We've been here before! Pastor Krause compares the history of God's chosen people, Israel, and the life of His Son. We see how God protects Israel and Jesus by sending them to Egypt. With this knowledge, we are encouraged to trust what He is doing for us today!
It's not over yet! Whether your tree is already down or you'll still be celebrating for weeks yet, there come times for all of us where it seems like it's all over. But He is providing. He is preserving. He is giving you life!
1) When you look at Jesus' life, see that He entered into your story. Through faith, now your story is connected to His!
2) The evil powers in this world saw Jesus as a threat and so tried to kill Him. If He's our King, we can expect the enemy to be at work against us!
3) The Father watched over and preserved His Son Jesus. He does the same for us.
4) The hard truth is that we often act in ways that should cut us off from our God. But Jesus was cut off for us.
5) No matter how hard the enemy works or how bad we've acted, we can look to Jesus for life!
Our study of Hebrews1:1-3 is structured into 3 "sermonettes" with a hymn sing between each. This video is of the entire sermon as we looks at the 3 offices of God's only begotten Son, Jesus, as the:
1. Prophet (not just relaying the word of God as the Old Testament prophets did) but He is the Word of God).
2. Priest (not giving sacrifices on behalf of others over and over) but as the perfect man and divine priest giving His life as the perfect sacrifice once for all.
3. King (not an earthly king ruling with laws and threats) but son of David, King of the Jews, ruling human hearts with love and mercy.
Merry Christmas Eve! Pastor A shares a message from Colossians 1:15-20 to help us see clearly what took place when Jesus was born!
On Christmas Eve the familiar Christmas verse from Isaiah, Chapter 9, verse 6 teaches us why the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is described with these names and what they mean about His Character.
Contemporary songs tell us that "all we need is love" - but the truth of God's word tells us that what His children really need is peace! Peace between ourselves and a holy God, through Jesus' perfect life, His punishment on the cross for our sins and His resurrection.
So You Can Face Anything...
...no matter what challenge we face, we have exactly what we need because of "What's left" from Jesus!
1) Jesus lets go into our hands a special gift - peace!
2) Biblical peace is more than just the absence of conflict, it's the restoration of relationship. It means that now nothing is missing!
3) The peace that belongs to Jesus, the relationship and partnership with the Father, is now given to us.
4) Jesus' life didn't look all that peaceful according to the world's standards. But His Father was present throughout, carrying out His plan according to His purpose. That's peace!
5) We often pull back in fear from God. But because of the peace Jesus gives us, we can have calm hearts and step forward in faith no matter what we face!
Challenging. But Good.
Evaluating our faith life can be challenging. It gets even harder when we consider how to relate with other Christians. But there is incredible encouragement and hope from the One who takes care of "Judging Us."
1) There are some things that are clearly black and white like the fact that Jesus is the only way to eternal life. But when it comes to applying our faith, things can get awfully complicated.
2) Even if an action is not wrong in and of itself, if we believe it is wrong and still do it, we actually judge against ourselves.
3) Two Christians can be in very different places in their faith. They can both bring glory to God while going in very different directions.
4) God calls us to lift up and encourage each other, including our fellow Christians who believe the most God-pleasing way is different than what we believe.
5) We are able to come together in love and humility because we all have the same problem = sin and the same solution = Jesus. He has reunited us with God and each other.
How to we balance our freedom in Christ with abstaining from a choice that may cause a brother or sister to stumble in their faith? With humility and a Christ-like love!
Are you dealing with this God's way? In a world that doesn't know how to disagree well, God has a different design.
1) Today's norm for how people who disagree interact is not very Godly
a. People are offended easily
b. People are quick to be outraged and angry
c. People often avoid difficult conversations while silently allowing negative feelings and self-righteousness to grow
2) Love is growing cold among so many because faith is fading
3) God would have us keep looking to Him to bring justice and to trust Him to make things right.
4) God has a design for how to interact with others. Let's follow it and trust God!
5) We interact with others based on how God interacts with us. He acts towards us in love!
Your Enemy Is Going Down!
When the enemy is fighting hard against you, "What Are You Waiting For?"
A Strange Combination of Ingredients Can Make A Great Recipe!
With the beginning of the new church year we're at a time where this is a unique combination of ingredients: thinking about the end of the world + looking forward to Jesus' coming + Thanksgiving. This unique combo makes for a beautiful recipe in a messy world!
1) We can feel that there is a darkness in the world. But in Advent we focus on the light of Jesus coming!
2) When the world turned against Jesus, He lovingly humbled Himself in order to save the world!
3) On the cross an exchange took place. Jesus took on the cold sin of the world and gave us the warm love of God.
4) Even in a challenging world, we feast on God's mercy.
5) A Christian shows Thanksgiving by showing love and sharing the light of Christ!
This World Needs Some Love
God's love is meant to transform us so we love Him and others. In a world where love is lacking, this can be easy to forget. Take a look at what Jesus says about the need for love and how you can "Never Lose Heart" with this message on Matthew 24:12-13.
His Victory. Your Hands.
God has won the victory and given it into your hands. It's time to take hold of it!
1) The battle isn't really ours. It's God's.
2) There's a sinister enemy in this world and in our hearts. We get to be part of its defeat.
3) God wins the victory and then places it in our hands. He invites us to join Him.
4) He didn't give us the victory so we could take part in things that are broken. We get to be part of making things right!
5) Jesus won it all by dying and rising. One day He will return when once and for all we see The Conquest
Every decision we make comes down to one of two Hebrew words - CHA-REM (abandon my sinful way of thinking and my plans for my life) or KA-DOSH (give God my whole heart, fully trusting the promises He's made). Like God giving victory in Jericho, Jesus came and gave us the victory over sin and death - we get to live in the victory each day!
What's Your Crocodile? It's hard to let go and not be in control. But we get to trust God more than we trust ourselves!
1) Are we teaching those around us, including little kids, to live by faith or by fear?
2) The world around us tries to tell us that marriage and children aren't all that important.
3) God chooses who gets to live, not us.
4) Our fears can distract and divide us.
5) What's your crocodile? God is bigger than every fear, every crocodile in your way!
It's often said, "When God shuts a door He opens a window."
But what do you do when the door is closing? See how we get to live as people of hope by digging into what God does in the lives of Moses' parents in Exodus 2:1-3.
If You've Ever Been Hurt By Someone, This Is For You. One of life's most difficult challenges is dealing with the ways people have hurt us. Thankfully, Jesus made reconciliation possible not just between God and us, but between us and others. He is "Healing Hearts."
1) When someone wrongs you, ask, "Am I in the place of God?" Then remind yourself what God's place is in all of this.
2) Christian forgiveness is not saying that the wrong someone did is okay or not a big deal. It means trusting that God is a God of justice who is setting everything right.
3) Our God is so big and so amazing that He can use the ways people break His world to bring healing to this world. That's what happened on the cross.
4) There is no wrong too awful that God won't use it to achieve something good.
5) There will be a day when your heart is completely healed and you are reconciled with others. The God who will heal you completely then is already at work in you now.
Life is hard. Forgiveness is hard. As we study the life of Joseph, we see what he (and we!) can learn through hardship - 3 Godly life lessons:
1. Humility
2. Perspective
3. Freedom
Big Choices!
God has given you the opportunity to make choices and to trust Him as you step forward in faith!
1) God often doesn't take us where we're going immediately. It's a process. He is patient with us. Are we patient with God?
2) Along the way God gives us the opportunity to make sanctified choices.
3) We have more than the promises of God to rest on. We can hang onto the character and nature of God.
4) We are so quick to replace God's ways with our ways. We want God to follow our plan.
5) Fear is not defeated by our good plans but by God's presence.
You're Going Somewhere
God has called you out so you can step forward in faith. Like Abraham, you're on "The Incredible Journey."
The Key to Significance
God worked through Noah to preserve humanity on the face of the earth. Talk about significant! What was central to Noah's life of significance can be central to ours as well. We are oBEdient.
Heroic!
We all love heroes. But it can be a tall order trying to live up to them! Jesus, however, makes us heroic like Noah!
1) Some might say that Noah wasn't all that heroic. He just followed directions. But humans are notoriously bad at following directions, especially from God!
2) God has given us very simple directions in the 10 commandments but none of us follow them.
3) Jesus perfectly obeyed for us. We are saved through Him!
4) As Christians we aren't afraid because we're wrapped in Christ. We're safe in the ark!
5) We get to do something Noah didn't. We get to throw a lifeline out to others so they can be saved with us. We get to be heroic!
Where real living begins!
We know we've been given a new life in Christ and want to live that way more and more. Sometimes it goes well. Other times, not so much. Sometimes it's a combination of the both. That's why we need to remember how this new life works!
1) We need God to carve out a pure heart in us that can be in His presence and partner with Him. When He does, it changes everything about how we live!
2) Even though God has accomplished great things in us, we all have been guilty of doing what is in our own best interest, with a complete disregard for others. None of us deserve God's favor or His Spirit.
3) Jesus was forsaken by God so justice could be served for our sins. Because of Him, we can confidently look to our God to give us life.
4) We get to ask God to give us a like-new spirit, solidly filling up our spiritual lungs so we can live.
5) God can bring us out into the light of His salvation, the light of Jesus and give us a willing spirit to step forward into life!
Our "Sanctification" Series continues with a study of Philippians 1:3-6.
Team Work Makes the Dream Work
It's often the little things that really make all the difference. The little things begin with humility.
1) Biblical submission is not about being less valuable than another. It's about willfully submitting yourself to the direction of another.
2) There are little things that will creep into our hearts and take a position that belongs to God.
3) God didn't leave us alone to fight the battle in our hearts.
4) Jesus entered the game to be our substitute. Through His life, death and resurrection now no matter what your position, you matter.
5) God has made you valuable so now you can go and make a difference in someone else's life
The Light For You and For The World!
For all of eternity, God the Father & God the Son have shared a unique relationship. Now God extends an invitation to join in!
1. There's a challenge we all face as Christians. On the one hand, we're God's children. But on the other hand, there's a sinful nature within us that aligns with the devil.
2. Man-made solutions just won't do. The only way to resolve the problem of sin is Jesus.
3. God has chosen us and given us the gift of faith. He makes us born again.
4. Even in a sinful world, God has given us the power to be light and to show love.
5. This world matters to God and so God calls us to be lights in the world.
Are you hiding in the dark?
Stepping out into the light can feel scary. It means being honest about how we fall short. It means looking to God to cleanse every part of us. But there is a beautiful new life that's been given to us when we are "Living in the Light."
What Ever Christian Parent Wants…
Above all, every Christian parent wants their child to be with God for eternity. Your Heavenly Father wants the same!
1) When life gets rough, we might sometimes wonder if God is angry with us but that couldn't be further from the truth! Jesus already paid for all our sins!
2) Living in this broken world, our default temptation tends to be to question if God really loves us and if He's really trustworthy.
3) God not only knows what is necessary to build up who we are now in Him, but also what is necessary to beat down the sinful nature that fights against us.
4) A parent who lets their child do whatever they want is NOT a loving parent. God IS a loving parent, offering the right correction.
5) Faith is like a muscle. When stretched and worked, it grows!