In spite of what many Christians think and teach, God’s primarily plan for your life is not good behavior so you can make a positive impact on the world! According to the One whose birth we celebrated and whose return we await, these things are “nothing” if we neglect primary invitation to abide in me. Don’t miss this, or any message in this series, so you can learn what it means to abide in Jesus, how to experience this blessed life and the rewards that will result in your life in 2022 and beyond!
Sermons by Dean Wertz (Page 10)
Adolphe Adam composed the melody for O Holy Night in 1847. The music was originally written for a French poem entitled, ‘Minuit, chrétiens’ (Midnight, Christians). Eight years later, in 1855, John Sullivan Dwight translated the French poem into the well-known English lyrics we sing today. Join us at 6:30 p.m. this Christmas Eve as we will meditate on the central summons of this song, before Him lowly bend, celebrate the reasons to do so, and then light candles as we sing this, and other, Christ-exalting Christmas hymns!
When Joseph discovered that his betrothed wife, Mary, was with child, he quickly thought of two options. Later, in a more restful posture, God revealed a third way, God’s way. God is always willing to unveil His plan to those who resist the initial impulse to act without divine knowledge. In this message, we will learn how to wait attentively for God’s guidance as we anticipate the upcoming arrival of Jesus!
Everyone needs encouragement. In this message, we receive personal encouragement from the last paragraph in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and learn how to better encourage others!
Jesus is working to see the whole church share the whole gospel with the whole world. Satan is working against this plan by trying to turn everyone in Christ’s church into spiritual weaklings. To see Christ’s plan prevail, Jesus is training us to receive His divine gifts, including the sword of the Spirit and prayer in the Spirit, so the world gets the Good News, God gets the glory, and we all, except Satan, get to be a part of it.
God loves children and so do the people of Hope. Since the kids will be with us throughout this 4th Sunday service, Pastor Dean will bring a shorter and kid-relevant message entitled, “Kids, God is For You!” from Ephesians 6:1-4. Parents, this message will encourage your children to abide in Jesus in various ways, including through obedience and honor toward you so if you are in town, join us as God’s family unites to worship and receive His wisdom for our everyday lives.
Sometimes we disagree with people we love. This difficulty can cause sleepless nights, stomach aches, avoidance, anger and sometimes even slander. Last week we learned from Ephesians 4:1-16 that God’s vision for the church is unity, not uniformity. In this coming message, from Ephesians 4:17-32, we will begin to discover God’s guidance on how to be faithful to our convictions and kind toward others, especially when we disagree.
Imagine a deeply unified people. What would it look like for people with legitimate differences to eagerly maintain unity in a community of peace? Christ envisions His followers to be this unique group and in this message, we will learn how He summons us to think and live together that it may be so!
Why pray if God is sovereign over all? Why pray when time is limited and there is so much work to be done? Why pray if God already knows everything including what I will converse with Him about? After writing to the church in Ephesus about the awe-inspiring and freshly revealed gospel of Jesus, the Apostle Paul shares the reason why he bows his knee before the Father. In so doing, he has inspired generations of people like you and me to do the same. Join us for this message and service to worship God and discover a potentially new and compelling reason to pray!
Jesus is available for all. Everyone who gets acquainted with and then accompanies Jesus becomes united in realities that surpass the divisions among us. This week’s message celebrates some of these realities and then includes an insightful conversation with Seth Slay, Hope and Bloom’s Worship Leader about the people of God uniting as a community of praise.