Posted: 03 Mar, 2019 | Author: Steve Nelson
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that […]
Read More...Posted: 03 Feb, 2019 | Author: Steve Nelson
Acts 2:38-39 Peter replied, Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away all who […]
Read More...Posted: 20 Jan, 2019 | Author: Steve Nelson
John 12:24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. In 2004, a college student came up with the idea to steal a book of Audubon’s bird illustrations from his school library. It […]
Read More...Posted: 21 Oct, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. Proverbs 4:18-19 ESV In our early 20s, a friend and I explored Spring Cave in northwestern Colorado. Within a […]
Read More...Posted: 07 Oct, 2018 | Author: Dove Cranson
Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness.” We are constantly and unconditionally loved by God. But, the things we do are not always pleasing to God. What pleases God? He is not withholding his pleasure until we reach perfection. […]
Read More...Posted: 07 Oct, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. NIV11 You may have seen the famous poem “The Dash,” by Linda Ellis. It talks about how someday our tombstones will have two […]
Read More...Posted: 23 Sep, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
Proverbs 23:19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path. NIV11 Once, when I was a kid, my family went to church at a drive-in theater. My dad pulled up, put the speaker on his partially rolled-down window, and we quietly sat through the service. We were on vacation […]
Read More...Posted: 09 Sep, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be […]
Read More...Posted: 26 Aug, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
1 Peter 4:1-2 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. NIV11 Sometimes suffering is […]
Read More...Posted: 12 Aug, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
God doesn’t want to keep us in the dark. He is a loving father who wants to guide us down His good path. In this message we explore some of the ways he directs us and confirms His will. Download Handout: With blanks / Without blanks
Read More...Posted: 08 Aug, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
Our relationship with God is more than a list of dos and don’ts. God wants a deep, authentic, and committed relationship! He doesn’t want anything to get in the way of that. We’ll take a look at how that relates to this passage of Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 It is God’s will that you should […]
Read More...Posted: 15 Jul, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
One of the difficulties in discerning God’s will is that our own will causes interference that makes it challenging to be impartial in decision making. By identifying some of the ways we misidentify God’s will, we can avoid making bad decision that favors our will instead of His. Download Handout: With blanks / Without blanks
Read More...Posted: 25 Mar, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ESV Sometimes in the midst of difficulty we can feel like something must be wrong. We aren’t naive. We know life is hard; but we don’t expect it to be this hard. When we try to make […]
Read More...Posted: 11 Mar, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
Romans 5:9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! NIV Romans 5 talks about how we used to be and how we are, and it addresses the kind of treatment we can expect from God. We used to be ungodly. We […]
Read More...Posted: 11 Feb, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
It is important to keep our mission ever before us. As a church, we want to help people connect to the source, God, experience life, and to have that life flow through us and into the world. In this message, Steve explains how the prophet’s vision in Ezekiel 47 relates to our church name and […]
Read More...Posted: 04 Feb, 2018 | Author: Dove Cranson
There is a lot of information in this message. First, Dove introduces a new series and explains why our hearts are so important in our lives and what God’s plan is for them. He then explains the goals that we will be focusing on for the next 4 months, including instructions for a journaling exercise […]
Read More...Posted: 21 Jan, 2018 | Author: Dove Cranson
We are called to stand, to persevere in our faith, to finish this race, even through the troubles that come. This work is something God is able to do for us as we trust Him. He began the work in us and He will complete it. We are called to trust Him, even through the […]
Read More...Posted: 10 Dec, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson
Jesus gave instructions to be generous, promised blessings for our giving, and implied that giving impacts our hearts! Luke 6:38 [Jesus said, ] “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will […]
Read More...Posted: 26 Nov, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson
What does it look like to follow Jesus? In this message, Steve uses the story of Ruth to illustrate the devotion of a follower of Jesus. Ruth's heart was to follow Naomi into a completely new life. When we become Christians, we do the same. Baptism is simply our first step at following Jesus lead […]
Read More...Posted: 29 Oct, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson
God has given each of us amazing stories of how He has worked in our lives. Fear can keep us from telling people about these incredible events, and as a result, they miss out on learning from us and being encourage by what God has done in our lives. However, through him, we can be […]
Read More...Posted: 22 Oct, 2017 | Author: John Houser
The gospel is the most important message in the history of the world. We are privileged to be a part of following Jesus and spreading hope to a world in desperate need. This is God’s call on our lives: the Great Commission. Download Handout
Read More...Posted: 27 Aug, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson
Dove shares about how he has felt a tendency in his own life to isolate himself or become isolated from others. Yet, the hope of Christ is that his family (his church) will relentlessly fight these tendencies and pursue unity. We each have a role in building up the family of God and staying united […]
Read More...Posted: 11 Jun, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson
A rich young man came to Jesus asking how to find eternal life. He came confident in himself and in his own goodness. The answer Jesus gave him left him walking away sad. Despite his own accomplishments, possessions, and reputation he was lacking. But he couldn’t bring himself to give up control and follow the […]
Read More...Posted: 16 Apr, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson
A man named Nicodemus came to Jesus in the secret of night only to get far more than he bargained for. As we look at this interaction with the Life Giver we find how to be born again into a new life. We do not get life by trying to be a better person, but […]
Read More...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 […]
Read More...Posted: 02 Apr, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson
This message is from a morning dedicated to the upcoming mission trip to China. Jason, who is leading the trip, explains his passion for China, his family’s experience there, and the upcoming trip. Using the book of 2 Thessalonians as a model, Dove then leads the group in prayer as we ask God for help […]
Read More...Posted: 26 Mar, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson
A fundamental way to fix our eyes on the unseen is to be continually aware that God is with us. It is a great comfort to us in times of grief and loss when we are aware of God’s loving presence. It also gives us confidence to do things that are greater than ourselves when […]
Read More...Posted: 26 Feb, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson
We should never be surprised when we find ourselves discouraged or even despondent. After all, we live in terrible times. Yet God offers hope in the midst of our trials. Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” We can find life from God even […]
Read More...Posted: 19 Feb, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson
Dove shares about the opportunity to develop an ongoing, growing relationship with the living God. He unpacks Jesus’ call in the beginning of Matthew chapter 6, to pray, give, and fast in secret—not for the approval of others but for God only. When done with a desire to discover the heart of God, not just […]
Read More...Posted: 12 Feb, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson
If those who speak are supposed to speak as if speaking the very words of God, how are those who listen supposed to listen? In faith, can we believe that God will speak to us through His Word, through worship, through others, and even through the sermons we hear? 1 Peter 4:11a If anyone speaks, […]
Read More...