Search Results for: love

Posted: 10 Sep, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson

Because of the amazing love of God shown in Jesus, we can experience victory over rejection. Download Handout

Posted: 20 Aug, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson

Not only does God love you, but he likes you. He enjoys you. He is glad that you are His. In this study of Ephesians 1, we find many reasons to find joy and peace in our relationship with God, even though relationships are complicated, and we are fully aware of our shortcomings. Download Handout: Blanks / No […]

Posted: 16 Jul, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson

We are all busy people. We want our lives to count and so we fill them up with all sorts of activities. One of the most fulfilling things we can dedicate ourselves to is loving others, but we need to be careful that the busyness of life doesn’t choke out the things we really want […]

Posted: 09 Jul, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson

When Jesus walked this Earth he consistently showed love and grace and acceptance.  Yet His love is much deeper than just trying to make people feel good.  In fact, He spoke surprisingly harsh words to a certain group of people, the Pharisees.  Why?  At least in part it was because the Pharisees thought they could […]

Posted: 02 Jul, 2017 | Author: Bruce Bradford

Do you ever feel like you’ve made too many mistakes for Jesus to accept you? In Jesus’ interaction with Levi (Matthew), we see that there is love, forgiveness, and acceptance in Jesus, even for the really broken people. You past doesn’t matter to Jesus. You don’t have to fix your life before you follow. He […]

Posted: 25 Jun, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson

In today’s episode we see that when a broken Sinner comes to Jesus, she is accepted and forgiven; and her heart of stone is changed into a heart of love.  Could we ourselves dare to be so vulnerable with God?  And could we be people who accept other people? Download

Posted: 18 Jun, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson

The Christian life is not one of duty, obligation, and drudgery. Instead, it is a response to Him and what He has done for us. In the life of Zacchaeus we see that it’s a choice to live for the One we love! Download Handout: Blanks / No Blanks

Posted: 28 May, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson

There is something in us that makes us want to share with others the good things we have found.  Whether it is a great movie, a sunset, a revolutionary product, a new love, or something else we find exciting, we have a desire to pass it on.  How much more, despite hesitation or cultural opposition, […]

Posted: 09 Apr, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson

Have you ever thought about the Day of Judgement—when Jesus addresses the masses of people who have lived since the beginning of the world? Will He be angry and condemning? Loving and compassionate? In this imagined account of Judgment Day, Jesus pours out his heart to those he loves—a jilted lover to those who rejected […]

Posted: 05 Mar, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson

In this message Dove attempts to help us love bad people.  This is not so that we would embrace the bad things that bring pain, suffering, and destruction into this world, but that we would love bad people even as God does.  Dove explains five reasons we can love bad people, from those far away […]

Posted: 05 Feb, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson

From Super Bowl losses, to the loss of loved ones, we will all have disappointments in our lives.  In this message Dove wrestles through some of the disappointments in his own life, explaining some of the anchors he has found and continues to cling to along the way.  It is the journey to find God […]

Posted: 15 Jan, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson

If God were to give you a special supernatural gift, what would you want? Would you like to speak in tongues? Know the deep mysteries of God? Heal the sick? Any of these gifts would be amazing, but there is something even more incredible. It’s love. 1 Corinthians 12-14 is the most extensive passage on […]

Posted: 14 Jan, 2017 | Author: Jenna Schwieger

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love! How can we be women of faith in a world full of struggle and upheaval? Download    

Posted: 08 Jan, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson

Love is the greatest power on Earth and the true nature of God.  In 1 Corinthians 13 we see the beauty and excellence of love.  Through Jesus we can participate in this divine life. Download Handout  

Posted: 11 Dec, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

We can love people who are hard for us, but to do so we must see God’s good in ourselves, in others, and in His overarching plan for His people. In this message we look at spiritual gifts and how God has shaped each of us ways in various ways so that we can each […]

Posted: 27 Nov, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

With a healthy understanding of grace, we can appreciate it for what it really is, and stand firm in the security of our committed relationship with Jesus. This allows us to stop being distracted with trying to measure up or trying to discern exactly what is permissible behavior and what isn’t. Instead, we can focus […]

Posted: 20 Nov, 2016 | Author: Dove Cranson

As we continue to look at the Higher Calling we have in Jesus, we see the example of Paul to work with extreme effort to bring the good news of Jesus to others, breaking down barriers and enduring difficulties in the process.  What is the source of his dedication and sacrifice?  Is he trying to […]

Posted: 13 Nov, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

Have you ever felt judged by Christians? You vote one way, but they think you should vote another. You trick or treat, but they don’t. You have a Christmas tree and they seem to think you are worshiping the forest god in your living room. You public school and they home school. Paul addresses these […]

Posted: 04 Sep, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

The people in the days of Hosea were so mesmerized by their sins of drunkenness and prostitution, that God said they were being robbed of their brains. They weren’t thinking clearly, and because of that they chose their vices over God. We should ask ourselves if we have any similar destructive behaviors, and we should think […]

Posted: 28 Aug, 2016 | Author: Dove Cranson

Dove uncovers in his own life and others’ how our perception of what others think of us can be so crippling.  This has created a tendency to hide our shortcoming and emphasize our strengths.  Failure can become debilitating.  But with the unconditional love of God as our solid foundation we can walk through failure and […]

Posted: 31 Jul, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

God has always loved people. People are the pinnacle of creation! We might think that we are too messed up for God to love us, but there are countless examples of God loving really messed up people. Throughout all of scripture, we see God trying to win the hearts of broken people. And we see […]

Posted: 24 Jul, 2016 | Author: Dove Cranson

God loves us passionately and wants a special place in our lives. He wants your heart given to Him and not to anyone or anything else. In this message Dove shares a powerful illustration that will help you understand the place God wants in your heart. Download Handout

Posted: 17 Jul, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

To have a meaningful relationship with God, we must not see Him as an emotionless robot—always the same: passionless, uncaring, and unaffected by what He sees and experiences. We must see Him as a being who experiences joy and grief, pleasure and displeasure, intense love and extreme jealousy. Download Handout

Posted: 30 Jun, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

The Bible is full of amazing teachings about God’s love for people and His relentless pursuit of their hearts. In the culmination of His plan, He gave His special son to die on the cross so that our sins could be paid for. It’s an amazing story, but only if it is true. There are […]

Posted: 22 May, 2016 | Author: Tom Schwieger

God values relationships! One of the greatest themes throughout the New Testament is the command to love others. In this message, Tom Schwieger talks about the importance of having meaningful relationships with five different groups of people: Lifers, Laborers, Leaders, Learners, and the Lost. God uses each of these types of relationships to impact us, […]

Posted: 06 Mar, 2016 | Author: John Houser

In this message, John Houser talks about the importance of working through offense and conflict within the church. God wants the church to be united, and in order to do that we must be prepared to deal with the internal conflicts that will arise over time. “I have given them the glory that you gave […]

Posted: 13 Feb, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

If God treated us with grace before we were saved, how much more will he show grace to us now that we are his Children? “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8   Download Handout  

Posted: 20 Dec, 2015 | Author: John Houser

Merry Christmas from the Rio! In this message John Houser speaks about the joy of giving. The more we give, the less time we spend with out stuff. And less time you spend with something, the less you love it. And the less you love the things of the world, the easier it is to love […]

Posted: 14 Nov, 2015 | Author: Bruce Bradford

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” -Hebrews 6:10   Download Handout Disciple the Heart resource 4 – Serve – Give of Your Life

Posted: 19 Sep, 2015 | Author: Dove Cranson

Dove Cranson, our new soon-to-be pastor, shares his powerful testimony—all the while teaching lessons of influence, love, and relationship along the way.   Download