End Times Prophecy | Does God Elect?
As you know, we are in our series on end-times prophecy, looking specifically at how God’s plans for Israel are still intact. In this weekend’s message, we turn our attention to the doctrine of election. This divisive doctrine has caused much contention through the ages. But what does the Bible actually teach about election? Does God choose in advance who will be saved? We’ll find out together!
When Life Gets Messy by Abidan Shah, PhD
In this weekend’s message, I want to talk about what to do when life gets messy. Some people shut down, others get frustrated, still others lash out at those around them, the perceived sources of the mess. However, the mess is simply a sign that life is happening. Making this mental shift could be the difference between being frustrated by a mess and being fruitful because of one.
End-Times Prophecy: Creation Liberated by Abidan Shah, PhD
In this weekend’s message, we will see that creation itself is eagerly awaiting the return of Christ and its liberation from sin. The world around us experiences the effects of sin in the form of natural disasters, disease, and death. However, there is coming a day when Jesus will return to do away with this distorted creation and usher in a new heavens and new earth.
End-Times Prophecy: Sin-Abounding by Abidan Shah, PhD
In this weekend’s message, we will dig into a topic that, in my opinion, we often misunderstand: sin. What exactly do we mean when we talk about sin? It is one of those words that begins to lose its meaning the more you say it or are exposed to it. And yet, our understanding of sin affects our view of God’s grace and his goodness in our lives. Even through the prevalence of sin in our world, we can see God moving and making a way of salvation for us.
Praying Saints by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will continue this introductory series to prophecy by looking at the importance of prayer. As you may know, this weekend is our 24-Hour Prayer Vigil. Prayer is vital in our understanding of prophecy because it is how God shifts our hearts to match his heart. Prayer changes things, namely the person doing the praying! The title of this weekend’s message is “PRAYING SAINTS”.
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”.
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”.
Under Tribute by Abidan Shah, PhD
This is strikingly similar to the story of God’s people through the book of Judges. There is a cyclical nature to the narratives within the book that show God’s people failing to remember what God had done for them and what he had commanded them to do. The sinful cycle of disobedience has occurred in countries like England and, if we do not take action as believers, can occur here, too. The title of this weekend’s message is “UNDER TRIBUTE”.
Homestead by Abidan Shah, PhD
In this weekend’s message, we will pick up the account of Caleb promising his daughter, Achsah, to Othniel as a result of him clearing the land of enemies. Achsah and Othniel were able to come together and build something for the future, but there is a deeper truth about who Christ is for us to uncover in their story. The title of this weekend’s message is “HOMESTEAD.”
GPS: Guidance by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we come to the end of our series. We will focus specifically on the relationship view of God’s will. How can we perceive God’s guidance in our everyday lives? The Bible is clear that God leads us, but what does that look like and how can we know we are listening to the right source? We will answer these questions and more in this weekend’s message titled “GPS DESTINATION: GUIDANCE”.
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”.
GPS: Relationships – Part 1 by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will be examining how to determine God’s plan for us regarding relationships. This is a common question, especially among teenagers and young adults. Does God have a plan for who you date and eventually marry or are there simply general principles to guide us? We will examine these questions and more in this weekend’s message titled “GPS DESTINATION: RELATIONSHIPS PT. 1”.
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.”
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.
Tracking: Target by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we will examine the end of Peter’s list of characteristics to track as you grow closer to God. It is no coincidence that the list ends with love. While we might know that love is important in the Christian life, we likely do not realize the role it has to play in spiritual discipline. What is the significance of these different traits all leading to love? We will find out in this weekend’s message titled “TRACKING: TARGET”.
Tracking: Level Three by Abidan Shah, PhD
This weekend, we come to the conclusion of Peter’s list of components of our spiritual life. Peter lists these characteristics as markers of God working in our lives, evidence of the Holy Spirit refining us and making us more like Christ. The question is: will we allow this process or fight against it? So many times, we are tempted to resist God’s prompting and do our own thing, but God has called us to a life of obedience. This weekend’s message is titled “TRACKING LEVEL THREE”.
Table of Nations: Conclusion by Abidan Shah Ph.D.
We have been in our series titled “TABLE OF NATIONS” as we have examined the genealogies of God’s people through the Old Testament. On every page of history, God has been in control. These genealogies ultimately point us to Christ, the promised Messiah and savior of the world. The genealogies of Jesus present in the gospels show God’s providence throughout the ages and remind us that God is in control of our lives. The title of this weekend’s message is “TABLE OF NATIONS: CONCLUSION.”
When Loved Ones Are Near (Article)
WHEN LOVED ONES ARE NEAR (Article) by Abidan Shah, Ph.D (Published in the newspaper Daily Dispatch, Henderson on December 2, 2023) “It’s the most wonderful time of the yearThere’ll be much mistltoeingAnd hearts will be glowingWhen loved ones are near” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is one of the top Christmas songs […]
Gaining Christ (Article)
GAINING CHRIST (Article) by Abidan Shah, Ph.D (Published in the newspaper Daily Dispatch, Henderson on October 20, 2023) In this season of my life, God has been teaching me a very important but difficult lesson: “It’s easy to give up the evil for Jesus, but it’s much harder to give up the good.” In other […]