Join us this Sunday as we worship God, welcome new guests, reconnect with one another and finish our study through the letter to the Hebrews. According to God, life with Jesus is a marathon, not a moment. So, in this message seekers will be encouraged to enter the adventure and those who have already done so will be exhorted to run with endurance the race that is set before us!
Sermons on Knowing God
Loneliness is a desire for human connection while feeling isolated. According to studies from the University of Chicago Medical Department, there is a connection between loneliness and health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diminished sleep quality, increased inflammation and decreased viral immunity. This Sunday, let’s explore God’s life-giving plan that displaces loneliness with joy and hope in our lives.
If you are considering becoming a follower of Jesus, you may suspect that remaining faithful when questioned by unbelievers could be a challenge (“I don’t want to appear foolish!”). If you are a Christian, you may have seasons when a culturally-acceptable world view of another causes you to waver (“Yikes, is this really true?”). Since it is natural to experience hesitancy regarding public steadfastness with and for Christ, join us this Sunday at 9 a.m. as we consider together what enduring faithfulness to Jesus looks like and how to experience it in a distracting world.
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 continual sacrifices of the law were good because they temporarily eliminated our guilt and debt for sinning against God. But the once-for-all self-sacrifice of Jesus is better because it permanently eliminated our guilt and debt, it completely restored our relationship with God, and it’s making us perfect.
By better understanding the ancient Israelite sacrificial system, we can better comprehend the tremendous cost and consequences associated with our sin. This allows us to better understand the tremendous sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ and what that means for us as followers of Jesus today!
Whether you grew up going to church, or found Jesus later in life, there are always moments we learn something about our faith that feels upsetting, difficult, and confusing. Scripture is not always immediately clear and there are passages and ideas that feel contradictory. In church we also hear many different voices and opinions from many different leaders – maybe even those who are trying to lead us astray. In short, as a Christian, it can be hard to know who to trust. In the next installment of our Hebrews series, Ministry Coordinator Tara Farrell brings us a message titled “Jesus is the Better Priest” as we explore some difficult questions of faith and exalt Christ as the ultimate and trustworthy priest!
What happens when following Christ doesn’t seem worth it anymore? The author of the Book of Hebrews was writing to a group of people who were thinking of “jumping ship” because of persecution and imprisonment they were facing. Sticking with Jesus was costing them a lot, but the writer makes a case that Jesus is better and has better things for us. We need this exhortation today. No matter what difficulty we face, following Jesus is the only option when we see His Greatness and we understand the rest He wants to give us.
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.
Over the past 6 months we have been on a journey through God’s story in the Old Testament. Join us this Sunday at 9 a.m. as all ages unite for a family service to sing, celebrate communion and learn together. During our message time, our approach will be interactive, hearing from one another any new insights gained from our study, what God has revealed about Himself and/or how our lives have been changed through our journey from creation through Israel’s restoration over the past 6 months. Please consider these ideas in advance, come ready to share and anticipate learning from others who share. We look forward to being with you for this fun and collaborative celebration as a church family!