South Bay Community Church: Recent Episodes
South Bay Community Church
“God is in absolute control of his world and everything that happens, without any gaps, limits, interference, or thwarting of his rule.” The question I have for you is: Do you believe that God is in absolute control of everything? God will never leave you or forsake you. He will walk with you even through the valley of the shadow of death. So when you’re facing a worst-case scenario, always remember this: that God is sovereign.
written through God's work in their own story. While the chorus is the same: God is good, faithful, and worthy of worship, the lyrics are personal, reflecting how He has comforted, healed, provided, forgiven, and guided each of us. As we remember and share our stories, our testimony encourages others to trust God and helps pass faith on to the next generation. The question is not whether God has given you a song to sing, but whether you are remembering it, declaring it, and allowing it to point others to His greatness.
, and when we truly grasp who God is, what He's done for us, and how deeply He loves us, worship becomes the natural overflow of that joy. Tune in as we explore how daily feeding on God's Word fuels the kind of worship that can't wait for Sunday.
Psalm 5 reminds us that there are seasons when life feels like a walk into the darkness. David begins the psalm weighed down by grief, opposition, and uncertainty, honestly pouring out his pain before God rather than hiding it. Expressing our emotions can feel like stepping into the unknown. Exposing our vulnerability to others can feel like walking deeper into the darkness. Even entrusting our grief to God may seem like a difficult journey when we cannot yet see His answers. And allowing ourselves the time to heal can feel like an endless path with no sunrise. Yet David shows that faith is choosing to keep walking toward God in the darkness, trusting that He hears every cry, leads with unfailing love, and will ultimately surround those who trust in Him with His favor and protection.
I started with sharing this beautiful wedding invitation from our friends. And I said that the quality and beauty of an invitation tells you a lot about who is inviting you, what you are being invited to, and how much that person values you. Jesus being sent from heaven to earth is the greatest invitation I can think of. All people are invited by the God of the universe to be in a marriage relationship with Him, and Jesus showed how much God values us by paying the eternal cost for sin with His body on the cross. The invitation of the gospel is not just to go to heaven one day in the future, but it is also to enjoy a personal relationship with God now. If it sounds too good to be true, you’re starting to get it. And if the Christian life is about relationship and not our performance, then we can freely cling to Him with everything we are and everything we have. We can trust that the same hands that once held nails in them are the same hands that are strong enough to hold us forever.
(Psalm 27:14). David wasn't telling us to wait for a breakthrough, healing, promotion, or even answers, he was calling us to wait for the Lord Himself. The Hebrew word qavah describes this kind of waiting as an expectant trust, like strands of rope woven tightly together, illustrating an active, intimate dependence on God rather than passive endurance. Throughout Psalm 27, David demonstrates that true waiting is not simply hoping circumstances will change, but remaining closely connected to God, remembering who He is, and allowing confidence to rest in His goodness rather than in what He may do.
David teaches us that in times of trouble, we should pray for an undivided heart that is anchored in the Lord's steadfast love. Rather than simply asking God to meet our needs, our prayers should ultimately seek His glory. David prayed that God would help and comfort him so that those who opposed him would see the Lord's faithfulness, mercy, and unfailing love on display. When God answers, others become witnesses to His hesed, His gracious, covenant-keeping love and He is glorified. Our prayers in difficult seasons reveal where our hearts are fixed, responding to God's steadfast love with trust, dependence, and a desire to make Him known.
Paul closes 1 Corinthians with a powerful reminder that our Christian life begins, continues, and matures only by the grace of Jesus Christ. We are saved by grace, sustained by grace, and transformed by grace. His final prayer, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you,” points believers back to their continual need for Christ’s grace every day.Paul also ends with, “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus.” Though much of the letter contained correction and rebuke, it was ultimately written out of deep love for the church. His desire was not merely to correct behavior, but to help believers know the risen Christ and live lives that reflect His love.Because Christ is risen and will come again, the church is called to be a people of practical love, a love that gives generously, honors others selflessly, and stands firm in truth and faithfulness. Grace fuels this kind of love, and through it, God shapes His people into the likeness of Christ.
Because of Christ's resurrection, our work for the Lord has eternal significance. Though our time on earth is brief and ministry can often feel difficult, unnoticed, or fruitless, God sees every act of faith, service, obedience, and gospel ministry. While our earthly bodies will not last, the work we do for Christ will carry into eternity, resulting in eternal rewards,. Therefore, believers should remain steadfast, making sacrificial choices that reflect their hope in the resurrection. Keep serving faithfully, work hard for the Lord, and stay focused on eternal things. Invest your life in what truly lasts, without becoming attached to the temporary things of this world.
“If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”…we should be living in such a way…with our obedience, our worship, our risk-taking out of faith, our selfless loving and serving other people, our bold proclamation of the gospel, our denying our flesh, our giving of our time and resources, pursuits, desires, decisions out of trust, living that is diametrically different than the world…where if we were to one day find out that there is no resurrection from the dead when this life is over, we would look like the most foolish people to ever live! And I fear…I fear for myself and for other believers…that we are living in such a way, where IF it were to be proven that there is no resurrection…our lives would look exactly the same…not pitiable at all, the same as everyone else in the world. Believers, we should be living in such a way… where the ONLY explanation for the decisions we make and all our behavior… is that I will be raised from the dead when this life is over!
1 Corinthians 14:3 | On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. So it is meant to build up, not tear down. But upbuilding doesn’t mean it’s always fluffy/positive. It could be corrective, but the end goal is constructive. True prophecy should leave one stronger in faith. Church, that’s the power of prophecy. May we all be eager to prophesy. And remember, it’s not the skill of the person, it’s the gift of the Spirit.
1.What are the Gifts of Tongues and Prophecy?2.Why is Prophecy more desirable than Tongues? 3.What principle should guide the gifts of prophecy and tongues?Paul says pursue Love and desire the spiritual gifts that build up… and if it can build up the believers in the room, and benefit the unbelievers in the room… then pursue those greater gifts.
We will need each other to discover our gifts. We can’t just pray in our room alone and expect God to send a delivery pigeon with our gift. Part of finding our gifts is serving the church body and learning along the way. Things like spiritual gifts tests are great, but those tests don’t actually know you like other people can. Please do not wait to be certain about your gifting before you try serving the church. We all learn along the way as we are affirmed by fellow believers and pointed in the right direction by the Holy Spirit. I am just humbly asking that you prayerfully consider how the Spirit may be inviting you to serve your fellow Christians, whether at this church or in the various spaces you occupy outside the church. Either way, please don’t remain a spectator - get in the game. Because all Christians need the church, and the church needs all Christians. We need you, and you need us. But it’s important to remember - before we give Jesus our hands in service, He first wants our hearts in surrender. So I’m going to pray us out, and we’re going to sing, “Lord, I give you my heart. I give you my soul. I live for you alone.” And I hope that as we sing this, we can make this our collective prayer as a church. As we surrender our hearts to God, I trust the Holy Spirit will open our hands in service to Him.
The Lord said very clearly to me, as I was meditating on this very passage: “I have given you the most excellent way. I’ve given you the ministry of love.” And the Lord says that to each of you who has Christ in you. Moms, if you ever feel like you’re not enough… God has given YOU the most excellent way. You have the ability to love. Who else needs to hear that? You may not have the gift of service or administration, but you have love. You may not have a public platform or a wide audience, but you have love. You may not have what she has or he has, but you have love. If God has given you his Son, and he’s put in you His Spirit… then he’s given you the most excellent way. And out of you should come the greatest gift… the gift of LOVE.
John 5:24 | “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. It takes one step of faith to cross over from death to life. One step of repentance- believing that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, the one who died for our sins and rose from the grave. I love that in life you can make 1000 wrong decisions, go in hundreds of wrong directions… but you’re just one step away from forgiveness, hope, newness, and eternal life in heaven with Jesus. Just one step of faith, and you’re saved by grace.
Communion is more than a ritual, it’s a moment of honest self-examination for everyone, whether you’re still exploring faith or already walking with Christ. As we remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we’re reminded that He gave His life for our sins, which invites us to open our hearts fully before Him. Like the prayer in Psalm 139:23–24, we ask God to search us, reveal what’s hidden, and lead us toward lasting transformation. This can mean confronting broken relationships that need healing or recurring sin that requires repentance and Christ’s help to overcome, trusting that He alone sees us clearly and guides us toward the life He intends.
God is the head of Christ, Christ the head of man, and husband the head of wife. Christ has already run his race. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. And when wives honor their husbands as their head, and husbands honor Christ as their head… And we run our race as if it weren’t about me, but about honoring the one who is the head of me…We ultimately lift up a banner that brings honor and glory to our God, whom we all reflect and represent. To God be all glory.
1 Corinthians 11:1 | 1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.Look more like JesusBe more like Jesus. And the best way to do that…Is to be with Jesus moreBecause when you’re with Him more…You stop asking: “What can I do?”And you start asking:“What would Jesus do with His freedom?”“How can I do the same?”But the better question is:Should you? Because●Does it benefit me?●Does it build others up?And ultimately: in whatever you do… ●Does it bring glory to God?The goal of your life is not to figure out how much you can get away with…It’s to live in a way that brings God gloryBuilds others upAnd draws you closer to HimThose are all the things you could doAnd I pray…Those are the things you will do!
The crucifixion of Christ was so extraordinary that it led the Roman centurion…this military officer…to CONFESS…that Jesus was the Son of God… Responding in AWE…acknowledgment… Church…what is YOUR RESPONSE…to what Jesus has done for us on the cross? HOW WILL YOU CHOOSE TO RESPOND…THIS GOOD FRIDAY?
Romans 6:5 |“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Our future expectation changes our present experience. What do you need to press through? If you’ve struggled with loneliness, or struggling in relationships, press on, because ultimately YOU WILL RISE. If you feel imprisoned by your hurt or anger toward another person, press on, YOU WILL RISE. To a place where there is no more tears, no more grief, no more pain! If you’re suffering from Chronic illness, and maybe one day even terminal illness, press on, because in Christ, YOU WILL RISE. It will not end in death… YOU WILL RISE. Friends, because of the hope of being resurrected in the future, you can press on in the present. Literally nothing will hold you down. Jesus is our HOPE! And when we trust in his authority, and have hope for the future, it changes everything in the present!
So the question “Are we stronger than He?”…is like what we would say, “Never pick a fight with someone twice your size”, “Never steal from someone you can’t outrun”, “Never bring a knife to a gunfight”…and that’s exactly what we do when we as believers, hold on to idols in our lives. And Paul says, you don’t want to do that…there’s consequences…and if you don’t believe me, go ask the Israelites still buried in the wilderness. Take it serious! Believers, we have God-given freedom and liberty…and if you want, and it doesn’t make someone stumble…go enjoy them…but ALSO if you do, the warning is clear: “let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall”.
We live in a deeply divided world where politics, culture, and conflict have fueled growing hostility—even to the point that violence no longer shocks us, but while the world keeps promising unity, it has nothing lasting to unify around; as believers, we are called to be different because we are one body with one Savior and one allegiance, and our unity is meant to stand in stark contrast to the world. In 1 Corinthians, Paul confronts many serious sins in the church, yet the very first issue he addresses is disunity, highlighting how foundational unity is to the witness of the gospel. Even Jesus’ final prayer before the cross was that His followers would be one, reflecting the unity of the Trinity itself, so that the world would know He is real and be drawn to His love. When the church lacks unity and love, we make Christ invisible to a world desperate to see Him; but when we live united, our love becomes the evidence that the gospel has truly transformed us.
Are you willing to become all things to all people? It’s the willingness to put all things aside to meet people where they are. It’s when you discover the thing that distracts and hinders people from hearing, and you decide to make the adjustments just so that they can clearly hear. What will that look like for you this week? Or in your career? Or with your life?
We were all weak when we first came to Jesus. Dead in our trespasses, paralyzed by our sin. When we see those with weaker consciences around us, we more than anyone should be able to identify with their weakness. And we can then see them like Jesus did on the cross - people worth dying for.Because it’s not about our rights when we’re with the weak. Christian community chooses to love right, not love rights. This whole chapter is about loving those who are weak among us and those who are different from us. The way we strengthen our weaker brothers and sisters is by following Jesus’ example in becoming weak and dying for their sake. And just like Jesus’ death led to new life, dying to our rights can lead to a new life for others around us. The goal of Christian community is simply put in my favorite Bible verse, 1 John 4:19: “We love because he first loved us.”
When any of us live inward-focused, chasing contentment through what we can gain in this world, we can get trapped in the feeling of not having enough. And when you feel you don’t have enough, enough will never be enough. But contentment is not in what we get in this world, it’s found in what we give. When the focus isn’t on you, but on serving God and serving people, you’ll find incredible joy and satisfaction in what Christ said: it truly is more blessed to give than to receive. Live like Christ, for Christ, to gain Christ, and you will be truly content.
Today, the Enemy of God wants to target God’s Holy Temple. He wants to defile your temple by deceiving you into believing that what you do with your body doesn’t matter. He wants to make your temple accessible to your boyfriend or your girlfriend outside of sacred marriage. He wants to make your temple accessible to someone else's spouse. He wants to make your temple accessible to prostitutes and pornography. He wants to make you believe that it’s your body, your choice. Whatever your body wants or needs, have at it. Everything is lawful and permissible! Yet the question at the very root, for the Corinthians back then and for all Christians today: does your physical body matter to God as much as your spiritual soul? YES1 Corinthians 6:19-20 |You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.Christ paid for your body with his blood. To be one with you…his Spirit to dwell in you… because one day God will resurrect you, forever.
1 Corinthians 5:5 (ESV) “5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” That’s the goal…RESTORATION…so that that person may be SAVED when they face judgement day… whether you are a believer or not…we all have an appointment with our Creator on that day of judgement. We have to give an account of ourselves to the Lord. And we either have accepted Christ…repented from our sins and turned to him…Or rejected Christ…in our unrepentance…turning away from him…I pray that we would be SAVED when we face judgment…becase we KNOW JESUS…which is evident through our lives…
Do you judge on God’s standards of faithfulness, or do you criticize them based on your standards?WHAT IF ministers like the one standing on the street corner with their bullhorn, or any of those in the pictures… stand before Christ on judgment day, and Christ applauds them for actually being faithful to make Jesus known? WHAT IF he finds their motives to be beautiful?WHAT IF he finds their perseverance commendable despite criticisms from fellow Christians?This message has been about how we deal with criticism. What if the criticism you need to deal with is the criticism not coming at you, but FROM you? God-forbid that like these Critical Corinthians we should ever act glorified, like we have no sin to work on. Church, how should we deal with criticism? AGGRESSIVELY. And if God should be revealing any critical/judgmental spirit in us, will you deal aggressively with it in repentance? Though already justified, may we not assume we’ve arrived and are glorified. We’re Sinners being sanctified… sinners still with room to grow.
We will become like and build for who we belong to. I hope we as God’s church never forget what Jesus has done so we can belong to Him. And if you’re not a Jesus follower yet, I hope you hear His invitation today to belong to Him too. Jesus came from heaven to earth, born as an infant, and went from drinking milk to eating solid foods. Jesus lived an extraordinary life, and has welcomed ordinary people to become so much more than ordinary. Jesus allowed Himself to be raised up on a cross so that He could be laid down as our foundation. We build on His foundation with gold, silver and precious stones with Christ as our cornerstone. Jesus’ body as God’s temple was destroyed so that we now as God’s temple never will be. Now, we boast only in the name of Christ, proclaiming Jesus crucified and raised from the dead so that the whole world will know who we belong to. Now we as His people can be devoted to becoming like Him, walking and talking like Him. Building on His foundation so that the world can see a church, a temple that is so holy it makes people think - Why are they so united? Why are they so humble? And why are they so loving towards all people? You know why? Because we know who we belong to.
If you are a believer in the Gospel…Give glory to God. You didn’t figure it out. You didn’t have the wisdom to reason it by yourself. It is by his grace you get it, and by grace you’re saved.Be a messenger of the Gospel you received, and trust in the Spirit’s Power to be with your message, and for the Spirit’s power to help the recipient receive. Stop putting the pressure on yourself to have to persuade or convince people to believe. It’s never been about how well you can explain it… it’s always been about the Spirit doing the work. Pray for the Spirit’s power. To be in your message as a messenger, and in their hearts as the recipient. So just as much as you should be talking to that person about God, talk to God about that person. Here’s the good news:You don’t have to change their hearts, the Spirit will. And you don’t have to be the Savior. Jesus is. So for the believers, Give glory to God, be a Messenger of the Gospel, Pray for the Spirit’s power.
And every believer needs to remember… that no one is better than the other… regardless of what the world may think or say or what kind of achievements someone has… Here Paul reminds us that the cross unites all believers together Because it levels the playing field - The cross draws a clear line between the church and the world. But here we see how it erases the lines inside the church.I believe Paul is speaking to two groups in the church.To those who think they are nothing… this is encouragement.God chose you.God sees you.God uses people just like you.Your weakness is not a problem.Your lack of status is not a disadvantage.Paul says God chose the foolish, the weak, the low, and the despised.On purpose. And to other group, those who think they are something… this is a humbling reminder.The cross is the great equalizer.
Out of all things He could’ve prayed for, for believers of all time…before He goes to the cross…out of all things…He prays for their UNITY. You think it’s important, church? Jesus prays that our unity, as believers, will be like that of Him and the Father and the Holy Spirit…that our unity will reflect the Trinity itself! Why…so that the world will see that and know that He is REAL! And find that love attractive! And want to be a part of that! And the negative implication is that as Christ’s body on earth, if we will not be unified in love…we make Christ to be INVISIBLE…to a world that so desperately needs to SEE Him. That’s what’s at stake. Without unity in the church, we have no evidence that the gospel we are offering has done anything in our lives…the foundation of our evangelism is based on UNITY.
1 Corinthians 1:8-9 |... (God) will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul throughout this letter will call out and correct their sin, but he doesn’t want to destroy their confidence and assurance. Before addressing all their flaws, he starts with this foundation: “God is faithful. If you believe by faith, you are saved based on grace and nothing else.”In other words, if nothing you did got you saved… then nothing you do will get you unsaved. No good work, no effort, no achievement gained you heaven, so no bad work, no sin, no shortcoming will get you kicked out. Heaven has never been about what we do, or don’t do. Heaven has always been about the grace of God. So though we’re flawed, God is faithful.
Matthew 2:1-2 | Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”What happens here in the beginning of the New Testament is not God starting something new- Christmas is God fulfilling what He promised.A world broken by sin and hopeless in death, is now given the gift of forgiveness and the hope of eternal life.From the very beginning and all throughout history, God was echoing his love for us by telling of his Son to come.
We just saw Abraham trust God when it made no sense.And we saw how God provided for Abraham on that mountain.But Christmas shows us something even greater.If God did not hold back His very best at Christmas, He is not going to hold back what you need today.So let me ask you…Where do you need to trust God to provide?Where do you need to place something back in His hands?Maybe it is your family.Maybe it is your future. Your job. Your health. Your marriage. Your child.Whatever it is, Christmas proves you can trust Him with it.So right where you are, would you quietly tell God what you need to trust Him with today?Just take a moment.Lift it up to Him.He hears you.He is faithful.He will provide.
We’ve tried all kinds of things to hide and cover up our shortcomings. Adam and Eve tried sewing fig leaves.Some of us will sin to cover up sin: We’ll lie about our past. we’ll pretend to be someone we’re not. We’ll put on a facade.Some of us will try to do good to cover up our wrong: we’ll show up to church, give more money to the offering, serve in a ministry… as if we could “distract” God from our sin. But at the end of the day, God sees right through it all because our man-made efforts will always be insufficient.UNLESS. Unless God sufficiently covers us up with the same thing. A life for a life. A man for mankind.So God gives us his son to be our covering.John 3:16 | “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Romans 10:11 | “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” Christ is our covering. And when God looks at you and the clothes he’s put upon you, he says: “You’re beautiful. You’re righteous. You look like one who’s forgiven and free!” The first Adam failed us. The last Adam frees us. That’s why rejoice at the birth of our Savior!
Remember to always…1.Share with the Lord.2.Share about the Lord.3.Serve the Lord.4.Sing to the Lord.
People’s perspectives were put back into place, and they were reminded by that quiet, gentle voice, why they were there- that they were all neighbors who cared deeply about the community- they were just seeing things from a different side of the fence. In our family, we will face moments when we don’t agree. What if, when things get heated in our lifegroup gathering… you listen to the gentle, still small voice. When the Spirit says, “Let us pursue peace.. Remember why we’re all here.” What if you allow that still, small voice to remind you that the one sitting to the right of you is actually more important than you being right? What if at Thanksgiving dinner, when you can totally shout louder or argue better… in a small, gentle voice, you move in toward them and ask about how they’re doing, and what they are thankful for? Family, from this holiday season to the next election season, and every season in between, may we hear the voice of the Spirit say: “Accept one another, just as Christ also accepted you, for the glory of God.”
So we are not just saved out of hell, but we are also redeemed into a family. Jesus did not die on the cross and resurrect from the grave just to get us into heaven in the future. The forgiveness and life that Jesus offers opens the door to God’s house and God’s family now, with plenty of beds and rooms for all people to find rest. Are you tired of living in a perpetual famine? Are you exhausted from trying to fill the undeniable emptiness in your heart? I pray you hear the welcoming voice of Jesus saying, “come home my child.” God is growing His family, and He has welcomed us in to go welcome others in. As people who have experienced God’s hesed, his covenant loyal love, we as the Church are the way God has chosen to extend his hesed to the world.
The world doesn’t change… the Winds will always be present. But blessed are those today, who are saved and are getting baptized, because of the powerful change that takes place within them, not outside of them. Their sins are redeemed. Their soul is restored. Their mind is renewed. God has filled them with His Spirit, and the pneuma will always be present. Just as sure as the wind that blows against them, is the Holy Spirit inside them. So today, we celebrate their newness of life! Their new heart and new mind. Take a look at some of the testimonies of life now in Christ, and then we’ll turn our attention to the baptism pool following.
The world doesn’t change… the Winds will always be present. But blessed are those today, who are saved and are getting baptized, because of the powerful change that takes place within them, not outside of them. Their sins are redeemed. Their soul is restored. Their mind is renewed. God has filled them with His Spirit, and the pneuma will always be present. Just as sure as the wind that blows against them, is the Holy Spirit inside them. So today, we celebrate their newness of life! Their new heart and new mind. Take a look at some of the testimonies of life now in Christ, and then we’ll turn our attention to the baptism pool following.
The world doesn’t change… the Winds will always be present. But blessed are those today, who are saved and are getting baptized, because of the powerful change that takes place within them, not outside of them. Their sins are redeemed. Their soul is restored. Their mind is renewed. God has filled them with His Spirit, and the pneuma will always be present. Just as sure as the wind that blows against them, is the Holy Spirit inside them. So today, we celebrate their newness of life! Their new heart and new mind. Take a look at some of the testimonies of life now in Christ, and then we’ll turn our attention to the baptism pool following.
From these people, the genealogy shows us, comes Jesus our Messiah. Boaz was willing to be forgotten so that Elimelech would be remembered. And by God’s sovereignty, God has preserved and has perpetuated Boaz’s name in the lineage of Jesus. As long as this word lasts, so shall Boaz’s name be identified with Christ. Will you live to be forgotten, so that Christ will be remembered?
We are to act in faith and move with boldness and courage, but when we have actively done all that we could do, we patiently wait on God to do what only God can do. By faith you actively search for a job, diligently prepare for the interview, faithfully pray for God’s provision; Then by faith you patiently wait for God to provide the position or the promotion he’s prepared for you.By faith you actively seek counsel, pray for wisdom, read scripture for guidance about the future; then by faith you patiently wait on God’s sovereignty to order our steps and open the doors.
From the Christian's perspective, there is no such thing as chance. God is either directly or indirectly involved in everything that happens to us. He can therefore be trusted and obeyed in any circumstance, because even the smallest details are under His control.
I feel like almost weekly, I’m meeting people who have been away from church, or far from God, for years. And now, you’re looking for a home to come back to. You’re wanting to return back to God. If that’s you, I believe God is saying “Welcome home!” And I’m not just referring to SBCC, though I would love this to be your home… More importantly, home is where God’s heart is. Home is in the arms of your Father. Naomi had been far away for at least 10 years before returning home. Maybe for you it’s been your entire life. If you’ve been far from God, I pray you know that He’s waiting in the driveway. The door's been unlocked, and the porch light is on. Naomi turned- turned back to God. Maybe today, it’s your turn.
Do you trust that God is your King? Do you lean on what God says? When you don’t know what to do, and you don’t know what is right… “DO NOT LEAN on your own understanding. Do not lean solely on human understanding. In a world with so many voices: From our academic institutions and our theological tribes, from our political parties and our media algorithms… There are so many messages being communicated in regards to what people are convinced is the right way. AND THEY MIGHT BE ACTUALLY RIGHT… But whatever you think is right in your own eyes, in all your ways, STILL acknowledge God, and he will make your paths straight.Whether you’re wandering in the wilderness or fleeing a famine… Will you come before God and trust GOD as King? Will you open up His word, and earnestly seek the Lord in prayer?
Pastor Todd Grant joins us from Watts Powerhouse Church to share a powerful message about how God used a very, very broken down Samaritan woman to tell others about Him. Sometimes, we throw up our arms and say, “God can’t use me. I don’t know the Bible well enough. I am not mature enough in my faith. I haven’t been walking with Jesus long enough.” The woman at the well didn’t have any of those qualifications. She didn’t know the Bible. She wasn’t mature in her faith. She hadn’t been walking with Jesus. She was a broken woman, but a broken woman who had been healed by Jesus. And she couldn’t help but run into town and tell everyone about Him. She said, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” And they went out of the town and found Jesus. “And many,” said, John, “believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony.” If God can use her, then God can use us. He can use our words to being hope and encouragement to so many in the inner city who are hurting.He can use you to wrap your arms around a little boy who has lost family member after family member.He can use you to tutor a little boy or a little girl.He can use you to speak life into a woman or a man who has experienced disappointment after disappointment.He can use you to be a friend to so many who have felt passed on by and rejected and discriminated against. He can use you to tell others about Jesus and how He knows all about them, but He still loves them.
There are written accounts of an old Roman practice…when a child would be born into a family, it would be placed at the feet of it’s father. If the father stooped down and picked up that child, it would be legitimized and brought into the family. But sometimes, the father wouldn’t pick up the child. Maybe the child looked weak or frail, maybe the child wasn’t the preferred gender, or maybe it was simply an inconvenient time for the family, and so instead the child would be picked up and taken outside the city and discarded. This was a completely common and acceptable practice at the time. It was called infant exposure. But we also have historical records that tell us how early followers of Jesus would go outside of the city on regular basis at night and they would walk up and down the streets listening for the cries of children and when they found them, they would rescue them and bring them back into their own homes and raise them up as their own beloved sons and daughters. Again, God places the lonely in families. Psalm 68:6 (NLT) And He’s been doing this through His Church. This is our history. We have the opportunity to pick up the same torch.
Today I want to show you why I don’t believe all paths lead to God, but only one path in particular does. There’s only one road that gets you to Heaven. I want to take you on a simple journey called the RomanS Road to salvation. NOT the Roman Roads of the Roman Empire, but the RomanS Road found in the Biblical book of Romans. There will be 4 stops along the way- 4 passages that summarize how to get to God. In fact, it’s actually the message of how God has made his way to you. We call it the good news, aka the Gospel.
Remember what really matters - That’s Jesus. If ever there was a time when we’ve got to follow Jesus, it’s today.
Listen to a special service as members from our missions and local outreach teams shares powerful stories and lessons from their recent trips! Hear firsthand how God is moving, the lives that were impacted, and how each team member experienced His faithfulness in new ways.
The Lamb who was slain, was not slain in vain. Christ suffered and was slaughtered so that the nations would be blessed. Those who had been scattered because of sin to different tribes, tongues, and nations in Genesis…will be gathered together as one people again One day, under One God, singing together in one tongue in Revelation.
Acts 20 makes it clear that good shepherds give, and we live that out by HUMBLY preaching what’s HELPFUL, giving TRANSPARENT TESTIMONY, and DEFENDING God’s people from DANGER. We also PREACH the whole counsel of God, PAY attention to ourselves and the church, and PROTECT the flock against wolves. We can all do this when we make LESS of ourselves and MORE of the Gospel to build up the flock of Christ that HE BOUGHT with His own blood. Good shepherds give because our Great Shepherd gave.
His influence and impact would have been the least impactful and influential in his life, but it actually might have been the most impactful and influential for the gospel… 4 words might suggest that… Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians, Philemon. These are known as the Prison letter that Paul wrote during this two year prison period in Rome!Letters that make up the new testament. Letters that not only encouraged and exhorted the churches he originally wrote them for but to us now…Thousands of years later! He can use anything, anyone, in any situation for his plans and purposes
It’s hard to be heard in a post-Christian culture. Maybe you’ve tried speaking to your non-Christian friend before, and they’re not really interested. Perhaps you sense you’re a lone ranger in your family because EVERYONE else is part of another religion or tradition? But what if a storm in a person’s life brings them to a point of desperation, or hopelessness, or confusion where all of a sudden they could hear you like never before?
We can have that same vision and desire, defending the faith without being defensive, when we point to the Gospel from our listeners’ perspective and when we respectfully show how Christ is the completion of so many deep desires and misplaced beliefs, even when we’re ridiculed. We can do that because we know we have great reasons for believing in the resurrection, we know we have the help of God, and we know God is calling us to not to prove ourselves right - but to minister His righteousness and grace to the ends of the earth.
With every divine delay, Paul is given opportunities to make Jesus known. ● Jesus won’t be rewarding you for the number of people you saved, but he’ll reward you for the motives of your heart and your faithfulness to share. Press on church. Keep looking for opportunities to do the good work of the Gospel. You’ll get what you deserve… it just may have to wait. And you’ll get to your destination… it just may have to wait. Will you trust God and remain steadfast in the divine delays?
The reality is that none of us can go back in time BUT from Paul’s example we can be ready for the next God-given opportunity and share the good news of the Gospel, boldly/confidently with wisdom and love.
Acts 22 is a masterclass on sharing your story. God has given you a story. Don’t waste your story. Steward your story for God’s Glory.
Pastor Cory Ishida shares insights into the ways of a Man of God. Hear about how we should act, speak and live with Christ in our hearts. The five signs of a man of conviction helps to paint a clearer picture of how we are to carry ourselves throughout our days so that others will see Christ in our lives.
This message revolves around three key principles for discerning God’s will. Discern God’s will through open and closed doors, wise counsel, and above all, the authority of Scripture.God never guarantees comfort. He never guarantees safety. But he guarantees eternal life for all who would believe. Unless God calls you to stay, Unless God forbids you and closes the door, if it’s for the sake of the Gospel and to share the gift of eternal life… GO.
The Gospel is disruptive. What does it look like for you to burn the books? What of your past do you need to declare, "No turning back; No going back." When the light of the Gospel confronts darkness, it forces a decision upon us. Will we resist and hide in the darkness? Will we revolt and reject the Way of Jesus? Or will we revere the name of Jesus, renounce our sin, and repent from old ways?
5 Principles to help us share our faith more effectively without fear. Acts 18, a quote from Charles Spurgeon, and hear Scotts Testimony.
1 Samuel 1:1-28 | How To Handle Your Helplessness by Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Jesus said that we’re to be his witnesses to the ENDS of the Earth! And here they are reaching further than it’s ever been before… All because Paul and Silas trusted and adjusted to God’s to somewhere plans and just try to force their own! Maybe today some of you need to do the same…● Maybe God is closing some doors ● Maybe God is saying no to opportunity● Maybe God is saying stop to something that seems good and it doesn’t make sense To redirect you… to make your paths straight… If you sense that, will you follow God’s leading and adjust as necessary to let him guide you?How do you know? ASK don’t Assume
Acts 15 | Disagreements and Division in the Church - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Friday, April 18 2025Jesus was that ultimate/perfect sacrifice = the lamb of God whose blood was shed on the cross for us. That blood set us free from anything we have done, from anything we could ever do. Jesus has the ultimate authority over the enemy and through that we love/serve a victorious God.
It is in Jesus that we place our hope! How can I strengthen the souls of the disciples? How can I encourage you in your faith? Beware of the tribulations that we bear as we enter the Kingdom.
So often we want to hear from God, but we don’t care to communicate with him. God speaks through prayer and God speaks through the church. If you need to hear God’s voice, will you consider fasting as a discipline to create space for devoted prayer? Slow down and LISTEN to him speak.Will you find 2-3 Spirit filled Christians that will be on your call list as people to speak into a significant situation?
The Lord is still writing the rest of your story, each one of you. He’s not done with you yet.Would you like the rest of your story to include the place where He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away?
One of the visions we have as a church is that we reproduce ourselves. The church isn’t merely an organization, but as an organism - a living, breathing organism. And organisms, by definition, reproduce. As a church, we want to be able to reproduce other churches. As lifegroups, we should be reproducing new lifegroups. As worship leaders and pastors, we should be reproducing new leaders. As disciples, we should be making disciples, who make disciples who make disciples. So we want to reproduce ourselves. However, the ultimate goal isn’t to get people to be like us. But as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, as I imitate Christ”. Acts 11:19-20 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.
Acts 10: In this chapter a group of people who were excluded from something and were on the outside looking in. Once welcomed in, became the ultimate game changer! To this point all of Acts has been leading to this moment where the Gentiles (those who aren’t Jewish) are now given access to the Gospel for the very first time. It is hard to overstate how big of a shift this is and I can’t wait to study this with you.
Acts 5 | Ananias, Sapphira, and Hypocrisy - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 - The Rapture and the Day of the Lord - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 - Sacred Sexuality - Pastor Dan Hodson by South Bay Community Church
1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13 - You Will Suffer - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
1 Thessalonians 2:1-16 - Marks of Genuine Ministry - Pastor Todd Hoshiko by South Bay Community Church
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 - Proof is in the Putting- Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Growing in Compassion in a Compassionless world - Pastor Ryan McDonald by South Bay Community Church
It’s a Small Church After All - Pastor Greg Mah, James O, Dave Romero, & Todd Hoshiko by South Bay Community Church
Psalm 127 - Work, family, & rest: how do I make it all work? - Pastor Dan Hodson by South Bay Community Church
How to Talk and Sing Through Your Struggles- Pastor James O by South Bay Community Church
Standing on Holy Ground - Psalm 22 - Pastor Gary Shiohama by South Bay Community Church
Mark 11:1-25 - Coming Home & Cleaning House - Pastor Dan Hodson by South Bay Community Church
Mark 9:33-37, Mark 10:13-17 - The Secret to Greatness - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Mark 7 - Counterfeit Faith vs Genuine Faith - Pastor Dave Romero by South Bay Community Church
Mark 6 - Jesus Sends Out 12 and Serves 5000 - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Mark 3:7-21 - Liar, Lunatic, or Lord - Pastor Gary Shiohama by South Bay Community Church
Mark 2:1-12 - Who Am I Not, Who Am I, and Who Will I Choose To Be - Pastor James O by South Bay Community Church
Two Ways to Respond to the Coming King - Pastor Dan Hodson by South Bay Community Church
The Joy of Generosity - Pastor Greg Mah and Pastor Cory Ishida by South Bay Community Church
Ephesians 5:22-33 - How to Have a Godly Marriage - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Ephesians 5:15-21 - Under the Influence - Pastor Dan Hodson by South Bay Community Church
Evangelism and Discipleship - Pastor Greg Mah and Dan Hodson by South Bay Community Church
Ephesians 4:17-24 - Live Like You Know Christ - Todd Hoshiko by South Bay Community Church
2 Timothy 2:14-26 - Responding To Opposition - Todd Hoshiko by South Bay Community Church
The Path that Profits - 2 Timothy 3:10-17 - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
2 Timothy 3 - Noah And The Second Coming - Pastor Gary Shiohama by South Bay Community Church
2 Timothy 2:1-13 - Empowered to Endure - Pastor Dan Hodson by South Bay Community Church
2 Timothy 1.1-18 A Fight Worth Fighting - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Strengthening our Serve to Strengthen the Church - Pastor Dan Hodson and Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Loving the Most Difficult Neighbors: Your Enemies - Pastor James O by South Bay Community Church
Helping (Not Hurting) Your Neighbor in Need - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Being a Good Neighbor in Christian Community | Romans 12 - Pastor Dan Hodson by South Bay Community Church
30th Anniversary - Pastor Gary Shiohama and Pastor Matt Hannan by South Bay Community Church
The Blessings of Being a Grandparent - Pastor Cory Ishida by South Bay Community Church
Are We Living in the Last Days of the Last Days? - Pastor Gary Shiohama by South Bay Community Church
In the Footsteps of our Heavenly Father - Pastor Cory Ishida by South Bay Community Church
Linsanity, Pentecost, and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
The Game Changer Part 2 - Pastor Igor and Lena Yaremchuk from Irpin, Ukraine by South Bay Community Church
Phil 3:12-16 Fix Your Focus On This One Thing - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Worship & Word - a new way to connect with God throughout the week as we engage in worship, prayer, and the Word of God.
As we conclude #Prayfor22, today we are praying for our nation - that the Church to shine brighter than ever before.
Songs used: • God And God Alone • Here I Am To Worship
Worship & Word - a new way to connect with God throughout the week as we engage in worship, prayer, and the Word of God.
As we continue through #Prayfor22, today we are praying for our nation - that God would be present in every sector of society
Songs used: • From the Inside Out • Came to My Rescue
Worship & Word - a new way to connect with God throughout the week as we engage in worship, prayer, and the Word of God.
As we continue through #Prayfor22, today we are praying for our pastors, elders, and ministry leaders.
Songs Used: • Open the Eyes of My Heart • We Fall Down • Build My Life
Demonic Invasion and the Bizarre Case of the Nephilim - Pastor Gary Shiohama by South Bay Community Church
Colossians 4:7-18 The Colossians Slideshow - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Colossians 3:12-17 What Would Jesus Wear? - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Colossians 3:1-11 Out With the Old, In With the New - Todd Hoshiko by South Bay Community Church
Colossians 2:6-15 Walking With the One Who Wins - Pastor Dan Hodson by South Bay Community Church
Colossians 1:15-23 Jesus, Houdini, and the Bike Thief - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Life is Messed Up and Anything Can Happen - Pastor Gary Shiohama by South Bay Community Church
How to Help Someone With Depression and Anxiety - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
The Greatest Human Relationship Principle - Pastor Gary Shiohama by South Bay Community Church
They > You > I (How to Save a Life Through Serving) - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Reflections on Asian Hate and Jesus - Pastor Gary Shiohama by South Bay Community Church
Jesus' Outrageous, Ridiculous Prayer - Pastor Gary Shiohama by South Bay Community Church
The Church in 2021 - Pastors Dan Hodson, Gary Shiohama, and Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Pastoral Reflections - Pastors James O, Caleb Kim, and Dave Romero by South Bay Community Church
Loving Those on the Other Side of the Fence - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church
Matthew 5:31-34 What Jesus Said About Divorce and Remarriage by South Bay Community Church
Matthew 5:13-16 - The Influence of Those Who Live Like This by South Bay Community Church
The Convicting, Praying, Sealing Work of the Holy Spirit - Pastor Gary Shiohama by South Bay Community Church
Attacking Anxiety Before Anxiety Attacks - Pastor Greg Mah by South Bay Community Church