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: 09 Sep, 2018 | Author: Dove Cranson
We are called to love one another. What does loving one another look like? How is it possible to really experience love? In this message Dove attempts to answer those questions, finding that we can love each other because we have been loved by God through Jesus Christ. As we have received, so can we […]
Read More...Posted: 01 Apr, 2018 | Author: Dove Cranson
Jesus came into this world to restore our connection to God: A connection one day in a restored world and a connection now through His life in us. Christ died and was resurrected, to overcome death that we might live forever, and that we might experience his life now. There is more beyond just this […]
Read More...Posted: 01 Apr, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
1 Corinthians 5:7b For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. NIV The Passover is a celebration commemorating the last of the Egyptian plagues, when the judgement of God “passed over” the homes that had lamb’s blood on the door frames. In a similar way, Jesus, the Lamb of God, shed his blood so that […]
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 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: 25 Feb, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ESV In human relationships, when we assess someone’s love, we don’t just take their word for it. It is not enough. We consider a wide variety of factors. How have they treated us? How have […]
Read More...Posted: 03 Dec, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson
“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my […]
Read More...Posted: 12 Nov, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson
To embrace God’s call to love others, we must commit ourselves to loving those who are difficult, inconvenient, and uncomfortable for us. God is not simply calling us to love those who give us the warm fuzzies, but to love the unfuzzy. Mark 12:29-31 “The most important [command],” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, […]
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: 24 Sep, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson
As followers of Christ, we have been given a mission to bring the good news of Jesus to all of El Paso and beyond. This message addresses why anyone would want to be a part of that mission and how they could be. Download Handout
Read More...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
Read More...Posted: 23 Jul, 2017 | Author: Dove Cranson
As we saw with the Pharisees (message 2 weeks ago), we cannot be made righteous by cleaning ourselves up but instead by humbly receiving Christ and His life in us. With Christ in our lives we are new, we are no longer sinners but blameless, pure children of God. This change is what Jesus did […]
Read More...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 […]
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: 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
Read More...Posted: 18 Dec, 2016 | Author: Dove Cranson
Even though it is easy to lose sight of the original purpose, traditions start with the intent of helping us remember significant truths. This year, take the time to remember what God has done for you and find the light of Jesus in the midst of darkness and personal brokenness. Download
Read More...Posted: 04 Dec, 2016 | Author: Dove Cranson
What comes to mind when you think of authority and the submission to authority? Our own experience and cultural context have inevitably shaped that view. We probably all know examples of the abuse of authority and realize the potential to be taken advantage of. As we look deeper, we see that a loving authority is […]
Read More...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 […]
Read More...Posted: 30 Oct, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson
Marriage is intended to be a beautiful life-long relationship. Unfortunately things don’t always go as God desires in our broken world. In this message we look at what the Bible teaches on divorce and remarriage from 1 Corinthians 7 and from the teachings of Jesus. Download Main Handout / Supplemental Reference on Divorce See also: Pizza Seminar: What the […]
Read More...Posted: 09 Oct, 2016 | Author: Dove Cranson
Are you chasing after an elusive pursuit to be somebody? What do you think others think about you? What do you think about yourself? It’s easy to think our worth is wrapped up in our own accomplishments and the praise of others, but what really counts is that you belong to Christ. In 1 Corinthians […]
Read More...Posted: 02 Oct, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson
Have you ever seen Christians sin and wondered how they could act so unchristian? And have you wondered why Jesus hasn’t changed them more? And what about in your own life? Have you ever thought that the power of God should have transformed you more? In this message, Steve explains how the power of God […]
Read More...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 […]
Read More...Posted: 10 Jul, 2016 | Author: Bruce Bradford
Some people drain the life out of a room just by walking in. Others bring life and elevate the room. You can be a life giver! We all have our own struggles, but who we are in our faith must be independent of who we have been or what we have experienced. Greatness is never […]
Read More...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 […]
Read More...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
Read More...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
Read More...Posted: 28 Feb, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson
“‘Come follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.” – Matthew 4:19 NIV84 When God calls us to something, sometimes there isn’t any debate about whether or not it’s the best thing to do. It’s a duh moment! In this message, Steve talks […]
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