End-Times Prophecy | Act Two: The Foreknowledge of God
This weekend, our students are on their annual fall retreat. They are studying the concept of Christ time and how it impacts our understanding of our past, present, and future. Paul says that God “foreknew” his people. That terminology has raised many questions over the years. Does that mean that God knows the future and makes decisions based on his knowledge? And if he knows who will be saved, why does he create those who won’t choose him?
End-Times Prophecy | Act Two: Preaching Matters
In this weekend’s message, we are continuing to walk through the book of Romans. Paul addresses the topic of preaching and its unique place in the plan of God. Personal evangelism is obviously important, but there is something special and important about a man of God opening the Bible and exhorting, admonishing, and encouraging a body of believers. What place does preaching have in the plan of God? Come find out this weekend!
End Times Prophecy | Act Two: Israel by Abidan Shah, PhD
In this weekend’s message, we are moving into the second act of our series, focused on Israel and how God still has a heart for his people. There is a lot of conversation around Israel in our world today, and much of it is unprofitable and negative. This message will help us in our understanding of Israel’s place in God’s plan currently and in the future.
A Legacy That Outlasts You by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, I want to preach a very special message on the lives of two men, Erastus and Babbius. Both of these men in the New Testament came from a slave beginning, but as far as we know, only Erastus came to faith in Christ. Because of that, he is mentioned by Paul several times in his letters while Babbius fades into obscurity. It is not our beginnings that matter. It is only our relationship with Jesus.
The Secret to Reconciliation: Service by Abidan Shah, PhD
THE SECRET TO RECONCILIATION – SERVICE by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC Introduction: Summer is over and schools are in full swing now. We began a mini-series two weekends ago to help families with children, whether small or adolescent, deal with the struggles of life. There’s so much noise about “dysfunctional families,” “trauma,” and “toxic […]
Influence (Part 2) by Abidan Shah, PhD
INFLUENCE – 2 by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson Introduction: As many you know, I am a big fan of the Andy Griffith Show. The town drunk, Otis Campbell, was a big favorite on the show. He would stagger into the Sherrif’s office drunk and then lock himself inside the jail to sleep off the moonshine. […]
Influence by Abidan Shah, PhD
INFLUENCE by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC Introduction: It’s quite sad for me to watch that video of Mary Lou Retton. I remember the year 1984 – TV had just come to our hometown, and mom and dad had bought our first TV set. I was in 6th grade, and this was the year of the […]
Public Square by Abidan Shah, PhD
In this weekend’s message, we will examine what the Bible says about Christians being involved in the public square. There is a pervasive misunderstanding of what the separation of church and state truly means. People, usually those with an anti-Christian agenda, use this rhetoric to claim that Christians have no place in the political sector. That was never the original intent and is an entirely harmful line of reasoning, not only for believers but for America as a nation. What will it take to return us to being “one nation under God?”
End-Times Prophecy: Spirit Minded (Part 2) by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will continue our study of the Holy Spirit. Paul writes in Romans that the Holy Spirit serves as our intercessor, going before God the Father on our behalf. Understanding the work of the Holy Spirit is vital to our growth and maturity as believers. Being spirit-minded is how we take our eyes off this world and focus them on Christ.
End-Times Prophecy: Spirit-Minded by Abidan Shah, PhD
In this weekend’s message, we will take a look at what it means to set your mind upon spiritual things. Our thoughts reveal the posture of our hearts. If your mind perpetually wanders toward carnal desires, it may be that your heart has replaced God with another object of worship or desire. To fix our minds, we must fix our hearts and submit them to the Lord.
End-Times Prophecy: War Within (pt. 3) by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will continue to examine the war within us between our old sinful flesh and the Holy Spirit. What we fill ourselves with is where our hearts will lie. If we are focused on the things of this world and of the flesh, that is where our focus will be. However, if we focus on God and what his will for our lives is, our minds will be focused on heavenly things.
End-Times Prophecy: Sinful Flesh by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will be learning about our own sinful flesh. Much like sin, flesh doesn’t just refer to our physical bodies, but rather to a power working against us. We, like Paul, often find ourselves doing things we wish we wouldn’t. We will learn this weekend about the dangers of the flesh and the hope of victory we have in Jesus.
End-Times Prophecy: Law-Abiding by Abidan Shah, PhD
In this weekend’s message, we will turn our attention to the law. Often, people mistakenly think the law was abolished by the coming of Christ. However, understanding the true function of the law is necessary for our understanding of end-times prophecy. Without understanding the law, we can’t truly understand God’s grace in sending Jesus to the cross. Christ came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.
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: Mapping History (pt. 3) by Abidan Shah, PhD
In this weekend’s message, we will continue to trace God’s providential plan throughout history. God worked of course with his people throughout the Bible, but his hand can be seen in the rise and fall of many different nations, civilizations, and kingdoms. While history has had many different eras, God’s hand has consistently been guiding this world through time. Today is no different and as we head toward the future, it is critical that we see the end in light of his sovereign plan.
End-Times Prophecy: Mapping History by Abidan Shah PhD
As we head back into our series this weekend, I want to focus on tracing God’s plan throughout history. Since time began, God has been writing the story of creation. While things might seem out of control at times, the Bible reminds us that God has always been and will always be in control. End-times prophecy reminds us especially of God’s sovereignty and his providence both in our lives and throughout all of history.
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”.
The Sobbin’ Women by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we come to the end of our series. We learned last weekend about the Benjamites standing in opposition to the rest of God’s people. As a result, the people of God took an oath not to give the Benjamites their daughters in marriage. They propose a solution, albeit an unsavory one. This is a reminder that women are held in high regard by Scripture and everywhere the gospel has gone, the status of women has been elevated. With this being the week of Christmas, it also draws our attention to Mary and how she was being treated unjustly. The title of this weekend’s message is “THE SOBBIN’ WOMEN”.
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”.