Posted: 17 Mar, 2019 | Author: Steve Nelson
Galatians 4:19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you… 2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate [reflect/behold] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Is […]
Read More...Posted: 17 Feb, 2019 | Author: Steve Nelson
Romans 2:13b-15 It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their heart, for their own conscience and thoughts […]
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: Dove Cranson
Have you ever felt lonely, even with people around, and thought something must be wrong with you? On the other hand, have you ever been in complete solitude and didn’t feel lonely at all but refreshed? What is up with that? Did God intend for us to be connected to people or did God intend […]
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: 06 Jan, 2019 | Author: Steve Nelson
1 Peter 2:11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. When we put our faith in Christ, we become God’s people and citizens of his kingdom. We no longer pledge our allegiance to this world, but to God. As the verse says, […]
Read More...Posted: 23 Dec, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
Jesus didn’t come into the world simply as a baby or even as a teacher. He came as a savior, to rescue us from spiritual darkness, confusion, and sin. This is why Christmas is not just a celebration of traditions, lights, and gifts, but a celebration of Jesus. Download Handout: With blanks/Without blanks
Read More...Posted: 25 Nov, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
Hebrews 5:12-14 …Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the […]
Read More...Posted: 24 Nov, 2018 | Author: Dove Cranson
This message looks at the fear and anxiety that can be in all of our lives at times. It describes the process turning towards trust in an amazing and loving God. This process involves realizing the anxiety, giving it to God in honest, worshipful prayer, asking God for what we need and then trusting in […]
Read More...Posted: 28 Oct, 2018 | Author: Dove Cranson
The church is a beautiful thing, precious to God, and a source of good to the world. The Biblical word “church” does not describe a building where people meet, or an event, but a group of people. We are the church. Being the church has many wonderful dynamics and is a rich experience I would […]
Read More...Posted: 14 Oct, 2018 | Author: Tom Schwieger
Do you ever feel out of place? Although we are still in the world, we don’t have to be of it. We don’t have to fit in and be just like everyone else. God has called us to a different lifestyle. Although that may make us feel out of place at times, the blessing is […]
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: 30 Sep, 2018 | Author: Dove Cranson
Genesis 3:8-9 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” Jesus invites us […]
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: 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: 29 Jul, 2018 | Author: Mike Kimball
We all have our own beliefs about God, and those beliefs don’t line up exactly with everyone (or maybe anyone) else. How do we view doctrine such that our beliefs about God unite us instead of tear us apart? Download PowerPoint Images
Read More...Posted: 01 Jul, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
Love is complicated. Sometimes people can be so rude, mean, or insensitive! Yet understanding people’s back stories, helps make sense of why they do what they do. When grasp our own shortcomings, it helps us be sympathetic, because our struggles are not really all that different. Download Handout: With blanks / Without blanks Video from message: Chick-fil-A: Every […]
Read More...Posted: 03 Jun, 2018 | Author: Dove Cranson
In our nature it is extremely easy to make assumption and accusations about others. However, when we withhold judgment and believe the best about others, we are able to truly get to know them and develop a deep relationship. This message looks at how to stay out of judgment and respect others even when they […]
Read More...Posted: 03 Jun, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:7 NIV Is that the kind of love you desire? Sometimes instead of being “protected,” we get hurt by those we love. “Trust” is something that we value, but once that trust gets violated, it is hard to get it back. As long as […]
Read More...Posted: 20 May, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
Having healthy relationships with every coworker, friend, and neighbor is nearly impossible. There is no way. It’s too hard. And that is why we need supernatural help. Thankfully, with God’s help, he can transform us (not them) into lovers of people. Download Handout: With blanks / Without blanks
Read More...Posted: 06 May, 2018 | Author: Dove Cranson
Sometimes the big unanswered questions keep us from feeling confident in our lives. Some of the many questions we have can include: How can I share my faith, when I don’t know very much? Why did this bad thing happen to this person? What is going to happen in the future? As limited human beings […]
Read More...Posted: 06 May, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
CT Studd, missionary to Africa, found a tract which was reportedly written by an atheist. It read as follows: Did I firmly believe, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and practice of religion in this life influences destiny in another, religion would mean to me everything. I would cast away earthly enjoyments as […]
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: 18 Mar, 2018 | Author: Dove Cranson
God loves me. He loves me deeply. He loves me with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). He loves me because He is Love (1 John 4:8). He loves me with a love that accepts me as I am (Romans 15:7). Jesus loves me enough to give of Himself for me (1 John 3:16). He loves […]
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: 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: 14 Jan, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
We are all good about praying when we are desperate. Can we bring that desperation back into everyday life? When we don’t know what to do, God is there for us! Download Handout: With blanks / Without blanks For further study: Prayer reference sheet
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: 05 Nov, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson
Jesus said his followers should teach other followers of Jesus to obey everything he commanded. So what did Jesus command? What are we supposed to obey and teach others to obey? This talk looks at what Jesus said was the first and greatest commandment: to love God. How can we love the infinite God of […]
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