Easter - Death to Life

The idea of Jesus moving from death to life seems like non-sense to us.  The good news is that was the same thing Jesus' followers thought after his crucifixion.  Even while they looked into His empty tomb, they assumed someone stole his body.  His closest followers believed He was dead, and He was not coming back.  They thought it was non-sense that Jesus would move from death to life.

...that is until they saw a resurrected Jesus!

These same cowardly, unbelieving followers would receive a new life, new courage, new hope from seeing Jesus move from death to life.  Everything that we believe about Jesus was brought to us by people who saw a resurrected Jesus. 

Jesus offers all of us the same opportunity to move from death to life.  Because the same God who rose Jesus from the dead can live inside of you and me!

Breathing Room - new message series

The busy, fast paced world we live in doesn't leave much room to breath.

• Meetings & projects filling up our work & school calendars
• More activities & lessons jammed into our schedules
• Advertising everywhere encouraging us to buy happiness
• Constant & instant communication through email, text, and social media

Our lack of margin makes us stressed and short-tempered.  It can distract us from the important things in life...our relationships.  This even includes our relationship with God because our willingness to create breathing room is connected to our faith in God.  Join us April 3, as we begin a discussion about this important part of all of our lives.

Life can be better with breathing room.  

The Time Is Now - Week #3

Sometimes when we try to do the right thing or obey God, things don't turn out like we thought they would.  So why should we obey God?  Is it just so we feel better about ourselves?  Do we obey just to receive a blessing from God?

We obey God not just to receive a blessing. but to be a blessing.  Thankfully our Savior, Jesus, saw obedience the same way when He walked into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  His obedience to God's plan has blessed all of us.

We may never know how our obedience to God impacted someone else's life.

• being honest at work or school when others aren't
• forgiving someone even when they don't deserve it
• being kind & compassionate to those on the fringes of society
• loving & valuing others to show they have intrinsic value.

What area in your life do you need to be obedient to God?  How could your obedience bless someone else?

The Time Is Now - Week #2

Are you discouraged?  What did and what should be our approach when we are discouraged.  The Jews who were re-building the Temple also faced discouragement for similar reasons as us - comparison & lack of progress.  God understands this, and He has an answer.

- Be strong through God's power in you.

- Do the work, the last thing He told you to do.

Thankfully, God doesn't leave us to do this alone, but His power works inside of us.  He is with us to help us overcome discouragement!

The Time Is Now - Week #1

We all have un-finished business in some area of our lives.  

As we looked at chapter 1 of Haggai, we see that the Israelites also had un-finished business when they started to rebuild the Temple.  They didn't finish because they began to face opposition.  So they focused on themselves and their families.  God became simply an afterthought.

However, Haggai reminds the people of the importance of obedience and that God is with us!

The Time Is Now - new message series

There are always reasons to wait because of laziness, convenience, fear, discouragement, etc.  When we wait on what God wants us to do however, obedience becomes all the more important.  

Join us starting March 6 as we look at the little book of Haggai and examine being obedient now no matter the circumstances.

Permission Slip message

We all enjoy new, fresh starts.  However, with anything new comes the temptation to back to the old habits, routine, lifestyle.

When it comes to our new life from Jesus, going back to the old could be disastrous.  In Colossians 3, Paul discusses how to avoid slipping back into the old life.  If we give God permission to be in control and permission to let His Words change us, then we can fully enjoy the new life He has given us.  Without giving God permission to work in our lives, we will never fully know how God could have used our lives.

Preventative Groups - Week #3

For this week we all participated in a Life Group as part of the worship service, so that everyone could get a sampling of what can happen connected in a group.

Our discussion revolved around John 5 as we looked at Jesus healing a man who had been crippled for 38 years.  Jesus did for the man what he couldn't do for himself.

This proves to us a bigger point that God did for you what you couldn't do for yourself - fix your relationship with God.