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: 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: 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: 08 Apr, 2018 | Author: Steve Nelson
Psalms 16:5-6 Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. NIV84 It is important for us, as a church, to be thankful for the special things God has given us, and […]
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: 17 Sep, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson
“Common people become uncommon standing on the promises of God.” (Dawson Trotman) Do you have the sense that you were created for uncommon purposes? Or perhaps that you have some unfulfilled potential? In reality, God has designed you with certain purposes in mind (Ephesians 2:10). What are these things? What are we supposed to be […]
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: 21 May, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson
We think of the account of the woman caught in the act of adultery as a beautiful story of grace and forgiveness. And it is. At least for one person. But not everyone received life from Jesus. The religionists (the Pharisees and teachers of the law) walked away from life. They were more concerned about […]
Read More...Posted: 07 May, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson
The religious leaders tried to trap Jesus by bringing before him a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. Would he withhold mercy and have her put to death, or would he show mercy and ignore the law? One response would put Jesus in a horrible light with the people, and the […]
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: 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: 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...Posted: 29 Jan, 2017 | Author: Steve Nelson
The church in Corinth had serious issues that Paul addressed throughout 1 Corinthians. He spoke so strongly on at times that you might think his letter to them would have ended their relationship. Yet as he concluded his letter in chapter 16, instead of writing an it-was-nice-knowing-you ending to their relationship, he penned a very ordinary […]
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: 16 Oct, 2016 | Author: Steve Nelson
How can the church be a hospital for broken and sinful people and also hope to have a standard of behavior that reflects our higher calling? Is it possible to be loving and compassionate and yet draw a line in the sand and say that certain behaviors are not acceptable among God’s people? In this […]
Read More...Posted: 23 Aug, 2016 | Author: Tommy Tinajero
Tommy courageously shares his story of how an addiction to pornography threatened his walk with God, inner peace, and marriage. Most (if not all) of us can relate to such life-consuming struggles, but God doesn’t want that to be the end of the story. He can help us to be free and to fill our […]
Read More...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 […]
Read More...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 […]
Read More...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 […]
Read More...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 […]
Read More...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 […]
Read More...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 […]
Read More...Posted: 23 Jan, 2016 | Author: Dr. Michael Parsa
In this second part of Dr. Parsa’s message on obedience (listen to the first), we take a look at what it looks like to live a life of obedience to God versus a life of selfishness. Download Handout Disciple the Heart resource- Obey: Living with Integrity
Read More...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 […]
Read More...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 […]
Read More...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 […]
Read More...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
Read More...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 – […]
Read More...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 […]
Read More...Posted: 26 Sep, 2015 | Author: Steve Nelson
In this sermon, Steve talks about the “performance evaluations” in Revelation 3. What would God tell us if he were to evaluate our church? Download Handout: Evaluation – Churches in Revelation
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