Sunday, Aug 24, 2008

Caring for Our Most Precious Resource

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The school year has begun and that always comes with the reminder of how important children are. We must never forget that children are very important to our God. As adults we each have an obligation before God to be faithful in pointing each child to Him. While this begins at home, we will see to day that God expects all of us to be active in caring for our most precious resource and making sure that the next generations has a foundation and multiple examples of Godly living.

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Sunday, Aug 17, 2008

Can God Help Me To Not Feel So Lonely? Psalm 142

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Sometimes we wrestle with applying what we say we know. We know that God is all present and we therefore believe that He is always with us. However, sometimes it seems difficult to really believe that when we feel that no human is on our side. Loneliness is a difficult emotion to manage.

Today we will see how one person dealt with the sense of being completely alone. His example should help us the next time that we feel no one really cares for our soul.

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Sunday, Aug 10, 2008

Can God Really Give me Contentment?

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We live in culture of discontent. Advertisements try to stir discontent in us so that we will buy a product. As the Olympics begin we will hear of athletes who were “not content” to settle for second place but who go for the gold. In fact we will often view silver and bronze medalists as “losers.” Discontent touches every area of our lives. But God calls us to be content. The Apostle Paul talks about the secret of contentment.

In our survey of this congregation there were several who expressed a deep desire for contentment. Today we will see that contentment is not to be confused with complacency. Contentment is an attitude of the heart that begins with one’s relationship with Jesus Christ. Once we learn contentment, we will understand what it means to travel this journey of life with a light load and we will discover a profound freedom.

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Sunday, Aug 03, 2008

Can God Really Give Me Peace? - Philippians 4:6-9

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Pastor Joel reveals three viewpoints of peace in God's Word. May this message and the words of this poem guide you to the source and giver of Peace.

"My peace I give in times of deepest grief, imparting calm and trust and My relief. My peace I give when prayer seems lost; know that my promises are ever in My Word.

"My peace I give when thou art left alone -- the nightingale at last has sweetest tone. My peace I give in time of utter loss, the way of glory leads right to the cross.

"My peace I give when enemies will blame. Thy fellowship is sweet through cruel shame. My peace I give in agony and sweat, for Mine own brow with Bloody drops was wet!

"My peace I give when nearest friend betrays -- peace that is merged in love, and for them prays. My peace I give when there's but death for thee -- the Gateway is the Cross to get to Me!"
--L.S.P.

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Sunday, Jul 27, 2008

Does God really care about my Fears? 1 Peter 5:6-11

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In the midst of great uncertainty and national unsettlement of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt inspired America in his inaugural address of 1933 with these words, “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

Pastor Joel Sisson reminds us that our fears and anxieties are real and when they are allowed to dominate our thoughts and actions even the simple things of life become difficult. God Cares About You and Your Fears! He is asking us to release our fears and anxieties to Him so that we may advance in our Relationship with Him and advance His Kingdom here on Earth otherwise we will retreat into the depth of paralytic selfishness.

To further enhance your worship, listen to or download Jeremy Camp's song "Stay".

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=86451637&id=86452239&s=143441

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Sunday, Jul 13, 2008

Does God Really Care about my Relationships? Colossians 3:18-21

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Consider the following that we know about God:
He describes himself as a God of love and compassion. (Exodus 34:6-7). God is a providing and protecting God (Psalm 23). God is a forgiving God (Psalm 103). Jesus called his disciples “friends.” (John 15:14).

These examples and many, many more all consist of the language of relationship. God is a relational God and so it is natural for him to express himself in relational language. God created relationships and so the fact is that even when it does not feel like it, God cares very much about your personal relationships. He’s even given you some written instructions.

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Sunday, Jul 06, 2008

Does God Really Care About Our Nation? Psalm 33

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I Worry About God Caring...
In our limited state as human beings, we sometimes project our faults toward God. Since we tend to really care about the plight of a nation or a person until they exit the news cycle, we think it must be the same for God. How can He possibly really care about every need that exists?

Pastor Scott explains that God can and does care. On this Holiday weekend we will see that more than caring about nations, God cares deeply about the individuals that make up those nations. No matter what nation we are discussing.

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Sunday, Jun 29, 2008

Can God Really Love Me? 2 Samuel 9; Romans 5:6-8

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Sometimes we look at our lives, our errors, our shame or we listen to the lies that we have been told about ourselves and we doubt that God could really love us. From that point we then can drift into the error of trying to hide from God and from ourselves or we work to try and make ourselves worthy. Today we will see from a dramatic story in the Bible that God’s love for us is unconditional and based totally on his character and his grace extended to us. We bring nothing to the negotiating table and he still accepts us. We will conclude our time by remembering his grace as shown on the cross as we celebrate communion. The bottom line is, God loves you!

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Sunday, Jun 22, 2008

Can God Really Manage this World? Lessons from the story of Esther

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Cancer is diagnosed. Your friend took her own life. The company is downsizing. Your basement flooded again. They said the other driver was drunk and he was the only one who survived. You read of another shooting or another abuse case, another case of political corruption, and another case of religious persecution. You care about world hunger and poverty and you sometimes wonder “Where is God?” Why doesn’t God just fix this mess? As we explore that question we will go down a path that should cause each of us to take a careful look at our own choices and our own experiences that have brought us back to the reality that in some mysterious way, God has never stopped managing this world. His ways are higher than our ways and his purposes greater than we fully understand.

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Sunday, Jun 15, 2008

Can God Guide Me (us)? Nehemiah 1-2

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It seems we each want to get a clear indication from God as to what we should do or where we should go? This is not only true for us as individuals but for us as a church. Today we will explore the question of God’s guidance from the standpoint of where we are as a church. The principles of guidance we will find are applicable to a group and to individuals. Maybe the better question will be: “Am I really willing to let God guide me?”

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Sunday, Jun 08, 2008

What if Everyone Prayed?

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We are created for Communion and Communication with God. Do you believe that God actually speaks today! We can believe that God not only speaks, but that He is speaking and wants to speak with you and me on a regular basis. Conversations are always two-way communication. This morning we will consider the Power of Everyone in prayer, and discover that we could affect and change the World and our Community through our prayers. Will you allow God to use you through Prayer?

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Sunday, Jun 01, 2008

What if Everyone Gave?

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Today we will look with Pastor Joel Sisson at a moment in the history of the nation of Israel found in Exodus 35:20. Moses went to the children of Israel to ask them to give whatever they had for the building of the Tabernacle. They Gave! And They GAVE! So much so that Moses had to stop them from giving any more. Generosity is a matter of the willingness or our hearts, the openness of our hands and the expediency of our tools. Our Community needs us to care deeply, to risk greatly, and to act boldly, but the beginning point of that is to Give Generously!

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Sunday, May 25, 2008

What if Everyone Mattered?

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Pastor Joel Sisson reminds us that we would like to think that it would be self evident that Everyone Does Matter, but practically speaking our default is selfish…much like Cain in Gen. 4:3 and the Older Son in Luke 15.  They both neglected the fact that their brothers Mattered in this world and to the Father. God’s grace marked Cain for all the world to see that he mattered to God. The challenge to the Older Son to embrace compassion and set aside the idea that relationship with the Father is Exclusive is for all of us.

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Sunday, May 18, 2008

What if everyone connected? John 15

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Do you feel Connected these days? Cell phones, Blackberry, PC or Macs, Email, Wi-Fi Hot Spots, Cable or Satellite TV, 24 hour news, sports, weather and traffic, Radio, iPhones and iPods… and the list is getting longer as new technology is being created. It seems like the driving force of life is all about getting Connected. But are we really Connected? What would it look like if we all were Connected in the same way?

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Sunday, May 11, 2008

What if Everyone Sacrificed?

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Associate Pastor Joel Sisson begins a new series entitled The Power of Everyone.

Sacrifice is central to relationship. Mother’s know this perhaps better than anyone else. So when we consider that we have been created for relationship with others and most importantly God himself, we must consider Love. Love demands sacrifice! This morning we will examine the call to love. The first is found in Gen 22 when Abraham is asked to sacrifice his Son, and then in Mark 10:17-31, Jesus asked the Rich Young Ruler to sacrifice his property and wealth. Their Love demanded Sacrifice. What If … we lived our life where everyday we made small sacrifices for someone else.

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Sunday, May 04, 2008

A Few Things that will Never Change

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People who have survived earthquakes talk about the panic of not being able to find a solid place upon which to stand. For some of us, it seems at times as if life is one big earthquake and we need something to hold on to that will give us a sense of stability. Our world is going through rapid changes and it does not look to subside any time soon. What do you hang on to? Where is your confidence as you ride the roller coaster of life?

Today Pastor Scott will consider a few things that will never change. Our prayer is that you walk away with a renewed sense of confidence and security in the person and work of our God and all that he can be in your life.

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Sunday, Apr 27, 2008

How do you really know? 1 John 5:13-21

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Think about the characteristics of a loving relationship. In a loving relationship each party listens to the other and responds. In a loving relationship each party holds one another accountable because they want the best for each other. In a loving relationship there is a sense of protection and safety. In a loving relationship there are no substitutes for the quality of time and enjoyment you can have with that other person.

More than anything else God desires a loving relationship with us and we will see today that each of the elements described above are keys to a loving relationship with God.

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Sunday, Apr 20, 2008

How do you know? 1 John 5:1-12

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How do you know that Jesus is the right way? Aren’t all religions basically the same? Isn’t Christianity just one of many belief systems?

These are questions our culture is asking every day. These are the types of questions that well meaning, soul searching individuals are trying to find answers for. In fact when we are honest sometimes those of us who call ourselves "Christ-followers" may even struggle with some of these questions. They aren’t new questions. We will see that they were lingering in some form all the way back in the 1st Century. But God’s Word addresses the core issues of the heart in a kind and loving way allowing us to respond to these questions.

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Sunday, Apr 13, 2008

Living out God's Love 1 John 4:7-21

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If you think about it, you can remember a time when someone showed you unconditional love. A need was met, a word of encouragement was spoken, assistance came for a project or a gift was given that was unexpected. They initiated the action, they sacrificed for you, they showed you God “with skin” on.

In this sermon Pastor Scott reminds us that when you and I show love to those around us who cannot repay us, we live out the message of what it means to serve a loving God. God is Love and when we say we love God we need to love others as God loves them.

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Sunday, Apr 06, 2008

God's Heart for the World

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On this Sunday in which we highlight our Global Missions program Pastor Scott reminds us that if we are to have God's heart for the world it will show itself in each of us living out the Great Commission at home as we also support our Missionaries around the world.

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