Pastor Nate brings the message, "The Character of a Gospel Witness” from 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12. One of the greatest blessings that God gives us is the privilege of sharing the Gospel with non-Christians. It's a joyful moment knowing that God is very specifically using that moment for His glory. As we long to practice evangelism more and more, Paul shows us four important lessons for being a Gospel Witness.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Life-Changing" Part 2 from 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10. In the opening chapter of 1 Thessalonians we are seeing the power of the Gospel in the lives of believers. Salvation does bring about change. And, as a church we want to be that change for the glory of God and for encouragement and witness to those around us.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Life-Defining" from 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5. This message begins a new sermon series in 1 Thessalonians where the opening verses present defining marks of God's salvation in our lives. When we come to believe the Gospel, God empowers us to live changed lives that please and glorify Him.
Tom Siefert brings the message, "The Triumph of God" from Colossians 2:13-15. In our world where it appears evil is in control, we need to keep our focus on God, remembering He is the triumphant ruler over all things. Our hope rests on that truth!
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Stand Firm.” You’ve seen people slip on the ice. Maybe it was you that recently felt the pain. In a spiritual sense, it’s easy to “slip.” We slip into wrong thinking and eventually slavery to sin. However, in Galatians 5 we are instructed to stand firm and given practical help to do so.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Son of Hagar…or Sarah?” When God promised the aging Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son, and when the timing of their coming son seemed to be too far gone, Abe and Sarah took matters into their own hands with another woman named Hagar. The outcome was disastrous. The lesson is that either we believe God will fulfill His saving promises in His strength, or we foolishly think that we can become the primary acting agent. One path is freedom for the soul, the other is slavery to a task we can never complete.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Loving Those Who Are Erring” from Galatians 4:9-20. How can we respond to those who have gone off (or are in danger of going off) the “tracks?” In this section of Galatians, Paul’s example is practical and helpful for us. His goal for these dear friends is God-honoring and his appeal is grounded in Christian love.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "You’re a Son, Not a Slave.” Galatians 4:7 - “You are no longer a slave, but a son…” Why would a freed slave ever return to his life of bondage? It makes no sense, yet that’s what many Christians do. We trust in Christ for salvation (we are free from the law), but then we revert back to a mentality of using our own works to try to secure our relationship with God. Through Christ our relationship with God is secure and we are His sons…forever.
Rich Kolmus brings the message, "Our All-Sufficient Christ." Do we need some new things for the New Year? New Year, New You! Every year millions of people make New Year's resolutions in an attempt to improve their lives. As we reflect on 2023 and think to the new year ahead, what will we need to love God like we ought? Paul, writing to the Colossians and Laodiceans, shares exactly what we all need. Read Colossians 2 and join us on Sunday to learn Paul's "not so secret" formula (hint: there is only one ingredient... and his name is Jesus).
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Great Expectations" from Isaiah 11:1-5. Two thousand years ago the people of God desperately longed for the Messiah to come. His arrival would mark the beginning of a new era characterized by freedom and peace. Today, the advent season not only reminds us of Christ's first coming, but also causes us to desperately long for (and expect) His second coming. Oh, how we will be set free!
Sunday Morning...Pastor Nate brings the message, "Who We Were, Who We Are" from Galatians 3:22-29. As we come to the end of Galatians 3, Paul explains how the law was our guardian in the past. However, as Christians, we are no longer under the law. Rather we have come into a new relationship with God by faith in Christ, and now we are His sons.
Sunday Morning...Pastor Nate brings the message, "Promise, Law, and Faith" from Galatians 3:15-22. How often do we come to our personal Bible reading and gloss over a section of Scripture because it seems to be irrelevant to everyday life? At first glance, our next section in Galatians might feel that way. But there are jewels of truth to be obtained in this passage. Pray that God will give us a blessing from His Word through this passage.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "The Blessing of Abraham" from Galatians 3:6-14. As we move into the doctrinal section of Galatians, Paul unpacks the theology of the Gospel by using the OT character of Abraham. He was a man who believed what God had promised, and God blessed him accordingly. The connection that Paul makes is that we have been given the promise of Christ, and if we live by faith in Him, we are one of Abraham's sons, receiving the blessing. What is that blessing? You'll see it in this passage.
Our pastoral assistant for youth, Stephen Ellison, brings the message, “Perseverance in Prayer” from Luke 18:1-8. Prayer is one of the easiest areas of the Christian walk to grow discouraged in when we don’t see results as soon as we’d like, but Scripture instructs us to not grow tired of continuing to ask of God. Jesus reminds us that our loving Father desires for us to be diligent in bringing our requests to Him, and He loves to provide for those that belong to Him.
Pastor Nate brings the message, “The Truth of the Gospel” - Part 2, from Galatians 2:14-21. As we continue our sermon series in Galatians, it’s clear that Paul’s great desire is for People to accurately understand the Gospel. As it was then, so it is now…some are teaching that belief in good works is what saves a person. What a hopeless outlook in life! The Bible teaches us that we are sinners, that Christ died in our place, and that belief in Him alone is what saves us from hell. So, the Gospel is not belief in good works. It’s belief in Jesus.
Pastor Nate brings the message, “The Truth of the Gospel” - Part 1. Even the best of Christians leaders will at times fall into the “fear-of-man” trap. In this next section in Galatians, Paul uses failure of Peter and Barnabas as a platform to begin teaching on justification. Paul’s point is that we certainly will not be justified in God’s eyes by works that impress others but rather by faith in Jesus.
Pastor Nate brings the message, “Accepted by the Apostles.” Some of the early churches planted by Paul were later deceived by false teachers who claimed that circumcision was needed for salvation. In Galatians, Paul is responding with the message that salvation comes by faith alone in Christ alone. But the question is: “Why should we believe you, Paul?” That question is what Paul is answering in chapters 1-2 of Galatians.
Pastor Nate brings the message, “Called by God’s Grace” from Galatians 1:10-24. The testimony of a changed life is very powerful because it begs the question of “how?…how did that person change?” In our sermon this week, Paul employs the tool of testimony to point people back to God as the one who powerfully calles people by His grace.
Pastor Andy brings the message, “Divine Destiny” from Acts 8:26-40. Luke records the meeting between Philip and an Ethiopian. And the closer we read, we realize, “This cannot be just coincidence!” This study will help us to better understand God’s divine destiny for Philip and for the Ethiopian. And, for us today.
