The believers Peter was writing to were experiencing persecution and rejection from the world and culture around them. They had been dispersed throughout the ancient world and were living as exiles in foreign lands. Peter understood persecution and rejection, as he had personally been beaten, threatened, punished, and put in prison for preaching the Word of God. Here in chapter 2, Peter encourages the church to continue living a lifestyle worthy of Jesus by recognizing that they have been called and chosen by God. Though the world around us may reject our lifestyles and faith, God considers us His special people and promises us assurance on the day of visitation whereby God will judge the living and the dead. As followers of Jesus, we can live out our faith without fear of hell or rejection and instead with full assurance that we are saved by God’s grace and that nothing and no one can snatch us out of our Father’s hand.
"faith" Tagged Sermons
Jesus proclaimed many astounding things throughout his ministry but the most astonishing—the most controversial—was his claim that He, a human man, was also the divine Son of God. Some responded to this proclamation by trying to silence Him. Others continued listening to Him, believed His claim, and amplified it. Jesus’ claim is relevant to us today because, when we recognize its significance, we too must decide whether to silence Jesus or to amplify Him. Join us this Sunday at 9 a.m. to worship Christ, pray as he prayed, and respond to his claim of deity. Our message this week (from Executive Pastor Arik Stewart) is titled The Relevance of Christ’s Deity and is based on John 8:48-59.
Some days we face unmanageable demands for production. Other days we receive unexpected requests and expectations from people. Having learned though the past five weeks how Jesus is better than anyone and anything, join us this Sunday to discover how to live the “draw near” life through the peaceful and busy days of life.
The message of Hebrews is clear: Jesus is better! He’s better than anyone or anything else we can put our faith in! But why was the author of Hebrews inspired to share this message? Why did the church who received it need to hear it? Some members of the church were persevering and holding firmly to their faith and some of them were drifting and falling away from it, but all of them needed this reminder that Jesus is better and an explanation of how he’s better. They needed it so all of them would persevere in their faith even when it was difficult, even when drifting away from it was easier. We need this message for the same reasons. Are you holding firmly to your faith? Are you falling away from it? Over the next six-weeks a variety of preachers will encourage you to persevere by God’s grace because, truly, Jesus is better! This Sunday, Executive Pastor Arik Stewart will share our first message entitled Persevere in Faith from Hebrews 1:1-2:4. If you are unable to join us in person, please visit the 9 a.m. livestream or view the recording here.
Have you noticed how tough it has become to live faithfully with God among those who don’t share your God-centered worldview? How can we walk honorably with so many opposing voices and views around us? Join us Sunday at 9am to worship the Lord, and be encouraged and equipped to honor God among those who think and see life differently.
Are we alone in this world? Maybe this question brought to mind images of UFOs and alien life forms, but what about the supernatural? Humans have been wrestling with God for thousands of years, and we often wonder why He feels distant or if He cares about our own small lives. Join us this Sunday at 9 a.m. to sing, pray and ponder these questions as our Ministry Coordinator Tara Farrell continues our series through the stories of the Bible entitled, “Knowing God.” This week we explore the extraordinary faith of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Jacob and how they walked not alone but with God as His plan to save humanity continued to unfold.
Jesus demonstrated his kingdom and his kingship in his life, death, and resurrection, so that all who believe that he is king can glorify him and enjoy him both now and forever. Join us on Sunday at 9 a.m. as we consider this compelling invitation to believe.
Join us this Sunday as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the gift of His presence to all who worship Him as King!
Have you ever made a plan that went entirely different than you expected? How do we respond when the things we want and expect out of life don’t happen? Or when the Lord calls us to something different than what we planned for ourselves? This second Sunday in Advent, Tara Farrell brings a message on the story of Mary, Mother of Jesus, and how God reached into her life and turned everything upside down. And more importantly, how Mary responded to His plan to redeem Israel and ultimately the entire world.
We are exhorted to hold up the shield of faith in all circumstances, to extinguish the arrows of the evil one. Just what are those arrows? Attacks come in many forms, including accusations, deceptions, distortions, distractions, false assurances, and temptations. How does faith in God act like a shield in these attacks? We can draw on the heroes of our faith and on Jesus himself to consider how we, too, might stand against and be empowered to overcome these attacks to produce lasting fruit in the Kingdom of God.