God made a promise to make Abram into a great nation through whom He would bless all nations. While Abram and his wife, Sarah, had to wait many years, God kept His promise. In this message we discover God’s vision for the world as well as His commitment to use ordinary people like us in order to fulfill that vision.
Everyone loves a good story that begins with “Once upon a time…” Genesis 1 begins with the similar phrase, “In the beginning, God…” This message declares that God is the maker of heaven and earth and that He is devoted to relating with the humans whom He has created. When Adam and Eve turned from God for the first time, God unveiled that He is committed to restoring their relationship with Him. This was great news for them in the garden as it is for us today.
The Bible has been translated, printed and read more than any other book in all of history. This message provides an overview of the Bible and encourages everyone to cultivate 4 habits in order to fully participate with us in the upcoming 31-week journey through the Bible.
Most religions include certain requirements or performances that are necessary in order to have a relationship with God. In the final paragraph of I Peter, Peter declares that Christianity is based on God’s grace for us rather than our achievements for God. In this message we observe three ways God’s grace is on display throughout I Peter and all of time.
In times of persecution, God has a vision for our lives. In this message, Pastor Jay Oertli relays God’s plan for us to have two essential responses: confidence in God and caution concerning our enemy the devil who would love to destroy us.
We all face change and change can be hard. In this message, Dr. Scott Wenig shows from Prov. 3:5-6 how God wants us to grow in our trust in Him in the midst of change. When we learn what “trust in the Lord,” “lean not on your own understanding,” and “in all your ways acknowledge Him” really mean God’s promise for us is sure. He does not promise the absence of difficulty but to give us direction, purpose, fulfillment, a positive impact in our world and then when we die God will lead us straight into His presence to spend an eternity with Him.
While Christians suffer in different ways, the recipients of this letter were suffering because of their faith in Jesus. In this message we discover that suffering for Christ is an essential part of God’s plan for His people in this world. Yet suffering is not the end. Just like the birth of a baby, a spiritual conversion and every good Hollywood movie, so we follow the pattern of Jesus; to suffer, die and rise!
The Apostle Peter had heard Jesus describe this era as “the end of the age.” Peter, like all of the early Christians, believed Jesus. Even though it has been 2,000 years, it is still the end of this age and this carries certain responsibilities for those of us who are followers of Jesus. In this message we learn about three relational priorities: love for God, love for our neighbors and love for one another while we anticipate Christ’s return.
Sometimes it is hard to follow God’s ways when friends in our culture are critical of us. In this text, Peter reveals reasons to chose God’s will over people’s pressures even if we have to suffer for it.
If you are a Christian there are times when you will be criticized. Sometimes the harsh words come from those we love the most. When we feel attacked we have clear marching orders. God has called us to bless and to do good to those who revile us. In this message we discover God’s ways to cultivate this habit of blessing those who criticize us.