Grace Assembly of God: Recent Episodes
Grace Assembly of God
Grace Assembly of God is a Christ-centered pentecostal church that is dedicated to sharing God's love and developing disciples that live out the passions and priorities of Christ. Visit us on Sunday mornings at 9 or 11am for contemporary worship, gospel-centered preaching, and a loving community. To find out more about us visit us on the web at: www.graceagsyracuse.com Thanks for listening. (Praise the Lord! We have fixed our audio issues! Thank you for your patience.)
Pastor Doug continued with our Life In The Family Series with how we treat the single people among us and what it looks like for a single follower of Jesus.
Pastor Doug continued our Life In The Family Series with this Mother's Day message; A Mother's Faith. He spoke about a mother's encounter with Jesus where she was honest about her problem, persistent about seeking help, which resolved to her receiving a promise.
Pastor Doug started our new series, Life In The Family. This week he asked us to take a look at our family and examine if we have health in our family. If we look in the Word of God we will see how families interact and what is the basis of their being.
Pastor Mark invited us to let Jesus change our hearts to love His mission and seek to accomplish it Until All Know.
Pastor Jeff made a call for us to return to the Word of God. The Word of God brings light not only to point to what needs attention in our life, but it also points us to the people who can benefit from that light. We as followers of Christ are meant to be people of the Word.
Pastor Doug reminded us today that Jesus changes the way we think about things and as a result our lives are transformed. We say goodbye to the things we used to value in order to embrace the life He has called us to live.
We were made to share life with one another. We need friendship and we meet this need in one another and we meet this need especially in Jesus Christ.
Life is full of questions and Jesus answered those questions when He was raised from the dead. Pastor Doug encouraged us this Easter season to turn to Jesus with our questions of doubt, guilt, and death.
This Palm Sunday we are reminded that Jesus not only came as Savior, but He also came as a King. Jesus proved all throughout history that our world presents a contrary image of what is important, what gives value, and what can be done to obtain what is important and valuable. Jesus is a different kind of King than the leaders of this world and His kingdom stands in contrast to the Kingdoms of this world.
The follower of Jesus is made a follower because of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that points us to Jesus, confirms that we are following Jesus, corrects us when we fail to follow Jesus, and empowers us to accomplish what we have been called by Jesus to do.
Pastor Doug wrapped up our series, "I need An Answer To Prayer," with the prayer for salvation. The greatest prayer we can ever pray is the prayer for Jesus to rescue us from sin and death. It is this prayer that enables all of goodness that comes from a relationship with God Almighty.
God is on to bless His people. All of scripture reveals example after example of His blessing on His creation. God especially provides blessing for our family, our career, our finances, when we are in need, and His blessing both reveals and enables the divine purpose He has on our lives.
God provides freedom in our difficult circumstances, in our own habits, addictions and sin, as well as spiritual freedom for all of eternity. Let us accept Jesus' invitation of freedom!
God has a history of providing for His children. We see examples of that in the Bible, and we continue to see His hand of provision in our lives today as He provides are basic needs, financial needs, direction, and most of all He provides us with His presence.
On our Annual Healing Service, Pastor Doug continued the "I Need An Answer To Prayer" series with the prayer for healing. Jesus is our Healer and we come to Him for healing in our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our souls, and our relationships.
We all need forgiveness. Not only has humanity proven to offend other members of humanity time and time again, but we has creation have repeated offended the Creator throughout all of time. Pastor Doug continued the "I Need An Answer To Prayer" series with The Prayer of Forgiveness and the humility that comes with it.
Pastor Doug kicked of a new series called, "I Need An Answer To Prayer." We started off with asking prayer for direction. When we ask God for direction in our lives we acknowledge our weakness and trust God to transform your life and take you where you need to be.
Pastor Duane Durst, Superintendent of the New York Ministry Network, celebrated with us on our 100 year anniversary as a church. He encouraged us to prepare for something amazing! As we look forward as individuals and as a church family, let us prepare for the amazing as we trust God to lead and guide us!
Pastor Juli brought a warning to us that we encounter a spiritual battle every day. We must be prepared for this battle. But there is no reason to fear. If we rely on Jesus,instead of ourselves, we will be victorious!
Pastor Doug encouraged us during this Christmas Eve service with the Christmas message which is a message of peace for all of humanity.
Pastor Doug revisited our Christmas series after last week's Musical by our little ones. The message of Christmas is the message of the Gospel that is based on past promises, offers help in the present, and points to future glory.
Pastor Doug taught from the Christmas story where the news of Jesus' coming was being proclaimed. It was called Good News! Pastor Doug explained how this news was indeed Good News.
Pastor Mark shared during this season of Thanksgiving about a life of thankfulness. We have been given much especially the Gospel. In light of the Gospel, are we really thankful?
The life of a follower of Jesus should be one of gratitude. We have been so much to be grateful for! Do we take the time to count our blessings? Do we reach out to other to let them know that we are grateful for them?
Pastor Doug wrapped up our Spirit of Generosity series by talking about the power of a life that has been transformed by Jesus Christ. We all need Jesus to give us life and when He does it empowers us to live generously for others.
Pastor Doug continued in our Spirit of Generosity series with a reminder that what we have is not ours and what we need cannot be found here. Both of those things direct our focus to where it needs to be, Jesus Christ!
Pastor Doug came back to our Spirit of Generosity Series by warning us of the dangers of being preoccupied and controlled by money. If our hearts are not right we can allow money to dictate how we invest, how we love, and what we value. May Jesus change our hearts to severe the bondage that comes when we allow money to control us.
We had one of our missionaries speak this Sunday, John White. John ministers to and provides care for Pastors throughout New York State. John spoke of the challenges of being a pastor and how we can be encouraging to our pastors throughout the year.
In continuing our Spirit of Generosity series, Pastor Doug challenged us to serve the way Jesus served.
Pastor Doug continued in our Spirit of Generosity Series by sharing in the Word about what it looks like to be generous in our hospitality. If we invite other into our lives and seek their comfort and blessing we show them the love of Christ and we win the right to speak truth into their life.
Pastor Doug kicked off our new series, A Spirit of Generosity. This week we looked at being generous in forgiveness. We have been forgiven much by Jesus Christ. We can forgive others no matter the grievance.
Pastor Bill Kirk, Assistant Superintendent of the New York Ministry Network, closes our Missions Emphasis Week with a encouraging message on devoting ourselves to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Doug encouraged us in the Word that we can take comfort that God considers us His own. We are secure in Him, and we can and should respond to Him with love and obedience.
Pastor Doug kicked off the new school year by sharing some wisdom from Proverbs that places our focus and our priorities on Jesus first! Pastor John Ginnan closed the service by praying over our students and teachers.
Our guest, Pastor Keith DeMent, encouraged us in the Word of God that we have success through Jesus Christ and asked us to reflect on whether our lives are set up around Christ or are they set up around ourselves?
Pastor Jeff used the story of Ruth as an example to encourage us with the glorious truth that our freedom and deliverance has been bought and paid for by Jesus Christ!
Pastor Jeff encouraged us to be people who respond to need the way Jesus would. We must be people of action that speak out against injustice and people who actively engage others in need.
Pastor Doug exhorted us that God breaths life into us and we can stand as people of action and joy because of His breath in our lungs!
Pastor Doug was led to share the story of the man who was robbed, beaten and left by the side of the road. We will encounter moments in life where we will feel like this man. The challenge is to remember where our treasure lies, guard against what the enemy is ultimately after, and remember the promise of our recovery!
Barry Meguiar, host of Velocity Channel's "Car Crazy" and President and Founder of Meguiar Car Care Products shares his story.
Pastor Doug challenged us to imagine with him all the possibilities that God can do if we dare to believe that He will empower us and provide for us. This was the kickoff to our building fund. Exciting times are in store for those who trust in Him!
Pastor Mark encouraged us with the wonderful truth that Jesus Christ and His Gospel changes everything!
Pastor Doug encouraged parents on Fathers Day to build a legacy for their children to follow. He encouraged us to be what we want our children to be and to partner with God to tackle the responsibility that comes with parenting.
Pastor Doug explores the various connection we experience in life and encourages us to maintain our connection to our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ!
Pastor Doug encouraged us with a passage that encourages us to work in preparation for what God is about to do in the future. The rest of the pastoral staff shared their hearts and vision for the future as well as the challenges and obstacles that our current property presents. Pastor Doug ended with this sentence, "We CAN'T do God's part, and God WON'T do our part."
Pastor Jeff encouraged us to a life of faith that compels us to not only outwards agree with Christianity, but to actively pursue a relationship with Jesus that transforms us into who He has called us to be as well as empowers us to do what He has called us to do.
Pastor Doug closed our Beyond Series with some Good News about God's plan to make all things new. Specifically, we will be looking at the New Heavens and Earth and what that means for us as believers
This Mothers Day Pastor Doug encouraged all women to step up to be who God has called them to be and to rely on the Holy Spirit to transform them.
What does God reward? What does He notice? What is noteworthy with Him? How will He express His appreciation? These are some of the questions Pastor Doug tackles and may it encourage you to live a life worthy of being rewarded.
God is a God of justice. At the end of days there will be a judgment pronounced on all of those who rejected Jesus Christ. No one can escape this judgment. But the Good News declares that God does not want ANY to perish, but to have life through Jesus Christ.
Pastor Doug brought instruction in the Word about what the Bema Seat has been and what it will be when Jesus judges believers. How should we live in light of this information? Pastor Doug unpacks all of this in this message.
Pastor Doug brought great hope on Easter Sunday that we have been given a great gift, Jesus Christ. It is this gift that not only defines this life, but it enables us to live it and live it well. It is Jesus in us that is the hope of humanity!
The story of Jesus entering Jerusalem is filled with many contrasts. He was celebrated, but many had different reasons to celebrated and different expectations of Jesus. Pastor Doug encouraged us in the Word to celebrate Christ as our Savior and Lord.
Pastor Doug preached the hope that we have in the Gospel and the promise of our new bodies in heaven. We have hope in His resurrection! We have hope in Christ!
In our fourth message in our "Beyond" series Pastor Doug taught about what the Bible says about Heaven. Why should we think about Heaven now? What will we experience. These are SOME of the questions that are answered in this message. Here's a quote from the message, "It will be impossible to exaggerate the joys of Heaven."
It is a difficult thing to comprehend and it is certainly unpleasant to think about it, but the the Word of God speaks about the reality of Hell. Pastor Doug brought encouragement from the Word of God about the Difficult Doctrine of Hell, and the Good News is this simple; While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The Good News does not negate Hell's reality, but it rescues us from its clutches when we trust Jesus with our lives.
Death inevitably comes to us all. We can wait for it or confront it. What does death look like? What are death's effects? Why is there death? These are the questions that Pastor Doug answers as he teaches from the Bible.
Pastor Doug taught from the Bible about the promise of eternity. There is a realm outside this physical world and many pursue their understanding of that world in a variety of ways. There are ways that are deceptive and unhealthy. There is also the Word of God that gives us truth and life. Pastor Doug encouraged us with the promise that eternity isn't something we have to be afraid of. Instead it is welcomed for those who are believers in Jesus!
Pastor Doug teaches from God's Word about the various ways God may choose to guide us through life into His will.
Jesus didn't come to be served but to serve and He calls us to serve as well. Pastor Doug taught from the Word of God about what the mind of a servant looks like.
Pride is inheriently selfish. When our pride is unchecked it can damage our relationships with God and with people, and it will eventually poison our soul. Thankfully Jesus came in spite of our pride and offers us life that sets us free from our pride.
Pastor Doug taught about what makes a church healthy. Multiple leaders, faithful pastors, and a body of believers who serve one another are just a few characteristics of a healthy church.
Jesus has many reasons to heal us. He wants to bring glory to His Heavenly Father. He heals to show that he has conquered sin, disease, and death. He heals to show his victory over the enemy. He heals because he loves us. Pastor Doug encouraged us in the Word and we prayed for healing. What a great time!
Pastor Mark interviewed Terry and Bridget Rosch about their call and ministry to the people of Panama.
The Bible calls us to pray for one another and Pastor Doug taught from scripture in how to pray for others.
Pastor Doug encouraged us in what to look for in 2017. We are reminded in scripture where our hope is found where I focus should lie, so no matter what we find in 2017, we should look with those things in mind.
In a time of year where there are many tradition and where there is plenty of giving, may we remind ourselves of what we have received, where we have come from, and what we are inheriting.
For our Christmas Eve service, Pastor Doug encouraged us by teaching on the genealogies of Jesus and who was included in those lists. Not everyone was known for their purity and righteousness. Neither did Jesus come to hang out with those who are perfect. He came to seek and save the lost. So either before Christ and after, all of humanity is invited!
Jesus came as the ultimate present to humanity, and He came in strange wrapping. He was fully human and fully God, and He came in such humble circumstances. But He was the best present any of us could have every received!
Pastor Doug wrapped up our Possessing Your Promise Series on a victorious note. Each of us have been given the victory through Jesus Christ. It is up for us to walk in that victory as the Spirit enables us. Do you believe that? Our you living like that? Walk in the victory you were promised!
What happens when we mess up? Where do we go from there? We as human beings share this common experience: we will fail. Pastor Doug encouraged us through the teaching of the Word that we will fail, but it is what we do, and more importantly who we trust, that is ultimately more important. In Christ we can move to greater levels of growth then we could ever imagine, but we must first follow Him.
God has given us His promise and in order to walk in that promise we must keep ourselves from sin. Will you walk in God's promises today or will you walk in things that only provide death as its reward?
Pastor Mark charged us to live the life that Jesus has called us to and to the life that Jesus has made possible. We have been delivered and set free. It is now time to walk in that freedom to life.
Our faith should signal to those around us that the living God is active and living in our lives, and our lives should communicate the testimony of the goodness of God. Our faith should mean something and say something to those around us by the way we live.
Our submission to God often requires us to place ourselves in the right environment to know His direction, to prepare ourselves to follow His direction, and to be patient when we want to take control.
Pastor Doug encouraged us to recognize God's promises, learn His principles, and live according to those promises and principles.
Speaking on the story of Joshua and the Nation of Israel entering the promised land, Pastor Doug taught that we receive from God our faith. We then respond and act according to that faith. We will possess the promises of God if we get the right faith.
Pastor Doug spoke of preparing your heart to walk in the promises of God. Sometimes we need to forget the past failures, fear, and pain in order to pursue what God has promised us.
Pastor Doug encouraged us to consider a mindset that allow for us a willingness to go to any place and to pay any price in order to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Doug started of this year's Missions Conference by preaching from the three parables about lost things that Jesus used to describe the desperateness of reaching out to a lost and dying world with the life giving Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Doug encouraged us to look at the possibility that God can do things outside of what naturally occurs, and to expect that to happen in our lives as it happened to those read about in the Bible.
Pastor Doug taught about these spiritual gifts, their examples in the Bible, and how they play a role in the life of the church and the believer today. Jesus has equipped His Church to further His Kingdom. Let's proclaim the Gospel today!
Pastor Doug gave us a further introduction to spiritual gifts, their variety, as well as their validity. Let's embrace the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives as He seeks to empower us to advance the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Doug clarified the spiritual gifts that are mentioned in 1 Corinthians and their use. He also warned against the abuses of these gifts. The purity of properly practicing these gifts ensure that God is glorified and His will is done.
Pastor Doug answers the intriguing question of why did God choose tongues for the Baptism In The Holy Spirit. Join us as we look to God's Word about this important truth.
Our Mission's Team from Haiti share some of their stories as they lived on mission in Haiti.
Pastor Dan McLaughlin preached at his childhood church and encouraged us with clues to being content. We have been given so many choices, that it has been overwhelming to find exactly what will make us content. Pastor Dan challenged us to look solely to Jesus for our contentment.
As followers of Christ we have been given a promise. Not only have we been given the promise of the Holy Spirit to reside within us, but we have been given the promise of the Holy Spirit empowering us to accomplish the plan of God. Pastor Doug encouraged us with this teaching about the first empowerment of the Church and its relevance for us today.
Pastor Jeff encouraged us in the feeding of the 5,000 to place our seemingly ordinary resources and efforts in Jesus' hands so that He can accomplish extraordinary things. A life of faith always calls you to the next level. Place your faith in Him and watch Him take you there!
Pastor Doug exhorted us from the Book of Genesis of how God designed men and women and encouraged couples to approach a relationship like a dance. Happy Father's day!
The Old Testament and its festivals pointed ahead to ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament and even to the Last Days. The day of Pentecost in the Book of Acts was one of these fulfillment's, but in order to understand fully what happened in the Book of Acts we must understand what the Old Testament has to say about that day and its celebration. One of things that Pastor Doug encouraged us with is that the Day of Pentecost is a day that prepares up to accomplish the work that God has called us to do.
Pastor Doug exhorted us that when life's storms pass by, and its over, MOVE ON! We have survived and now it is time to thrive. This is the beauty of the Gospel. Jesus gives us the means to survive, but we also have the privilege to enjoy life after a storm. He turns our mess into His message, and His message is a message of goodness and grace!
Missionaries Tim and Debbie Anderson share what the Lord has done as they have served for 30 years on the mission field of Ecuador.
Pastor Doug encouraged us to rest in God's presence in the midst of life's storms, and never compromise who God has called us to be. We have His strength to overcome life's storms today!
How bad would a storm have to be in your life before you turned and walked away from God? Pastor Doug encouraged us through the story of Job to remain faithful in the midst of the storm of your life, because God will remain faithful to you.
Moses had two mom's; his birth mom and the wife of Pharaoh. Both loved him and gave him what they could. Pastor Doug encourage mothers and women out there to give our children only what they can give.
We are never alone in the midst of the storms of life. God is aware of these storms. He encourages us in these storms. He strengthens us in these storms. His love prevails in these storms. Pastor Doug teaches about the purpose that can be found in the midst of life's storms.
Pastor Doug clarified in scripture about how God relates to us in the storm, and he encouraged us to lean on Jesus in the midst of storms.
Pastor Doug opened up our Storm Stories series with the basic question, "Why do storms strike?" Why do bad things happen? Sometimes we have to point the finger at ourselves. Sometimes we must accept that imperfect things happen in a imperfect world. Sometimes we have to acknowledge the possibility that we have a spiritual enemy that wishes to devour us. Pastor Doug unpacks all of this and more!
Beginning first with a clip featuring Leslie and the students she has developed a relationship with in Colombia, Pastor Mark and Pastor Juli interviewed Leslie and asked some of your questions about what it looks like to be a missionary in Colombia.
Pastor Doug pointed us to the 23rd Psalm as he encouraged us to leave our self-centered, self-empowered, and self-directed lives in order to cross over to a Christ-centered, Spirit empowered, and God directed life. We are able to cross over because of Jesus Christ, and our lives are immeasurably better for all of eternity because of it.
There are lots of evidence to back up the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but the resurrection of Jesus is also the evidence of the authenticity of our faith. We have security because of the resurrection! We have hope because of the resurrection! We have life because of the resurrection!
We cheer at sporting events. We cheer when we hear a loved one is getting married or having a baby. Shouldn't we cheer for Jesus for who He is and what He has done? Pastor Doug goes over the facts of why we should should cheer for Jesus and encourages us to live our lives as a giant cheer so that all will see that Jesus is worth being cheered for above all things.
Pastor Doug addressed the idol of selfishness in this message. He talked about recognizing the signs of worshiping yourself, the pain that it causes, and the hope of Jesus. We are truly free when we worship Jesus, and Jesus alone!
Pastor Jeff encouraged us in the Word to examine our hearts to discover what we serve: God or money? Human beings are prone to lifting the ordinary things to extraordinary levels of honor and glory. Money is one of those things. What do you serve. Where does your trust lie? Where do you find security. These are the things that are unpacked in this message.
We live in a culture that longs to satisfy every desire of our heart. So we turn to food, entertainment, and pleasure to satisfy those desires. We lift those these up to places of honor in our heart and we turn to them for comfort and hope. These lofty places in our heart is meant for Christ, and Christ alone. He is the One who brings comfort. He is the One who brings hope. He is the only One who deserves a place of honor in our heart.
Pastor Mark opened our new series called, "Gods At War." The human condition plagues us with a wandering eye and therefore, a wandering heart. We look at things to eternally satisfy our soul, and by doing so, place them at the throne of honor in our heart. These things are called idols and the Bible calls it idolatry. Pastor Mark encouraged us to ask ourselves questions to determine whether we have placed idols in our lives, and challenged us to trust Jesus to eternally satisfy the needs of our hearts, souls, and lives.
We all need healing. Pastor Doug encouraged us to take the risk of trusting Jesus with our healing by boldly being vulnerable before him without anything holding us back. Jesus is our Healer. Will we risk trusting Him with that title in our lives?
Pastor Doug encouraged us to acknowledged our pain, get to the root of our pain, and to let Jesus heal our pain. We all have pain in our life it is what we do with it that matters. The Bible encourages us to face our pain, and let Jesus do His work.
When we give our lives to Christ we have no need to prove ourselves, because Jesus' love never falters. When we are His we are secure, so there is no need to lash out to keep people from harming us. Pastor Doug encourages us in this truth and challenges us to face our insecurity so we can accomplish what Jesus is calling us to do.
King Saul and the army of Israel was facing the army of the Philistines and Goliath. King Saul and his army reacted with fear, and instead of facing their fear in faith they chose to allow their fear to control their decisions. Pastor Doug encouraged us to trust Jesus in the midst of fear, and to react with faith.
Pastor Doug preached from John 14 where Jesus told His disciples that they would accomplish greater things than what Jesus did. Pastor Doug taught about what that looks like for the believer today and we can be expect great things because Jesus is with us and the Holy Spirit empowers us.
Pastor Juli preached from the story of Jonah. As God calls us to accomplish His plans we can get hung up on our own plans and opinions. God calls us to surrender those things to Him and He will not only take us where we need to go, but He will make us into who we are destined to be.
Pastor Doug preached from the story of the Wise Men who had come to worship Jesus. After they found the young child, they worshiped Him, and then went home a different way in order to trick Herod who wanted to kill Jesus. Pastor Doug also encouraged us that those Wise Men left for their homes as different men. Because of who they had encountered, their lives were forever changed, and when we encounter Jesus our lives will be different as well.
In the final message of our Follow Jesus series, Pastor Doug encouraged us in the Word to allow the Holy Spirit to empower us to be followers of Christ, especially in the areas of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.
Jesus taught us how to pray. He modeled a life of prayer. It is a privilege. It is a priority. We follow Jesus when we pray.
There are many areas of our life that we are called to mange such as our time, our money, our mind, our body, our talents. A follower of Christ must first admit their weakness in managing their life. We are too weak, too corrupt, and filled with our own agenda. We must first seek Jesus and all of these things will fall in their proper place. He helps us manage our life.
(Praise the Lord! We have fixed our audio issues! Thank you for your patience.) Pastor Doug preached from the Word that following Jesus requires us to love with a love that is based in commitment. We love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is this love that directs and enables us to fulfill God's command to love others.
Pastor Doug preached an encouraging message about the love our God has for us. It is that love that sets us free, gives us live, and motivates us to love the way God has created us to love. (We apologize for the audio issues we have been having. We are looking to remedy this in order to provide a pleasant listening experience for you.)
We have been influenced by the grace Jesus has shown us. Pastor Doug teaches from the Word of God about what it looks like for us to influence the world around us as we point people to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (We apologize for the audio issues we have been having. We are looking to remedy this in order to provide a pleasant listening experience for you.)
Pastor Mark taught from the Word of God that part of being a follower of Christ is coming to him for our need of healing. Our need of healing can be found in our physical needs, our emotional needs, and our spiritual needs. When we choose to follow Jesus we trust Him to be our Healer!
We have had audio issues for awhile now, and this episode is particularly quiet in the beginning. But Pastor Doug taught this week from the Word of God what it looks like to listen to God, and that when you listen to the voice of God and obey what He asks of you then you will have a good foundation to stand and that foundation is Christ.
When Jesus offers salvation, He is extending an invitation to be with Him. That is the highest calling and the greatest privilege of being a Christian. Part of being a with Jesus means letting Him take our burdens and cares. Jesus then invites us to work alongside Him in accomplishing things greater than ourselves.
Pastor Doug started a new series, "Follow." We as Christians are called to follow Jesus and to trust Him above all else. When we follow Jesus our lives are changed, and we reflect Him to those around us.
Missionaries from Romania, Ruben and Rachelle, shared about their ministry to Bucharest and Rachelle brought the Word to encourage us to live the life that God has called us to live.
In the first week of our mission's emphasis Pastor Doug encouraged us to be dedicated to what Christ has called us to do.
Jesus said to His disciples, "Follow Me." In this phrase is not only the beginning of being a follower of Christ, but it is the essence of being a follower of Christ. Pastor Jeff encouraged us to trust in the One who we say we are following and to become who He has called us to be, and being led to a lost and dying world.
Pastor Doug encouraged us with a message that challenges us to support our community, and specifically, our schools. We support our community and schools by investing our resources, encouraging the students and staff, partnering with the school districts in reaching our children, and prayer. We as followers of Christ MUST seek to shine the light of Christ to our community. Let's do that in Jesus name!
Jacob was a man that came from a rough family background. It is sometimes challenging to remain focused on Christ when everything around you is either unfair or crumbling into pieces. Pastor Doug encouraged us with this look at Jacob and how to remain focused on God and His guidance in our lives.
Pastor Doug approached this message as a profile of the families of Issac and Jacob as a way to encourage us to examine our motives, and to determine if our trust in Christ truly translates to our actions. May we develop into deeper Christians as we learn to trust Him more.
Pastor David Hertweck, our District Youth Director, brought this encouraging message about trusting Christ and choosing Him to be our ultimate treasure. We do this because Christ reached down to us in our filth and rebellion, and He loved us like no other.
Pastor Jeff encouraged us in the Word by asking the question, "Is our faith influencing our giving and generosity?" Giving is just as much a part of the Christian faith as is every other act of worship, and the Word tells us that we have been given all things by God's generous hands. So, when we give, we give generously what God has generously given to us.
There are times when it would be wise to look at our lives to see if there is anything that would bring offense to God or others. We do so understanding that it protects ourselves, it protects others, and it brings glory to God. God will give strength and provision for us to conquer these things that if left unchecked, could bring destruction.
When God created us He painted a picture of who we are. If we are to be successful in being what God has called us to be and doing what God has called us to do, then we must look at the picture Christ has created for us. Sometimes we find ourselves looking at a counterfeit painting and we derail our lives because we base our information on faulty information. Look at the truth! Look at God's painting for your life. He will not steer you wrong!
We are at war! We cannot be mistaken about this. Pastor Doug encouraged us with two stories found in scripture that detail the secret wars others had battled in their personal lives. But we have the tools to fight these battles and the power given to us to be victorious. As we trust in Christ we will have the victory.
Does it feel like there is a silence between you and God? Do you perceive a relational distance? Has He been silent on affairs when you have been waiting for Him to speak up? Be encouraged! God has spoken already through His Word! He fulfills His promises at His divinely appointed time. So avoid things that will distract you and follow set your hearts and minds on the One who is above all things.
There are things that often stand in the way of a follower of Christ. We are called to be courageous! So let us stand boldly, proclaim loudly, and march persistently in the truth and love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
This Father's Day Pastor Doug encouraged us through a story of Issac's blessing of Jacob. We see the heart of a father that is affectionate in both words and deeds. We see he was affirming his son's value. Finally we see the assumption and hope that his son will be successful. May we be a blessing to our children as we raise them to follow Christ!
On a day we honored one of our young ladie's achievements in our Girl's Ministry, Pastor Doug offered this encouragement to her and our congregation from the Book of Esther. Esther was faced with a difficult choice, but she used her God-given ability to make decisions to honor God. How do you make decisions? Who do you honor with your choices?
We live in a world where there is a war for our affections. In fact that war is as much internal as it is external. We do things and think about things that have their origin in ourselves and as a result it exults ourselves. Unfortunately our labors do not produce an eternal peace, joy, and love. That is why Christ came to set us free and He gives us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is at work in us, producing the kind of fruit that lasts. Pastor Doug encourages us to yield to the Spirit as we live our lives so our works bring Him glory and that we also will be a part of something has eternal blessings.
At this point in the Book of Nehemiah, after they rebuilt the wall, they met at the Water Gate with great anticipation as the Word of God was about to be proclaimed. Pastor Doug encourages us that as we rebuild our lives to be what He has called us to be and do what He has called us to do we must have a desire for the Word of God. Not only do we need a desire, but we need understanding of, sensitivity to, and obedience to the Word. He is for us! He has called us to great things! Rejoice! Let's move forward together as we look to the Word of God to light our paths!
Sometimes we can spend so much time accomplishing our goals that we forget to take ourselves. Sometimes we can be busy doing the things that God has called us to do, and we forget all about Him. Pastor Doug encouraged us that God is merciful and He welcomes all those who have drifted away. Turn back to God! He will not only welcome you, but He will give you new life to finish what He has called you to do.
Pastor Doug used the seventh chapter of Nehemiah as a way to illustrate how we need to be proactive about protecting our lives and hearts from the world around us just like Nehemiah was proactive about protecting the city once the wall was built. God has given us freedom to enjoy the boundaries that protect us. We have personal relationship with Him so we are guaranteed life, guidance, and support. Finally we have the promise of victory so we can stand confident in the midst of trials.
Sometimes in the life of a believer it seems as though you are in constant battle with the world around you. The Bible says that you absolutely are. Pastor Juli spoke about courageously stepping forth in battle, but doing so equipped with the armor Jesus Christ gives to be successful. It is only through Him that we can be more than conquerors, so lets put on the armor He has given us, defend ourselves against everything that sets itself against us, and march victoriously forward as Christ has called us to engage the world around us with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We all encounter opposition to the things God has called us to and opposition to becoming who God has called us to be. Pastor Doug taught from Nehemiah and as they were rebuilding the wall they encountered gossip, slander, and opposition from the neighboring lands. But they persevered and finished what God called them to accomplish.
Nehemiah and the people he led encountered failure and opposition. It was in those moments that they reminded themselves their mission and why it was important. Pastor Doug encouraged us through this text that in the midst of opposition that we remind ourselves of the mission and WHO called us to that mission, Jesus Christ. In light of that let's commit to not only finishing, but finishing well that which God has called us to accomplish.
Pastor Doug encouraged us with this wonderful truth: in Christ, failure is never final. Because of Christ and His victory over sin and death we as His followers have the promise of sharing that victory. Through the story of Nehemiah they had to overcome hardship and sometimes failure. We will be faced with the same things. But is in those times that our trust in Christ gives us hope and strength because failure is never final, His victory is ours!
We were encouraged in the Word through the story of Nehemiah that we have plenty of distractions that can keep us from accomplishing what God has called us to do, just like the people in Nehemiah's day. We can succumb to these distractions or confront them and repent.
Pastor Doug encouraged us from the story of Nehemiah that even though we have many causes of discouragement, both internal and external, there is a cure for that discouragement if we refocus our life on not the source of our discouragement but instead the Source of cure!
Kirk Spain spoke of His ministry in Africa in equipping churches and leaders to accomplish the Great Commission and reminded us of our role in that as well.
Pastor Doug taught about the ten gates that are mentioned in Nehemiah chapter three and the significance they have in our spiritual lives. We have to be mindful of the gates that need to be rebuilt so that God's resources and blessing can rebuild your life.
Pastor Doug encouraged us through the story of Nehemiah that even though things are in ruin God is still working in your life and He will take the ruin in your life and begin to build again something strong, beautiful, and eternal.
Pastor spoke about Nehemiah and the people of Israel and how they called out to God in prayer. Pastor Doug encouraged us that we can pray in all situations and they can be long or "shotgun" prayers where we speak in moments of desperation or frustration and we give God a quick blast of what we are feeling. But we know that a life of prayer keeps us connected with God and we are transformed and rebuilt in the process.
Pastor Doug gave a brief devotional on the day of our business meeting about making honest assessments of our life, and coming to God to rebuild the things that have crumbled. God is our healer and He makes things whole and new again!
We have to be mindful of the things around us that can tear down the walls of protection in our lives. Thankfully through faith in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us we can rebuild and fortify these walls even as we reach out to others as Jesus called us.
Pastor Doug started us off on a new series about Nehemiah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. It started off with the realization that Jerusalem was unprotected because the wall had fallen down. We have a responsibility as Christians to be sure that our hearts are protected, but that we look at others around us to protect as we trust in the Lord who graciously holds our lives in His caring hands.
We all want to be comfortable, but often times our comfort comes in direct conflict with what God has called us to do. Pastor Jeff encouraged us through the Word that in spite of our weakness God uses us and accomplishes supernatural things through us. So we do not trust in the things we find around us. We find our comfort, strength, and direction in the God of the universe who has chosen to live in us.
Jesus came to take upon Himself all of the sin, shame, hurt, disease, and burden of humanity. Pastor Doug encouraged us today to bring everything to Jesus because He is our healer!
Pastor Doug continued with our series on prayer by going through specific circumstances in the Book of Acts where the Church prayed. It was the breath of the Church, and it was by prayer the Church advanced the Kingdom of God
Prayer is the breath of a Christian and today we start a new series on various passages in the Book of Acts and examining how and why they prayed. What drove them to prayer and what were the results of those prayers. May we be a people of prayer as we rely on God Almighty more than we rely on anything else.
In this final message of our Investigating Christmas series Pastor Doug focused our attention on the historical, theological, and biological impact of the birth of Christ. Because of Jesus' birth humanity has been forever changed.
As we look into the story of Christmas we see a young girl in a tough situation, and we learn from her example of faith what it looks like to trust and obey God even when things are difficult and out of our control.
Pastor Doug started a Christmas series by taking a look at the historical setting in which Christ came and how that played into the Christmas story. We looked at the lead up to Jesus' coming by preparing the way for John the Baptist's birth, the one who would eventually "prepare the way" for Jesus. All of this shows that God is in control and even in the midst of our doubts and failures, God makes all things new.
Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we can confidently engage the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ's death and resurrection has given us victory and we are equipped to accomplish the mission God has called us to complete. Pastor Doug warned us that we will encounter resistance from the enemy of our souls, but we need not fear, because Christ has already been victorious. Let's walk in victory as we set out to accomplish our mission to point others to Jesus Christ and His victorious Gospel!
The Christian is engaged in a battle everyday and the stakes are high. The enemy of our souls comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but thank God Jesus came to give us life. We are armed by God Himself with armor to engage the enemy and point souls to the God who came to give life. Pastor Doug encouraged us through the Word to put on the Armor of God and engage in battle for the sake of souls.
God offers us life, power, and even Himself, but we come to these things through a committed relationship to Him and not through an external compliance of behaviors and traditions. God desires relationship with us, and it is only through relationship that we will truly know Him and His blessings.
Pastor Doug talked about what Radical Giving looks like in the life of a believer. Because Christ has so radically given to us we can not only respond by radically giving, but we also have a model for us to follow. Radical giving comes from a place of joy and gratitude for what has been done for us.
Pastor Doug reminded us on this date that we exist to connect with each other for spiritual growth, and one of the ways we do that is by praying with one another. It is by prayer that we not only connect with God and His will but we also connect with those around us through the lens of Christ.
Pastor Mark spoke about the ultimate right as a human; the right for everyone in our sphere of influence to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ, in the midst of our sins, makes us right and then sends us out, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to make Jesus known to a lost world. It is this right that Pastor Mark is encouraging us to follow; to be right before God and to make the Gospel known to others because our hearts are transformed to love as Jesus loved.
Pastor Jeff shared that what matters in conforming to the image of God is that you must first have the heart and mind of Christ and only from there can you accomplish what He has called you to do.
Pastor John Blondo spoke at this special missions service to challenge us in the Word that we are empowered to bring transformation to this world around us through the message of the Gospel. Will you be a part of God's plan to see His love and salvation transform this world?
Pastor Doug continues where he left off last week as we go through the Conforming To His Image series. We have been given the Word of God to instruct, warn, and guide us and it is only a fervent discipline to study and submit to the Word of God that enables the follower of Christ to fulfill what Christ has called them to do.
We have been given the Word of God and it has proven to be reliable, trustworthy, and pure. Therefore we as a followers of Christ should be people of the Word. Pastor Doug encourages us in this message about what it means to be people of the Word.
With all the bad news that is in the world there is hope, there is Good News. We take hope and that and we choose to spread that Good News so that others can have hope as well.
When we consider the principle of the eternal the temporary is placed in its proper perspective. When we focus on the eternal our lives are properly prioritized and we are find worshiping Jesus and living according to His plans.
Part of what Jesus has called us to do is to love one another. What does that look like? Pastor Doug takes us to the words of Christ to see how we as His followers live out our call to love another.
We are called as followers of Christ to not only love God, but to love others as well. What does that look like? Jesus told a story to illustrate that love should be compassionate and breaks through barriers such as race, finances, trust, and religion.
We conform to that which we love. Jesus described what it looked like to love God in such a way that we conform to His image. We must love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we love God in these areas we will begin to look like Him.
Pastor Doug taught from the Word of God that if our lives truly please God than we will be able to clearly see the fruit of that life. Have you lived a life worthy of Christ and the Gospel? Christ shapes and molds us to grow in a way that fruit inevitably springs forth from us.
What does true worship look like? As a follower of Christ we are constantly confronted with other things to worship, but through the story of Abraham and Issac Pastor Jeff encouraged that there is nothing that should be more important than giving God glory and worshiping Him in the midst of darkness, chaos, and confusion.
As a culture men are often defined by a perverse view of money, sex, and power. The Bible breaks down about what each of those things are to a man and a man should engage in those things. In this message, Pastor Doug taught from scripture what biblical manhood looks like.
It is a motto that we have grown up hearing, but do we really believe it. Pastor Doug encouraged us from God's Word that we can trust in the sovereignty of God and His ability and willingness to provide for us in times of turmoil. It is this trust in God that changes they way we think and feel in all areas of life, and we are transformed into people who are at peace, full of joy, and empowered to serve.
In a replication and celebration of Pastor Mark's and Pastor Jeff's recent ordination, Pastor Doug shared what should be a part of every Pastor's heart, proclaiming the truth in love. If you are a part of a church that challenges you, will not tolerate you being deceived, and constantly encourages you to examine your spiritual life then you are on the right track of being in a place that tells you the truth in love.
Pastor Doug breaks down for us the different biblical categories of suffering that we as Christians face. As a part of our Identity Theft series, it is important for us as Christians to recognize that we as Christians will struggle, suffer, and toil, but our hope lies that in All things Christ gives us strength and remains faithfully with and in us.
Missionaries Flynn and Renee Clanton encouraged us with the Word and with their stories that we, despite all the trials and tribulations of life, are all sent to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Mother's serve a very special place in our hearts because they are often a child's first representative of truth and love. Through their words and deeds they preach a life-long sermon to their children. If you are a mother, what are you preaching? What truth have you gained from you mother's sermon? How has she shown you love, and what does these things say about God?
We are not alone. Not only are we not alone but we are heard. We have the comfort of knowing as Christians that our prayers are not meaningless expressions that evaporate into the cosmos but instead a living, personal, relational God not only has the ability to hear but wants to hear us communicate with Him. He loves us therefore we know He chooses to hear us!
When we give our lives to Christ ALL of our former life has been cancelled. Our sins, our debts, our connections, our values, and legacies are cancelled. Instead we have been adopted, through Christ to be treated in God's eyes exactly they way He views Jesus and we have been given life, connection, and an inheritance just like Jesus has. We have been adopted and we are now considered to be children of the Most High King!
This Easter Celebration we looked at who we are in Christ. Looking at the first ten verses in the second chapter of the Book of Ephesians we see that our identity before Christ was: Dead. Enslaved. Condemned. Jesus came to rescue us from our old identity and gave us a new one. As a result we are alive and we are alive without having to contribute to our new condition in ANY way. We owe our new identity to Jesus Christ!
We have a lot of decisions to make in life. The most important one we make every single day is to trust in Jesus Christ. We were encouraged by the discouraging story of Judas that Jesus is worth it even when we feel like bailing out. Small decisions lead to bigger ones and if we are not careful we can sell out our faith. What decisions do you have to make today to start trusting Jesus again?
It is very easy to be discouraged when we don't get the credit or recognition we deserve. In fact sometimes we do things soley for the recognition. We strive to perform for others and for God so that we can hear that we are appreciated. The Word of God encourages us that we do not have to do a thing in order for God to appreciate us. He appreciates us because He loves us. So we can now live without trying to earn other people's failure but simply serve as Jesus has served us without any expectation of credit, recognition, or appreciation from others.
What is our identity? Our identity as Christians is that we are blessed! We are blessed not necessarily because of what we have in this world. Houses, cars, and money is not primarily what makes us blessed. We are blessed because we have been taken from death into life, and we are called children of the Most High God. Sometimes we have to be patient and remind ourselves that our blessings are rich, even in the midst of struggle, and they will be fully realized when we see Jesus face to face who is the promised source of ALL our blessings.
In the second message in the Identity Theft series we explore what the Bible says about who is a saint. The word saint has taken on a meaning that gives a false impression about who can be a saint. The Bible says that all who have agreed to trust Jesus as their Savior and Lord is a saint. Saints are not perfect. They are simply remorseful and humble. They also have a reason to be joyful that Jesus has changed their identity from sinners to saints because of what HE has done!
Kicking off our Identity Theft series, Pastor Doug preached from 1 Corinthians 15:22 where we are encouraged that even though our identity before Christ was found in our failures, we now have a new identity in Christ solely because of what He has done for us. So we daily have to protect that identity from things that wish to steal our focus and falsely define who we are. Our identity is not found by what we have done, but rather our identity is found in what Jesus has done.
Moses shows us the very real side of being All In for the sake of Jesus Christ. Sometimes we will fail. Sometimes we will be overwhelmed by our own weaknesses. Pastor Doug encourages us through the story of Moses that God transforms failures into victory and weakness into strength. So when we encounter failure and weakness and our efforts feel in vain our response should be one of faith in Jesus Christ and that He will give the increase. Don't give up! Jesus is for you!
Pastor Doug teaches from a story of a woman's encounter with Jesus that a believer in Jesus is bold in their worship. From the account of the woman with the alabaster jar we see a woman who was so focused, so passionate about her worship of Jesus that she discarded all societal conventions, repented completely, worshiped fully, and therefore received God's grace immeasurably.
It is tough to be strong when others are weak. It is especially hard when your faith and reliance is in yourself. Pastor Doug encouraged us through the story of Caleb who in the advanced years of his life had faith in God to the point where he boldly stood up and declared, "Give me this hill country!" His faith had not wavered despite the many years he had spent in the desert waiting for the promise of God. We can have the boldness of Caleb, willing to take on any given task and/or obstacle, as long as our trust remains in Christ and His goodness. If our trust remains in Christ and we respond in obedience, God will provide generously for His children.
In this third message in our All In series Pastor Doug encouraged us that while God is not looking to kill our good time by taking away things that matter to us, but God will use tests to reveal to us whether we trust and value Him more than we do other things. Who are you following? Do expect God to follow you and your plans, or do you have faith that God not only has the best plan but He is the only one worthy of being followed. We all will be tested in our faith. We all will be tested whether there are things or people we trust or value more than God. How will you pass these tests? Are you All In?
Our lives can be complicated by the plans of God. Sometimes when we follow God's plan we are met with doubts and confusion about His timing. We are encouraged by the life of Noah that we do not have to know all the answers to our journey right away. We just have to obey God by what He has called us to do and trust Him when we do not see an immediate answer or even an answer that doesn't make sense to us. In this second message of our All In series, Pastor Doug encourages us to allow God to complicate our lives with His plan and to trust Him even when things do not makes sense. That's what it means to be All In!
In a tag team effort Pastor Doug, Pastor Mark, and Pastor Jeff introduced us to a new series, All In. What does it mean to be All In? Pastor Jeff introduced us to the idea that being All In is not an option but a requirement. Pastor Mark spoke about four people who had an encounter with Almighty God and what being All In looked like in those instances. Pastor Mark concluded that being All In that is not just limited to a believer restraining to do evil, but it is passionately looking to do what God is calling us to. It is a commitment to being proactive when it comes to God's plan. Pastor Doug then challenged us that being All In requires us to be consecrated, set apart, for God's service. When we trusted God with our lives we gave him control and permission to use us as He saw fit knowing that He has our good in mind. Pastor Doug challenged us that we truly trust Him like we did when we first repented, and dedicate ourselves wholly to His plan which is far greater, truer, and more worthy than anything we can devote our time, resources and energy to.
Jesus Christ has offered us life! Through His death, burial, and resurrection we are given salvation. Another thing we are given is healing. One of our fundamental beliefs is that healing is a part of the Gospel. Jesus not only offered salvation in His ministry on this earth, but He offered healing as well. We believe that He still offers to us today both salvation AND healing. Pastor Doug encouraged us in this healing service that Jesus has not only secured healing for us in His act of redemption and atonement on the cross, but He desperately wants us to receive ALL that He want to give us. Let's trust Him when we read His words in scripture that tell us He is our Healer!
As we start a new year Pastor Doug is calling us to start with a renewed focus on prayer. As we look at scripture we see the importance of prayer in not only great things being accomplished but also the growth in relationship between the one who prays and God. So how do we start? What does a great prayer life look like. Pastor Doug teaches from scripture that on of the key components of a successful prayer life is that there is a dedicated time and place for it in your life. If space isn't carved out in your schedule then chances are it will not happen. So we intentionally set a time and a space to speak and hear from the Living God without being interrupted. Another successful practice is having a pattern of prayer. We can continue to only ask God for things, only talk to God if we want something from Him, but He deserves praise. We need to concentrate on who He is and confess His lordship over our lives. We also need to remember that we should listen for His voice as well. So as we start this year off in prayer let's remember to value prayer so much that we intentionally make it a part of our day, and let' s also remember that our prayers should be well rounded as we ask, confess, thank, and praise the King of Kings.
Jesus calls those who trust Him and those who follow Him salt and light. Why would Jesus call us salt and light? Salt and light exist to benefit others. It enhances the lives of others. If we are truly salt and light than not only are we fulfilling the mission of Christ but we are being of benefit to those around us. If we are salt and light we do not get a break, because that is what Christ has called us to be. Pastor Juli encouraged us to examine our choices and examine our life. Are we being salt and light? If not than we have to conclude that we are not truly following or trusting Christ. As Christ changes us and as we yield to the Holy Spirit we will have no other choice but to be salt and light and as a result we will be of benefit to others, pointing them to Christ who has offered life to all of humanity.
It is easy for us at this time of year to forget what it is important. We are so busy we are consumed with things that do not matter and our hearts and minds are not focused on what does. Pastor Doug shared with us a passage in Luke 2:1-7 where there were those who missed out on Christmas when Jesus was born. Some of them looked in the wrong places. Some looked for the wrong reasons. But those who found Christ truly experienced Christmas. Let us be encouraged as we focus on the only thing that matters at this time of year and at any time of the year, Christ who came near to us to offer us life.
When we look at the Christmas story we come upon some wise men who were following a star. They were clearly aware that there was something significant about that star. They were looking for the King of the Jews. As they followed this divine manifestation that directed them to Bethlehem one could imagine the excitement they must have felt. Imagine how they must have felt when they followed the star and found the King of kings at a stable? Did they have questions? Did they have doubts about whether their efforts were in vain. Their response to their unlikely destination offers a lot of insight that can be applied to how we live our life of faith in Christ. When we follow Christ we are sometimes directed into situations that we did not expect and sometimes those situations are unpleasant, a let down from what we expected. It is in those moments we can respond poorly or we can respond like the wise men did. They bowed down and worshiped. They gave the best of what they had. The left that place forever changed. When we encounter Christ and He leads us to a place that we didn't expect, let us respond with worship, giving nothing but our best, and forever changed as He continues to lead us on our journey.
In wrapping up the final message in the Psalms For A Contemporary Life series, Pastor Doug shared from the first ten verses in Psalms 24. We serve a GREAT God and He has made Himself available to us! In this life we can be very busy, but often times we can refocus on the greatness of our God to give us direction, hope, strength, and life. Even in the midst of our weakness and failure we can meet with our great God. Through Jesus Christ we can come to our great God freely, because even while we were sinners, Christ died for us. We have a great responsibility and a great privilege. Because of Christ's death the Holy Spirit takes residence in us. Are we welcoming towards the King of Glory? Do we greet Him with shouts of adoration and thanksgiving? Do we yield to Him when He disciplines, teaches, directs, and guides? We have a King of Glory that has made Himself available to us. Our response should be one of joy, praise, and obedience. What is your response to the King of Glory?
When we take a look at God and our lives we are constantly confronted with three things: we have a King, we hate the King, and we need the King. We as human beings have joined the human beings before us in showing our disdain towards God by our constant rebellion against Him. We have shown our lack of appreciation when we try to refuse His benevolent but rightful involvement in our lives. But we are inevitably confronted by our total need for King Jesus. We are lost and unable to find our way on our own. So as we live our lives we are faced with the decision: Do we submit to the King and give Him His rightful place of honor and rule, or do we reject Him and try to live our lives with our own futile attempts to rule our life?
It is easy for us to lose sight at what Thanksgiving the day is all about and even easier to forget what thanksgiving the attribute is all about. Pastor Jeff reminds us through three encounters people had with Jesus that their thanksgiving changed three things: their thoughts, their speech, their worship. We believe and behave differently when we are thankful, and we have a lot for which to be thankful.
In continuation of our series, Psalms For Contemporary Life, Pastor Doug spoke from Psalms 91. In a world that is by its very nature insecure and uncertain we have a God who offers Himself as a powerful remedy. It is wise for us to trust Him, and if we do we have confidence that our lives are in the hands of One who is more powerful than this anything in this world. We also have the assurance that God means to work all things together for our good if we are willing to trust Him. What is our response? Let us make the Most High God our dwelling for that is truly wise.
Our lives are filled with things that can influence us both positively and negatively. Often times it is our response to these things that determines whether our relationship with Christ is strengthened or hindered. In a continuation of our series, Psalms For A Contemporary Life, Pastor Doug encourages us that our growth, our choices, potential, and our character is determined to our responses to our environment and the Holy Spirit's work in our life. It is our wise responses to these things that enable us to walk in life that Jesus is calling us.
In the third message in our Series of Psalms For A Contemporary Life, Pastor Doug encouraged us that our security rests solely in the capable hands of Jesus Christ. His goodness and care for us shows us that it is to our benefit that we trust our lives with Him, and it was His accomplishment on the cross that ensures us that He will hold us for all eternity in His loving embrace.
In the second message in the Psalms For A Contemporary Life series, Pastor Doug offers this encouraging message from Psalms 73. Christians are not exempt from discouragement. It is easy to point to things that are not right and allow those things to bring us down. The Psalmist encourages us in Psalm 73 that even though there are plenty of things to discourage us we can forever remind ourselves of who God is and He is worthy to be praised. When we praise God in the midst of discouragement He often gives us a new perspective on ourselves and what is bothering us. Let's remember to praise the Lord at all times!
In a introduction on a series of the Book of Psalms Pastor Doug spoke on how Psalms 139 reveals the God is not distant. He knows us. He knows us so well that He knows what we will do before we do. Because God is near He sees us at the darkest moments of our life. Nothing slips past His gaze. We cannot hide. What an intimidating thought! But he has shown his love that even while we were sinning Christ still died for us! Pastor Doug finally encouraged us with the fact that God has made us and that each one of our days on this Earth has a special purpose in His eyes. God knows us, He is near, and He is involved with every aspect of our life. How fitting for us to trust our lives with Jesus Christ who knows us, came near to us, and intimately involved Himself with our lives!
Sometimes the church can be so focused on itself that it forgets that its mission is to reach those outside of itself. Pastor Doug encourages us that God urgently and passionately desires more to be rescued from sin and death, and we too should have that same urgent, passionate desire. We as the Church should care that there are those who are not in Christ. We should allow our lives to be interrupted for the sake of finding those who are lost. Finally, because everyone is valuable to God and He celebrates when a person comes to Him, we too should joyously celebrate when one is saved by Jesus Christ. There is always one more person to reach. There is always one more thing we can do. Let's care! Let's find! Let's celebrate!
There are many lies that will plague our hearts as we live life. Many of these lies speak negatively about who we are and how God sees us. Fortunately we can be assured of how God sees us by the life of Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection that sets us free from sin and death. So we should guard our hearts from any and every lie that tells us anything different, because if we are in Christ we are loved, forgiven, changed, blessed, and able to be used for His glory!
Spud DeMent encourages us that Missions is not a arm of the church it is the business of the church. Our goal in our lives as Christians should be to satisfy our common goal of proclaiming the Gospel, the only way to life, to those who are without Christ. We are certain that if we are faithful in our mission the Holy Spirit will be there to assist and fill us every step of the way. So let's get busy!
Steve and Jill McCarthy, missionaries to Uruguay, presented to us what their ministry looks like to the people of Uruguay and explained what it looked like when God called them to missions. Steve encouraged us to be obedient to God's call on our lives to preach the Gospel to all people and to show them the love of Christ.
We all have a past. We have hurts. We have pain. We have joyful memories and relationships. We have experiences from which we have learned valuable lessons. Pastor Doug encourages us from the Book of Philippians that our past can offer both positive and negative feelings, but because of Christ and the glorious promise He has offered we choose to lean forward to the prize that lies ahead. We choose not to dwell in the past, because our promise lies ahead. So we choose to forgive, we choose to accept Christ's healing, we choose to repent from sin, we choose to learn from our past, and we choose to strive ahead to what Christ is calling us.
In this brief message Pastor Doug exhorts us to forget our past hurts, failures, sin, and shame. Christ has set us free from these things and Pastor Doug teaches us that we can forget the past by being grateful for what Christ has given us and what we have to look forward to in the future. We can also forget the past by repenting from our sin and rebellion against God. Christ has set us free from these things and if we embrace Him we also must embrace our deliverance as well.
We are all born into sin. We live in a individualistic society. We struggle everyday with selfishness. Pastor Jeff encourages us that we no longer have to conform to the patterns of this world and all that it values. Instead we can allow the Holy Spirit to transform us by renewing the way we think about things so we can value what God values. If we do this we will move past the elementary teachings of Christ, becoming mature believers. It is time for us to spiritually mature as believers instead of wasting resources by requiring to be spiritually spoon fed for years and years, resources that can be used to win new believers with the Gospel. We can instead mature, feeding ourselves, so we can be used to fill the desperate need of feeding others with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and thereby increasing our influence in the world for the sake of Christ.
Faith and community: two things we need in life. Pastor Juli, our Family Pastor, challenges us to strive in the midst of difficult times by embracing faith and each other. We all will go through something that challenges our strength and faith. It is in those moments that we realize where our trust lies; with God or with something else. It is also in those moments that we can remind ourselves that we are not in those moments alone. Not only is God with us, but we have our Church family with us to encourage us, strengthen us, and work alongside us. Community enhances faith. Faith gives purpose to the community. Both are needed for us to be successful in our journey as well as our mission in making disciples of Christ.
God is faithful to His promises! Even when everything you see, hear, and touch communicates something different, God does and will keep His promises. He promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. He promised Sarai that she would conceive a son. In the midst of her doubt and trying to find a human solution to God's promises, God confirmed His promises to her by making it possible for her to conceive a child even though she was barren and in advanced years. God changed her identity to Sarah and Sarah began to trust in the Lord and give Him praise no matter what situation she and her family find themselves in. Pastor Doug encourages us that we too can live a life of faith that is dependent on trusting in God and not whether things "look right", "feel right", or are right. He is to be praised even in the midst of life's storms, and He has shown Himself, as He did with Sarah, to be a God who wants to know us and bless us.
Strong. Handsome. Smart. Samson was an impressive guy. He was born through a miraculous birth. His parents were instructed by God to raise him as one who was set aside for a special purpose, a purpose of blessing his people. We see in scripture many stories of Samson accomplishing incredible feats, but we also see a rebellious nature in Samson that fostered a spiraling pattern of willful disobedience toward God. Captured, imprisoned, and mocked Samson shows a final act of submission to God by sacrificing himself to accomplish God's will. That final act accomplished more than all of Samson's wonderful acts combined. It's results lasted far beyond the moment. It left a legacy we see in Hebrews 11 that records Samson in the Hall of Fame of Faith. Pastor Doug instructs us that a life of disobedience will rob God, others, and yourself of the blessing God wishes to shower on us, but it is never too late to start a new life of obedience. We know from Samson's story, that God can accomplish more through one act of obedience than a lifetime of impressive feats.
Peter was passionate. He was a leader. He was certain about what he believed. Jesus warned Peter that in the heat of the moment Peter would turn his back on everything he thought he knew, everything he was passionate about, and all he was willing to lead others to. Like Peter we can fail God even at our seemingly strongest moment of belief, but despite our failure and even bitter betrayal against God we find His hands lifting us up. Pastor Doug encourages through this story that just like He did with Peter, Jesus offers forgiveness and restoration for all the times we have failed, and he still offers us a job: to love others and reach them with the Gospel.
Esther was used to getting her way. Her looks, her influence, her power, everything God created her to be, afforded her the opportunities that others did not have. It is easy to use those attributes to accomplish selfish goals and ambitions. Esther quickly learned that God created her to use her power and influence to serve Him and to serve people. When her focus shifted from herself to God and others, she realized God's destiny of changing her from a captive to a queen.
Jacob was a liar. He was a con man. Everything that he gained was accomplished by deceit. Perhaps Jacob had it all together on the outside, but if people only knew the kind of man he was they would think differently. Perhaps you have felt that way, "If people only knew who I really am...nobody would ever love me." It wasn't until Jacob had an encounter with God that he was able to be honest with who he was. Through that same encounter God, knowing full well all of Jacobs admitted short comings, still showed grace and mercy to Jacob, and it was at that point Jacob realized that all of deceitful, dirty things he was responsible for no longer defined who he was. He was now free to move on to the destiny to which God was graciously calling him.
On a Sunday where we honored our high school graduates, Pastor Mark encouraged all of us to have a heart of a champion. What does a heart like that look like? Pastor Mark taught that from the life of Jesus we see what His heart looked like by looking at how he met peoples physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. It is by understanding His heart that we can truly examine our heart to see if it is truly the heart of a champion, a heart submitted to Christ.
Biblical characters often have labels attached to them. David was a king and a man after God's heart. John was the disciple whom Jesus loved. Paul was an apostle and a tent maker. Well, Rahab was a prostitute. It was her identity. Pastor Doug encourages us that despite her reputation, her past, and identity, her faith was what God honored. It is by faith that we come to salvation and it is by faith that we please God. Our past does not determine our future. Instead we are assured that when we put our faith in Christ, like Rahab, our identities shift from a dirty past to a glorious destiny.
We live in a duct tape society. We try to fix things ourselves and fix them quickly. But there are some things that cannot be fixed by ourselves. Pastor Doug reminded us and reminded father's specifically that God's Word and Jesus Christ brings about the necessary restoration once and for all.
We all have things in our past that causes guilt and shame, but Moses serves as an example that because of God's grace we are invited into God's presence. We have to simply take God at His Word and walk into His presence. A look how God has revealed Himself in His Word, a focus properly fixed on Christ, and a periodic self-reflection to make sure we are living a life of faith are practical steps to insure we are walking in God's blessing, life, and promise.
Pastor Doug started a new series called Dirty to Destiny where God has called flawed men and women in history to accomplish His perfect plan. That same calling rests on us today where God is calling us out of a life of sin and into a life of destiny. Pastor Doug shares with us in this first sermon of the series that as God has called us our focus necessarily shifts from our past to what God has promised us.
Pastor Doug DeMent brought forth some insight from John 11 where Mary and Martha were hurt, grieving from the death of Lazarus, and they accused Jesus of being tardy. In the midst of the questioning Jesus lovingly challenged them with this one act of faith, roll the stone away. Everyday we are challenged with hurt, pain, grief, regret...all the while faced with the choice of whether we are going to trust Jesus with our hurt, pain, grief, regret, and more. Jesus is calling you to roll the stone out of the way so He can bring healing and blessing. Will you roll the stone away?
Pastor Doug speaks of the vital role the Holy Spirit plays in our daily life and a life that is continually resourced and dependent on the Holy Spirit will benefit from His supernatural assistance in accomplishing Christ's plan in our lives.
On this Mother's Day Pastor Doug offers 7 ways to love your mother though the example Jesus set with His mother.
Pastor Doug preached on the different kinds of doubt we face and how we as believers move from living a life of doubt to a life of faith.
Rachelle Terry, missionary to Romania shared with us some details of her call and preached on the "Immediacy" of the call we all have in serving in God's Mission
Pastor Doug preaches his final sermon in his series 'Knock, Knock, Who's There.' The focus is on intercessory prayer. Text: Matthew 7:7
Pastor Doug preaches his second message in his 'Knock, Knock Who's There' series. The focus of today's message is on Seeking God and Declaring who God is. Pastor Doug takes us through several of the names of God which declare his character to us. Jehovah-Jireh (my provider)Jehovah-Rophe (my healer)Jehovah-Nissi (my banner)Jehovah-Shammah (present with me)Jehovah-Rohi (my shepherd)Jehovah-Tsidkenu (my righteousness)Jehovah-Shalom (my peace)
Pastor Mark defines the term 'Christian Atheist' as someone who believes in God, but lives as if He does not exist. Pastor Mark goes on to answer the questions: Why would God love someone as bad as me? and, how could God love someone so insignificant?
Pastor Doug preaches on Jacob's dreams of a gate to Heaven highlighting the fact that Jesus is the gate of Heaven. He then challenges us to consider that we are now standing at the gate of Heaven.
Pastor Doug preaches on the differences between the world's value system and God's value system. Text: Matthew 23:37-39 and John 3:16
Pastor Doug preaches on prayer as a petition, topical prayers, and ripple prayers. He explains how each type of prayer helps us connect with God.
Pastor Doug preaches on the big picture of why we exist as a church, and how we are going to take steps to grow closer together in the ministry of the church. He highlights six Mission Measures we can use to identify how we are personally growing in the Lord.
Pastor Doug preaches his sixth sermon in the Circle Maker prayer series. His points include preparing to pray effectively, praying alone, expending energy when you pray, preparing to be attacked when you pray, being ushered into the Supernatural, and being changed when you pray. Text: Daniel. 10:10-12
Pastor Doug preaches his fifth sermon in the Circle Maker prayer series. The focus is on long term praying, praying with urgency, and being obedient while we wait. Text: Daniel 10:12-13
Pastor Doug preaches his fourth sermon in the Circle Maker Prayer Series. Today's focus was on having the perseverance to pray hard. Text: Luke 18:1-5 & Hebrews 7:24-25
Pastor Doug preaches his third sermon in the Circle Maker Prayer series. He spoke of our faith in God beginning with risk, as well as the risk of comparing God's power to our needs. Text: Numbers 11:18-24, 31-32
Pastor Doug develops the Circle Maker series as he expounds on his point of "Define your Dream."
Pastor Mark, Pastor Jeff, and Pastor Doug introduce the new series we will be going through for the next several weeks. The series is based on the book The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. Today Pastor Mark & Mel share their testimony of God's physical healing in the life of one of their newborn twins, Kaia. Pastor Jeff expounded on the Biblical text regarding Jericho and the faith the Israelites demonstrated as they obeyed God's instructions. Next week Pastor Doug will open the sermon with his point "Define Your Dreams" that we did not get to today. Please be sure to join us for that service!
Pastor Doug outlines our church's vision and the necessity of faith in God to move forward in His will.
Pastor Doug outlines what some of the works of our sinful nature are, highlights some false attitudes about overcoming our sinful nature, and then gives three principles we can implement daily to overcome our sinful nature.
In the tenth message of our Fruit of the Spirit series Pastor Doug teaches about self-control. As we study this word self-control, we see that it means living "in strength."
Pastor Doug DeMent, in the 6th part of our series Living Fully, teaches about the element of Faithfulness. He identifies Faithfulness as the very core of relationship with Christ and what role Faithfulness plays as we seek God's will for our lives. He identifies how our commitments drive out faith rather than our feelings and spends some time discussing how we develop Faithfulness.
Pastor talks about living fully with goodness. How He gives us a new nature, develops in us a servant mentality, to sensitize our hear to God, encouraging attitude in our life and calm assurance in life's storms.
Pastor teaches us how a "kindness" person cares and how non-kind people are. A "kindness" person takes action and has strength and resources to give.
Richard and Janet Conti, Missionaries to Guatemala, shared with us how placing our hope in Jesus Christ is a necessary source of strength for every aspect of our lives. Whether it is a call to the mission field or getting through this months bills and everything in between, if our hope is in anything but Jesus we will find ourselves wanting.
Pastor Doug DeMent teaches about the aspect of Patience as it relates to the Fruit of the Spirit. It is important for us to understand how the other aspects of the Fruit influence and cultivate this aspect. Patience is a multifaceted characteristic, but one that is critical to peace and joy in our lives and our relationships.
Vision Statement - We exist to partner with the holy spirit in engaging every person to commit to Jesus Christ and connect with each other for spiritual growth so we can in turn influence our community.Our core values are: engage, commit, connect and influence.
In this the fourth message of our series Living Fully Pastor Doug DeMent teaches on the element of Peace as an aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit. Pastor Doug clarifies the meaning of Peace and navigates the tricky nature of peace in the midst of difficulty in our lives. Peace is one of those things we can never has to much of in our lives. Finding peace in times of crisis and stress is an important feature of developing the Fruit of the Spirit.
In part 3 of our series Living Fully Pastor Doug DeMent teaches about the need for joy in our lives and how to live a joyful life. Pastor Doug also shows us some action steps that release joy in our lives and even how to find joy in the midst of suffering, struggle, and stress.
In the 2nd message of this series, Living Fully, Pastor Doug teaches about the aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit known as LOVE. He instructs us on the mistakes we sometimes run into in understanding love and he teaches is what the bible says about how we can develop love in our lives. The whole truth of the gospel can be summed up in LOVE, and if God has called us to be his disciples then we need to cultivate love in our lives
In the first message of the series Living Fully, Pastor Doug teaches us how to know is the Fruit of the Spirit is in us and also clarifies some general confusions about the Fruit of the Spirit.
Missionary David Di Trolio shares with us his experiences ministering in Paraguay and challenges us to seek God in how He would like us to serve. Whether it be with our time, our money, our prayers, or how we choose to live our life; our purpose is to worship and give glory to God.
Pastor Doug DeMent teaches from 2 Kings 6: 1-7 the concept that sometimes we can lose our spiritual edge. This message serves as both a precautionary warning as well as a message of encouragement that God has the power to restore and rescue us.
Part 2 of our final message in the series "The Spirit and the Church" Pastor Doug DeMent teaching about the difference of Indwelling Spirit at Salvation and the Empowering of the Holy Spirit for Ministry. The Holy Spirit is in our lives for regeneration and sanctification as well as for the purpose of empowerment for ministry.
In the second to last message of our series " The Spirit and the Church" Pastor Doug DeMent shares about the role of the Holy Spirit as the INVITER of our spirits into relationship with Him. He teaches about how patient and gentle the Holy Spirit is with us and how, in love, He brings conviction in our hearts and draws us to Himself.
As we continue our summer series "The Spirit and the Church" Pastor Doug DeMent teaches on staying in stride with the Holy Spirits leading, and that as we follow the Holy Spirit we grow in maturity and grow in ministry.
This Sunday our team that went to serve in Haiti returned and share a little about that God did in our lives and the lives of the Haitian people. What blessed us the most were the stories of Joy and Hope that the team found in the lives of the Haitian people. What an amazing experience and opportunity to share what God is doing around the world.
Pastor Doug DeMent teaches how God uses our lives, empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill his plan on earth to save as many as possible. Taking a look at several individuals God used throughout the bible we are encouraged to allow God to use whatever we have for His Glory.
The Holy Spirit is our greatest prayer partner. We do not have to be a discouraged or sad people. Let us bind together and agree with each other in prayer for the needs of brothers and sisters in Christ.
The Holy Spirit enables us to love people showing them Christ in the physical as well as it enables us to do the supernatural for God's glory.
Pastor Doug DeMent gives a short devotional on how we can lean on the Holy Spirit in our lives to lead and guide us.
Pastor Doug speaks on the pressures of being a father. The pressure of Spiritual Leadership as well as the pressure fathers have because the expectations of their children were not met and so there is unforgiveness toward him.
The Honor Star Crowning of Abby Beckering, Madyson Oliveri, and Kaitlyn Walker. Pastor Doug speaks on the power of our choices looking at the life of Esther and the Godly choices she makes.
Continuing the study of Speaking in Tongues, Pastor Doug DeMent expounds on Tongues in Corporate Worship and for private edification.
Pastor Doug expounds on the book of Ruth and takes a look at Naomi, the picture of a mother. Going through the different stages of a mother's life.
Mark expounds on each of the fruit of the Spirit and the role they have in our lives. Further explaining that the Fruit of the spirit are not gifts that we are given but that each one should manifest itself in our lives as we are routed in Christ.
Taken from John 16:7, Doug DeMent teaches us about the Promise and Priorities of the Holy Spirit's work in our lives. The explanation of the work of the Holy Spirit as our teacher, our partner, and our leader.
Terry Rosch, special missionary guest, gives us an update on what God is doing in Panama, as well as a challenge to the people of Grace to make a difference for Christ in the Syracuse area, through the relentless pursuit of those who do not have a relationship with Christ.
A special Easter service with a drama portraying many of the struggles people have with church, faith, and Jesus Christ. Doug DeMent speaks to some of the questions and concerns brought up in the drama by addressing two questions: "What does God's Word say?" and "What decision will you make based on God's Word?"
Doug DeMent gives us an intimate look at the "characters" that lead up to the crucifixion of Jesus. Peter's Denial, Judas' Betrayal, The Crowd being Fickle, etc. and Jesus' response through it all.
Doug DeMent concludes his series on True Fellowship. In this episode he speaks on the effects of Christian Fellowship being founded on Christ and uniting us together. That when we are in true fellowship with one another, people will want to be a part of it.
Doug DeMent and several others baptized several followers of Christ. Seventh in the Series of True Fellowship, Doug DeMent speaks on being a servant and what that truly means. He takes a close look at the characteristics of a servant, the challenges of a servant, and the rewards of a servant.
The sixth episode in the series True Fellowship. Doug DeMent speaks on the function of the spiritual gifts in the body of Christ as well as their purpose.
Doug DeMent continues his series on True Fellowship. Speaking about sharing in the sufferings of Christ. Christ's Sufferings include suffering when we doubt His power, when He gave up that which He loved the most, and when His gift of Salvation is ignored.
This is the third episode in the series "True Fellowship". Pastor Doug speaks out of Romans 12 encouraging each person to share with each other, care for each other, honor one another, reprove one another, and to pray for one another.
This is the second in the series "True Fellowship". Pastor Doug speaks on 5 ways to love one another in a marriage relationship. Working at and being devoted to loving your spouse.
Doug DeMent preaches out of Acts 2:42. We see that in everything the believers trusted God allowing them to give to each other by sharing their lives with each other, by partnering together to do God's work, and by sharing with each other what they had.
Pastor Doug DeMent began a new series Titled Take God at His Word. In this, the first of the series Pastor Doug speaks specifically about our finances in relationship to God's promise to enrich us in every way.
Pastor Mark gives us a New Years challenge to "seek God first." As we reflect on the past year our desire for this year is to live a life spiritually consumed. We were challenged to put God first in our day by seeking Him, week by worshiping together, month by being generous with our giving and year. by fasting and seeking God for his will for this year
Pastor Doug DeMent gives us 3 lessons to learn from Luke chapter 2, verses 1-7. God is in control even when we can't understand. He sometimes leads us through others or through our circumstances. He chooses to reach us on the basis of love rather than power.
In this thanksgiving message Pastor Mark Freeman teaches us that God has already provided everything we need to fulfill His purposes for our life. We have so much to be thankful for and it all comes from our heavenly father. For many of us it is our perspective that needs to be adjusted for us to see what we have to be thankful for.
Pastor John Winn shares with us the urgency and vastness of the harvest and the need workers: those that are willing to reach out and meet the needs of the lost. He teaches us the necessity of going back to the basics/our foundations so that we can then speak truth into the lives of the lost.
As part of our Missions Emphasis week Pastor David Hertweck, the NY District Youth Director for the Assembly of God shared this message with us. Based out of the book of 2Kings Pastor Dave teaches us that the amazing message of hope we have through salvation is not something to keep to ourselves, but should be shared with everyone. We also see how this hope compels us to give financially to Missionaries and Ministries for the advancement of the Gospel to "save as many as possible."
Prayer is the life line between us and God and yet to often we misunderstand its purpose and for some we don't even understand how to do it. In this final part of Pastor Doug DeMent's series on prayer we take a look at Peter's relationship with Jesus and we see a Prayer of Protection, of Redemption, and Restoration.
Prayer is the life line between us and God and yet to often we misunderstand its purpose and for some, we misunderstand how to do it. In this third part of Pastor Doug DeMent's series on prayer he teaches on the difficult idea of how and when God decides to say Yes, No, or Not Now to our prayers.
Prayer is the life line between us and God and yet to often we misunderstand its purpose and for some, we misunderstand even how to do it. I this second part of Pastor Doug DeMent's series on prayer he gives us some practical teaching on how to pray everyday.
Prayer is the life line between us and God and yet so often we misunderstand its purpose and for some, we even misunderstand how to do it. Pastor Doug DeMent begins a four part series on Prayer with this message "Why Pray?" In this message Pastor Doug teaches the purpose of prayer and the way God works through Prayer.
As a new school year begins we become aware of many prayer needs in our schools; from students to administrators, teachers to support staff and everything in between. Pastor Doug shares some thoughts and ways to pray for our schools and become Prayer Zone Partners.