Search Results for: discipline and reward

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: 26 Jun, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

God’s not just after our obedience; he’s after our hearts! Do you ever feel guilty, dirty, and like you have nothing to offer to God? And then, to feel better, do you start doing things like going to church, reading the Bible, or giving money at church? An amazing illustration from Haggai helps us see […]

Posted: 19 Jun, 2016 | Author: Dove Cranson

Is your spiritual life a religious practice or a relationship with God? In this message pastor Dove helps us reflect on our past and look ahead into our futures so that we can experience the full life in Christ that our souls long for. Download Handout

Posted: 12 Jun, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

We know that following God pays off in the next life, but does it pay off in this life? Can we expect a blessing in following God, or is that some sort of prosperity-gospel teaching? We need to be careful to avoid both extremes in this matter. We shouldn’t expect wealth and health from following God, […]

Posted: 29 May, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

It’s one thing to follow God when God asks something easy of us, but it is another thing to follow God when we have a completely different plan that we think is easier or better. To help us make good choices in these situations it is helpful to understand how we think. We need to […]

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: 14 May, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

If you had to play a game of high-stakes chess, would you accept the advice of a grandmaster? Would you even go so far as to taking the advice of the grandmaster even when it seemed like it was going to cost you dearly? This is similar to our wrestle of faith. There are times […]

Posted: 08 May, 2016 | Author: Dove Cranson

In this message, Dove talks about coming together as a church—not only as the local church, but as a community of followers of Christ within this city, country, and world. We were made to thrive in unity and togetherness. “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when […]

Posted: 01 May, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

In this message, Steve talks about how being involved in the church is a strategic part of our mission to advance God’s Kingdom. Church was never intended to be an event, but the church is Christ’s body, in a brotherhood expressed practically in deep and meaningful local relationships, and on mission like a spiritual army. Serving in […]

Posted: 24 Apr, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

In this second installment in the There Is series, Steve talks about the mission of the church. Why do we do what we do? What are we as a church doing to accomplish our mission? From small groups to lunch after church, everything we do is designed to accomplish our mission to be disciples and make […]

Posted: 17 Apr, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

This is the first of a four-part series called “There is.” Our “There is” campaign is a rallying call, to not just be a group of people who meet together on Sunday mornings, but, to be one body with one faith, following one God. It is based on this verse: There is one body and one […]

Posted: 09 Apr, 2016 | Author: Dove Cranson

In this Easter sermon, Dove talks about the beautiful story of the resurrection of Jesus. But beyond that, we explore the hope of the resurrection and what it means for us. With the resurrection, we have hope. With the resurrection, we carry the truth. With the resurrection, we have purpose.   Download

Posted: 02 Apr, 2016 | Author: Bruce Bradford

Bullies come in all shapes and size—financial trouble, stress, anger, sin, and fear. But we don’t have to face these bullies on our own. Bullies cower in fear when someone bigger than them is backing you up. And that’s what God says he’ll do for us.   Download

Posted: 02 Apr, 2016 | Author: Blaise Nelson

Sometimes we want to set our own course in life, but God has a different plan. In this message, Blaise tells the story of finishing college and wrestling with giving 100% of his life to whatever God wanted for him.   Download

Posted: 26 Mar, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

As the completion of the Disciple trilogy (Don’t Miss the Duh Moment and Follow were the first two), Steve talks about the thrill of following Jesus. Life with God is an adventure, not a chore!   Download

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: 20 Feb, 2016 | Author: Dove Cranson

In this message, Dove takes a look at Jesus’ parable of the sower from Luke 8 and how it relates to our lives today. “While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed…”   Download Handout

Posted: 06 Feb, 2016 | Author: Dove Cranson

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” – Ephesians 6:12   Download Handout

Posted: 10 Jan, 2016 | Author: Dr. Michael Parsa

The Bible tells us that God calls his followers to obey himself and those in authority over us. But what is a Christian supposed to do when these two conflict with one another? What does true obedience to God look like anyway? What about the grey areas? In this message, Dr. Mike Parsa addresses these questions […]

Posted: 03 Jan, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson

Each of us has our own unique path in life, but suffering is not unknown to any of us. Not only do we have past hurts, but we have a span of life looming in front of us which is undoubtedly seasoned with unknown types and intensities of grief. In this message, Steve shares some […]

Posted: 26 Dec, 2015 | Author: Steve Nelson

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making […]

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: 12 Dec, 2015 | Author: Steve Nelson

Merry Christmas from the Rio! In this message, Steve talks about how, before the first Christmas, the world eagerly waited for the Lord’s first coming—and also about how we now wait for his second coming to take us all home. “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” – Psalm […]

Posted: 12 Dec, 2015 | Author: Dove Cranson

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” – Revelation 3:20   Download

Posted: 28 Nov, 2015 | Author: Dove Cranson

So often we make Christianity about a list of things to do or events to attend. And yet when Jesus walked the earth, he didn’t ask people to come to small group or prayer meeting. Instead he took his disciples on a journey of commitment and excitement. In this sermon, Dove speaks about how Christianity […]

Posted: 21 Nov, 2015 | Author: Steve Nelson

Our human plan for reaching the world is not working. However, God has a plan to reach the world, and we know that it does work. However, in order for it to work well, we have to be doing things God way. In this message, Steve takes a look at God’s way of reaching the world—through the […]

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: 31 Oct, 2015 | Author: Dove Cranson

Dove’s message about repentance, both at the initial point of salvation and daily repentance in your walk as a new creation. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” —Acts 3:19 Handout Disciple the Heart resource 2 – Repent – […]

Posted: 25 Oct, 2015 | Author: Steve Nelson

In this first message in our series “Disciple the Heart,” Steve talks about the importance of committing to follow Jesus—not sometimes, not halfway, but all in. “Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” —Luke 9:23 Handout Disciple the […]

Posted: 03 Oct, 2015 | Author: Josh Triggs

Josh Triggs shares his testimony with us. Valuable insight regarding community and serving!   Download