Last weekend, we compared the Bible to the Qur’an and looked at how both Islam and Christianity view inspiration and the content of each book. This weekend, we will examine the sacred texts of Hinduism and how they compare to the Bible. The title of this weekend’s message is “INSPIRATION”.
In our message this weekend, Peter begins to quote Psalm 34, relating David’s words to his listeners. In order to understand Peter’s use of Psalm 34, we must first understand the context of David’s life as he was writing. He made a series of poor decisions that left him to deal with the consequences. The title of this weekend’s message is “MISSTEP”.
This weekend, we conclude Isaiah 53 and focus on the reward for Jesus’ obedience. Isaiah writes about Jesus’ seeing generations beyond Himself, pointing forward to the resurrection and His victory over death and the grave. We were stolen out of God’s hand, but Christ came to rob the grave and steal us back. The title of today’s message is “PLUNDER.”
This weekend, we are examining our relationship with Christ and how we have wandered away from what we know to be true. Like sheep, we have turned away, but our Good Shepherd has taken our sins upon Himself. The title of this weekend’s message is “ASTRAY.”
This weekend, we are continuing our study of Isaiah and his use of the term “servant.” In these verses, God is describing His Servant and how he will justify many people ultimately by bearing their iniquities. This shows the perfect plan of salvation that has been on God’s heart since the beginning of time. The title of this weekend’s message is “THE SERVANT.”
This weekend, we will dive into Peter’s examination of the book of Isaiah. Isaiah 53 is only mentioned a handful of times in the New Testament, but Peter’s use of the passage is the one of the most significant. We will take a look at Jesus’ death on the cross and its effect on our lives. The title of this series is “ATONEMENT.”
This weekend, we are continuing our series through 1 Peter and moving further into chapter two. Peter is reminding his readers that God has not abandoned them to the darkness, but instead has called them into His presence. As believers, we cannot continue to pursue the darkness of the world after God has rescued us and brought us into the light of His presence. The title of this weekend’s message is “MARVELOUS LIGHT.”
This weekend, we are moving forward in chapter two of 1 Peter. Peter tells his readers that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone, the One upon whom our faith is established. Those who believe in Him will not be put to shame, no matter what others may think. The title of this weekend’s message is “LIVING STONE.”
This weekend, we will begin chapter 2 of 1 Peter. Having talked about the importance of love as a response to being born again, Peter goes on to instruct his readers that they must continue to grow in their understanding of the Word, laying aside earthly, sinful behaviors. The title of this weekend’s message is “NEW BEGINNING”.
This weekend, we come to the end of chapter 1. Peter is encouraging his readers to love one another out of obedience to God’s Word. We can show love because we have first been loved by God and restored. In showing love to others, we are displaying the power of the gospel. The title of this weekend’s message is “FERVENT LOVE.”
This weekend, as we continue our study of 1 Peter 1, we will see that Peter draws a distinction between the behavior of his audience before their conversion and their behavior after coming to Christ. Believers ought to act differently than the world around them. The title of this weekend’s message is “RIGHTEOUS CONDUCT.”
This weekend, we will step back and take a look at the faithfulness of God toward His people. Throughout Scripture, God gave His people constant reminders of His faithfulness. He has done the same for us this year and this message will help us remember that He will never let us down. The title of this weekend’s message is “FAITHFULNESS.”
This weekend, we will focus on the impacts of Jesus’ birth on the regional ruler, King Herod. Many of us are familiar with his name, but we will see how exactly his life and his position was impacted by the birth of the Messiah. The title of this weekend’s message is “GREATER THAN RULERS.”
This weekend, we are moving forward through the book of 1 Peter. Peter is reminding his audience of the purpose of trials in this life. The Jewish people were no stranger to trials, but Peter wanted them to remember that ultimately, difficult situations help strengthen our faith by the grace of God. The title of this weekend’s message is “GENUINE FAITH.”
This weekend, we will focus on the second part of our series. In this message, we will take a look at the principles put in place by our founding fathers. They were not perfect men, but the evidence that God’s hand was upon is undeniable. Through their obedience, America was set up to become the greatest nation in the world.
This weekend, we will turn our attention to the parable of the wheat and tares. Jesus told this parable immediately following the parable of the sower, using similar language to communicate powerful truths to His audience. With this parable, Jesus challenged His listeners to think critically about their eternal destinations and to face the reality of hell. The title of this weekend’s message is “FURNACE.”
In this episode, Abidan Paul Shah will be talking with Dr. David Alan Black about his newest book "Running My Race: Reflections on Life, Loss, Aging, and Forty Years of Teaching." It's about learning to deal with the pains of life in a way that draws us closer to the heart of God. Both laypeople and scholars will benefit from this book.
Monday afternoon two weeks ago I got a phone call that I have received before as a pastor but I never imagined whom it would be about. “Sylvia Edwards died.” I thought I had misheard the name and so I asked – “Who did you say again?” I heard it right the first time. It was Sylvia. I couldn’t believe it…I saw her the night before at church! We talked about her singing at the coming Fourth of July program. She wasn’t feeling well but she was still excited about picking out the songs and getting started with the practices. If you knew Sylvia, you would know that she loved to sing and she wasn’t one to sit still very long! Now, two days later we were standing by her graveside – “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…”
In our series on the Sermon on the Mount we come now to the second beatitude -"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." This is probably one of the most needed messages today. It's about grief and sorrow, something all of us face in this life.
Where does sorrow come from? It comes from loss.Throughout life we have losses, some big and some small. In fact, life is a series of losses. The real question is "What do we do with our losses?" If we handle them God's way, the result is comfort. If we look for superficial ways, it will not work. God has the right answer to our sorrow. By the way, I love Luke's rendition of this beatitude - "Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."