UNiTE (Mount Pleasant Community Church MI): Recent Episodes
UNiTE
UNiTE is a college and young adult ministry that is looking to cultivate Christ-centered lives through community. UNiTE meets Tuesday nights in the Fall and Spring to worship God and learn more about Him while growing as a community through games, activities, events, and small groups. UNiTE is a ministry at Mount Pleasant Community Church in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
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To finish our Story of the Song series, one of our interns, Meri, shares about the meaning of the song Praise. She shares that the Lord is worthy of praise because of his unchanging character, not because of our circumstances. As long as we are breathing, we have a reason to praise the Lord!
UNiTE Alma Worship Leader, Nick Freeze, shares about the meaning behind the song Son of Suffering. He shares about Jesus as the suffering servant, the perfect sacrifice so that we could be brought into right relationship with God.
For Week 2 of our Story of the Song series, our intern, Jenna shares about a meaningful worship song to her, Forever YHWH, and the meaning behind the different names of God in the lyric of this song.
One of our interns, Nathan Cone, kicks off a new series focused on the meaning behind the lyrics of some of the worship songs we sing. Nathan shares about the biblical meaning of some of the lyrics from the song Defender as well as the personal meaning it has to him.
Marc shares a message from his heart. A message about having hope and showing gratitude even when we don't feel like it and when our circumstances aren't good.
Todd Brasher, a teacher of communication and public speaking, joins us to share his insight on communication skills in relation to sharing the gospel with people.
Marc finishes our Habakkuk series and encourages us how to see our way out of the dip with reminders to remember, wait, and trust.
Marc continues in Habakkuk 2 and shares about what we can do in "the dip" or in times of waiting.
Marc begins a new series on the book of Habakkuk. Marc shares from Habakkuk 1 about the prophet questioning what the Lord was doing during that time. Marc encouraged us that even when walking through trials and doubt, to trust God because He has something better for us ahead!
Marc concludes our "In Christ I Am _____" series sharing about how to live out our true identity in Christ.
Marc shares about some of the ways the enemy tries to take our identity and how we can reclaim our true identity in Christ.
Marc kicks off the Spring Semester with a new series titled, "In Christ I Am _____" that focuses on who we are in Christ. Marc walks through scripture that speaks of our identity in Christ and what God has to say about his children rather than what the world may say.
Marc Knudson concludes the Psalm 23 series sharing on verses 5 and 6. "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Our very own intergen, Lisa Koontz-Agoff, joins us to share about Psalm 23:4. Lisa shares her powerful testimony of healing after a long journey and encourages us to continue seeking the Lord even in the valley.
Holly Knudson shares on Psalm 23:2-3. "He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
Marc kicks off a new four part series titled, "Psalm 23." Tonight, Marc shared from Psalm 23:1- The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Pastor Alan Cullen joined us to share a message about Nehemiah. "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down!" We can stand firm and declare that the Lord is good and He is greater than the power of the enemy. He will do a good work.
Pastor Wally answers questions about Holy Spirit, the Bible, and faith submitted by college and young adults.
Pastor Wally shared about the third person of the Trinity, Holy Spirit. He shares about who the Holy Spirit is and how we have access to Him.
Latherio, one of our intergens, shares his powerful testimony as part of our "Words of the Wise" sermon series. He shares about all the ways the enemy has tried to discourage him, but how God has faithfully been his source of strength throughout the entirety of his life.
Marc wrapped up the final night of our sermon series, “New Perspective”. He shared about shifting our perspective from independence to dependence. To experience the highest capacity of freedom, we need to be dependent on Christ.
Marc shared about shifting our perspective from being nice to being kind for night two of our series "New Perspective". Marc shared how kindness reflects Christ’s heart. Christ extended kindness to us, not because of righteous things we’ve done, but because of his mercy.
Tonight was the first night of our first sermon series of the year called "New Perspective". Marc shared about joy, how it’s a higher degree of happiness. How joy isn’t dependent on our circumstances, but dependent on our God who promises His presence in our lives.
Marc finishes our final sermon series of the Spring Semester talking about Elijah in 1 Kings 19. Marc shares about Elijah's reaction to Jezebel wanting to kill him and how God meets Elijah during this time of hardship and fear.
Eric Tworek, our honorary UNiTE intergen, shares from 1 Kings 18 for night two of our "Elijah" series. Eric shares his takeaways from 1 Kings 18 and connections it has to the New Testament and new covenant through Jesus. He shares about sacrifices and how we are called to present our bodies and lives as living sacrifices.
Marc kicks off our final sermon series of the Spring semester titled, "Elijah". Marc shares from 1 Kings 17 about what Elijah had to go through to get where Elijah got. This was a period of preparation to grow Elijah in his faith and dependence on God before going to Zarephath and later to Mount Carmel.
For Week 2 of our series "The Power to Change", Marc shares about shifting from a trying mindset to a training mindset in order to make changes in our actions and make changes in our lives that we desire the most.
Marc kicks off our new two-part sermon series titled, "The Power to Change" by sharing about the frustration that comes with knowing you need to change, trying to change, but not actually changing. Marc challenges us this week to focus on the who (what you think of you) before the do (behavior/action).
Marc and Holly Knudson share on night two of "The Pursuit of Love" sermon series. They share their dating and engagement story and how pursuing God and living according to God's commands only protect our current relationships and help them prosper in the future.
Marc and Holly Knudson kick off a new series called "The Pursuit of Love" sharing their story and how we can honor God with our relationships whether single, dating, engaged, or married.
Our panelists- Holly Knudson, Aaron Mora, Linda Hostetter, and Tracy Olrich join us to answer difficult questions that were submitted by college students and young adults over the course of our sermon series titled "Why?"
Pastor Alan Cullen speaks on night three of our UNiTE series titled "Why?" addressing the question "Why is it worth it?"
Pastor Wally Hostetter kicks off our Spring Semester with a new series titled "Why?" with a message on why bad things happen to good people. Due to technical complications, the Week 1 message was unable to be uploaded. This week, Wally tackles the question "Why aren't my prayers being answered?"
Marc ends the fall semester with the final night of the three week series, "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry", sharing about the spiritual disciplines of simplicity and slowing down. Marc shares about busyness and hurry sickness and he encourages us to take up the speed of Jesus, which was slow and intentional.
Marc shares about Sabbath for week two of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry series. Marc shares about what Sabbath is, why it's set apart from the other days of the week, and why it's commanded. Sabbath is a gift to us from our creator and has the ability to fill our souls up with life.
Marc kicks off a new series called "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" and shares from Matthew 11:28-30. Here Jesus says to "learn from him" and you will find rest. This new series focuses on looking at the way Jesus lived and adopting the disciplines of Jesus to discover rest and live with an easy yoke. This week, Marc talks about the discipline silence and solitude.
Our intergen, Lisa Koontz-Agoff, shares from her heart and encourages us to allow the Spirit to heal our wounds even though it may be painful and challenging. Lisa shares from her own life story as well as some of those who had wounds in the Bible that could only be healed through the power of Jesus Christ.
Marc ends Week Three of Stranger Things sharing another strange story from the Bible. Marc shares from 2 Kings about a man named Naaman who had leprosy and wanted to be healed by the prophet Elisha. Through Naaman, we see the human struggle with pride and expectations when Naaman is told to wash in the Jordan River to be healed.
Marc kicks off Week Two of Stranger Things sharing about another "unusual" story in the Bible. Marc shares from 2 Kings about a group of men who were attacked by bears for mocking the prophet Elisha. Marc unpacks the context of this story which reveals why Elisha was going to Bethel, the ongoing struggle with idolatry in Bethel at the time, as well as what is revealed about God's character through this story.
Marc opens the word this week and begins a new sermon series. “Stranger Things” is a series based on some unusual and “strange” stories in the Bible that can reveal characteristics about God as well as characteristics about ourselves.
Marc shares about Balaam and his encounter with a talking donkey. This is an unusual story yet reveals God’s faithfulness and guidance as well as reveals our disobedient and prideful tendencies as humans.
Our intergen, Tracy Olrich, shares about God calling us to certain things and encourages us to respond to those callings with courage, rather than fear and hesitation.
Tracy shares from the life of Gideon and Moses, two people who felt inadequate for what God was calling them to do. Despite feelings of inadequacy, God is able to do a work through those who trust in him and respond in obedience.
Marc ends the three-week "Foundations" series talking about hardships. In this world, we will face trouble, but the good news is that we have a God who is victorious and who overcame the power and penalty of sin.
Marc encourages us to use truth from God's word to strengthen our foundation so that we are able to stand strong and withstand the hardships that come our way.
Marc kicks off Week Two of the Foundations series talking about discipleship. Marc defines what a disciple of Jesus is, why we should disciple others, and how we can disciple others.
In Matthew, Jesus told Simon (Peter) and Andrew to follow him and he would make them fishers of men. We are also commanded to be disciples as well as go out and make disciples. It's important that we look to Jesus as a model when discipling others.
Marc kicks off the fall semester with a new series called "Foundations" focusing on some fundamental teachings that will help strengthen your foundation in the faith.
This first message is about the restorative relationship with God being the foundation of our faith. It is because of Jesus Christ that we are reconciled to God and able to have a deep, intimate relationship with Him.
Marc shares from Genesis and when relationship with God became broken and then shared the good news of the Gospel reminding us that God had a redemptive plan to be in relationship with us again, and that was through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
One more Tuesday night until next fall. Relive the last message of the year by watching this video as Marc prepares our hearts for the summer and for those of us leaving Mt. Pleasant, preparing us for what lies ahead.
Join us as Marc dives into the idea behind moving our head knowledge to our heart's desire. What is the longest journey we can take? What can we do when we reach a moment of crisis? Listen and find out!
In our final week of your study of the book of Ester, marc dives into chapters 7-10 of this incredible story. We see how God continues to work in all circumstances even when we can't see him working. Marc pulls out 3 principles to living a successful life based on our entire study of the book of Ester. Tune in to our final week of God Save the Queen!
This week, Marc continues to dive into the book of Ester as we see the incredible and crazy story play out. As we explore chapters 5 and 6, we see these different versions of fairy-tale faith or false expectations of faith that we all carry. Tune in to hear how God continues to play out the story of Ester in this week's message!
This week, Marc dives further into the book of Ester exploring chapters 3 and 4. In these chapters, we find the message of God's purpose in our lives and the fact that we were made with a purpose in mind. Tune in to hear about God's purpose for your life and the continued story of Ester.
In his final UNiTE message, Roman Rozell begins our 4-week study of the book of Ester! While the book of Ester does not say the name of God explicitly, we will see during the next four weeks that God is working even when we can't see him, that God works through broken people, and that the bible is full of broken people, except for one. Roman lays the foundations of the story of Ester by diving deep into the first two chapters of the book and introducing us to the main bible character that we will be with for the rest of this series.
UNiTE Intergen speaks to UNiTE this week walking us through his life sharing the different moments where God was working without him noticing at the time. Jerry called these moments, "GM's", or God Moments. His message: God is ALWAYS working in our lives and has a plan for each one of us. It is our job to let God's will be done in our lives so that we may live a prosperous and eternal life when our time on Earth may come. God works in even the smallest details and just because you can't see Him, doesn't mean He isn't there.
UNiTE had the honor of welcoming campus evangelist Mike Wilson to speak to close out the I Dare You series. Mike shared what the good news is, and why each one of us can and must share the good news in our lives. During his talk, he also painted an image to support Jesus' story and the moments Mike shared with us. You can check out the image on UNiTE social media (@uniteatmpcc) from 03/02/2022. Mike evangelizes on campuses throughout Michigan sharing the good news to everyone he interacts with, and we are so happy he shared with us for this message. CHECK IT OUT!
Taylor shows UNiTE the importance of love in each one of our lives. Not just love to those who we are similar with, but to everyone, ESPECIALLY those we don't get along with or relate to.
Taylor opens and closes the message with the story of the lost sheep. The search for the one lost sheep is celebrated over the 99 who never strayed away. Each one of us as a follower of Christ is the 99 at some point, and maybe even the lost one at other times. It is so important for us to love the one, and help Jesus search for the one who may be lost, and LOVE them.
Jesus loved everyone. He was a friend of sinners. He seeks the lost souls and brings them to salvation. Let us follow in His steps and seek the lost and bring them to the light of the Lord.
Marc opens the Word this week and kicks off a new series. "I Dare You" is a challenged-based series that plans to push you further and stronger in your faith journey with Jesus.
This first message is around what it truly means to follow Jesus. It is much more than just going to church or being nice to each other. To follow Jesus, He must be your purpose in everything you do. He must be your focal point.
Marc uses the gospel of Luke to share some of Jesus' teachings on the matter. This might be a hard message to hear, but it is an important one to stick to the path of salvation.
Nick Freeze, the Worship/Tech Intern opened the Word for us this week at UNiTE. Nick discusses just exactly what true love is. NOT Hallmark love, Valentine's love, or neighborly love, BUT TRUE LOVE!
True love is that of what God has for us. God shows us, true love when He gives His one and only Son's life for our sins. Nick took God's true love and broke it down into three main components...
Love is...
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Enduring
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Forgiving
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Sacrificial
God shows us true love time and time again, and we as followers must try and strive to show similar love to everyone we interact with daily. True love is what we are called to spread across our world to shine the light of God's glory here in 2022 and beyond.
This week at UNiTE we examine the commitment and dedication of the first believers. Marc challenges us to determine what our goals are with God, and to then look at what we need to do to get there. He broke it down like this:
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What do you want most?
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What do you need to choose now to achieve what you want most?
A relationship with God is key to achieving anything. Be His disciple and let His will be our path that you follow.
Marc opens the word for the second time in the Spring semester looking at the importance and foundation generosity must have in our faith.
Marc highlights four promises about generosity given to us in the Bible.
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Generosity Honors God
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Generosity Draws Me Closer to God
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Generosity Makes Me More Like Jesus
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Generosity Demonstrates My Faith
Marc also highlights the relationship between generosity and love. "You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving." Generosity is more than just money. It is time, energy, attitude, and so much more.
Go out and live a GENEROUS life.
Marc speaks again to close out the Fall 2021 semester for UNiTE. In the first week of Waiting On Christmas, Marc talked about God's timing and how each of us has a personal story and lesson within the Christmas story.
This week, Marc talks about why the Christmas story boasts such humble beginnings. It doesn't make sense that God came to Earth in the flesh being born as a baby in a manger, surrounded by animals, and lacking typical comfort. Marc focuses on two main reasons.
Why a Barn and a Manger?
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He wanted to identify with our struggles.
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He wanted to set an example of humility.
This message wraps up the semester. UNiTE returns on January 11, 2022, with our Winter Kickoff.
As the semester winds down and Christmas creeps closer and closer, UNiTE Director Marc Knudson returns to the pulpit kicking off the two-week series, Waiting On Christmas.
Marc walks us through an inward viewpoint of the Christmas story. He focused on two key points that we can learn from the Christmas story in our own lives today...
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We can always trust God's timing.
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God always keeps his promises.
UNiTE Intergen Brad Eldred opens his heart and the Word with us in the second part of Words of the Wise. Brad shares times in his history that have helped shape the person he is and the regrets he had. He challenges us to recognize that Jesus already died for our sins. We need to live today so that we can have life everlasting as promised from God. The shaping of his conversation is based from the Mercy Me song "Dear Younger Me".
Nick wraps up the Story of the Song series covering the song Jireh. He opens by diving into what Jireh is and how it impacts each and every one of us. Nick walks through the story of Abraham and the trust he had in God to be willing to sacrifice His son.
God is our provider. Nick discusses three reasons why we struggle to admit that God is our provider.
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We haven't seen His provision in the past.
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God hasn't provided what we want Him to provide.
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When we admit that God is our provider, we admit that we aren't.
After challenging us to recognize and admit God is our provider and that we have to trust in Him. He listed three things that God provides for us in our journey with Him.
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Challenge
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Choice
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Love
Leah Moyer joins Nick to share her testimony about how God has provided in her life ever since being a child and cemented the point that God is our provider and we can't control what or when God provides for us.
"God loves us so much right now that He can't love us any more than he already does and He will never love us any less."
Taylor takes the stage and brings the Word to challenge are faith. She challenges you to encounter three truths from God in order to be a CHAMPION of your faith.
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You are Chosen
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You are Called
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You have Purpose
God uses imperfect people for His work. There is no perfection in this world, and God takes advantage of it. He has a purpose for each one of us, even though we may not think we can do it. Taylor gives us three reasons that we are ready for God's plan that He has for each and every one of us, even though we are imperfect.
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That's all He has to choose from.
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Imperfect people have to depend on Him.
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When God uses imperfect people, He gets the glory.
"I have the authority Jesus has given me"
MPCC's Communications Director Mitch Moyer kicks off a traditional UNiTE series this week in Story of the Song. Mitch discusses the meaning and purpose of the lyrics and song as a whole for the newly released "Homecoming" by Bethel Music. He walks us through the song and visits the story of the prodigal son. We are never too far away to return to our Father. He in fact is calling us home. He will celebrate when we decide to come to Him and follow Him in His ways. Mitch moves us towards having our own homecoming with God and celebrate His plan for our lives.
One of UNiTE's intergens (intergenerational volunteer) kicks off a new broken-up series called 'Words of the Wise'. It is a series where we are provided the opportunity to hear the advice an intergen would like to give themselves when they were younger.
Lisa walks us through her life and the challenges she faced, but with God she overcame. She shared four points of wisdom that she would share with her younger self.
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You are BEAUTIFUL
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Don't quit - you can get through it
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Waiting is Active, NOT Passive
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Trust God
God made all of us in His image. His image is that of beauty, and for that reason YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. God is with us through every battle. It becomes our decision to give God our bodies as His vessels to lead us down His path. Don't quit, because with God, nothing is impossible. As Christians, there should never be a time of doing nothing. Even during the in between, there are areas we can grow stronger with God. It is okay to not know how something will play out. It is okay to go into something without predicting an outcome. God has control. Trust that God will provide for you.
Marc wraps up the Dangerous Prayers series with a call to action for everyone to pray before God. Send me where I am to do your work. He shares the stories of Jonah, Moses, and Isaiah. Each one had a different response to God calling them to do good work.
HERE I AM, I'M NOT GOING:
Jonah was called by God, but responded by fleeing God. Long story short, Jonah spent a few days in the belly of a whale.
HERE I AM, SEND SOMEONE ELSE:
God called upon Moses to lead His people out of slavery in Egypt, but Moses was hesitant. He created excuses and listed reasons why he wasn't the right person to be sent for the job. "I'm not good enough to do that...".
HERE I AM, SEND ME:
Isaiah prayed this to God in Isaiah 6:8. He opened his heart, his life, and his actions to be used as a tool for God's good work.
In order to be in a position to fully surrender to God, you should have:
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genuine experience with the presence of God
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genuine awareness of your sinfulness
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genuine understanding of God's grace
Marc concludes the series with a reflection and call to action for each and every one of us to surrender of lives to God for His good work. If you think you can't, just know who gives you the power to do anything in the first place. God will always be with you wherever He sends you.
In week 2 of Dangerous Prayers, Marc challenges everyone to ask God to break themselves in order to grow and let God's will rebuild your life. It is the hardest prayer of the three UNiTE will be discussing because it is asking God to set us backwards, so we can move forward with him.
Jesus broke his body for us to restore our relationship with God because sin created a separation. We are all sinful. We must allow God to break us so we can restore our relationship with Him. Marc mentions this is where the act and gift of communion comes for us.
Don't let the fear of being broken hold you from being restored by God. Out of brokenness, comes blessings.
This next series is pulling from Craig Groeschel's book, 'Dangerous Prayers'. Marc discusses the first of three dangerous prayers that we as Christians should pray, but are scared to because it requires action beyond asking God for support.
Search me comes from David's prayer in Psalm 139:23-24...
"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Marc breaks the prayer down into four requests David is giving God...
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Search My Heart
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Reveal My Fears
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Uncover My Sins
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Lead Me
Asking God to search our heart, point out our wickedness and challenge us to change such things, is no easy task. Asking God to search our hearts is a DANGEROUS PRAYER.
AJ wraps up the Declaration series in a fitting way. He talks about the meaning, importance, and heaviness of the word Amen! AJ dives into the history and explanation of what the word 'amen' represents. He talks about how we should use it, why we should declare it, and how it has impacted his life. AJ also answered these questions regarding the word:
How is 'Amen' declared in the Bible?
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to affirm or agree with a statement
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to conclude a prayer
What are the parameters for declaring 'Amen' after prayer?
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Your prayers must be in accordance with the will of God
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Pray in Jesus name
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Understand what the word 'Amen' means
AMEN!
Week 2 of Declaration was focused on praising God. Declaring HALLELUJAH!
Marc talks about praising and thanking God in our everyday lives. He breaks in down into two points:
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To Show Our Gratitude To God
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To Break The Chains Of Control
No matter what circumstances you find yourself in, you will want to praise God and shout HALLELUJAH.
What does it look like to say Yes! to God.
Marc dives into the challenges of living a life of declaration. He breaks it down into three different ideas.
How Do We Live a Life That Declares 'YES' to Jesus?
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We throw off everything that hinders our relationship with Jesus
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Persevere
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Fixing our eyes on Jesus
Say YES! to God and declare it everyday in everything you do.
In the first programming night of the 2021-22 ministry year, UNiTE director dives into the true purpose and motivation of what UNiTE is about. The UNiTE mission statement is "to cultivate Christ-centered lives through community". Marc breaks down three phases of how UNiTE hopes to encourage everyone to live up to the mission. 'Gather Together'. 'Grow in Groups'. 'Go Live It Out'. These are the 3 G's of UNiTE and the mission to achieve growth for all involved in their relationships with God and with each other. Overarching message to kick off the new year.
We heard you. And we have finally come through. This is Roman Rozell's debut single to what can only be the beginning of an illustrious musical career. Follow UNiTE on all social media to see the next single to be dropped by Double R.
Nick shared the meaning of the song, How He Loves, which has played a strong role in his faith. He speaks about how this song was sung the night he first decided to give his life to God. The song is about God's deep love for us. Nick breaks it down even further.
God loves us:
Jealously
Extremely
Seamlessly
Unconditionally
Selflessly
The message ends with a direct story from John Mark McMillan about how the song came to be and just how much it means to him.
Taylor brings UNiTE with her as she dives into the meaning and story behind Elevation Worship's song, Graves Into Gardens. She shares the story of God's commitment to you, and that our punishment for sin entered and exited our lives in a garden. Adam and Eve brought sin into the world in a garden, and Jesus was buried and then resurrected in a garden.
God's not done with you yet...
Latherio shares his testimony and personal experiences with God. His story is one of true upheaval and complete turnaround. Through all sufferings there is a purpose from God. He has a plan for us no matter how far away we may have strayed from Him. Suffering is inevitable, make you walk through it praising God. He has the power to bring you from it. It is our job to make sure we learned the lesson.
This is a message you don't want to miss.
Ally keeps us in the book of 1 Peter to share the importance of submitting our lives and everything within it to God. In order to have a complete relationship with God, we must let Him have control over everything. It is hard not being in control. Life is hard. By submitting to God, you are allowing God to walk with you through the challenges life will throw at you. Life is much easier when you let God be in control. Submit to God. Give Him everything, all the time.
1 Peter is one of the smaller books in the Bible, but it provides key details and ideas that should be at the heart of our faith. Marc continues conversation from our last series with the importance of the cross and what it has given us. Because of Jesus' sacrifice we have the chance to spend eternity with God. Marc dives deeper into the word "Salvation" and why it should be an importance aspect our our everyday lives.
What does the cross mean to you? This a questions everyone needs to ask themselves. The cross is the symbol of Christianity because it represents the moment that God sacrificed His one and only Son, so we, the undeserving, sinning, and prideful, members of the Earth can be saved. We didn't deserve it. We still don't deserve it. AJ challenges us to make the cross an everyday thought and motivation in our lives. The cross is much more than a symbol. Jesus took an immense amount of pain, shed His blood as a sacrifice for the sins we have committed. We must not ignore what truly happened at the cross. It was bloody, gory, hard to think about. But it happened. It happened for us. Learn about the cross, how Jesus kept gratitude in the most harsh situation, and how the cross will bolster your faith.
At some point in all of our lives, we find ourselves in the dumps, not having a great time, struggling to find the good in everything happening around us. Cora shares the importance of gratitude in these moments. Gratitude is the key to succeeding in the bad times. It is when gratitude is most needed. Being grateful when things are going well is easy. Take the next step in your journey by being grateful in the bad times.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
We are called to give thanks in all situations. This means good and bad situations, and even the ones when we don't know what is happening. Marc dives into how we can begin getting towards a life full of gratitude. It is important to understand the great things we have in our life today. You will be significantly happier if you write down three things you are grateful for everyday. Gratitude is a small and consistent task that needs to happen multiple times every single day.
UNiTE has blessed to be joined by Josh Lator who shared his experience and knowledge about the importance of God being our #1 priority in a relationship and our significant other the #2. They are priorty over everything else except God. God should be the Christmas tree in the living room. It is the focal point. Everything else must fit around it. If it doesn't, then it shouldn't belong there. This sermon covers how and why we need to be focused on God with our significant other.
Marc opens the relationship series of 2021 with a look at what loving and pursuing Jesus looks like during the single life. It is important to have a relationship with Jesus before having a serious relationship with another. Being single also isn't bad. God will have you where He wants you, and use you for His kingdom. Paul was single during his ministry and writings. Don't prioritize finding a romantic relationship over having a relationship with Jesus.
Marc closes out the All In series uncovering what it looks like for us to love God with all of our minds. He breaks it down into two main thoughts. The first way is to be a constant learner. You do this by a) learning what the Bible says b) learning what the Bible doesn't say c) learning how to apply the Bible d) learning the 'why of your faith. The second way is to constantly remember Him. In everything you do, remember God.
Holly breaks down loving our God to the soul level. Our soul is our being and we need to give God our highest priority. We need to give everything to God. Our life might be a mess, but with age, God will turn our mess into His message.
Marc kicks off the spring semester of UNiTE diving into the process of going all in with your heart to God. God doesn't want more from us, He wants more of us. In Matthew 22, Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your HEART, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
Ever since sin entered the world, darkness joined it. Jesus came as our light and sacrificed Himself so we could all escaped the darkness that enclosed us. Ally shares her testimony as well as dives into the Word to look at Jesus as our light and what we are called to do to share His light with the world.
Just as grapes are fueled through the vine. Jesus is who provides us with life and everything required to get through the daily challenges we face. If we disconnect, we wither. Marc shares how we stay connected to Jesus and how we thrive under the power of Jesus.
Jesus guides us in life. He protects us. He will always seek us. Marc speaks about Jesus as our leader and protector. Jesus is our shepherd and we are His followers.
In this series, we dive into what Jesus represents and does for us. This week AJ dives into Jesus as our savior. Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins. AJ digs deeper into what exactly Jesus as our savior entails.
The year 2020 was a mess, to say the least. Kayla shares her story while also looking to God for answers and support through it all. God is always with us, even through the mess.
Love is such a small word, yet it carries a lot of weight. AJ shares about the love he has experienced from God in his life. AJ discusses what we are called to do with God's love.
Marc takes a look at the Holy Spirit. The least talked about piece of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit needs to be a part of our everyday life. Marc uncovers just how we are called to listen to the Holy Spirit.
Roman looks at the importance of the Bible in our faith. Understanding the Bible and being well-versed in its truths is key to having a strong relationship with God. Roman also dives into historical data and analysis to support the validity of the Bible.
UNiTE Intern Michael dives into the importance and process of prayer in our everyday lives. He uncovers how prayer has impacted his life and the lives around him. Prayer is of the utmost importance to have a strong relationship with God.