2018 Messages
Essential Beliefs
Sunday, May 6, 20-27, 2018
Pastor Steve Brown
Followers of Jesus have essential beliefs that are based on the historical experiences of the apostles recorded in the Bible and contained in the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds. It is important for Christ Followers to know and embrace these essential beliefs so that we can know clearly what we believe, effectively teach others what we believe, know the difference between true and false beliefs, and live with greater assurance that we are saved, God is in us, and we are in God.
Redefining Worship
Sunday, May 13, 2018
Colleen Zielke, Children & Family Ministry Director
By redefining our definition of what worship is, we seek to truly experience God’s presence daily, be in awe of the life-giving and life-flowing power of God that transforms our hearts, and be sent to tell others about Him!
Ridiculous Faith
April 1 - 22, 2018
Pastor Steve Brown and Greg Osborne
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We believe and teach that we are saved by grace through faith. We talk of faith so often that its extraordinary nature is enveloped by the commonplace rote language with which we articulate our theology. We throw around the concept of faith as though it is easily and commonly understood.
On an initial level faith is simple, it means to trust. The simple truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that we are moved from death to life when we trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Simple. Complete. Nothing more is needed.
When we begin to scratch the surface of faith, we are led into an experience of profound mystery and ridiculous reality. From the view of the skeptic, faith is ridiculous – a blind fantasy into what seems to have no basis in reality. From the view of a follower of Jesus, faith is ridiculous – an extraordinary confidence in what reality would negate.
The Seven Last Words of Jesus
Good Friday, March 30, 2018
Aaron McCullough, Laura Whistler, Anthony Janutolo,
Abby Zaino, Bob Russo, Pastor Steve Brown, Meredith Miller
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What Does It Mean For You To Wash Feet?
Maundy Thursday, March 29, 2018
Pastor Steve Brown
What specifically does it mean for you to wash feet? The answer to this question will vary from person to person. After exploring what it meant for Jesus to humble himself and wash the feet of his disciples, time will be given for people to reflect answer the question, where in your connection with others is God nudging you to humble yourself in order to serve the needs of the other person ahead of your own?
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Next step: Identify one situation where God is nudging you to humble yourself in order to serve the needs of someone else.
From the Lips of Children
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Pastor Steve Brown
We all have a sacred responsibility to raise up the next generation to trust and follow Jesus. There is a persistent temptation in our lives and ministries to just finish our own race faithfully. An essential step on our discipleship path is pouring into the next generation with everything we have to effectively raise them up to trust and faithfully follow Jesus.
A Promise Kept
Sunday, March 19, 2018
Aaron McCullough, Worship & Adult Ministry Director
Through Christ, God kept his promise and proved He can be trusted. Christ calls us in return to follow him. It is through Jesus that we tangibly see God's love in action, fulfilling the new covenant promise he made through Jeremiah.
When Life Gets Hard: Five Ways God Brings Meaning
February 4 - March 11, 2018
Pastor Steve Brown
Inspired by Option B, written by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant, this series will teach five ways that God brings meaning to the suffering and loss we experience in life. When life gets hard, God brings post-traumatic growth through the direct ministration of His Holy Spirit and the consolation of His people. Through this, God works to build in us greater resilience and help us find joy. The theme passage for the series is Psalm 13.
Prayer Refocus
Wednesdays in Lent - February 21 - March 14, 2018
Pastor Steve Brown
Often when we pray we say to God, “Bless me.” “Be with me.” “Watch over and protect me.” “Forgive me.” In this series we will learn how to refocus each of these prayers to a healthier more God-centered prayer language that better fits with what God has already accomplished in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the coming of God, the Holy Spirit, to live in us. Refocusing our prayers will lead us into deeper intimacy with God when we talk to God in prayer. This series is inspired and heavily drawn from the teaching of Pastor Louie Giglio’s “Prayer:Remix” sermon series.
The Cost of Following Jesus
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Greg Osborne
We see in Scriptures of people dropping everything to follow Jesus in the Bible. But what was the actual cost for them to do this? In this day and age, many people say they want to follow Jesus but are we truly willing to accept the cost of following Jesus?
Fueling a Warm Community
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Pastor Steve Brown
The warmth of our relationships with one another is to in every cell in the body of our community. Engaging preaching, dynamic worship, excellent programs, effective outreach, and a well-kept building are important in our mission, but the warmth of our community trumps everything. Jesus said that the world will know that we are his followers by the way we love one another. Warmth in our relationships spreads which means when we are experiencing growing warmth in our relationships with one another, we more often spread that warmth to others, including guests.
