Pastor Andy brings the message, “Grace for 2023” from John 1:16-18. What do we want to focus on as a church and as individuals this coming year? What will define us? This year, let's be defined by Grace.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Jesus Above All." In Mark 9:1-13, we see the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain and a voice from heaven declaring Him to be the Beloved Son. Clearly, Jesus' exalted status is being proclaimed, but it's Peter who unknowingly says that Jesus is on par with Elijah and Moses. How often do we fail to see Jesus' glory and then place Him right alongside (or below) other good things?
Pastor Andy brings the message, "Identity and Mission" from Mark 8:27-9:1. Mark 8:29 is the watershed moment of the gospel: Peter confesses Jesus is the Messiah. The disciples finally understand Jesus' identity. Immediately, Jesus begins to reveal his mission. With the disciples, we will begin to see Jesus' identity and mission as inseparable. And his identity and mission have ramifications on the cost of discipleship.
Pastor Luke brings the message, "The Power of the Church" from Acts 12. There are times when it seems like the church will be snuffed out like a struggling flame, or that the oppression and persecution will grow to a point when the darkness will overcome it. Yet, we are reminded in Acts 12 that the power of the church does not rest in the people of the church, but in the object of their faith.
Pastor Andy brings the message, "Glorious Weakness" from 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. God has designed a fool proof plan for each of us to bring Him glory. He sees our self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and self-adulation and gives us a gift: weakness. His gift places our accomplishments in their proper perspective by displaying His glory through a gift tailor-made for each of us.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "God is Good.” Do you ever get in a tailspin when you focus on the prosperity of the wicked? Well, join the Asaph-party of Psalm 73. It’s a psalm that presents the envious motives of our souls and the frustrations that follow. But then Asaph shares his personal testimony of how God brought him back into line.
Pastor Nate brings the message, “Confidence in the LORD” - Part 2. Since Christians have the privilege of coming to God in prayer we should study the Psalms which include both helpful examples and rich theology concerning prayer. Last week’s sermon from Psalm 20 taught us that we should trust in God because of who He is and seek His glory to be on display with our prayer requests. This message shows how God answered David’s request and how focusing on the glory of God helps us with prayer.
Pastor Nate brings the message, “Confidence in the LORD.” Fully trusting in the LORD, David went into battle after battle and faced giants greater than him. His ultimate hope was not in military might but in “the name of the LORD our God” and God delivered David. Are we supposed to pray Psalm 20? And, if so, in what situations?
Pastor Nate brings the message, “God’s Creation, God’s Word, God’s People.” Psalm 19 speaks of God’s creation and His Word. Creation declares not only God’s existence, but also His glory. God’s Word powerfully guides us through everyday life and declares Jesus as the one and only Savior. The response to God, the creator and author of scripture should be humility and surrender at the deepest parts of who we are.
Pastor Nate brings the message, “Is God Enough for You? When the trial delivers a major blow to your life is God enough for you? We know the correct, Sunday-school answer to that question, but does our heart confidently answer, “Yes, God is enough!” In Psalm 18 David leads us through various aspects of God’s nature that will bolster our faith for the coming week to endure through the trials and believe that God is enough.
Pastor Andy brings the message, “Vindication from the Lord” from Psalm 17. When we walk in fellowship with God, we expect God’s favor to be on us. But what happens when we find ourselves in fellowship with Him and experiencing difficulty? Where do we turn? Psalm 17 gives voice to the person caught in the storm of unjust treatment and points us to our supreme Advocate, God Himself.
Pastor Nate brings the message, “The Lord is My Chosen Portion” from Psalm 16. There are several Biblical steps we can take when we find ourselves in fearful crises such as praying for deliverance or trusting in God’s sovereignty. Or, as we see in Psalm 16, we can consider whether or not the greatest gift is still ours in the moment of crisis. Psalm 16 will encourage us to see that when all seems to be in peril, we still have God.
Pastor Nate brings the message, “Fellowship with God” from Psalm 15. How must we live to enjoy fellowship with God? That’s the question that David asks in Psalm 15, and it’s not one of legalism. It’s a question grounded in love for God. Psalm 15 gives us an insight into regular disciplines we an pursue in order to enjoy our relationship with God.
Pastor Andy brings the message, "A Seismic Crisis” from Psalm 11. Hypothetically, what if you faced a crisis that caused your whole world to shake? Where would you turn? What would you hold on to? In Psalm 11, David is not facing hypotheticals, he is facing foundation shattering events. As we look into his response, we want to imitate him in seeking ultimate refuge in the righteous Judge.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "When God Hides Himself from You” from Psalm 10. The Psalms are filled with honest, heartfelt questions and emotions that plague us during hard times: “Why O LORD do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” We might not ask those specific questions, but if our emotions were given a voice, they would be screaming those words loud and clear. In Psalm 10 David buoys us up with truth for when our hearts are filled with questions about the existence of God.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Praising and Pleading: The Peaks and Valleys of the Christian Life.” Psalm 9 is an accurate reflection of the Christian life. On one hand we praise God for defeating our enemy. On the other hand we plead with Him to go before us and defeat our enemy, that roaring lion. At first glance, this seems contradictory until you consider it in Biblical terms. What is unwaveringly true is that Christ will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. The battle rages but God will bring His people through it.
Pastor Andy brings the message, "The Majesty of God Revealed in Human Frailty” from Psalm 8. What comes to mind when you consider the majesty of God? The Sun, moon, and stars? The expanse of the universe? In Psalm 8 to highlight the majesty of God, the psalmist draws our attention to the insignificant and unimpressive creature called “Man.” The wisdom of God’s plan to display His majesty through human frailty has far-reaching and eternal effects: it gave hope to David, to the people of Israel who were exiled and oppressed, and finally to all humanity through the Son of Man, Jesus.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "God Is the Judge: It’s Going to Be Okay.” As we turn to Psalm 7, David is again facing perilous times. In his cry to the Lord, David finds encouragement in the truth that God is a Refuge and Judge. That’s an interesting pair to put together as you consider safety…and eternal justice. There is a lot of moral turbulence going on in this world, but God’s perspective, Christians are going to be okay…and in all reality, much better than “okay.”
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Dark Hours of God’s Good Discipline:” from Psalm 6. As a father loves his child and provides discipline when needed, so God loves us, His children, and brings discipline into our lives. In Psalm 6 David is experiencing such a time in his life and pleads with God to bring it to an end. It is a penitential psalm that will help us understand God and place our hope in Him.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Deliverance from Deception" from Psalm 5. For the next few weeks we will be studying various Psalms. They are filled with personal emotions that teach us how to express our hearts to God. In Psalm 5 David pours out his heart to God as people spread lies that effect him deeply. We then find how God can be trusted when others are deceptive.
