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!
Sermons by Dean Wertz (Page 10)
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.
On sunny and rainy days, it is good, necessary and right to consider the goodness of God. Please join us this Sunday as we unite in song, prayer and God’s Word to meditate on several blessings which God has given to all who love Jesus. This week’s message will be the first in a new series through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
How shall we respond when life doesn’t go according to our plan? While on earth Jesus was guided by the Holy Spirit in ways that were often unexpected. The Spirit led Jesus to be tempted by Satan in the wilderness and into Jerusalem to be crucified. The disciples were often confused by the mysterious steps the Spirit led Jesus to take. Now that Jesus has ascended and fulfilled His promise to send the Holy Spirit into His followers, we can also expect to be led in ways that are unexpected, unplanned, and confusing. In this message, we will be encouraged and guided to walk faithfully when seasons of mystery arise.
God created us to walk with Him. Yet, who would do so if we think God is angry or against us? In this message we discover what the 1st followers of Jesus sought to know; how can we most accurately get to know this God who invites us to live with Him in all of life? In Christ, God is revealing Himself to us as One who loves us, is for us, forgives us and wants us (and all who don’t yet rightly know Him) to live all of life in the conscious awareness of His kind presence and purpose.
When was the last time you were surprised? What does it take to astonish you? To marvel is to live with surprise, wonder and amazed curiosity. God made you to live with an ever-expanding amazed curiosity and in this message, Jesus will show you how to do so.
Why is solitary confinement torturous? Why is loneliness so severe? After walking with Jesus, the Apostle John observed that the Father and Son’s relationship is one of with-ness. This message heralds this union, hints at how this union answers the questions above and points to how it models an intimacy with God similar to what we can also have.
It’s hard to watch a runner drop out of the race, and it’s difficult to see those we love step away from God when life gets tough. Just like an endurance coach helping a runner make it through the finish line, this message equips us to remain with God in a way described in Hebrews as “running with endurance.”
Most of us struggle with a secret hope to be recognized and the reality that much of what we do goes unnoticed. This tension can frustrate us when others are praised and attempts to point out our own achievements are seen as arrogant. In this message we discover how walking with God in three specific ways caused Moses to be described as the most humble person on earth (Numbers 12:3) and how this type of life with God is the divine resolution to our human struggle.
It keeps us awake, diminishes our creativity and reduces our ability to love others. What is the antidote to fear? In this message we will discover God’s strategy to empower us to live in freedom rather than fear.