Dec 17, 2023
Anna: A Message to Share
Luke 2:36-38 Only three verses in Luke’s nativity account speak about Anna, an elderly prophetess who encountered Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus at the temple.  Though her life had not been easy, she overcame every obstacle in order to share with others  the good news concerning God’s work of redemption.
  • Anna wasn’t stopped by her personal hardships.
  • She wasn’t stopped by her gender.
  • She wasn’t stopped by her age.
  • She had a message to share with all who would listen!
How faithful are we to share the Good News?
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  • Dec 17, 2023Anna: A Message to Share
    Dec 17, 2023
    Anna: A Message to Share
    Luke 2:36-38 Only three verses in Luke’s nativity account speak about Anna, an elderly prophetess who encountered Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus at the temple.  Though her life had not been easy, she overcame every obstacle in order to share with others  the good news concerning God’s work of redemption.
    • Anna wasn’t stopped by her personal hardships.
    • She wasn’t stopped by her gender.
    • She wasn’t stopped by her age.
    • She had a message to share with all who would listen!
    How faithful are we to share the Good News?
  • Dec 10, 2023Mary: Real Faith in Action
    Dec 10, 2023
    Mary: Real Faith in Action
    Luke 1 & 2
    • Real faith is always ready for the work of God.
    • Real faith seeks to know the ways of God.
    • Real faith submits to the will of God.
    • Real faith celebrates the wonders of God.
  • Dec 3, 2023Elizabeth: Opening the Door to Joy!
    Dec 3, 2023
    Elizabeth: Opening the Door to Joy!
    Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah the priest and relative of the virgin Mary, is one of the Wise Women of Christmas.  From her story, we learn some valuable lessons about opening our lives to the joy of the Lord.
    • Perception is not always reality.  Elizabeth felt her life as a childless wife was a disgrace, but in reality God loved her and had a wonderful plan for her.
    • Faithfulness and hope open the door to God’s blessings.  Even when childless, Elizabeth continued to serve God with righteousness, and she never gave up hope in God’s loving-kindness.
    • God rewards faithfulness with joy!  Elizabeth experienced and shared the blessings of the Lord.  They came through the birth of her son John the Baptist, and then through the arrival of God’s Messiah, Jesus.
    The same joy is available to us today!
  • Nov 26, 2023John’s Question & Commitment
    Nov 26, 2023
    John’s Question & Commitment
    Matthew 11:1-6 & 14:1-12
     
    In the course of his short ministry, John was imprisoned by King Herod Antipas for rebuking the king’s immorality.  Two things happened while John was in prison that can teach us lessons about Christian growth and faithfulness.
    ¨ Through his disciples, John the Baptist expressed his doubts by sending a question directly to Jesus: “Are you the One?”
    • There is no better way to deal with doubts than bringing them to Jesus.
    ¨ John showed his total commitment to Jesus by sacrificing his life for the sake of the kingdom of God.
    • Are we willing to die for the One who died for us?
  • Nov 19, 2023John’s Challenge
    Nov 19, 2023
    John’s Challenge
    John the Baptist was a powerful and popular prophet.  In a relatively short span of time, hosts of people flocked to hear him preach, and many were baptized by him in the Jordan River.  But John knew all along that the purpose of his ministry was not to elevate himself; it was to elevate the Messiah!  The purpose of our lives must be the same. "He must become greater; I must become less.”  - John 3:30
    • Why is it important that our focus upon Jesus increases?
    • Why is it important that our focus on ourselves decreases?
    • How does this come about in the Christian life?
  • Nov 12, 2023John’s Call
    Nov 12, 2023
    John’s Call
    Luke 3:1-18 Last week we looked at John’s birth  and the consecration of his life to be God’s forerunner to the Messiah.  Today we look at the content of his call upon the lives of those who came out to the Jordan River to hear him preach.
    • Be Prepared!
    • Be Repentant!
    • Be Transformed!
  • Nov 5, 2023His Personal Consecration
    Nov 5, 2023
    His Personal Consecration
    Luke 1:13-17 Before his miraculous birth to the priestly couple Zechariah and Elizabeth, John the Baptist was set apart by God to be the forerunner to the Messiah.
    • He was consecrated to be a testament to God’s grace.
    • He was consecrated to usher in the joy of the Lord.
    • He was consecrated to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
    • He was consecrated to draw people to the Lord.
    God has a plan and purpose for every person born into the world, including each of us.  Will we, like John the Baptist, accept God’s plan and consecrate ourselves to serve Him faithfully?
  • Oct 29, 2023Shining When Answering You Calling
    Oct 29, 2023
    Shining When Answering You Calling
    Over the past several weeks, we have explored how our faith can be a shining light to the world during some difficult times of life—times of illness, fear, persecution, grief and doubt.  But today we conclude our series on a positive note by considering how our faith can shine when answering God’s call upon our lives.
    • Jesus wants people to make an informed decision when answering his call.  Verses 57-58
    • Jesus is looking for an unqualified commitment.  Verse 59-60
    • Jesus is looking for a timely decision.  Verse 61
    • Jesus is looking for a permanent decision.  Verse 62
  • Oct 22, 2023Romans 12
    Oct 22, 2023
    Romans 12
    Series: (All)

    Romans 12

    And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

    Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! 17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge;  I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

    20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.  If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”

    21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

  • Oct 15, 2023Who is Living in Your Head Rent-Free?
    Oct 15, 2023
    Who is Living in Your Head Rent-Free?
    Series: (All)
    “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.  Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’  When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.  Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there.  And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”  — Luke 11:24-26