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Up to this point, in our study of Paul's letter to Rome, we have seen that Paul's main purpose for this letter was to clearly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He lays out that our salvation solely depends on faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. "For it is the power of God to salvation". Paul is clear that All have sinned but we can tend to overlook our own sins while condemning others. Faith in Christ brings us out of death unto life. We walk in the righteousness of God because of Christ and Christ alone. As we continue on this journey through Romans, we will see how Paul was hammering home the fact that to live in Christ is to be dead to the life we once knew. The question is are you walking in this fullness of life? Come expectantly and see you tomorrow morning!!!

"None is righteous, no, not one." In his letter to the Rome, Paul is making clear to believers, Jew and Gentile alike, the gospel of Jesus Christ. In his gospel presentation, which is the GREATEST NEWS anyone could ever hear, Paul starts with the bad news first. But, as hard as it is to hear the bad news, how much greater is the Good News!?! We will be continuing through Romans (3:21-5:21) this Sunday. See you then!

As we continue looking at the "nuts and bolts" of our faith, I cannot wait to begin our journey through the Book of Romans together. It only takes the average reader 45 minutes to read through this amazing letter from Paul to the church in Rome. In preparation for our time together, I ask that you spend at least 10 minutes a day with God in this incredible book AND come expectantly Sunday morning! This week we will be starting in chapter 1 and work our way through chapter 3 verse 22. May His blessings of joy and peace be with you all, in Jesus' Name!

The greatest mark of the Christian life is love. Jesus expressed love perfectly and completely. He fulfilled the law. Jesus tells us that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love everyone else. But, what is love? Spend time this week in His holy scriptures and ask for the Holy Spirit to open your heart and to change you from the inside out.

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

1 Corinthians 13

Revelation 3

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:5-7‬

If we follow Christ’s example we will not look to cling to our lives. We will not hold to what we want our lives to be but rather we give our lives, wholly, to God and to others. We live as servants and lovers of God. Your wholeness, your peace, your fulfillment, your hope is in Jesus Christ and Him alone. Know it! Live it! Love it! Have a most blessed week!

May 29th 2022

Who is in your corner? 

C.S. Lewis said, “In friendship...we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years' difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another...the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting--any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," can truly say to every group of Christian friends, "Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another." The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.”

We all have ideas about who we want our friends to be but seldom think about who they ought to be. A friend who makes me feel appreciated is nice. A friend who laughs at my jokes is pleasing. A friend who is there in times of need is helpful. But, a friend who always points me to Jesus is absolutely NECESSARY! I encourage all of you, even those who have already listened once, to click on the link and listen to Daniel’s message on “Fighting for Friendship.” Have a blessed week!

https://youtu.be/xSL4omJ5hZg

May 23rd 2022

Let’s face it… living in this world is hard. Trying to get ahead seems impossible, gas prices are high, and there are shortages of all kinds. We worry about our safety and the safety of our loved ones. There is disease, and injury, and death everywhere we turn. Sadness, depression, anxiety, and hopelessness are rampant, especially in our younger generation. It can seem as though everyday is a fight. Well, that’s because it IS a fight. However, it is ultimately a spiritual fight. “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 ‭NIV‬‬

I want to remind you that there is hope! There is peace! There is victory in Jesus! There is a way to be free from the bondage of this world and that way is Jesus Christ. Jesus is above all… a name above every other name. Call on His name and believe and He will be with you always. He will give you His strength to persevere until your fight is over and you find yourself in His glorious presence forever and ever, AMEN!

Ephesians 6:12

Galatians 5:1-15

Romans 6:1-14

Ephesians 1:18-21

Ephesians 2:6-7

Ephesians 5:1-17

James 5:16

2 Timothy 4:7

Matthew 25:21

Wow! What an incredible day! As we have concluded our “21 Days of Hope”, this morning, we started our 4 week series “The Fight.” Jeremy Cooper shared his hope filled testimony about God’s amazing grace followed by a powerful message from our student and young adult director Daniel Wright. We are in a fight but our fight is not with flesh and blood but is with a spiritual enemy. In Jesus Christ we stand victorious against sin and death. Fight for your faith! “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!”

Spend time in His Word this week and be in prayer for yourself and others. May God bless you and keep you! In the glorious name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

• Ephesians 6:12, 2:8-9

• 2 Timothy 4:7

• 1 Corinthians 9:26

• Romans 6:23, 8:11, 8:37

HOPE Day 21 - Congratulations! You have completed the 21 Days of Hope.

We have had a great time on this digital mission trip with trip. We have seen God's love and hope shining through you, and we're sure your friends have too.

We would love to hear more about the abundant life, full of meaning and purpose, that God has given you. What is your biggest glory sighting from the 21 Days of Hope?

Goal: Hope To You

Theme: Minister

Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (6/10)

Hey friends,

Congrats! You've made it to day 20! 

You can use today to get caught up on any days you might have missed. Pick one or two action steps that you can do today and ask God to use those small steps in big ways. 

Today is also a great day to reach out to those you've invited to worship. Check in to answer any questions they might have and build excitement for worship! 

God is at work! Can't wait to worship Him with you. 

Goal: Hope Through You

Theme: Social

Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (6/10)

Hey friends,

Imagine this - you win an award, walk up on stage to accept the award, and have the opportunity to give an acceptance speech. In that speech, who do you thank? Who helped you become who you are today?

That leads me to today's challenge - giving someone a social shout-out!

Jump on social media and create a quick post, answering one of these questions:

Where would you be without God in your life?

Why do we call it Good Friday when it is the day Jesus died on the cross?

What has Jesus done in your life?

Who is a church leader/volunteer who made an impact in your life?

Why do you love your church?

Why are you so excited to celebrate Easter this year?

Your post doesn't need to be long or fancy, just a quick post saying thank you. Here's what that might look like:

Shout-out to my church! They offer awesome kids classes every week so I know my kids are learning great things while I enjoy the worship and sermons. So thankful for all the volunteers who love my kids so much!

I just want to give a social shout-out to my high school youth pastor [Tag the pastor]! Because of his influence on my life I have the confidence to follow God's plan for my life. I really appreciate you!

Just want to give a shout-out to Jesus right now, He's totally changed my life! I used to walk around without purpose and now I know what I'm living for. And I'm thankful my church helped me find Jesus!

See? Super simple. Just a few sentences thanking someone for helping you be the person you are today. Ready? Go!