Sermons

This message will revisit and continue a series we started and stepped away from months ago called, "How to Make Peace." We had unpacked Matthew 18:15-20, and the four stages Jesus gave us for working through reconciliation with someone who has sinned against us. But there's one critical piece to peacemaking that we still need to unpack together. And that's the issue of forgiveness. So, we'll turn our attention to Matthew 18:21-35 and explore how forgiveness works, and why it's fundamental to being a Christian.

Today, we will look at The Road to Suffering.

*There are no fill-in-the-blank notes for our Good Friday service*

This week, we wrap up our series, How to Make Peace. We spent two of our three weeks focused on the first step God gives us in Matthew 18:15-17 because it's the most important step. Now it's time to touch on the remaining three steps of peacemaking as we learn to "widen the circle."

We'll continue into our second week of a short series called "How to Make Peace." Matthew 18:15-17 gives us a four-step model for addressing someone who has sinned against us. But step one is so important, we'll be spending another weekend unpacking it together before we move on to the rest of the steps next week.

Link to APPLICATION tools: Conflict Field Guide      Link to purchase The Peacemaker book

We'll begin a short series called "How to Make Peace" and begin working through Matthew 18:15-17 to discover some simple functions that lead to an uncommon peace.

Link to APPLICATION tools:     Conflict Field Guide     Link to purchase The Peacemaker book

We conclude our series on THE FIVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS by looking at the Babe in the Genealogy. The genealogy of Matthew helps us understand how really special this Christ Child was!

*There are no fill-in-the-blank notes for this weekend's sermon*

We will continue our series, THE FIVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS, by taking a look at TWO FAMOUS DADS. We'll see that their track record as everyday dads is just as complicated as anyone else's. And we'll see that behind these two simple names in the genealogy of Jesus, there is a deep message of encouragement for all of us.

We continue our series on THE FIVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS by looking at the THREE ERAS emphasized by the genealogy in Matthew. This is one of the most interesting studies when you begin to learn the “code” to unpacking Matthew’s message. This week we learn that God is the God of FOREVER!

We continue our series on the FIVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS by looking at the four women who are mentioned in the genealogy. Not only is it unusual, but it teaches us some wonderful lessons.

This weekend, we begin a Christmas series entitled THE FIVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS. We will play off the popular song that counts down from 12 to one as we look at the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. This week’s focus is FIVE GOLDEN KINGS.

We continue our study of WOMEN OF FAITH by looking at MARY MAGDALENE. She was a woman of incredible devotion but is almost always seen as just “part of the crowd.” She is one of those people who always seems to be part of the story but never the subject. If that last sentence describes you, this study could be very encouraging!

We finish our series GIVING CHRISTMAS by reflecting on what we learned from the Magi and how we can apply that to our lives in 2023.

We begin a new 6-part series called GIVING CHRISTMAS.  The backdrop will be the Magi of Matthew’s gospel, but the focus will be on how we can give better gifts — not just at Christmas, but as a daily practice. 

As Christians, we declare that Jesus is the Son of God and that we want to follow Him. But what does following Jesus really look like? We’ll explore what it means to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him. Through God’s Word, we’ll see that it's not a call to simply do more or try harder, but to rest in His love and allow the Lord to empower us to live a victorious life! 

We study the third commandment about the importance of God’s Name.  This may be the toughest commandment on the first tablet for today’s Christians.  The key to this study is to learn what it means to “take up” God’s Name.

We move to the second commandment in our series and learn what God means when He warns us about “making images and bowing down to them.”  This is a very practical commandment even 3,000 years after it was given.

We conclude our series on TWO PATHS by looking at Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter.  We are reminded that they both made HUGE mistakes, but that it isn’t the sin, but how we respond that matters.  

December 27-28, 2019

We see the third angel appearance in a visit to Joseph and we learn that God really cares about those He has created.

We conclude our series on the Beatitudes by looking at the “extra” Beatitude (or the wrap-up) that Jesus gave us.  This last statement has great hope and joy!

We are challenged to understand why Jesus said that we could be happy to be persecuted.  No rational person wants to be persecuted.  We are not expected to be radicals to invoke persecution.  Happiness is found in persecution only when we share in the suffering of Jesus.

We’re living in a world and a time that is very good at dividing people, but not very skilled or inclined at uniting people. This beatitude speaks directly to our life and times, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.” We want to be skilled peacemakers! This weekend's beatitude tells us that when we bring people together, we resemble our Father in heaven.

We move to the sixth Beatitude. This is the one that really doesn’t seem to fit into Jesus’ teaching or the chart — at first glance.  It is the one that makes little sense if you don’t take time to really study it.  Take a look at this and think about what it means to you, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” To many, it probably will be confusing and counter-productive.  We will learn all about it this weekend!

Beatitudes Journal

We continue our Beatitude series by starting the second set of four Beatitudes.  This weekend, we look at being merciful and what that really means.  

Beatitudes Journal

We move to the fourth Beatitude and learn about righteousness.  We will see that the progression of our faith continues as we seek to live in purity.  This may be my personal favorite of the Beatitudes because it is choosing to live rightly — it is not commanded!

Beatitude Journal

We continue our Beatitude series by looking at the third Beatitude and being reminded of the progression that Jesus teaches.  Once you realize that you have nothing to offer God towards salvation (Beatitude #1) and then mourn over your sin (Beatitude #2), the next step is to yield control to Christ and others (Beatitude #3).  Meekness has become a bad word in our society but you will see this weekend, that God thinks it is a good thing.

We continue our Beatitude series with the idea of “mourning over sin” and how the Lord brings comfort.  This will be a wonderful reminder that you don’t hear anywhere today but from God’s Word.

Beatitudes Journal

We continue our study of the Beatitudes and study the first one after doing an overview last week. We will be reminded that Jesus has accomplished everything for us (as we learned a few years ago in Colossians — Jesus + Nothing = Salvation).

Beatitudes Journal

We begin a summer series called “The Secret of Happiness” as we study The Beatitudes in great detail.  This weekend, we will do an overview of the Beatitudes which will help us find context for this amazing section of Scripture. 

Beatitudes Journal

This weekend, we wrap up this short series on the Parable of the Sower.  We will examine each type of soil the seed was scattered upon.  Our study will help us to understand what keeps people from following Jesus.  It should also challenge us to consider how we can best align our hearts fully with the purposes of God’s will.

This week we will look at Matthew 13:1-17. We focus on the question the disciples asked Jesus, "Why do you teach in parables?" We will find that those who seek the Truth, live a privileged and abundant life.

It is with great pleasure we welcome Dr. Daniel Henderson to ECC this weekend and pray that you also will find his encouragement for worship-based prayer a blessing!
 

Pastor Denny's Preview

Pastor Denny's Preview

Pastor Denny's Preview

Pastor Denny's Preview

We begin a four-week series on Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus.  We will learn that he wasn’t forgotten by God and we aren’t either. 

Pastor Denny's Preview

This message will investigate what the Scriptures teach about welcoming the stranger. God sent both the people of Israel and Jesus through Egypt on the way to completing His plan of salvation. He sent them to a land where they were aliens and strangers. As we thankfully consider all of the blessings that are ours in Christ, let us remember that all of us were at one time alienated from God. 

Today we celebrate Mother’s Day by taking a break from the Luke series and looking at a very special mom.  This woman was willing to risk everything for the sake of her daughter, which is likely true of most moms.  But the way she approaches Jesus and the things she says, make us both smile and cheer.  Today we take a moment to remember the beauty of motherhood.

Today we conclude our series by looking at the main reason that people would reject — the story of the resurrection. If it really happened, it is the most amazing event in history!  In our study, we will look at evidence that helps us understand the reasons why we would believe this incredible Easter story.

Today we begin a short Holy Week series that will look at four of the major reasons that people have rejected Jesus throughout the generations. In this study, we will see how the Bible depicts Jesus as sinless and determine how we should respond to this.

We come to a passage that, at first, will seem a bit odd to read on Easter Sunday. But we will be reminded that almost every great victory is preceded by great determination. On the night before He died, Jesus had the choice to take the difficult path, drink the cup, or not. We can only celebrate an empty tomb because of the empty cup!

We start a three-part focus on the words, “The Cup,” and particularly what Jesus meant by this phrase. We see Jesus use these words several times in Scripture, without really explaining their meaning.  In the passage, he asks disciples if they can drink from “the cup,” and obviously, they don’t understand His meaning either. We will continue to look at these words on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

We look further at the topic of INVESTING, by being reminded of how to handle our RESOURCES.  These resources include many things: money, time, talents, gifts, etc., but the bottom line is that we invest them wisely.  This can be a delicate topic, but it is one of the core issues for Christians and the Bible has much to say!

Near the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus listed seven “Woes” to the church people of that day.  It seems that they had totally misconstrued what God really wanted from them.  So Jesus made it perfectly clear!  The fourth specific scolding is a wonderful reminder of the three things that really matter to God.  Everything else is secondary.  As we start a new year, let’s focus on those things that are most important.

* Click here to download this weekends Keynote.

There are times that we look around and feel like our life really isn’t that important. Does it even matter that I’ve lived on this planet? Have I made a difference in the lives of others? The good news is that even though we sometimes don’t recognize it, our lives do matter — to God and to others. In this message, we will learn about the importance of every life.

We begin a four-week series where we will study the conversations that Jesus had with outsiders.  From these, we can learn how to have better dialogue with our neighbors.  In this study, we look at a woman in great need and how Jesus responds to her.

We continue our study of WOMEN OF FAITH by looking at MARY MAGDALENE. She was a woman of incredible devotion but is almost always seen as just “part of the crowd.” She is one of those people who always seems to be part of the story but never the subject. If that last sentence describes you, this study could be very encouraging!

We celebrate our living Lord as we conclude the Gospel of Mark and look at BOTH His death and resurrection. Mark combines the two stories nicely. We will see how His burial and His empty tomb must be understood as a whole. Join us at any of our regular service times (Saturday at 6:00 pm, Sunday at 9:30 am and 11:00 am) either in person in all locations or online. Full children's programming (nursery - 5th grade) will be available.

Our Good Friday service is at 12 noon. The service will be an opportunity to sense sorrow (in a smaller way) like those first disciples must have sensed. We will take Holy Communion together!

*For this service, there are only completed notes.

We go back to Mark 11 and study the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We want to understand why this parade of people marks the beginning of Holy Week and what really happened. The people wanted to proclaim Jesus King, but they didn’t understand His Kingdom.

Also, Holy Week begins this weekend and it is the week that truly shaped our world (even those who don’t believe) around the name of Jesus Christ. To help us celebrate this special week, we have provided daily devotionals HERE

We look at Mark’s explanation of the crucifixion. He doesn’t deal with the details of how Jesus died or His wounds as much as he shares the reaction of the people around Jesus. And he shares one unique detail not found in the other Gospels.  

We continue our series called DEAD OR ALIVE by examining the events that take place immediately before Jesus is placed on the cross. Mark shares this “ briefly and clearly ” — but it is no less powerful. In all of it, we realize Who was really controlling the scenario.

We continue our series Dead or Alive, and we move further into the early morning hours of the day Christ will be crucified. We’ll see two important parts of the story are happening at the same time. Jesus is going through His trial in front of the religious establishment, and Peter is going through his “trial” trying to remain incognito in the courtyard nearby. One remains strong and the other had to face his weakness.

This weekend, we continue our series Dead or Alive, and we move into the early morning hours of the day Christ will be crucified. Mark allows us to see the stress and turmoil that the Son of God was feeling as He prays in the garden. As He poured out His concerns to His Father, He eventually released himself into the Father’s care and moved forward to face what felt like an overwhelming situation. When you face a stress-filled situation, remember that you have a great High Priest who understands what you are going through. (Hebrews 4:14-16). 

We continue our series DEAD OR ALIVE as we move into the final 24 hours before Christ goes to the cross. Mark allows us to see the joy and sorrow mixed into his last supper with his closest friends. In this time, he initiates a perpetual reminder of the cross, Holy Communion, which we celebrate as a church family this weekend.

We begin the DEAD OR ALIVE series as we experience the last few days of Jesus’ ministry. This first study reminds us of Judas and the reason for his betrayal. It is another Mark “sandwich”, and it is fascinating how he presents it.

We finish the short PROPHECY series from Mark 13 as we see the second sign of the second coming. In his typical style, Mark takes a difficult issue and simplifies it for our benefit.

We begin a 2-part series on the PROPHECY. The disciples asked two questions that people are still asking today. Jesus answered very clearly but it seems many people have not paid much attention to His answers. We will break those down over the next two weeks and hopefully have a more clear understanding of how the end will take place.

We conclude our series on TOUGH QUESTIONS as we see Jesus ask a final question and then teach a powerful lesson.  It is a passage of Scripture that demands context to really understand it.  And Jesus doesn’t pull any punches as He talks about the religious leaders. 

This weekend we continue our series "Tough Questions" from Mark chapter 12. In this weekend's passage, Jesus is asked to articulate which of the 613 commandments was the most important. We will be inspired and challenged as we take a close look at His answer and the interaction He has with a teacher of the Law.

We continue our series on TOUGH QUESTIONS by looking at a question about marriage in heaven. We’ll see this question is a smokescreen for a much deeper question. The answer that Jesus gave again left his audience astonished and leaves us with some decisions about our response.

We continue our series on TOUGH QUESTIONS by looking at a question about paying taxes. The answer that Jesus gave even impressed His detractors.  When you take time to really understand it — it is amazing!

We begin a new series from Mark 12 called TOUGH QUESTIONS. In this study, we see five questions that are asked and answered. It is another “Mark sandwich” and it has some fascinating lessons. In this first section, verses 1-12, we hear Jesus tell a parable, then ask a question, and give an answer. His answer teaches about the powerful concept of a CORNERSTONE.

We conclude our study on CONTRASTS by looking at a fruit tree that has no fruit and a mountain that moves. We also see Jesus out-thinking the most powerful and intellectual people in the land. This is a classic account that gives us much to chew on.

We look at three accounts that are lumped together in the Gospel of Mark.  In all of these, we see "blind people” but in one, we see a blind man that can see better than anyone else.  It is our continuing study of the CONTRASTS. 

THIS WEEKEND We meet a young leader who is concerned about his eternity. The problem for him is that he wants to have multiple gods — and that doesn’t work. Jesus’ answer to this man’s very important question is wonderful to study and has multiple components. We will unpack that answer together.

We begin a new 4-part series on CONTRASTS. The purpose of this section is to help us to think like the LORD, not like the WORLD. In this first study, we will talk about the sanctity of marriage and the faith of a child.

Last weekend, we studied an event that only happened once in human history – the transfiguration of Christ. This weekend, we get to explore what happened as soon as Jesus, Peter, James, and John came down from that amazing spiritual experience on the mountain top. As we explore the Word, we’ll see some of Jesus’ emotions emerge as He demonstrates His wondrous power in a high-stakes encounter with a desperate father. We will also gain some insights into prayer. I can’t wait to dig into the passage together!

We continue our series on THE WAY OF THE CROSS and learn about the moment that Jesus TRANSFIGURED. It is the only time in the Gospels that Jesus revealed His nature as God in front of some of His followers. From it, we learn some wonderful lessons! We will also talk about the “sticky wicket” problem that we teased about last weekend. This weekend is also WORLDWIDE COMMUNION, so we will share in Holy Communion together in all services.

THIS WEEKEND We start a new four-part series that I have titled THE WAY OF THE CROSS. This is the first time that Jesus shares the plan of His suffering and death. He does so because now they understand WHO He is. This is one of the most important teachings in Mark!

We conclude our series on THE PEAK by seeing Simon Peter’s words, “You are the Messiah.” We will see WHY this is so important and HOW it changes everything going forward. It will again remind us of Mark’s wonderful writing, guided by the Holy Spirit.

THIS WEEKEND We look at the second feeding miracle of Jesus, The Feeding of the 4,000. We will understand why Jesus feed groups twice — as there was a very intentional purpose. And we will see that the disciples are still not understanding the depths of His teaching.

THIS WEEKEND We continue our series on THE PEAK of Jesus’ ministry and look at two miracles that were performed among the Gentiles. Jesus keeps showing the people of His day that “what was unclean is now clean!”

We look at the hand-washing tradition of the Jewish people and how traditions can sometimes cause us to miss the main point.  We see Jesus’ powerful and novel teaching about traditions vs. Scripture.  (Can touching something or eating something make you spiritually unclean?) This is the third study in our series, THE PEAK.

We study one of the most famous miracles of Jesus — walking on the water.  Many Christians don’t understand the purpose of this miracle: was Jesus just showing off?  We will see WHY Jesus walked on water and HOW this continues to prove that He is God. 

We begin a new series that includes six accounts that represent the PEAK of Jesus’ ministry (from an earthly perspective).  These are some of our favorite passages in the Gospels! This week, we study the famous story of the FEEDING OF THE 5,000 and will see what I believe to be some new thoughts.  We will close our service with Holy Communion.

We look at the PUSHBACK faced by Jesus and the disciples in the sad story of the death of John the Baptist.  This account in Mark is very unique when compared to the rest of his writings and so I think you will find it very interesting.  

We move back to the Gospel of Mark starting in chapter 6. Jesus had become so popular that pushback was beginning from His family, friends, and political leaders.  Jesus left the crowds and returned home to continue His ministry.

This message concludes the POWER PART 2 series by looking at the raising of a dead girl.  The account is amazing for the many different kinds of lessons it teaches.  We will also learn some interesting perspectives about Mark’s use of the “sandwich.”

We are at the third account of the POWER PART 2 series as we see the woman who touched the hem of His cloak.  Although a child could read this and understand the point—as always, there are some hidden gems that we need to “mine” to find.  And it is pretty amazing!  We are also going to learn about Mark’s unique writing style that makes his Gospel unique!

In this message, we see Jesus's power over not just one, but thousands of demons.  

To watch past weekend services including worship click HERE.

Fill out your eCard by clicking HERE.

This message starts a four-part series on THE POWER OF JESUS (Part 2).  In the earlier POWER series, we saw that when Jesus performed a miracle, people were amazed!  With the miracles we are about to study, we see that the people were AFRAID!  These four miracles show POWER in the following ways:  Over Nature, Over Thousands of Demons at One Time, Over Disease (through “stealing” a miracle, and Over Death.  These four are mind-blowing!  This message looks at His POWER over Nature.

This message concludes our series on the PARABLES by studying a short parable on the mustard seed.  It is a fascinating study of how God’s Kingdom works.  

This message continues our series on the Parables of the Gospel of Mark by looking at the second one about planting — The Parable of the Growing Seed.  In this parable, we are reminded that God handles the process of growth and fruit.  We will also look at the application that Jesus shared from last week’s study on the Four Soils.

This message kicks off a study of the first of Jesus’ parables found in the Gospel of Mark.  It is often called “the parable of the sower,” but it's possible that title misses the point.  Learn about four soils and how they can help us understand people and the Gospel. 

This message concludes our series called SHAKING UP THE STATUS QUO by looking at the religious leaders who believed that Jesus was working with the devil and Jesus’ family, who thought He was crazy.  This kind of reaction often happens when we can’t explain something naturally.  The response of Jesus is classic and powerful!

In this message (Mark 3:7-19), we will be challenged to examine our own relationship with Jesus through His calling of His twelve apostles.

We go back to the Gospel of Mark and continue our series called SHAKING UP THE STATUS QUO.  In this message, we’ll contrast the “old wineskins” of the Jewish religious establishment and the “new wineskins” introduced by Jesus. In our passage this week, we’ll teach on the Sabbath, and we’ll contrast “looking good” (old wineskins) with “doing good” (new wineskins).

This message begins a new series in the Gospel of Mark called Shaking up the Status Quo.  In the next four messages, we will see Jesus challenging the religious people of His day.  He actually throws them into a panic.  It seems that they (and most religious systems) are focusing on the wrong things!  In this message, we see Jesus spend time with “sinners” and break human traditions.  He gives some wonderful illustrations to explain the system of grace.

This message concludes our series on THE POWER OF JESUS by reading a Bible classic — the account of the paralytic lowered through the roof.  Although you have probably heard and read this story since you were a child, we want to gain some new insights into the POWER that Jesus exhibited.  It is a wonderful account recorded by Mark that has lots of different people and emotions!

This message continues our series on Jesus’ POWER by seeing His ability to heal a disease that even today has no cure.  It is only a few verses but has some powerful lessons for us!

In this message, we will see more demonstrations of Jesus’ power. We will also gain wisdom from Jesus’ example about how to truly flourish as human beings.

This message explores an event that takes place during a worship service at a synagogue. As we dig into this passage of scripture, we will learn about Christ’s power as we explore important contrasts between Jesus and other religious leaders of His day.

This message completes the Preparation series in the book of Mark. In this passage (Mark 1:16-20), Jesus will call the first four of His twelve disciples. He is looking for specific people, and calling for a specific response, “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people.” A movement is beginning that will take the Good News into all the world. Jesus is gathering the 12 disciples to prepare them to keep the movement going after He was gone. They were successful. The baton has now been passed to us, but the instructions remain the same, “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people.”

To watch past weekend services including worship click HERE.

Fill out your eCard by clicking HERE.

This message advances our series in Mark 1 by looking at the baptism, temptation, and message of Jesus.  It is a lot in a short passage, but that is Mark’s style and the way we will attempt to study His gospel.  In this passage, Jesus shows His CREDENTIALS to qualify as King, Messiah, and Son of God.

The Gospel of Mark begins with Jesus at the age of 30 and doesn’t include a genealogy, birth story, or childhood.  We learn about the life and ministry of John the Baptist and how sometimes our calling is not an easy one, but that faithfulness is rewarded.

This message begins our many months' study of the Gospel of Mark.  In this overview lesson we learn about Mark the Gospel, Mark the man, Mark the symbol, Mark the outline, and Mark the message. 

Today we see one of history’s most impressive buildings being built and we see how essential Herod’s Temple was for the life and ministry of Jesus.  
The Gospels are full of references to this Temple and, in all of it, we understand God’s miraculous timing.  For Jews and Christians, this is the world’s most famous Temple.

This message will discuss our responsibility to step out in obedience to whatever God is calling us to do, in order to share his Truth with others. We'll be specifically talking about Biblical Worldview, Biblical Holism and Reconciliation of broken relationships.

As we move closer to Christmas, we will step back into Zechariah's story in Luke chapter one. When his pain had skewed him toward doubt, God gave him the severe mercy of silence. But God's mercy didn't stop there. As we consider what happened next for Zechariah, we will get a good look at how we can follow God's mercy out of our doubt and into a faith that leads us to peace in Christ.

We will follow Mary from her first moment of submission to the Lord through her next faithful steps. We'll get a chance to learn from the behavior of someone who is capable of deep and courageous faith.

We continue our series, The Path of Peace," by following the gospel of Luke into the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Just as Zechariah's path of peace began with an angelic visit, we'll see Mary challenged with her own journey by a direct intervention from the Lord.

We will step into a new series called, "The Path of Peace." We'll work through Luke 1 and 2 as it walks us up to and through the gospel account of the birth of Jesus. We'll begin with the account of a Jewish priest named Zechariah, who finds himself face-to-face with an angel. But where we might expect a devout servant of God to respond with humble faith, he actually demonstrates doubt and takes the angel to task. We'll see that familiarity really can breed contempt. But that's not where the story ends.

In this stand-alone message, we'll take a look at Luke 22 and dig into the meaning embedded in the Lord's Supper. There is a lot to learn about this critical element of our life together as a church, and how it provides a regular opportunity to refresh and refocus in the middle of our busy and ever-changing situations.

We conclude this short series on THE ROAD TO . . . by looking at the Road to Glory where Jesus suddenly appeared to two of His followers on that first Easter. It is an amazing story because of what these two followers had missed — all of their lives — and how Jesus was able to teach them “along the road.”

We step into a Holy Week series called The Road to Salvation. On Palm Sunday, we remember the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We will follow Jesus' Road to Kingship through Luke 18 and 19 as He moved through Jericho to Jerusalem while navigating both the confusion and the praise of His followers. We will explore His deep and durable love for us and prepare our hearts for Good Friday as we look ahead to the celebration of Resurrection Sunday.

We continue our study of WOMEN OF FAITH by looking at MARY MAGDALENE. She was a woman of incredible devotion but is almost always seen as just “part of the crowd.” She is one of those people who always seems to be part of the story but never the subject. If that last sentence describes you, this study could be very encouraging!

This message focuses on "The Priorities" surrounding the events of the birth of Christ.  We will see how we are to have different priorities because of His birth and how our lives could and should look as followers. 

Join us as we celebrate the birth of the Savior!  All services will be online at 2:30pm, 4:00pm, 5:30pm, 7pm, and 11pm.  We'll be taking communion and lighting candles in our homes so you can make preparations now for those elements.  This service is for all ages!  

*There are no sermon notes for Christmas Eve

This message focuses on "The People" surrounding the events of the birth of Christ.  We will learn about how different figures and their historical contexts played roles in the fulfillment of prophecy. 

This message focuses on "The Timing" surrounding the events of the birth of Christ.  We will learn about the many different fulfillments of prophecy that came about in the events surrounding Christ's birth. 

This weekend we focus on "The Places" surrounding the events of the birth of Christ.  We will learn about how different locations and purposes played roles in the fulfillment of prophecy. 

This message focuses on "The Politics" surrounding the events of the birth of Christ.  We will learn about how different political figures and historical events played roles in the fulfillment of prophecy. 

We look at the fourth commandment and the various ways that people interpret it.  We also will learn some good applications for how to live “Remember the Sabbath Day".

Good Friday Service

We look at the most famous angel Christmas account as the angels appear to the shepherds.  This week we will be reminded that Jesus wants to be your LORD.

We continue our ANGELS OF CHRISTMAS series by looking at Gabriel again — but this time, he visits Mary.  Obviously Mary is a key to the Christmas story, but we have studied her in-depth in previous Christmas seasons.  In this study, we will learn more about the words of Gabriel — and therefore more about a God Who keeps His Word!

We begin our Christmas series as we look at THE ANGELS OF CHRISTMAS.  Each weekend we will look at the words of an angel and learn something great about God’s nature. This week, we look at the story of Zechariah and the angel Gabriel.

Today we conclude our series and also conclude the study of Luke which began on November 30, 2014. In this study, we see Jesus ascending into heaven and the disciples preparing for the Holy Spirit and the new “church.” We will also take some time to review the things that we’ve learned in the Gospel of Luke. 

Today we watch the Emmaus friends rush back to Jerusalem to tell their story, but they are too late. In this passage, Jesus shows His scars to the Apostles and confirms His resurrection. And we finally see the disciples “get it.” 

Today we see the resurrected Jesus take a walk with some of His followers. Even though they are kept from identifying Him immediately, they are taught by Him and it all begins to make sense. This account is a rare glimpse into the way that Jesus revealed Himself following the resurrection, and it is the beginning of belief. 

Today we continue our series on Beginnings, by looking at the Beginning of Life. The resurrection of Jesus was a victory for Him, but it was also a great victory for all of us who follow Him. Because He lives, we too shall live — even after death!

Today, on Good Friday, we continue our series on Luke and how Luke shows us the reactions of those who watched Jesus die.

Today we begin the last series of our study of the Gospel of Luke. In this six- weeks series, we see that the END is really the BEGINNING. We will learn that unlike other biographies where death is the end, in this story, it is just the beginning of many things that we still enjoy and celebrate today. In this study, we see the beginning of HOPE. 

Today we conclude our series on THE BEGINNING OF THE END by looking at the last moment of Jesus’ freedom. We see that although no one can show Him to be guilty of any crime, He is condemned because of hatred.And we realize that the end of Jesus’ freedom is the beginning of ours! 

Today we come near the end of the life of Jesus and of our series. In this study, we see the beginning of the false charges and the mock trials that Jesus endured. And we see that He didn’t budge as to Who He was and what He came to do! 

We continue our series by watching the soldiers arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and walk Him to Caiaphas’ house. Throughout the chaos, Jesus was under control... and in control. Peter, on the other hand, was controlled by fear. From the interactions between Jesus and Peter, we learn the good news that faith brings an end to fear.

Daniel Henderson is dedicating his full-time efforts to help congregations across the country experience renewal and turn-around as he speaks to thousands each year at conferences and prayer events. To learn more about Daniel's ministries visit his website: www.strategicrenewal.com 

We continue our series by watching Jesus take the disciples from the Upper Room to the Mount of Olives to pray. We learn of Jesus’ anguish and the disciples’ weakness. Most of all, we remember that this was all God’s plan. 

ATTENTION: Due to technical difficulties with recording, we will not be able to offer a sermon video or audio recording for this week. Thank you for understanding! 

We continue our series by looking at the last part of the LAST SUPPER before Jesus and disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane. We see that even after three years with Jesus, the disciples were struggling with the same issues of pride.We also see Jesus’ final instructions to them. 

Today we begin a new 5-week series that will take us to the cross.  We look at the last 24 hours of the life of Jesus in this “The Beginning of the End” series.  In this study, we see Jesus’ preparation and participation in His final meal, often called the Last Supper.  Again, we will see His mastery over the future and His teaching through the symbols of the bread and the cup.

We conclude our TESTING JESUS series by looking at Jesus’ teaching about the end of time in response to questions from His disciples. We will see the order of the things that will happen in the last days, and we will learn about what to do to prepare for these things.This is a long passage of Scripture to study in one lesson, but we will see an overview of some critical teaching. 

God is not impressed by the things that men find impressive. Today, we will see that Jesus offered a word, a warning, and a lesson about a widow to help us understand that God is searching beyond outward appearances which so impress others. 

Some of the Sadducees asked Jesus a question. While it may seem it was about marriage, we will learn today that this question became a final attempt to undermine Jesus’ authority. In His answer we learn some about the nature of resurrection and more about Jesus being the cornerstone of life and truth. 

As we continue our study of people TESTING JESUS, we come to a question that was considered to be unanswerable. This question is pertinent today as people talk about high taxes. Jesus answered with a sentence that amazed His enemies and helps us to understand our indebtedness to our government and our God. 

In today’s study, Jesus tests the religious leaders by telling a parable that covers the story of the Old Testament. He also proclaims Himself the Cornerstone of the Jews and the Church. Remembering His death & resurrection in Holy Communion will be our way of applying the knowledge that He is our Cornerstone & without Him there is only brokenness. 

We continue our study of the “testing of Jesus,” as we see the Jewish leaders of "greatest earthly spiritual authority” asking Jesus where He gets His authority. Jesus is now dealing with the smartest Biblical people on the planet but He asks them a question and stumps them.  In this, we see that His authority is from above.

Today we begin a new sermon series that shows how fearful Jesus’ enemies were, and yet, how wise Jesus is. Throughout these passages we see people desperately trying to stump Jesus with questions that seem unanswerable — and yet, He makes them look foolish with His answers.We begin with the story of the 12-year-old Jesus at the Temple. 

Today we continue our study of the story immediately after the birth of Christ by studying a women who is only mentioned in three verses of Scripture. Anna was a Godly woman who becomes the third witness to the birth of the Messiah.   Here again we see the “divine appointments” set by God and why they matter to us today.

Last week we learned about the man called Simeon. Today we study his amazing words of prophecy. These words help us understand the purpose and ministry of Jesus’ life, even though they were spoken when He was only a baby. They also help us to understand the purpose and plan that God has for our lives. 

Today we continue our study of the Christmas story by looking at Mary and Joseph’s visit to the Temple and their interaction with an old man named Simeon. This guy is the picture of wisdom and he reminds us of the joy of trusting God and waiting for His time. 

Today we begin a Christmas series about the “forgotten people” of the story — Simeon and Anna. These two people teach us how to wait and worship! In today’s passage though, we look at the story of obedience of Mary and Joseph which leads us to the stories of Simeon and Anna. 

Today we conclude our series on the Kingdom by identifying the
King. Infact,this King, who was announced so at His birth, has been hesitant throughout His ministry to allow anyone to proclaim Him the king. He has said, "tell no one," or "my time has not yet come." But in today's text He boldly proclaims Himself to be the King. 

Kings are not elected.  Kings are born and appointed.  Jesus’ story in this passage stretches our thinking about our first allegiance.  Do we yet recognize Jesus as the coming king?  We will learn that our lives are expected to be lived in anticipation of His return.

Having learned of the blind man’s faith, we now consider a purposeful interaction between Jesus & Zaccheaus.

Zaccheaus sought to see Jesus. Jesus was able to see him in a way no one else did. When others wanted to distance them- selves from Zaccheaus, Jesus was sought to save him.

So, who are you most like? 

Today we continue our Kingdom Thinking and see a blind man that is a picture of salvation. This story is a wonderful contrast to the last two Biblical accounts that we have studied and continues to give us a fuller picture of our Lord's salvation. 

Today we continue our series on Kingdom Thinking by listening to a teaching of Jesus that was shared only with His disciples. Inthis,we see that the plan for taking the Kingdom and ruling it, had always been in place and was no surprise to God. We also see the lack of understanding by the disciples — and by many today. 

Today we continue our series on Kingdom Thinking by looking at a man who is desperate to find eternal life. Jesus doesn’t respond to him as many Christians might today. Infact,atfirst read it seems rude and cold. But Jesus teaches us much in this interaction about what it takes to truly become part of His Kingdom. 

Today we begin a new series that focuses on God’s Kingdom. It is a difficult concept to those of us who have never lived in a monarchy, but was quite common in Jesus’ time. In these seven passages through the end of Luke 19, we see a focus on the Kingdom and how to become a part of it (salvation). In today’s study, we see the importance of coming to the King “like a little child.” 

Today we conclude our Stories and Parables series by looking at one of the most amazing parables. With only a few sentences, Jesus explains for the ages what it takes to be “right with God.” As we take Holy Communion today, this story will help us put it in proper perspective. 

Have you ever felt like quitting? In light of the hardships His disciples faced, Jesus anticipated that they might feel like giving up. He offered today’s parable to remind all of us who God is, how He responds to His own, and to pray in belief as we wait on Him. 

Today we continue our Stories and Parables series by looking at another very rich man.  But we also see an extremely poor man and find that riches aren’t a prerequisite for heaven. This story teaches us much about what matters to God and also gives us insight into the afterlife.

In our passage today, Jesus again focuses on the Kingdom of God.The challenge for both the Pharisees and the disciples is whether they can shift their point of view regarding the Kingdom. Our challenge will be the same. Will we live as if Jesus’ teaching is true: the Kingdom is here, in our midst? 

Set next to the parables we have recently studied, Luke tells of Jesus’ encounter with ten lepers. Like the parables, this story offers a surprise twist that highlights the actions of an unlikely follower. We will learn that to recognize who Jesus is, supersedes the benefits of living under God’s healing power. 

Today we begin a section of Luke where there is one story or parable after another, and each one seems to contain a surprise twist.  In each, we learn that God’s way of viewing things is often different than man’s.  In this study, we look at one of the strangest parables in the Bible, which, when understood, has a powerful lesson.

Today we conclude the Temple series by looking at the destruction of Herod’s Temple by the Romans in 70 AD.  We will see that Jesus told all those who would listen that this would happen.  Lastly, what is God’s plan for the future Temple and how does that affect each of us?

Picture the nicest meal or greatest banquet.  See the attention to detail.  Imagine the sights, smells, and tastes.  See the people!  Around the table of a prominent pharisee Jesus teaches us about God’s willingness to invite all people to His table.  Today, we focus on God’s goodness who blesses even when provoked.

Today we look at four stories that are connected, but are also able to stand alone. For the most part, they center around a meal and a wonderful lesson taught by Jesus. The Pharisees had a plan, but Jesus had a better plan, and in this study, we will be reminded of His authority and our humility.

Today we look at two parables to help us understand the Kingdom of God.  
At first glance, they are simple, but as we dig deeper, we find great meaning.  
We also learn about who gets into the kingdom, and sometimes it isn’t pretty.

We continue our study of God’s True Nature by looking at His MERCY.  In this story, we see that mercy is more important than rules.  This is a simple story of Jesus healing, but it teaches us again that He cares for His children.

Today we start a new series from Luke 13 and 14, and learn that the parables of Jesus teach us much about the nature of God.
In this first study, we will see how patient God is with us -- far more so than we deserve.   And we see our responsibility to Him.

We have come to the close of this series of messages. For the past four weeks we have learned to apply some practical steps to help us mature in our daily Christian walk. Today Jesus’ words turn personal and poignant.
While this concluding message may be less pragmatic, it will stretch us to consider the strength of our heart felt affection for Jesus. For what do you watch?

Today we look at the topic of READINESS as we are reminded of the Lords’ return. How does a Christian stay READY? Jesus explains that we different examples that makes this lesson practical.

Today we deal with the topic that causes so many people to struggle — fear and worry. In this study, we will see why Jesus tells us that we don’t have to worry and then we will provide some practical steps to deal with fear. This is one of the best passages in the Bible to understand why we worry, and why we don’t need to worry!

Today we continue our STAND series, which is a reminder of how mature believers live. In this text, we learn that mature believers are GENEROUS. There is no problem with having wealth, as long as your desire is to be generous, and to be "rich towards God.”

We learned in Luke 11 that Jesus’ words were offensive to those who would not believe in Him.  The tension His words created became the fuel to ignite stronger opposition against Him.  Today we will focus on Jesus’ warnings and encouragements as incentives for mature discipleship - we who follow Jesus may expect to be persecuted for our belief in Him.  How will we respond?  Today be challenged to stand boldly in the face of opposition.

Today we conclude the OFFENSIVE series by seeing Jesus be very offensive to religious people. In fact, He gives seven definitions for religious people and none of them are flattering. In this study, we want to determine that we won’t be religious but righteous.

Today we continue our OFFENSIVE series and see that Jesus calls the people of His generation “wicked.” He goes on to explain why that is so and then offers wisdom on how to be “full of light.”

Today we see that Jesus is starting to really irritate the religious elite with His healing and teaching.  They find Jesus, even in His compassion, to be terribly OFFENSIVE and so they call Him Beelzebub.  Jesus takes this name calling as an opportunity to teach and to declare who is really going to be part of His Kingdom! This is a fascinating passage of Scripture which clarifies what it means to follow Jesus.

Today we begin a series where Jesus seems to be intentionally OFFENSIVE to the religious people.  This four week series closes with the words, “the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile.” As we look at the topic of prayer today, we will possibly see that we have been like the religious -- with a poor understanding and focus!

Martha vs. Mary.  Whose focus wins?  Of the three passages in Luke 10, today’s story most clearly directs believers to stay focused on ‘the most important thing.’ Jesus will not ask Mary to surrender the best for the good. He also wants us to learn to choose the best over the pull of what is good.

We refer to today’s passage as ‘The Story of the Good Samaritan.’  However, this parable is not about the Samaritan’s ‘goodness,’ it is about his ‘compassion' - the mercy he shows to a person in desperate need.  We will be taught by Jesus’ story to open our hearts compassionately towards others in a way few people in our world do.

When we last studied Luke 9, Jesus had just made a decision.  He had “set his face towards Jerusalem.”  Today, we pick back up in Luke 10 to find that Jesus sent disciples ahead of Him on His journey towards the city.  We will learn some principles about sharing our faith that apply directly to us as they did these original followers.   But on a larger scale, we will learn what it means to enter into the joy of Jesus.  Beyond any work we will do, our first call is to stay focused on one amazing truth - we are His.1

Today we conclude our series on a miraculously-born baby, John the Baptist.  And although it seems like an odd story to study at Christmas, we see that this story is essential to the Christmas story.  In this study we see the praise that an old priest shares concerning this wonderful event.

It seems odd to study the birth of John the Baptist during the Christmas season, but it helps us understand the big picture of God’s perfect plan.  In this study, we see the awe and wonder that surrounds the gift from God to a childless couple.

Today we see one of the most beautiful songs of worship that has ever been written.  It was written by a young teenage girl who shows us all how to properly worship God our Father.  We see Mary’s trip to Jerusalem and her rejoicing of God her Savior.

Today we begin our Christmas series and it might be a bit unusual.  Instead of studying the traditional Christmas story, we will learn about the events that led to that first Christmas night.  In this first text, we learn of Mary’s wonder and God’s Word.

Today we conclude the short IN TRANSITION series by looking at what it takes to truly follow Jesus.  Our Lord has taught His disciples about True Greatness and True Mercy as He begins His final trip to Jerusalem.  He now explains what it involves to truly follow Him.  Today’s church needs to hear this message because in some ways it differs from the traditional view.

Today we start a short 3-week series on the TRANSITION that Jesus faces as He leaves the area of Galilee and heads towards Jerusalem.  In this study, we will see how He prepares His disciples (and Himself) for a drastic change in preparation for suffering. Hopefully, we will learn how to face change in our lives, and also see the Sovereign Hand of God as He leads us.

When we try out for a serious sports team, we have to meet certain standards. What does it take to join Jesus’ team, i.e. be His disciple? This weekend we will unpack this important topic: how do we live out Jesus’ standards as American Christians, and how are other disciples around the world doing the same? 

Today we conclude the POWER OF JESUS series with the study of an unusual miracle and scolding by Jesus.  We see a particularly difficult demon that Jesus confronts.  And we see that His power is beyond that of all others.

Today we see a passage of Scripture that is unique to the Bible and to most other literature.  It is a story where Jesus reveals to His disciples His true Nature, and He talks with two dead heroes of the faith.  It is important to understand why this story is included in Scriptures, and it is important to know that Jesus is truly God.

Each week of this preaching series we have opened our ears to hear the ‘Power of Jesus.’  Today we find Jesus telling what would happen in the future. More than this, it becomes clear that Jesus has power to see the specific fulfillment of the plan of God.  In the midst of Jesus’ declaration of what would happen to him, he asks all who will hear to recognize him for who he is – God’s messiah.

Today we see Jesus sharing His power with the disciples, and then see the extent of His power as He feeds thousands of people with only a few provisions.  This story is well-known, but maybe not so well understood. In this study, we will try to see WHY Jesus would feed 5,000 people.  It will help us understand WHO He truly is.

Today we continue our study of the POWER OF JESUS by seeing His incredible power of a long-term disease and death itself.  In this story, we are reminded that He didn’t just HAVE power;  He WAS power.  These stories help us sense the sorrow of disease and death, and yet the joy of One who overcomes them both.

Today we see a story of incredible power over the underworld as Jesus confronts more than a thousand demons at one time. In this story, we are reminded that the Gentiles mattered to Jesus too, and that he made an extra effort to minister to them.  We also learn much about demons and their fears.

This concludes the series Elements of Faith.  We have seen the various pathways of trust people have taken in response to who Jesus is.  Now, let’s challenge ourselves to respond to Jesus in a way that parallels the faith expressed by one sinful woman.  From her story we can know that Jesus forgives us when we express our love for him from our hearts.

In the beginning of Luke’s gospel, John the Baptist proclaimed the coming of the Messiah. Now, John has a question.  Of all the lessons in this series on faith, today’s may be the most penetrating. What happens when our faith in Jesus does not produce what we expect?  Today we consider steps of wisdom to follow when we are confused about how God is working.

Our faith may grow directly out of our understanding who God is.  In today’s account, Jesus acted out of a heartfelt compassion which reflects His divine nature.  The demonstration of power over death was birthed through Jesus' compassion toward a needy widow.  In seeing His response to her need, we will see that through great mercy God has done the same for us.

We have learned about Jesus through our study of Luke – who he is, what he did, how he lived and what he taught. Now, Luke draws our attention to how people responded to him.    Our series begins by focusing on a surprising figure who comes to faith in Jesus through a conflict larger than he can handle on his own.  The example of his faith response is great enough to challenge our own position of faith.

We are reminded that it is NOT what we know, but what we DO that makes us true disciples.  Jesus uses a masterful illustration to close His teaching, encouraging people to apply it.

We look at a very popular topic that the world seems to misunderstand about Christianity.  Jesus teaches us not to be condemning, but to be discerning.

We come to an easier passage to understand, but much more difficult to implement. We continue the "heart of hearts" of Kingdom teching, and realize that this "love enemies" command may be the toughest for Christians to obey.

We come to one of the most misunderstood passages in the Gospels.  We will first see the men that Jesus called to serve beside Him, but then we will see the attitude that Jesus expects of all of us!

We see another contrast between the religion of the Pharisees and the heart of Jesus.  As Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus shows us a new way of relating to God and furthering His kingdom.

We are reminded that Christianity is a relationship that needs to be celebrated — not dreaded.  We will see two parables that help us understand the principle of “new wine in new wineskins."

We begin our third series in the Gospel of Luke by seeing THE HEART OF JESUS’ MINISTRY.  In this series, we learn what Jesus is all about and we see Him become more proactive in Kingdom teaching.  In this first study, we see that He can’t do anything for “righteous people” but only for those who know themselves to be sinners.

We come to the conclusion of our series on WHEN JESUS SPEAKS, by looking at His greatest statement in this section, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  Here we see that although many others have proclaimed Him to be God, He now does so Himself.  This is an important passage for all people who are Christians or who might be considering the Christian faith.

We come to a short, simple story about a man who is terribly unclean. However, in some ways, we will all be able to relate to this man.  Leprosy had been a problem in Israel since the time of Moses, and it was a dreaded disease with no real cure.  But Jesus brought hope to the lepers and to all who were unclean.

We consider how we will respond when God moves us into the ‘deep waters’ of following Jesus.  Simon provides for us an exemplary example of obeying ‘when Jesus speaks’ and directs him to an action which did not match Simon’s life experience or natural sensibility.  We too, like the first disciples, will be asked to obey Jesus through situations and circumstances we do not understand, but when we say ‘yes’ to His lead we too may see who God is and His ability to act for us in a whole new way.

We continue our series on the power of Jesus’ words, by looking at His commitment to His purpose.  In this story, Jesus does amazing things that would get the attention of everyone and anyone.  But as amazing as His healing power was, He would allow the attention, or the people to distract Him from His calling. There are only a few “red letters” in this passage, but they show Luke’s purpose in writing this text!

We conclude the first section of Luke which is all about "beginnings," and why we should believe “with certainty” that Jesus is the Savior sent from God. In this story, we see that although the people of His home town praised Him, yet they rejected His prophecy concerning them.  And we see Jesus’ own words declaring that He is the Messiah.

We see further evidence that Jesus is “the One,” as he defeats the wiles of the devil.  We will be reminded that Jesus faced unique temptations, and yet we learn from them. And we will see Jesus as “the Adam” who was successful.

Our writer, Luke, as this story begins pronouncedly turns now from highlighting the ministry of John to introducing the initial ministry of the main character of his account, Jesus. Luke’s primary concern in today’s passage is to reveal Jesus to his readers as the one who John had pronounced, unmistakable unique. So, we will compare Luke’s own purpose of relating Jesus’ baptism narrative to the purposes of the other gospel writers. And, hopefully, we will all agree together that there is no one like Jesus.

We were left with a cliffhanger leaving the application of John’s prophetical message hanging in the balance.  What is the response of the gathered crowd to John’s baptism of repentance?  Today, we investigate such matters and discover the question necessarily present in every repentant heart.  We will find that in this “new movement of faith,” there is an old and familiar call to be transformed into the image of God’s own nature.  Finally, we will witness the refining of the people’s understanding of who Messiah is and what the result of His coming will initiate.

We are sorry, because of technical difficulties we do not have a video for this week.

We see the very beginning of the ministry of John the Baptist, and he doesn’t enter the scene like a lamb — but like a lion. In this passage, we learn the time frame of his ministry and the heart of his message. And one thing is for sure, you either repent or reject, as John leaves no room for anyone to “stand in the middle.”

We continue our study of the birth of John the Baptist and again we see God's perfect timing in our lives. We also see that God doesn't like it when we don't trust Him, and there is a penalty for our doubt.

We look at the story that begins the Gospel of Luke — a childless, old and unknown couple.  It is an odd way to start the story of Jesus, but it is Luke’s way to help us have the background that we need.  Today we see the power of God, and the answer to an often-prayed prayer.

We begin a long and exciting journey in my favorite of the Gospels — Luke.  In this study, we will try to understand the book as a whole before we begin to devour it in small bite-sized pieces.   It will take us three years to complete this study, but when we are finished, I believe we will have a depth of understanding, and a great appreciation for this wonderful book. 

We return to our study of the Gospel of Luke, by starting a new series on the words of Jesus.  In this five week study, we will see that when Jesus speaks, things happen!  In this study, we see the power of Jesus over the demons.  We are reminded of His power, and our amazement!

We conclude the LOST series by looking at the third story, the Lost Son. In this story, we find a beautiful illustration about our Heavenly Father’s love for us.We are also reminded that there are many people that misunderstand forgiveness from God’s perspective.This is one of the most famous stories in the Bible, and we will be reminded why it is so meaningful.

We continue our 3-part LOST series, by looking at a coin that was lost by a woman.  Why was this coin so important and why would she celebrate about finding a simple coin?  The bigger issue is, what does finding a coin have to do with God’s love for us?  In this message, we will see the culture of Jesus’ day and understand the answers to these and other questions.

We begin a new three-part series from Luke 15. In this chapter, three lost items are found; a sheep, a coin, and a son. Through this study, we will be reminded of the need to make an effort to search for that which is lost -- individually, and as a church. In this first study, we are reminded of the joy of finding a lost item.

In the Gospel of Luke, we see lots of "stones" in the Holy Week story.  This week, we have looked at some of them together, and today, we see the most important one.  In this passage, we study the "rolling stone" that covered the entrance to the tomb of Jesus and we see why it is so important that every Gospel writer includes it. It is a story of hope and faith, and it helps us to celebrate Easter appropriately.

This message begins a short series for Holy Week that looks at the references to the word "stones" in the Gospel of Luke. From Palm Sunday to Easter, Luke uses the word "stone" nine times and each of those passages teach us something unique about Jesus. In this first passage, we see that Jesus said that the stones would cry out if true believers did not give Him praise. What does that really mean? Hopefully, we will find out!

This message concludes our Prequel series as we look at a hymn that was written 2,000 years ago but a young girl. It is called The Magnificat, and it is a passage of Scripture that Protestants don't study often enough. We will see that Mary really understood worship and as we study the song, we can learn how to better celebrate Christmas.

This message looks at the question "Who?" in this Christmas Prequel.  We see that the story contains a "who's who" of characters and yet amongst all of the great names involved, there is still only One that matters.  Today we see that Mary trusted Jesus in a wonderful way and that we should be like her in that way.  But we learn that Christmas is not about her but about her Baby, Jesus Christ.  And hopefully, we will learn how to make Him the center of our Christmas celebrations. 

We continue our series on CHRISTMAS, THE PREQUEL, by looking at Mary’s reaction to the angel’s message -- What? In this story, we are reminded that we often hear only what we choose to hear and sometimes miss the message that God really wanted us to hear! We will see that our obedience matters to God as well!

This message begins our Christmas series and looks at what happened before Christmas day. Here, Luke gives us a “prequel” story to help us have a better understanding of the Christmas story. We see Mary’s surprise as she is chosen to “be favored” to receive the opportunity to bear the Son of God. Through this passage, we will see how God uses ordinary people to accomplish His work and therefore allows us to be part of His plan.

We continue our study of WOMEN OF FAITH by looking at MARY MAGDALENE. She was a woman of incredible devotion but is almost always seen as just “part of the crowd.” She is one of those people who always seems to be part of the story but never the subject. If that last sentence describes you, this study could be very encouraging!

We celebrate the Risen Lord through song, prayer, and study.  Our study is the continuation of TWO PATHS, and we see John and Mary Magdalene as they go to the tomb.  They both believe, but they get to that place differently. We also see the wonderful way that John writes this beautiful story!

We continue our series on TWO PATHS as we see pairs of people who have many of the same experiences and yet respond in opposite ways! This week our study is Philip and Thomas.

We start a new series called TWO PATHS where we look at pairs of Biblical people around the time of the first Easter.  We will see that although two people have the same situations — they often react very differently.  This first study is about Mary and Martha.

We begin our YOU ASKED FOR IT series by trying to answer the question, “What do we believe as a church?”  In January of this year I asked for topics and questions for this summer series.  I received more than 130 responses.  When I began to group them, I realized that many were asking about what we believe (Trinity, Jesus, the Bible, etc). So, I thought a good start to our series would be to answer a number of questions dealing with the basics of what we believe.  In our denomination, this is called THE CONFESSION OF FAITH.

What We Believe Q & A video

Sitting down at a well in a dry, arid land, Jesus shares a conversation with a woman which teaches us about what God seeks. This familiar story will invite us to consider how we define ‘worship’ and will usher us into our Worship Arts week. As you enjoy today’s music, imagine the scene at the well and ponder what you might have heard had you been there on that day.

Good Friday service held on 3-25-16

We continue the series that will focus our attention on intentional conversations that Jesus had with outsiders. In today's study, we'll take a peek at the nighttime conversation Jesus has with Nicodemus.

This message finishes our two-year study of the Gospel of John. We now see the last change that the disciples have to process; now they are the “doers.” When Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave His followers the responsibility to continue His work. That responsibility is ours today. This is a well-known passage where Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” But this passage speaks clearly to every believer about our role in the kingdom.

This message shows Simon Peter beginning to lead the disciples, but his first act of leadership is in the wrong direction. That is ok because Jesus appears and gives them new insights about the right direction to take. In this passage, we see the value of working and allowing the Lord to direct our paths. We also see that Jesus is able to direct everything around us for His glory!

This message is about the man Thomas and his desire to see Jesus. We will see that Thomas would only believe when he saw with his own eyes. John tells us that we can believe because of the evidence that he shares with us.

In this passage of Scripture, we see something new from the resurrection that we don’t talk about -- peace! In fact, Jesus says, “peace be with you” three times, which He has never said before this! We will look at the concept of peace, then study a brief message and instruction that Jesus gave His apostles after the resurrection. And, we will hopefully be comforted by understanding what true peace really is.

In the last series from the Gospel of John, we learn how everything transitioned because of the resurrection. Today we see that move from LISTENING TO TELLING. Following His resurrection, Jesus told His followers to go and tell. Today’s passage shows us that Mary Magdalene was the first to be given this assignment and we see her faithfulness.

This message begins the last series in our nearly two-year study of the Gospel of John. This series will cover John 20 & 21 and show us how things changed -- the end of some things and the beginnings of others. Hopefully, we will learn how to embrace times of “new beginnings” in our lives. Today’s study is to see how the confusion of the disciples ended and how they began to see the truth. The same happens to all of us who confess Christ at some point.

This message finishes our series by looking at someone who has bowed before several different kings throughout the Gospel of John. Nicodemus’ faith experience is typical and it is helpful to review and study. In today's lesson, we see that many of us are hesitant to worship Christ because we harbor doubts and fears. However, we also learn that when we arrive at the foot of the cross, and bow before Jesus alone, it all begins to make sense for us.

Loyalty is a good thing -- unless you count on loyalty to save you! Sometimes we can worship loyalty and give it to much credence. Today we will look at a very loyal person, John, and see that there are some wonderful aspects of his loyalty but that it also could have been a barrier for him. Hopefully, we will be able to identify the same in our own lives.

This message shows some “church people” who are stuck in the way they always do things and they don’t like change. Jesus meant change to them and they determined that they would rather kill Him than face change. We need to ask ourselves how often our aversion to change causes us to miss great blessings.

As we continue the “Who Is Your King?” study in the Gospel of John, we continue to examine different “kings” that easily replace the King of Kings in our lives. Many Christians seek Jesus for salvation but don’t realize that He wants to be our King. In our study together today, we see what happens when a powerful man crumbles under the weight of his situation by serving “sanity” as his king.

This message continues our study in the Gospel of John as we continue to examine different “kings” that easily replace the King of Kings in our lives. Many Christians seek Jesus for salvation but don’t realize that He is also King. When we honor Him as King, our lives are blessed and He gets the glory. In this passage, we see a two men who worshipped safety.

This message returns to the Gospel of John and pick up the story at the arrest of Jesus. For the next six weeks, we will see that most of the people who stood beside the King of Kings actually knelt before a different king. Many Christians seek Jesus for salvation but don’t realize that He is also King. When we honor Him as King, our lives are blessed and He gets the glory. In this passage, we see a man who worshipped money.

This message concludes our series on The REAL Lord’s Prayer by looking at the section where Jesus prays for us! In this study, we see how important the Gospel message really is and we see the two requests that Jesus makes to the Father on our behalf. But most importantly, we see the importance of prayer and how to pray with passion.

In this message we see what things are important to Jesus as He prays for His own. By listening to His prayer, we can learn about what should be close to our hearts as we pray for others. In this study, we see who Jesus prayed for, why He prayed for them and what exactly He prayed about.

In our continuing look at the prayer of Jesus in John 17, we see that He was able to pray with great authority -- and we can also see reasons why. In this message, we will look at His amazing authority and try to understand that we should enjoy much of the same authority through Him when we pray.

This message begins a four-week series on what is probably the most amazing prayer recorded in Scriptures. In John 17, we get to “listen in” as God speaks to God. While we listen, we learn a lot about prayer and this prayer isn’t really about the pattern of prayer, but about the heart of prayer. In this study of verse 1, we see the importance of a right attitude as we look to Our Father.

This message concludes the series on the Marks of a Believer. In this series, we have learned that our Lord expects that we will have certain characteristics because we belong to Him. As we look at this fifth mark of joy, it is often misunderstood. However, in this text, we are reminded that Jesus can transform sorrow into joy. This passage is one that gives us great comfort as we understand its meaning.

Christians have something that the world doesn't have while living on this earth – the Holy Spirit. In fact, we have God living within us and leading us. As Jesus spends these last moments with His eleven disciples, He shares with them the benefit of His departure of the Holy Spirit's arrival.  In this passage, we see that true believers are led and taught by the Holy Spirit.

This weekend we’ll be hearing from a familiar voice, Frank Y., who is the Executive Director of U.B. Global. His powerful voice is for our call to bring the gospel to people who have never heard it before. Our commitment to global missions is core to who we are as a church, and we’re grateful for people like Frank who help us keep that value in focus.

We learn about a woman named Tabitha as we conclude our series on the Women of Faith.  With each of these studies we’ve learned about a characteristic of various Godly women. This lesson is about the gift of HELPS — particularly those who work behind the scenes.

We continue our series on WOMEN OF FAITH by looking at LYDIA. Paul met this amazing lady on his second missionary journey, and she became the first European convert to Christ. We will see her sense of hospitality in this study.

We open to the book of Acts and explore the role of prayer in the early church. Prayer sustains us in a way nothing else can.  Their example will inspire in our own prayer lives as individuals and as a congregation.

This is unusual for ECC but we are not in a series this weekend.  Our plan is to pause and think about those who have not heard about Jesus. ALL PEOPLE were always a part of God’s plan.  Then we hope to show you our focus and direction for reaching the unreached.

We will look at an amazing story from the book of Acts and be challenged to be BOLD in our faith.  As we approach a new school-year, let us strive to live our faith, share our faith and pray for more boldness to impact our homes, schools and community with the message of Jesus!

If asked, what would you say might be the three most important words to focus on in the upcoming year? Today we'll take a look at some that emerge from a short study of the book of Acts, and how those words might influence our life together. 

Last message we were challenged to consider who we can PLUG IN to making a global impact. But it’s way too easy to get focused “out there” and miss what’s happening right around us. Today we’ll take a look at how we’re equipped to share right here in our own little corner of the world.

Impacting your world can seem pretty intimidating, perhaps even presumptuous. Yet Christ has called us to be a church that makes a global impact. This weekend we’ll consider how we get plugged into His power, purpose and our place of ministry in the world.

We study the last verses of Romans 16 to see Paul’s “watch out,” a few more greetings, and a benediction. It is a wonderful closing to a beautiful letter. I will also have the opportunity to “hand the baton” to Pastor Josh, and we will pray together for him and his family and ministry!

We will return to our series through Romans 12-15, called The Law of Love. We'll close out this series with a look at Paul's call to heat up our value of participating in God's global mission. 

*Please note the first 8 sermons were on January 7th - February 25th. We took a short break for a mini series and then Holy Week. To see the complete sermon series of The Law of Love, please click here. 

We will take the posture of a younger sibling as we listen to Paul's personal account of his experience as a minister of the gospel. We'll learn about how we can view ourselves as ministers, how we can measure our success, and how we can fuel our passion as followers of Jesus as we live out the gospel.

Links to APPLICATION tools:   Spiritual Gifts Assessment           Spiritual Conversation Video

We finish the “mini-series” on the weaker brother and learn how important it is to be a true brother or sister in Christ and watch out for one another.

Although it is a common concept throughout the New Testament, it is spelled out in Romans 14 like nowhere else in Scripture. It is the idea that we have freedom in anything as long as we put other believers above our own needs and wants. The world thinks it’s CRAZY! Paul says it’s essential.

We continue our series on The Law of Love by looking at a weaker and stronger brother in the faith. And you might be a bit surprised as to which one of these two you really are. The Apostle Paul spends a whole chapter explaining this issue to us, and we will study the first half of the church this week.

This weekend we'll step into the fourth week of our series, The Law of Love. It's in Romans 13:8-14 that Paul anchors our whole series around this idea of what it takes to be truly healthy and fully alive in Christ.

This weekend we will continue our series, The Law of Love by following Paul as he explores the way the gospel informs our relationship to governing authorities. It's a conversation that will challenge our ideas about submission and reframe our approach to civil authorities. That's a big deal at any time, but even more so as we move into an election year.

We will continue our series, The Law of Love, by following along with Paul as he adds another layer to his application of the gospel. Last week, we were challenged with a new attitude toward ourselves, a new approach to the Christian community, and a new action of loving service to others. Paul's next step will be to challenge our ideas of what is possible in our lives. In Christ, we can reflect on what is good more than we realize. And in Christ, we can overcome evil in ways we might have never imagined.

We begin a new series this weekend where we will see Paul address areas of renewal. We will learn that our attitude, approach, and actions are the keys to living out the gospel.

This weekend, we return to ROMANS and arrive at a passage that is perfect for a new year reset. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul gives us the answers on WHAT to do, HOW to do it, and WHY we should do it. If you want to improve yourself spiritually, this is the passage that will help!

We conclude the DEEP MERCY series by looking at the incredible mercy that God shows to both Jews and Gentiles. The Apostle Paul becomes so overwhelmed as he writes this that he “breaks into song.”

We continue to study Romans 9-11 and God’s DEEP MERCY. We will look at Israel as the Olive Tree and see the symbol for Jews and Christians being grafted together in that tree.

We will continue our series, Deep Mercy, with Romans 11:1-10. Paul will speak to the question of whether God has finally given up on Israel because of their ongoing rebellion. We will see that He hasn't, and how Paul proves that point. We'll also see that Israel's rebellion is rooted in their insistence that the Law and their effort are what brings life. But, "You can't get there from here."

We continue our series on DEEP MERCY and see God’s amazing patience with Israel — and with each of us. It is interesting to study God’s relationship with the Jews during this current crisis in Israel. We are reminded in these chapters that Israel remains His chosen people and someday they will return to Him.

We continue our series on DEEP MERCY by looking at the plan of God for both Jews and Gentiles. We will be reminded that many are still counting on the “wrong ticket” to have a right relationship with God.

We will step back into our study of Romans by starting a new series that will cover Romans 9-11. After reaching the pinnacle of the book in Romans 8, Paul turns his attention to a few more challenging questions before moving into an extended section of practical application. Romans 9-11 will deal with Israel's relationship with the gospel. But woven into that discussion is a series of big questions that all of us need to work through.

If you missed a recent live broadcast and want to watch the entire worship service (including music and stage presentations), you can find our most recent services HERE.

We conclude our study of Romans 8 by looking at the people and things that CANNOT SEPARATE us from the Lord. It is a powerful passage and contains wonderful promises. We will close the service with Holy Communion.

We continue our study of Romans 8 by looking at one of the most famous and most-quoted verses — Romans 8:28. This verse is part of a “sandwich” that Paul shared with us — and it is powerful!

We continue to study Romans 8 and look at the three “groans” that help us understand that we are waiting for the “revealing.” This is a fascinating text as Paul uses a word that is rarely used in the New Testament but helps us understand our condition on this planet as believers.

If you missed the live broadcast of the last sermon, click HERE

We continue to study Romans 8 and look at the three “groans” that help us understand that we are waiting for the “revealing.” This is a fascinating text as Paul uses a word that is rarely used in the New Testament but helps us understand our condition on this planet as believers.

If you missed the live broadcast of the last sermon, click HERE

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We continue our study of Romans 8 by looking at verses 12 to 17 and we see that we should have the desire to live holy lives because we are part of God’s family.  We also see the incredible benefits that come from a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

If you missed the live broadcast of the last sermon, click HERE

We continue our series on The Spirit-Filled Life from Romans 8. This week we learn about the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the lifestyle of those who are "in Christ." It is a simple text with a powerful message.

If you missed the live broadcast of the last sermon, click HERE

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We begin a 6-part study of Romans 8 which is one of the greatest chapters of the Bible. This weekend we look at the first four verses to learn why we aren’t condemned for our sins — even though we deserve to be.  

If you missed the live broadcast of the last sermon, click HERE

We conclude our series on A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST by looking at Paul’s personal thoughts on his own sin. He then explains why we continue to struggle with sin even after we choose to follow Christ. It is a well-known passage that doesn’t give us an excuse to sin, but helps us understand ourselves a bit better. After this weekend, we will take a break from Romans for a few months.

We continue our series on A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST by moving to chapter 7 and learning about the next question Paul assumes his readers are asking (Did the Law kill me?). In this passage, Paul uses two clever illustrations to help us understand the answer.

We continue our study of A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST by looking at Romans 6:15-23. In a sense, chapters 6 & 7 are a parenthesis in Paul’s writings as he wants his readers to understand mastery. Simply put, before you were a Christian, sin was your master. Now that you follow Christ, He has become your new Master. How that works out practically is our study this weekend.

We begin a new series called A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST. As we begin Romans 6, we find that the RESURRECTION is the key thought, and Paul gives very practical instructions on how to live since we are DEAD to sin but ALIVE to Christ.

Today we conclude our study of God's Gift God's Grace. 

*There are no blank notes for today*

We continue our series GOD’S GIFT, GOD’S GRACE, as we look at two men, Adam and Jesus, and realize how much they have impacted us. Paul uses this concept to teach that you have two choices when it comes to your eternal destiny. He makes this as simple as possible, and he explains it with the use of numbers! (You math people might like this one!)

We continue our series on GOD’S GIFT, GOD’S GRACE, but we begin a new chapter, Romans 5. This chapter is one of the best explanations of our relationship with God as believers, as you’ll find in the whole Bible. This weekend, we will understand the FIVE specific benefits of following Christ.

Join us as we continue our study on salvation by looking at Abraham's example in this section of Scripture. As we see God's work in his life, we will be encouraged in our own faith journey.

This weekend we see how pridefulness can get in the way of our faith in the God of promise as we continue our series “God’s Gift God’s Grace”.

This weekend, as we begin Romans 4, we’ll see “the more things change, the more things remain the same.”

This weekend, we come to the conclusion of a long discussion about the universality of sin. It has been intricate and detailed, but this time the conclusion is the best part!

Paul is nearing the conclusion of his treatise on the universality of sin. And now, he provides an amazing illustration that, once you see it, you won’t forget it! It is masterful.

*Please note the audio for this sermon is unavailable.

We continue our study of ALL HAVE SINNED by looking at Paul’s questions and answers. This section is important for anyone who counts on the wrong things to be saved.

We continue the series on ALL HAVE SINNED by looking at the Jew (or religious person). This is part of Paul’s progression of looking at sinners from “the worst to the least.” (We all know that there’s no such thing, but this is the way the world often thinks.) Paul builds a wonderful, and easy-to-follow case to conclude that ALL of us fall into the same category when it comes to sin.

We will look at just 5 verses, but they are packed with information. It is one of the paragraphs that you’ve got to read multiple times to begin to understand (at least I do). We will be reminded again that God will judge each person for “what they have done” and will do so without playing favorites.

We continue our series on FOR ALL HAVE SINNED and talk about those who live good moral lives (Christian or not) but then judge others for not living up to their standards. It is a common problem in every society. We’ll also learn about the judgment that Christians face.

This weekend we will review what we learned last fall and then study the sin of those outside of the faith. The basic point that Paul makes in this part of Romans is that “when it comes to sin, we’re all in the same boat.”

We conclude the first short series from Romans 1 by looking at God’s kindness in showing Himself through creation, but also God’s wrath on those who reject Him. It is a startling passage of Scripture!

We study only two verses, Romans 1:16-17.  Throughout the years, these verses have changed lives and given hope.

We continue our study in Romans 1 and learn about Paul’s desire to visit the city of Rome. It wasn’t only the city, but the people that Paul wanted to meet. This is of FIRST IMPORTANCE to Paul and the first thing that he wants to write about. We will take eight verses this weekend and try to thoroughly understand them — and Paul.

This weekend we begin our verse-by-verse study of the Book of Romans and look at Paul's introduction. He tells about himself, his readers and the Gospel. It is concise but powerful.

Romans is the “queen of the letters” of the New Testament, and this weekend we will take some time to look at the book as a whole. The following week, we will begin a verse-by-verse study of Romans for more than a year.  This overview will help us have a perspective on the things we will learn.

Good habits will help to shape the person you are now and the legacy that you want to leave behind.  This message explores the idea of making our friends and friendship a priority in our lives.

Good habits will help to shape the person you are now and the legacy that you want to leave behind.  This message focuses on fasting.  We'll learn that fasting is not something you do for God; instead, it is something that you do for yourself to acknowledge your reliance and dependency on God.

Good habits will help to shape the person you are now and the legacy that you want to leave behind.  This message focuses on prayer.  True followers of God know that holy living is a prerequisite to effective prayer.

Good habits will help to shape the person you are now and the legacy that you want to leave behind.  This message explores the idea of making Scripture a priority in our daily lives.

We continue the You Asked for It series by trying to answer about nine questions dealing with God’s forgiveness, self-forgiveness, and the topic of eternal security.  

Forgiveness Q & A video

We conclude our FREEDOM series by looking at how and why we accept one another in Christ. We will be reminded that the “disputable matters” should not divide us, but on the other hand, they, in themselves, don’t unite us either. It is something else that unites us as Christians and as a church.

We continue the study of “disputable matters,” by looking at a very important principle to Paul. The principle simply states that I am free to do what I want, but I will choose not to do some things at certain times, for the sake of a weaker brother. The passage reminds us that the bottom line is not our freedom, but peace and encouragement within the church.

We are reminded that Christians can have very differing views on “disputable matters,” but both can be in a right relationship with God. The problem is not that we disagree, the problem is that we judge others based on what we think is a correct interpretation.  In this study, we see that Paul gives two illustrations of things that Christians might disagree on, food and holidays, and he explains how we should differ appropriately.

We begin a very practical sermon series on FREEDOM.   Although Christ died, that we may be free, there need to be limits on how we express our FREEDOM.  In this first message, we will look at the topic of “disputable matters,” and then do an overview of the chapter.

We continue the study of the topics in the You Asked for It series, by looking at a common request: fear.  Why do we fear if we truly believe that God has everything under control? How do we start living without fear?  How do we help our children avoid a lifestyle of fear?  Today we will answer those questions and more as we discuss this very common theme in Scriptures.

It’s hard to know how to sufficiently say “Thank you” for the roles ECC people play in the church and community. But anything we do pales in comparison to a day that is coming. I’m calling it Thanksgiving Upside Down. Instead of us expressing our thanks to God, this is a day of reversal in which the Lord has chosen to express thanksgiving to us! Is that surprising to you? How does it work? Join us this weekend as we investigate this upcoming day.

We conclude 1 Corinthians and hear Paul giving some final instructions and saying goodbye.  This last chapter is very practical.

We conclude our last series of 1 Corinthians by looking at “order in the church".  As you would expect, the Corinthian church was a bit chaotic, and Paul lists some “rules for worship” to restore order.  Like last week’s study, this passage has been the cause of hard feelings and even splits in some churches, but if we study it carefully, I think that we can learn some good principles for our own church. 

We continue our FOR THE COMMON GOOD series by looking at the issue of the gifts of tongues and prophecy. Paul is very clear on what is preferable, but many struggle with how we handle this in the church today.  Hopefully, this can be very applicable to each of us and to the church collectively.

You’ve heard the Love Chapter read at weddings, anniversary parties and many other places.  This weekend we continue our series on FOR THE COMMON GOOD as we see the Love Chapter (1Cor. 13) and its original purpose.  We will dissect the chapter, cutting it into four parts, that I think we give you clarity on its meaning and purpose.

We study one of the most helpful and clever analogies in the Bible.  In 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, Paul tells us that the church is like the human body.  This illustration goes deeper than one might notice at first glance and becomes a picture for how people in the church should respond to one another.  We will learn some very practical lessons from this text.

We begin a series called FOR THE COMMON GOOD, as the Apostle Paul begins teaching about spiritual gifts and how we can use them for the good of the entire body.  Very few passages of Scripture have been more divisive over the years than these chapters that we are about to study.  However, the purpose is unity, and we will teach from that perspective.  This first study will focus on what the spiritual gifts are and how they are to be used.

We conclude our sermon series by looking at the question of how to properly handle the Lord’s Supper.  We see, as usual, the Corinthians had abused something that needed to be corrected! 

We continue our series on questions that the Corinthians asked Paul and we learn about head-coverings. This is the only place in the Bible that this topic is even spoken about.  However, the point that Paul makes is true in all churches — both in his day and today.  It is a fascinating study that takes a bit of digging but comes back with good rewards. 

We conclude the long study of idolatry by looking at a checklist for freedom.  Paul has given many examples and warnings about abusing or not using freedom.  Now he gives us a way to check ourselves every time we are curious about participating in a “grey area”.  This section is so practical for all Christians.

We continue our series called, CORINTH, YOU ASKED FOR IT by studying further in chapter 10 to see Paul’s explanation of IDOLATRY.  The Corinthians were young Christians and idolatry was everywhere in their society.  It is also rampant in our world but it isn’t as blatant.  

We will be encouraged to learn that God has given us a pathway to avoid failing in our Christian walk.  None of us are special.  We all are tempted by the same types of things.  God has made us new, given us a legacy to live up to, and taught us to rely on Him for everything.  God Himself provides us a way out of all temptation.

Paul offered a basic strategy about how the church should invest in all kinds of people.  We will learn how Paul encouraged the church to enter into other people’s interests in order to have their audience on eternal matters.  1 Corinthians chapter 9 sets the foundation for the whole section of Scripture in our current series.  

We will be reminded that God has qualified us to serve in the church.  He has given us all a role to play despite our past failures.  We will also be challenged by Paul’s strong stance that sharing the Gospel is worth our personal sacrifice.

We begin a new series called CORINTH, YOU ASKED FOR IT.  In this 8-part series, which covers chapters 8 through 11, we see some of the struggles of this young church in Greece and we learn that we still struggle with many of the same things today.  This weekend, we learn some lessons about love and freedom.

We conclude our MARRIED OR SINGLE series by looking at direction for singles.  It is a difficult portion of Scripture to understand in some ways,  but it gives clear and practical instruction.

Q&A Video

We move over to the fourth part of our MARRIED OR SINGLE series to see what God says about contentment.  The passage, with a little explanation, is simple to follow but wonderfully deep in its explanation.  This is one of the many masterpieces of Paul’s writing.

We continue our series on MARRIED OR SINGLE and look at the issue of divorce and remarriage.  We also see the very practical discussion of what happens when a Christian is married to an unbeliever.  I think that this study will help you answer a lot of the questions that you may have on this topic.  That’s not to say that we will LIKE all of the answers, but I think they’re pretty clear.

Q&A Video

We continue our MARRIED OR SINGLE study by looking at Paul’s first words of instruction in response to a letter from Corinth.  The purpose is to avoid the extremes of certain Jews (you HAVE to be married), and certain Greeks (you must remain single) within the church body.  This instruction is clear and compelling!

Q&A Video

We begin a new 5-part series from 1 Corinthians 7.  We will call the series, MARRIED OR SINGLE, but it is all about relationships and contentment.  It is one of the most difficult chapters to read and understand on the surface, but once you understand what is behind this chapter, it should make a load of sense and should provide lots of practical application for relationships of all kind.  This week, we will talk about the historical and literary context to prepare us to dig in to 1 Corinthians 7.

We conclude our series on THINK DIFFERENTLY by talking about sexual immorality and how a Christian ought to think!  Obviously, the answer will be “Differently than the world”!  

We continue our series on THINK DIFFERENTLY as we talk about LAWSUITS in the church.  Apparently, the Corinthian Christians were taking unfair advantage of one another and Paul says, “Stop it!” But he is even more concerned about the attitude behind these lawsuits which will be a good reminder for all of us.

We begin a new series that reminds us that we need to think and act differently than the world.  We will learn about a man involved in sexual sin, but just as bad is a church that is not responding properly.  What should a church body do when a member is living in sin?  Paul addresses this issue very firmly.  I think you will find interest in this study of church discipline.

Have you ever been the first to do something? Adam was and so was Jesus. We study Paul’s answers about how the resurrection is possible. We will learn what Paul means by the First and Last Adam and how it applies to us. If you can conceive of a body which will never decay and never die, be encouraged to know this is promised to believers in Jesus Christ.

We are reminded that Paul said that the resurrection wasn’t the end of the story, but the beginning.  So we continue our journey through 1 Corinthians 15 and learn about what happens to our bodies after this life.  Paul uses some great examples to help us understand this concept.

We continue our series called VICTORY as we look at the "Bad News and the Good News" of the resurrection. The “good news” is not only that He was raised, but that it was the BEGINNING of lots of other things!  This is a part of the story that we often overlook.

We begin a new series from 1 Corinthians 15 called VICTORY. We are jumping from chapter 4 to chapter 15 to study this during the Holy Week season. I don’t like doing things out of order, but this one is worth it. We will begin by seeing the reasons why Paul believed in the resurrection.

The power of God is found in the consistency of godliness. This weekend, Paul will remind the Corinthian Church that the power of God is not in what we say or know, but in how we live.

We begin the Entrusted series from 1 Corinthians 4.  When his authority was questioned, Paul shared the universal truth that believers live only for the approval their Lord.  We will gain a second understanding of what it means for us to be servants of Jesus.  We will also be challenged to see how God entrusts us to take the way of the cross in serving Him.

We conclude our series on LEARNING IN PICTURES by looking at the end of Chapter 3.  We will be reminded again about the futility of human wisdom and the foolishness of boasting about human leaders.  Paul is strong in this passage as he wraps up this discussion and gives us some application.

We continue our series LEARNING IN PICTURES as we see Paul’s description of “building the church.”  He uses some wonderful word pictures to help us understand some difficult concepts.  However, this passage has been one of the most misunderstand and miscommunicated over the centuries.  Hopefully, we can understand it in its proper context together.

We begin a short 3-week series called LEARNING WITH PICTURES. Maybe Paul realized how difficult chapters 1 & 2 were, so now he uses lots of word pictures to help us understand the message.  In this study, we see the problem of worldliness and the joy of being a servant of God. 
 

We conclude our series on DIVIDED and learn about God’s Wisdom in contrast to human wisdom.  We will see that the world CAN’T know and CAN’T understand Christ or Christians!  And we will see what Christians know that makes us extra special.

We move to part three of our series called DIVIDED as we look at another issue that divided people in the CORINTHIAN CHURCH — Human wisdom (philosophies).  Here we see a wonderful (and initially difficult) explanation of what really matters for each of us, no matter what the philosophers have to say.  Paul uses amazing rhetoric to explain that human rhetoric cannot save. It is a unique passage of Scripture that I think you’ll enjoy as we study.

We continue our series called DIVIDED as we learn of the conflict and potential disaster within the Corinth Church.  We will learn about reporting conflict,  “church cliques,” and the cure for disunity in the church.  I think you will find this study interesting as I have in preparation.

We start our first sermon series from 1 CORINTHIANS with the main issue the church was facing — DIVISION.  We will call this series DIVIDED even though the purpose of Paul’s letter was to encourage them to be UNTIED.  In this study, we will see how Paul reviews their benefits in Christ and begins to talk about their biggest problem!

We begin a one-year study of 1 Corinthians and in this first message, we dive into verses 1-3 and get a bit of an overview of the author and his audience. The Corinthian people are called “saints,”  not because of the way they lived, but because of Who they knew. That will be a key thought for all of us.

This weekend we will learn from Paul’s journey to Athens how we may effectively witness to people of other religions.  With a focus on Islam, we will be reminded of the beauty of God’s salvation through the sacrifice of His one and only Son.

What about other religions like Islam? Q & A Video

We will focus on Christ's willingness to leave heaven and enter our world for our salvation.  Paul was also willing to bring the gospel message by becoming all things to all people. The challenge for us is to step outside our comfort zone and enter someone else’s world.

We finish a New Year’s series with the intent of helping us do a few “resets.” The last topic concerns Relationships, and we will look at three simple concepts to help us enhance our relationships for 2015.  We will also look at a plan to help build quality relationships.

We conclude our study of 1 Corinthians 15 and Paul’s wonderful study of the resurrection. In the last eight verses of the chapter, Paul explains one more “mystery,” and then explains the victory that has been won through Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. Lastly, we see a couple lessons for living with this realization.

We move to a new question concerning the resurrection: what will our new bodies be like? This is a question that most of us have thought about, and Paul takes considerable time and space to give a solid answer. We will follow Paul’s sharp logic as we explore this text to learn about our future bodies.

We look at some very difficult verses that have many possible interpretations. We will look at some of
the possible views, but the key thought is that the belief in the resurrection is what drives us, as Christians. We will look at Paul’s arguments and try to understand how it affects our faith today.

We begin a four-week series that culminates on Easter Sunday.  During these four sermons, we will examine the importance of the resurrection, and the reason that we should hold to it, according to the Apostle Paul.  In this study, we will see the importance of the word, “BUT;” and we will understand better, three reasons why Christ had to rise from the dead!

In this concluding message of our 'Unwritten' series, we will be challenged to keep our faith founded on the 'essentialness' of the resurrection. Faith can be claimed in anything or anyone, but Paul defends the validity of Christianity on one act of God - the raising of Jesus from the dead. From this position we will consider 10 series lessons to capture and apply.

We were reminded of the central foundation of truth anchoring our hope in Christ – His resurrection!   Now, we consider the “Beholders” of our resurrected Jesus and journey with Paul in his own claim as one empowered with God’s grace.   We will find confidence for our hope in Christ from the evidence of three kinds of eyewitnesses to our living Lord.

We begin an 8-week study of one of the great chapters of the entire Bible, 1 Corinthians 15.  This is a chapter with which all Christians should be familiar.  In this passage, Paul explains to some doubters the essence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and by doing so, he teaches all of us to have faith.  The resurrection of God is what makes Christianity unique among the worlds religion (along with the “grace alone” theology that accompanies it). Today we begin to understand it in a new way.

We learn about the Lord's Supper and we will participate in the bread and cup.  There were many questions about communion: Who should take it? How often should we take it? Are the elements of bread and cup themselves holy? etc.  In this study, we will try to answer those questions and, at the same time, prepare our hearts for sharing in the communion of the bread and the cup.

We continue through the topics that were chosen by the congregation, and look at sexuality. There were many questions around this topic, and in this study, we will try to have some basic understanding about God's plan for physical relationships. Probably this temptation, more than any other, is thrown at us constantly. Today we will be reminded of God's desire for purity.

We will begin a three-week series celebrating and exploring our core value of HIS WORD OUR WALK. This weekend, we'll focus on 2 Corinthians 5:21. As my life verse, I'm excited to share with you the depth of impact it has had in my life and how it can be an anchor verse for anyone who seeks to walk out God's word.