you need to Receive the Holy Spirit’s “uponness”
- He is In You for You…revealing Christ’s salvation
- He is On You for Others…declaring Christ’s power
III.) To be a witness you need to Speak what He wants you to say
- The Holy Spirit is a Speaking Spirit
- The Early Believers Spoke with Spiritual Language or Tongues
- New Testament Believers today still speak by the Power of the Holy Spirit because the world still needs witnesses.
Enjoy a message from Pastor Ken Cramer out of our brand new series: Pray With Your Eyes Open *Notes below
Matthew 16:13–19 (NIV84) 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Psalm 119:89 (NKJV) 89 Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.
- Jesus is telling us two things in vs 18:
1.) Jesus is building a church comprised of a group of people who are shaped by His character and equipped by His Spirit.
2.) In speaking of the gates of Hell, He is describing His Church’s mission as one who is not occupied with economic reforms, military advances, or political power * Our Victory is related to our use of Prayer. In Matthew 16:
To Bind means to contract with God regarding what He has willed. I am saying, “Father, what you have willed I call forth on the earth.” | We bind boldly in prayer. | Binding is contingent on God’s timing.
Hebrews 6:12 (NIV84) 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
When you choose to stand in the gap with your eyes open, Jesus is saying you will discover earth can have everything Heaven has purchased.
- We pray with our eyes open because the enemy is at work to trip us up
- We pray with our eyes open because God is moving on our behalf to build our faith
- We pray with our eyes open because we don’t want to miss the miracle moment; it is our next testimony.
Enjoy a message from Pastor Ken Cramer out of our brand new series: Pray With Your Eyes Open *Notes below
Matthew 26:36–41 (NIV84): “Watch and pray...“
2 Corinthians 5:5–10 (NIV84): “We live by faith, not by sight.”
- Seeing with Eyes of Faith is what walking by Faith is all aboutTo keep watch means: To be alert toward activities that are not easily perceived. To not be asleep. To be aware.
- We must know the Will of God to live by FaithRomans 12:1–2 (NIV84) 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
- We must allow the Word of God to strengthen our FaithRomans 10:17 (NIV84) 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
- We must speak what we see God doing to release our FaithIsaiah 43:18–19 (NIV84) 18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.Joshua 6:2 (NIV84) 2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.
- When you See the Invisible, you can do the ImpossibleHebrews 11:24–27 (NIV84) 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
Enjoy a message from Special Guest Speakers Josh and Karri Woolley - Missionaries to Ecuador.
Please enjoy this final message from our Family Recipe Series as Pastor Ken talks about saying yes to great relationships.
Please enjoy this sermon from our Family Recipe series by Pastor Daniel McKee, The Secret Ingredient is Honor.
Please enjoy this message from Pastor Ken Cramer from The Family Recipe Series, Laughter in the Kitchen.
Please enjoy this sermon from our Family Recipe series as Pastor Ken Cramer speaks about Trusting the Process.
Please enjoy this sermon from our series The Family Recipe, Beginning with the End in Mind.
Please enjoy this message brought to you by 3 of our female pastors on staff Holly Cramer, Jannifer McKee, and Sara Gillott.
Enjoy a message from Special Guest Speaker, Jayson Barton as he launched our Giants series.