Scripture for June 23rd: Nehemiah 1:2-11

Sermon Title: Ask Me If I Care

Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem. They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. Then I said, “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses. “Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’ “The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer.

“Who cares?” This attitude is often expressed in the actions of individuals who are busy with the events and circumstances of their own lives to “care” about other people. “I’m too busy to take time for someone else,” their thinking goes, so they don’t take time to care about the needs of the people around them. Because they have this attitude, they miss opportunities to be a blessing to others and to participate in God’s work. As a result, they miss blessing after blessing, and ultimately fail to find their true purpose for their lives: to live for others.

Nehemiah did not have this attitude. Instead, he displayed the exact opposite behavior: he passionately cared for others. He, too, was busy, and his life was filled with great responsibility, wealth and power. And yet he took time to greatly care for those who were in desperate need. By showing such compassion for others, he demonstrates to us what following God looks like: a life lived for others.

This coming Sunday we will talk more about what it means to care for others as we begin the sermon series, “Nehemiah: The Man That Followed God.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for June 16th: I Peter 3:1-7

Sermon: Demonstrate God’s Love

Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

When we read the Scripture above, we are tempted to think that Peter is placing new restrictions in the relationship between a husband and wife. Quite to the contrary, Peter is freeing them to love each other as God intended. You see, Peter was writing to a people who thought of wives as property belonging to their lawful husband. Women had no rights and wives were subjected to the desires and wishes of their husband, whatever they may be. Peter is saying in this passage that both the husband and wife have critical roles to play in a marriage and should treat each other with honor and respect as they fulfill those roles. The Apostle Paul gave even greater instructions to the husband when he said they were to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Eph. 5:25). Think of that – the husband was no longer to view his wife as mere property, but as important as the church is to Christ. This new way of thinking was truly revolutionary. And it still is today. When husbands and wives love each other with sacrificial love, God blesses not only their lives, but so many other lives as well, both in their time and generations into the future. The Apostle Paul reminds us of this great lasting power when he wrote in I Corinthians 13:13: “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love” (NLV).

On Sunday we will talk about how love is a not only powerful and meaningful, but also a decision that is tangible and real as we conclude the sermon series, “All in the Family.” I hope you to see you then as we celebrate Father’s Day!

Scripture for May 26th: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 6:20-25

Sermon: Foster Your Spiritual Connections

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

“Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:20-25

“In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the LORD our God has commanded us to obey?’ “Then you must tell them, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand. The LORD did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people. He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn to give our ancestors. And the LORD our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day. For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the LORD our God has given us.’

"Pastor, I need you to talk to my child..." I have heard this request many times through the years and I have been happy to fulfill the request. However, sometimes I have been asked to talk with an adult child about spiritual matters that the parent has no desire to do so himself. In these cases, the parent is saying, "It's not my job to talk to my children about spiritual matters, its the pastor's job." In reality, every Christian has been called to represent God to others, particularly to his family. Christianity is not a private affair; it is a public relationship with God that is designed to impact those around us, especially our loved ones.

The Scripture above shows the instruction that God gave to the Israelities to ensure that their families continued to walk with God - they were to talk to them about what God had done, teach them His laws and make sure that God's instruction was always before them ("tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders..."). God not only gave the job of teaching the law to the priests and religious leaders - He gave that job to every person, especially parents.

Christians today have the same job. The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are all "ambassadors" for Christ (II Cor. 5:20), and as such, we are to represent God to the world. The place where we are best and most equipped to do this is in the home and among our loved ones. And it is where we have the most influence.

So how can we best influence our loved ones spiritually? By fostering our spiritual connections. We will talk about how to do this on Sunday as we continue our sermon series, "All in the Family." Hope to see you then!

Scripture for May 12th: I Thess. 1:4-7; II Thess. 2:9-12

Sermon: Model Your Relationship With God For Your Family

I Thessalonians 1:4-7
For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

II Thessalonians 2:9-12
The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

There is an old story about a small boy who closely watched a neighboring pastor building a wooden deck. The boy did not say a word the entire time that he watched. Pleased at the thought that his work was being admired, the pastor finally said to the boy, “Well, son, trying to pick up some pointers on gardening?” “No,” replied the boy, “I’m just waiting to hear what a preacher says when he hits his thumb with a hammer” (from Linda Belleville).

The truth of that story is our actions speak louder than our words. This is especially true with our families. We can talk a good game about faith, but unless we really live what we say we believe, we will have little influence on our loved ones spiritually. The Apostle Paul was a role model of faith. He spoke God’s Word and taught people how to live pleasing to God. But it was in his actions that he demonstrated the faith most powerfully. He was able to say, “be an imitator” of me because he truly lived out what he taught. Can you sincerely say to your children, grandchildren and loved ones, “be an imitator of me” in my walk with the Lord? Do you role model your faith in God in your actions?

This coming Sunday we will give three rules that must be followed in order to spiritually influence our loved ones as we begin a new sermon series entitled, “All in the Family.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for April 21st: II Kings 6:24,25; 7:3-11; 7:16

Sermon Title: Hunger Games

II Kings 6:24,25: Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels.

II Kings 7:3-11: Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.” At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives. The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also. Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.” So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, “We went into the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a sound of anyone—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were.” The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported within the palace.

II Kings 7:16: Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a seah of the finest flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, as the LORD had said.

Every Christian has a mission given to them by God – a Christian leader and writer, Dennis Bickers, calls it the “Great Commission” and “Great Commandment” calling. This means God calls us to love others and tell others about Him. No Christian is excused from this calling – everyone who comes to faith in Christ has been given this mission as part of their inheritance from God. We should be concerned that we not only carry this mission out in our community, but also throughout the world. It is God’s desire that every person hear the message of the Gospel and experience His love, and it is every Christian’s calling to participate in God’s great work. This Sunday, we will hear that how God has given us an opportunity as a church to be a part of a new church starting in Peoria. God will use the new church to spread the Gospel message and share God’s love with others, thus carrying out the “Great Commission” and “Great Commandment”. Our support of this church plant is one of the ways we fulfill our calling as individual Christians and corporately as a church. Pastor Russ Shearer, the leader of this new church in Peoria, will be sharing about this work and bringing the message on Sunday. He is a gifted speaker and his message will sure to be a blessing. Hope to see you then!

Scripture for April 15th: Proverbs 14:8, 4:23; Ephesians 3:20

Sermon: Reclaim Stolen Dreams (Hope)

Proverbs 14:8
The wisdom of the wise man is to understand what to do, but lying is the foolish way of fools.

Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart pure for out of it are the important things of life.

Ephesians 3:20
God is able to do much more than we ask or think through His power working in us.

Because of circumstances and difficult trials, many people often find themselves feeling hopeless or in despair. It becomes hard for them to dream and think about the future in positive ways. God does not desire for Christians to live in such a state. In fact, our faith in Christ was described in Hebrews as a “safe anchor” of hope.

Dr. Charles Stanley has written that he understands why Christians often lose hope when going through difficult and challenging circumstances. However, he encourages believers to remember these facts: “God is in control … always. God is always the same in His love toward us and in His offer of mercy, forgiveness, and intimate fellowship. He is always our Savior, Deliverer, Healer, Restorer, and Ever-Living Lord. God alone is always worthy of our obedience and trust. The title of the old Gospel song, “Trust and Obey,” sums up what is always God’s will for our lives. Our confidence must always be in Him. He is the One who loves us beyond measure and calls us His beloved children and the heirs of His abundant promises.”

By remembering these facts about our faith, we can hold on to hope as we go through the most demanding situations. This coming Sunday I will speak about reclaiming dreams and hope in our lives as we continue to the sermon series, “Stolen: Reclaiming Stolen Treasures in Our Lives.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for April 7th: I Peter 1:3-9

Sermon Title: Reclaiming Stolen Peace

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Why do people live their lives free of peace? Instead of having peace, they are filled with fear, anger, regret and hopelessness. They lack the ability to simply lay their head on a pillow and go to sleep without laying awake worrying. Through the day they fret about what will happen or what they need to do. They live anxious lives, often hurting their relationships with their lack of patience and inability to give their attention to others. Does God intend for Christians to live like this?

Dr. Charles Stanley says the answer is no. In fact, he says that peace is offered to every Christian through the presence of Christ. He writes the following:

Have you ever been on a troubled sea? I have experienced storms at sea on several occasions and frankly, I have no desire to repeat such experiences! On the surface, the winds can sweep across the ocean at forty, sixty, eighty, one hundred miles an hour, with blowing rain, lightning, thunder, and an overpowering darkness. Waves can rise to twenty, thirty, forty, fifty feet high. A ship in such a storm can be tossed about like a little toy boat. It’s easy for an oceangoing craft to be lost in such storms, but underneath the surface, just a hundred feet down, there is no storm; all is perfectly quiet. No sound. No tumult. Not even a ripple of turmoil.

This remarkable fact makes me think about God’s peace. It gives me an inkling of what our Lord must have been talking about when He promised His disciples His peace. He told them that because they were His followers, they would have trouble in this world. In fact, He claimed that some of them would be persecuted because they were His disciples. But in spite of this, the promise was made by Him that He would never leave those who followed Him, and His constant presence would be the means whereby they could experience His peace. Do you see the connection between His presence and His peace?

On Sunday, we will talk about why we often lose the peace God wants to give us and what we can do to obtain and maintain God’s peace in our lives as we start the sermon series, “Stolen: Reclaim the Stolen Treasures in Your Life.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for March 31st: Luke 24:1-9

Easter Play: It's All Because of Jesus!

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.

Why is the resurrection of Christ so important? K.D. Boa attempts to answer this question when he writes the following:

"All of Christianity is summed up in one verifiable historical event. And this changes everything. Jesus of Nazareth, a maverick Jewish rabbi and prophet, who claimed to be the Messiah about whom Scripture foretold, was arrested, condemned in an illegal trial and crucified. A soldier’s spear to his side and the blood and water that flowed from the wound confirmed that his lungs had collapsed. He was dead. Days after his body had been prepared and placed in a sealed tomb, some women went back to the tomb and found the Roman seal broken, the stone rolled away from the entrance and his body (along with the guards whose lives depended on their keeping watch over it) gone. Soon after that day, more than 500 people claimed to have seen him alive. Others claimed to have seen him ascend into heaven. Most of these witnesses were still alive at the time of the writing of the four Gospels. If the words of this “Good News” were not true, one of those witnesses would have surely refuted them.

Those who committed to follow Jesus early on gained no visible benefit from following him, no wealth or power or possession. Rather, many were themselves beaten, stoned, tortured and crucified. Yet Christianity has persisted on through history to today. And because we know that this account of Jesus’ death and resurrection is factual, we can also know that his promises are sure. The One who died as a criminal to take our sin away from us is alive now, preparing a place for us. And one day, we will be made alive again with him."

This coming Sunday we will celebrate this "one verifiable historical event" - the resurrection of Christ! We will have the kids perform the annual Easter play, sing praises to our Risen Savior and read the Easter story from God's Word. It will be a great Sunday and I hope to see you then!

He has risen! He has risen, indeed!

Scripture for March 17th: Mark 6:45-52

Sermon Title: Year of Popularity - Calming the Storm

Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. After He said good-bye to them, He went away to the mountain to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. He saw them being battered as they rowed, because the wind was against them. Around three in the morning He came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. When they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately He spoke with them and said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.

“There is nothing that will change things!” I have often heard that statement made by individuals who are facing very difficult situations. They are in despair because they think that their circumstances will never improve or change. The disciples certainly could relate to that feeling. When they were in the boat as the storm ravished the sea, they each thought they were going to die in a terrible manner. And then they see what they think is a ghost and immediately they believe there situation has only gotten worse. But notice what Jesus tells them to do – “Don’t be afraid.”

In reality, the disciples were silly to be afraid – Jesus was with them, walking on the very water that He created. What would happen to them that would not happen outside the will of Jesus? The Creator of all was in their midst and nothing was stronger than Him. And truly, it is silly to believe that the situations and circumstances that we face will never change or be used of God for some greater purpose. God is in control; He is in the middle of our lives and He will care for us just like He did for the disciples.

This coming Sunday we are going to talk about three important principles found in this Scripture: the principles of possibility, power and presence. If we are able to apply these principles to our lives and view life through them, we will be able to then do what Jesus asked the disciples to do, “Don’t be afraid.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for March 10th: Mark 6:30-44

Sermon Title: The Year of Popularity - The Feeding of 5000

The followers of Jesus came back to Him. They told Jesus all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away from the people. Be by yourselves and rest.” There were many people coming and going. They had had no time even to eat. They went by themselves in a boat to a desert. Many people saw them leave and knew who they were. People ran fast from all the cities and got there first. When Jesus got out of the boat, He saw many people gathered together. He had loving-pity for them. They were like sheep without a shepherd. He began to teach them many things. The day was almost gone. The followers of Jesus came to Him. They said, “This is a desert. It is getting late. Tell the people to go to the towns and villages and buy food for themselves.” He said to them, “Give them something to eat.” They said to Him, “Are we to go and buy many loaves of bread and give it to them?” He said to them, “How many loaves of bread do you have here? Go and see.” When they knew, they said, “Five loaves of bread and two fish.” Then He told them to have all the people sit down together in groups on the green grass. They sat down in groups of fifty people and in groups of one hundred people. Jesus took the five loaves of bread and two fish. He looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He broke the loaves in pieces and gave them to the followers to set before the people. He divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were filled. After that the followers picked up twelve baskets full of pieces of bread and fish. About five thousand men ate the bread.

The miracle of the feeding of 5000 reminds us of the great compassion Jesus had on those around Him. His important work did not distract Him from the needs of others. Jesus loved others and this love was expressed over and over again in tangible ways.

Dr. Warren Wiesbe points this out when he writes the following: “Jesus sent the 12 Apostles out to minister because He had compassion on the needy multitudes (Matt. 9:36–38). This time, the needy multitudes came to them—and the disciples wanted to send them away! As yet, they had not learned to look at life through the eyes of their Master. To them, the crowds were a problem, perhaps even a nuisance, but to Jesus, they were as sheep without a shepherd.

When D.L. Moody was building his great Sunday School in Chicago, children came to him from everywhere. They often passed by other churches and Sunday Schools to be with Mr. Moody. When asked why he walked so far to attend Moody’s Sunday School, one boy replied, “Because they love a fella over there!” The children could tell the difference.”

God has this same great love for us today. He doesn’t sit in a distant place, too distracted from our needs and problems. Rather, He is involved in our lives, viewing us with great compassion and showing His love through tangible ways on a daily basis.

This coming Sunday we will talk about how Christ gave His followers rest, provision and miracles and how He does the same for us today as we continue the sermon series, “The Life of Christ.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for March 3rd: Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon Title: Year of Preparation – The Baptism of Jesus

Jesus came from Galilee. He went to John at the Jordan River to be baptized by him. John tried to stop Him. He said, “I need to be baptized by You. Do You come to me?” Jesus said to him, “Let it be done now. We should do what is right.” John agreed and baptized Jesus. When Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens opened. He saw the Spirit of God coming down and resting on Jesus like a dove. A voice was heard from heaven. It said, “This is My much-loved Son. I am very happy with Him.”

Why did Jesus get baptized? This is a question many ask and Dr. J. Vernon McGee attempts to answer it when he writes the following: “There may be several answers, but the primary reason is stated right here: “For thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.” Jesus is identifying Himself completely with sinful mankind. Isaiah had prophesied that He would be numbered with the transgressors (see Isa. 53:12). Here is a King who identifies Himself with His subjects. Actually, baptism means identification, and I believe identification was the primary purpose for the baptism of the Lord Jesus. Again, the reason Jesus was baptized was not to set an example for us. It was not a pattern for us to follow. Christ was holy—He did not need to repent. You and I do need to repent. He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. He was baptized to completely identify Himself with humanity.

There was a second reason Jesus was baptized. Water baptism is symbolic of death. His death was a baptism. You remember that He said to James and John when they wanted to be seated on His right hand and on His left hand in the kingdom, “Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (Matt. 20:22). You see, Christ’s death was a baptism. He entered into death for you and for me."

At the baptism of Jesus, He identifies Himself with God the Father and as the long promised Messiah. He also demonstrates His obedience, as He humbles Himself to allow John the Baptist to perform the baptism. We will talk more about His obedience and identification with God the Father and what it means to us today as we begin the sermon series, “The Life of Christ,” on Sunday. Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Feb. 24th: Psalm 63:1-5

Sermon Title: Giving God Our Best Love

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

What does a Christian who gives all his or her love to God look like? Author Francis Chan answers this when he describes his friend Rings:

"I don't know how old exactly Rings is, but he's definitely what you would call an old man. I also don't know where he was born or what his real name is; he simply goes by Rings. His home is the cab of his pickup, which he parks near downtown Ocean Beach, California. He is a chain smoker, an ex- convict, ex- addict, and ex- alcoholic.

Rings likes to say that if Jesus saved him, then Jesus is able to save anyone and everyone. So instead of using his monthly check to buy alcohol or a hotel room for himself, he spends all of it on food at the local supermarket. He transfers the food he buys to coolers in the back of his truck, then he drives to the beach and makes meals for his fellow homeless.

While preparing the food, Rings tells the gathering crowd about the freedom that Jesus brought into his life. He tells them that God is the One who told him to feed others with his money, and that it's because God loves each of them. This man gives everything he has to others—literally everything—because he knows he has nothing that wasn't given to him by God.”

Rings is giving all his love to God, the God that has given him love that is overwhelming and transforming. He is an example of what it looks like when a person gives all his love to God. On Sunday we will give more examples as we describe what it means to give God our best love as we conclude the sermon series, “Crazy Love.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Feb. 17th: Revelation 3:15-18

Sermon Title: Giving God Just Some of Our Love

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee provides a good background on the phase, “…that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!”

“This had a background and a local meaning for the people in that day. Being down in the valley, they had difficulty getting water in Laodicea. As I stood there in the ruins, I looked south toward the Phrygian mountains, some of which are very high. I was there around the first of June, and there was still an abundance of snow on top of those mountains. The Laodiceans built an aqueduct to bring that cold water down from the mountains. When it left the mountains, it was ice cold, but by the time it made that trip all the way down the mountains to Laodicea, it was lukewarm. And lukewarm water is not very good.

Down in the valley where the Lycus River joins the Maeander River, there are hot springs. The springs are so hot that steam is produced. The Turkish government has capped it and is using it today, and I understand they intend to develop its use even more because it is there in abundance. It is the hottest water you can imagine; a lot of it is just steam. However, when they would take this hot water up to Laodicea, by the time it got there, it was no longer hot—it had become lukewarm water.

When the Lord Jesus said to the Laodicean church, “You are neither cold nor hot,” they knew exactly what He was talking about. They had been drinking lukewarm water for years. Water left the mountains ice cold, and it left the springs steaming hot, but when they got it, both were lukewarm, and it was sickening. We like to put a little ice in our water, and many folk drink hot water, but lukewarm water is just not good, my friend. The Lord Jesus said that this church was neither cold nor hot and He would spew it out of His mouth.”

Are you neither hot or cold? If you are lukewarm, you are giving God only some of your love, and this will negatively impact your relationship with Him. This coming Sunday we will talk more about what a lukewarm Christian looks like and how not to live like one as we continue the sermon series, “Crazy Love.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Feb. 10th: Jeremiah 1:4-10

Sermon: God's Crazy Love for Us

The LORD gave me this message: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” O Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” The LORD replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken!” Then the LORD reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.”

How great is our God? Author and Pastor Francis Chan gives us an idea when he writes about God's creation in his book, "Crazy Love": "Did you know that a caterpillar has 228 separate and distinct muscles in its head? That's quite a few, for a bug. The average elm tree has approximately 6 million leaves on it. And your own heart generates enough pressure as it pumps blood throughout your body that it could squirt blood up to 30 feet. (I've never tried this, and I don't recommend it.)

Have you ever thought about how diverse and creative God is? He didn't have to make hundreds of different kinds of bananas, but He did. He didn't have to put 3,000 different species of trees within one square mile in the Amazon jungle, but He did. God didn't have to create so many kinds of laughter. Think about the different sounds of your friends' laughs—wheezes, snorts, silent, loud, obnoxious.

How about the way plants defy gravity by drawing water upward from the ground into their stems and veins? Or did you know that spiders produce three kinds of silk? When they build their webs, they create sixty feet of silk in one hour, simultaneously producing special oil on their feet that prevents them from sticking to their own web. (Most of us hate spiders, but sixty feet an hour deserves some respect!) Coral plants are so sensitive that they can die if the water temperature varies by even one or two degrees.

Did you know that when you get goose bumps, the hair in your follicles is actually helping you stay warmer by trapping body heat? Or what about the simple fact that plants take in carbon dioxide (which is harmful to us) and produce oxygen (which we need to survive)? I'm sure you knew that, but have you ever marveled at it? And these same poison- swallowing, life- giving plants came from tiny seeds that were placed in the dirt. Some were watered, some weren't; but after a few days they poked through the soil and out into the warm sunlight.

Whatever God's reasons for such diversity, creativity, and sophistication in the universe, on earth, and in our own bodies, the point of it all is His glory. God's art speaks of Himself, reflecting who He is and what He is like.
'The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.' — Psalm 19:1–4"

God is indeed great and how wonderful it is to know that this great God has chosen to love you and me. This coming Sunday we will talk more about the greatness of God and His love for us as begin the sermon series, "Crazy Love." Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Feb. 3rd: Revelation 21:1-6; 22-27

Sermon Title: The New Heaven and The New Earth

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life."

"I've never been this homesick before." This is the title of a popular song that Dottie Rambo wrote and performed many years ago and I've been thinking about this song all week long as I've been researching the Scripture above. Heaven sounds so wonderful - no more tears, no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, and no more pain. Regrets will be washed away, as will everything that is old. There will be no desire to sin, no temptation and no Devil and evil. This is home for the Christian - it is the place that Jesus said He would prepare for us (John 14:1-3) and it is the future of every believer. Yes, I am homesick - we live in a world plagued by sin at every corner and I long to be "home" - the place where my God will prepare for me.

But the most special thing about heaven is that Jesus will be there. He is the One that we pray to, worship and live for, and yet we have never seen Him with our physical eyes. In heaven our faith will have sight and we will not only see Jesus, but we will live forever in His presence. And it is at this time that we will experience God's love like never before - we will know God's love for us in all its fullness.

This coming Sunday we will talk more about "The New Heaven and The New Earth" as we end the sermon series, "The Remarkable Revelation." I hope to see you then! Until then, enjoy the words to this song: "See the bright light shine It's just about home time, I can see my Father at the door, This world has been a wilderness I'm ready for deliverance, Lord, I've never been this homesick before!" Amen!

Scripture for Jan. 27th: Revelation 19:11-16

Sermon: The Return of Christ!

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on His thigh He has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

“Sure Jesus is coming to the earth – someday.” For so many, the idea that Christ will come back to earth as a conquering and reigning King is somewhat far-fetch. Some will ask, “Okay, so maybe He really will come back someday, but what does that have to do with me right now?”

The fact that the Bible declares that Jesus Christ will come back to Earth one day should cause Christians to live their lives with patience and joy. When a person does not know what the future holds, he or she can become anxious and filled with worry. However, the Bible tells us what the future will be for every Christian – they will experience victory over sin and death through the power of Christ. The future is not bleak, but rather it is filled with hope and great anticipation as we look forward to the day that Christ returns. If we are looking forward towards that day, knowing that we, too, will experience victory with Christ, then our current circumstances and difficulties become more bearable because we know the end of the story of life – God wins! And what joy this should bring every believer!

This coming Sunday we will talk more about the importance of the return of Christ in the life of every believer as we continue the sermon series, “The Remarkable Revelation.” I hope to see you then!

Scripture for Jan. 20th: Revelation 13:11-18

Sermon Title: The Beast of the Earth

"Then I saw another wild animal coming out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb. His voice was like that of the dragon. He used the power of the first wild animal who was there with him. He made all the people on earth worship the first wild animal who had received the bad cut to kill him but was healed. The second wild animal did great powerful works. It spoke and made those who did not worship the first wild animal to be killed. He fooled the men of the earth by doing powerful works. He did these things in front of the first wild animal. He told those who live on the earth to make a god that looks like the first wild animal. The first wild animal was the one that was cut by the sword but lived. The second wild animal was given power to give life to the false god. This false god was the one that was made to look like the first wild animal. It was given power to talk. All those who did not worship it would die. The second wild animal made every person have a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. It was given to important men and to those not important, to rich men and poor men, to those who are free and to those who are servants. No one could buy or sell anything unless he had the mark on him. This mark was the name of the first wild animal or another way to write his name. This is wisdom. Let the person who has good understanding learn the meaning of the other way to write the name of the first wild animal. This name is a man’s name. It is 666.


"Revelation is a scary book." This was said to me recently when I told someone about the sermon series on Revelation. She said she never really read the book because it "sacred" her. And she went on to ask why God would allow such a book to be part of the Bible. Her view of Revelation is unfortunately common among many Christians. Because the images and descriptions that are found in Revelation are often disturbing, many Christians avoid reading it."

But Revelation was meant to be a book filled hope for the believer. It was written so that the believer would know that Christ would return to the earth one day and at His return, justice would prevail. Although it often looks as if injustice will regain forever on the earth, Revelation makes it clear that there is hope for those who long for a just world - the day will come when Christ will overcome the Devil and evil once and for all. The book also reminds us that we are to live our lives as if the world is passing - and to set our hearts and minds on the things that will last for eternity (Col. 3:1,2). Revelation is the end of a book, the Bible, and at the end of the book it proclaims that Christ is truly the ultimate Winner! This should be encouraging to every believer, particular those who struggle through troubling circumstances. The trials of this world will soon fade and shortly the day will come when Christ will grant to each believer the ultimate victory over sin, death and evil itself.

This coming Sunday we will talk more about why Revelation is a book of hope as we continue our sermon series, "The Remarkable Revelation." Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Jan. 13th: Revelation 13:1-10

Sermon: The Beast of the Sea

“The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?” The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. Whoever has ears, let them hear. “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.” This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.”

What will the Anti-Christ be like? This Scripture gives us a good description of him. He is a Gentile (v. 1), who is given the power by Satan himself (v. 4). He will be a great political leader, uniting the world under his reign. He will wage war against those who worship God. He will be so greatly admired that people will worship him. He will be the world’s greatest political leader ever.

He will be a man that will cause great destruction. However, we are reminded that God will still be in charge during the Anti-Christ reign. Those who will suffer under his reign might question this, so God provides encouragement to them by reminding them: “this calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.”

I think we need this encouragement now as well. As we go through trying times, we often ask, “Where is God?” We question how God could allow tragedy and pain in our lives and in the lives of those we love. And yet the message is the same for us: we need to patiently endure and be faithful. The end is truly near – we will someday soon stand before God and suffering, pain and death will be no more. Our questions will be answered and our doubts will be gone. We need to only have “patient endurance” and wait on the Lord.

This coming Sunday we will talk more about the beast of the sea and the patience that God calls us to have as we continue the sermon series, “Remarkable Revelation.” We will also answer the questions, “Where is America in Biblical prophecy?” and “Why is Israel so important in Biblical prophecy?” I hope to see you then!

Scripture for Jan. 6th: Revelation 6:1-17

Sermon: The Judgment Begins

"I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword. When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been. I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”

“The end is near.” Predicting the future and foretelling the end of humanity has been common throughout human history. And certainly in this country there have people in the past and recent years who have made it their duty to tell others how and when the end would come. The Bible tells us that no one knows when the “end” will come (Mt. 24:36), and in fact, it also describes the “end” as a beginning – it is the start of the reign of Christ. This is truly the focus and message of Revelation – it is not so much a book that describes the “end” as it is a revelation of Jesus Christ and how He appears now, what He is doing now and what He will do in the future. The book of Revelation does not lift up the future, it presents the victorious and glorified Christ. Because of this, the future may be bleak for the world, but it is as bright as the sun for those who believe in Him (Jn. 1:12; Rom. 6:23).

The Scripture above describes what will accompany “the end” – the judgment of God. God will not always hold back His judgment, but at some point in time He will judge the earth in a fierce manner. It will be sure and strong and the earth will experience things that it never has. Until that time, we live in an age of grace – God holds back His judgment, calling everyone to repent , believe and receive His forgiveness. As we read the Scripture above, may it remind us to never ask for justice for ourselves. Instead, our cry to God should be for His mercy – we don’t want what we deserve (judgment), we want what we don’t deserve (forgiveness and grace).

On Sunday, we will present an overview of the Book of Revelation and discuss God’s judgment as we begin the sermon series, “The Remarkable Revelation.” Hope to see you then!