End-Times Prophecy: Act One – Righteousness of God by Abidan Shah, PhD
In this weekend’s message, we will examine God’s righteousness as outlined by Paul in the book of Romans. What does it mean that God is righteous and that we are made righteous? Understanding what Paul means in this context is critical in our approach to end-times prophecy. None of us can achieve righteousness on our own. It is a gift of God. But what is the nature of that gift and how should it change our perspective of end-times prophecy? We will answer these questions and more in this weekend’s message.
End-Times Prophecy: Act One – Verdict by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will see in the book of Romans how God’s judgment is coming for all mankind. The judgment of God is not something we discuss often, but it is a necessary part of his nature. Seeing the judicial language in Romans points ahead to God’s coming judgment in the book of Revelation. When we operate with the judgment of God in mind, it gives a sense of urgency in sharing the gospel with those around us!
End-Times Prophecy: Mapping History (pt.2) by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will continue to examine God’s design throughout history. In his letter to the Romans, Paul is holding up the Roman believers as an example to others. His letter is unique in that he does not seem to be addressing a particular situation or controversy but rather provides a guide of core beliefs for all Christians. In doing so, he offers a guide for us today on how the church should function and believe.
End-Times Prophecy: Mercy to the Israel of God by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend marks the beginning of our study of end-times prophecy! This series will shape our church and our understanding of God’s plan. While we will spend a considerable amount of time in Revelation, this weekend I want us to begin by looking at the book of Romans. We cannot rightly understand end-times without first grasping the relationship between God and the nation of Israel. God has always had a special plan for his people and that includes what will happen in the time to come. This first installment in our series will focus on the relationship between God and Israel and why that matters for our understanding of end-times prophecy.
Soul Winning by Abidan Shah, PhD
In this weekend’s message, we will examine the concept of evangelism. When people hear evangelism, they automatically begin drawing conclusions about what that should look like. While there are several good approaches to sharing the gospel, the practice of evangelism is one that is frequently side-lined in the Christian life. Evangelism is not only a key component of the Christian life, but vital for our understanding of end-times prophecy. The title of this weekend’s message is “SOUL WINNING”.
Life Together by Abidan Shah, PhD
In this weekend’s message, we will be examining the concept of biblical community. This is coming from God’s Word, but also from the desires we have heard from many of you. The Christian life was never intended to be lived in isolation but among a family of brothers and sisters. This weekend’s message will chart a course for us moving forward and will reorient us to the concept of living life alongside one another. The title of this weekend’s message is “LIFE TOGETHER”.
Hired Gun by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we are coming to a big shift in the book of judges. The era of the judges has ended. The people have gone off the deep end. We will soon see the lasting ramifications of the people’s disobedience and their disdain for God’s correction through the judges. This setup is eerily similar to what we are facing in our world today. The title of this weekend’s message is “HIRED GUN”.
Venomous by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we are continuing to look at the circumstances surrounding the birth of Samson. There is so much that foreshadows the birth of Christ; very familiar language and similar details. This also shows how children are relentlessly under attack, especially today. There is a very real agenda behind most of the media we consume that seeks to completely misguide our children and destroy their lives. But just like we learned last weekend, this too is an old problem. We’ll unpack this and more in our message titled “VENOMOUS”.
Sightings by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will look at the precursors to Samson’s life. His parents had an encounter with the angel of the Lord, who is much more than just an angelic messenger. Throughout the Old Testament, we see glimpses of the pre-incarnate Christ interacting with God’s people. What does this mean for our understanding of Scripture? How does this affect our view of Jesus? We’ll unpack this and more in our message titled “SIGHTINGS”.
Imposter by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we learn about Gideon’s successor, Abimelech. He played the part of a leader of God’s people, but he was a power-hungry charlatan. God’s people disobeyed as a result of his leadership and suffered the consequences. The Holy Spirit of God wants to put us on to accomplish God’s work but will not work through someone who is faking their faith or going through the motions. The title of this weekend’s message is “IMPOSTER”.
Calamity by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will examine the story of Deborah. Her story is often presented as one of the examples of the Bible elevating women, and certainly, that is true. However, as we will learn this weekend, there is much more to her than just being an example of God working through women. This weekend’s message is titled “CALAMITY”.
Bull-Headed by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we are taking a look at the cyclical nature of sin in the book of Judges. Repeatedly, God’s people fell into sin, suffered the consequences, and were delivered, only to go right back to the same sin! Times may have changed, but God’s people still have this same problem of returning to the same sin over and over again. This weekend’s message is titled “BULL-HEADED”.
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will examine the beginning of the book of Judges. God’s people are tasked with driving out the enemy nations from the promised land. Through every battle, we are able to see God’s hand delivering enemies over to the children of Judah. The book of Judges reminds us that God is with us in fighting not just physical battles, but spiritual battles as well. The title of this weekend’s message is “THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY.”
GPS: Rerouting by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will have a bonus message in our series. As we have been learning, many of you have expressed that you wish you had known this earlier. The same is true for me! However, we serve a God of mercy and second chances. There is hope even after making a wrong turn in life. We examine these issues and more in this weekend’s message titled “GPS REROUTING”.
GPS: Relationships – Part 3 by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will continue to examine God’s plan for our relationships. We have talked about the wisdom in searching for God’s will in our relationships as well as the criteria to look for in a future spouse. However, we must also understand the role we have to play in this process. How much is God responsible for and how much are we responsible for when it comes to looking for your significant other? Join us as we answer these questions and more in this weekend’s message titled “GPS DESTINATION: RELATIONSHIPS PT. 3”.
GPS: Destination – Relationships – Part 2 by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will continue to examine God’s plan for our relationships. Last weekend, we looked at the wisdom view in finding God’s plan for the person you date and who you will marry. Now, we need to determine the criteria for the person we are looking for. What is a core value, what are essential, and what are non-essential traits? God’s word will help us uncover all of this and more in this weekend’s message titled “GPS DESTINATION: RELATIONSHIPS PT. 2”.
Inside Out: Ministry of the Thorn by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we come to our final message in this series. We have learned about the difference between stress and trauma and how to help others, especially children and teens, through traumatic events in life. This weekend, we will talk about the purpose of suffering itself. God used suffering in Paul’s life to refine and sharpen him, to give depth to his message, and to make him more like Christ. The title of this weekend’s message is “INSIDE OUT: MINISTRY OF THE THORN”.
Inside Out: Growing Pains by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will turn our attention to the kids and teenagers in our lives. The Christian life is not only about us making it through difficult times. We are to help those around us as well. This is never truer than with the young minds that God has entrusted to us. Our next installment in this series is titled “INSIDE OUT: GROWING PAINS.”
Inside Out by Abidan Shah, PhD
We are often our own worst enemies when it comes to our interactions with others. God’s Word, however, reminds us that there is hope. Through Christ, we can build meaningful relationships and reflect God’s character to those around us. Throughout this series, we will deal with internal issues that make it difficult for us to connect and interact with others. The goal will be at the end of this series to make Christ visible in our relationships!
Death Dethroned: Heaven by Abidan Shah, PhD
For this Easter weekend, it is fitting that we turn our attention to heaven. There are many misconceptions about heaven, with some people even taking Bible verses out of context or misinterpreting them. We have already learned about the bodily resurrection coming one day, but where will those bodies go and what will it be like there? We will answer these questions and more in this final message of our series.