Sun, 29 December 2019
A look at the classic Christmas movie Home Alone and its subplot of feeling isolated through the holidays. This lesson focused on the Immanuel God, or God with us, even as we experience holidays that don’t live up to our expectations and are a potential source of pain. What can Jesus say to a Blue Christmas? |
Sun, 29 December 2019
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Tue, 24 December 2019
Gods gift to save a fragile world just happened to be a fragile baby. |
Tue, 24 December 2019
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Sun, 22 December 2019
God wants each and every one of us to have a wonderful life. |
Sun, 22 December 2019
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Sun, 8 December 2019
Isaiah promised a savior would come to offer an undeniable peace for impossible times. |
Sun, 8 December 2019
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Sun, 1 December 2019
The hope that God sent to us is real and it has a name. |
Sun, 24 November 2019
Fear is real and fear is a barrier to becoming generous. The fear of not having enough. But God's faithfulness to provide is stronger than our fear of not having enough. |
Sun, 24 November 2019
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Sun, 17 November 2019
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Sun, 17 November 2019
One of the greatest barriers to generosity is fear. But in the story of Joseph of Arimathea we see how generosity helped him overcome his fears.
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Sun, 10 November 2019
Listen today as we explore the story of Zacchaeus. The grace Jesus gives changes how people give. A changed life changes lives. |
Sun, 10 November 2019
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Sun, 3 November 2019
The Fruits of the Spirit are something God wants FROM us. But have you ever thought that they are also something God wants FOR us. Listen to the last message in the series to find out. |
Sun, 3 November 2019
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Sun, 27 October 2019
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Sun, 27 October 2019
Patience means that we live by faith knowing that God will act with goodness and kindness. Patience is an act of deep faith. |
Sun, 20 October 2019
Soil matters! Fruit trees produce more fruit and sweeter fruit depending on the quality of the soil. The same is true for spiritual fruit such as love, joy, and peace. Listen this week as Pastor Mark discusses the soils we can plant ourselves in where God seems to do God’s best work producing fruit in us. |
Sun, 20 October 2019
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Tue, 15 October 2019
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Sun, 13 October 2019
Jesus promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to lead and empower every Christian (Acts 2:8). However, as Paul points out in Galatians 5, there is a constant battle between the Holy Spirit and our own sinful desires. Paul introduces the fruit of the spirit to help Christians identify the evidence of the Holy Spirit in their lives with the nine “fruit” (attributes) he outlines in this passage that all Christians should be producing in their lives. As we give the Holy Spirit more control of our lives, the Spirit shapes us to be more like Jesus and rid our lives of the evil things in our sinful nature. |
Sun, 6 October 2019
Difficult people are less difficult to love when we forgive them. |
Sun, 6 October 2019
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Sun, 29 September 2019
If we fill our buckets with love, patience, etc we can actually become loving and patient. And then we can pour love and patience on the people in need. |
Sun, 29 September 2019
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Sun, 22 September 2019
Take the next step. You can play it safe and fly 2000 feet above the highest mountain, or you can learn to be a better pilot and fly through the valleys. We become better neighbors and love people better when we fly with them through the valley’s rather than play it safe and stay clear of their struggles. Playing it safe doesn’t help us grow. Being brave means our trust in God grows, our need for God grows. God is with us in the valley, growing our faith in Him. We don’t need to have every step through the valley planned, we just need to be ready to take the next step. |
Sun, 22 September 2019
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Sun, 15 September 2019
If we are called to love everybody always how do we love the person who lives under a cloud of shame? Do we remind them of what they did the mistakes they made? the decisions they regret? Or is there a better way? Listen to this weeks message as we learn how Jesus dealt with the shame Peter felt for denying even knowing who Jesus was in Jesus’ most dire hour. |
Sun, 15 September 2019
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Sun, 8 September 2019
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Sun, 8 September 2019
Hospitals, organizations, and even laws are named after the Good Samaritan. Why? Because the story of the Good Samaritan is a story about a person who was known for loving others. What do you want to be known for? Someday someone will give your eulogy and it will be based on what you are known for. You won’t be there to edit it, but you still have time to influence it. |
Sun, 1 September 2019
How did it get to the point where working 7 days a week is common and answering emails and texts while on vacation is expected. Even though we know, “that all work and know play makes Jack (and Jill) dull,” we fined less and less time to rest and play. Does our play and rest matter to God? It does! And would you like to know why? Because you matter to God. Listen to this week’s message on the value of adopting a Sabbath lifestyle. |
Sun, 1 September 2019
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Sun, 25 August 2019
Whose work matters more to God? The African Missionary serving in Mozambique or the Starbucks Barista working in Gurnee? The Youth Group that plays soccer with under-resourced children in Guatemala. Or the youth playing football with each other at Warren High School? Everyone wants their work to matter to someone. This week we explore how it matters to God. |
Sun, 25 August 2019
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Sun, 18 August 2019
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Sun, 18 August 2019
Jesus says to deny ourselves and pick up our cross. In today's message we explore exactly what that means and the implications for us who choose to follow Jesus. |
Sun, 11 August 2019
Follow Jesus and learn something you never knew. You already have what you need to do what Jesus wants you to do. We don't have to fit to follow. |
Sun, 4 August 2019
Sin is NOT a popular topic. But the good news is the guilt we feel when our sin is revealed is just one confession away from experiencing God’s grace. |
Sun, 4 August 2019
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Sun, 28 July 2019
Ever wondered why some people seem so brave. There is a fine line between bravery and stupidity. Stupid people challenge their giants without any idea of the outcome. Brave people have enough history to know the outcome may not be what they want, but they choose to move forward anyway. The fine line that separates bravery from stupidity is faith, faith knowing that the God who was with them when they faced challenges in the past will be with them when we face them today. |
Sun, 28 July 2019
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Sun, 21 July 2019
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Sun, 21 July 2019
God wants us to be like Gideon - listening for His call on our lives, trusting in Him enough to put aside our fears, and know that He will never let us down. |
Sun, 14 July 2019
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Sun, 14 July 2019
Learning from Esther how to be “right time, right place, and do the right thing” kind of people. Having the courage to do what God calls us to do right when God calls us to do it. |
Tue, 9 July 2019
Good things and bad things happen to everyone. God can use both the good stuff and the bad stuff and put it all together to make something great. Over and over again, bad things keep happening to Joseph, but he continued to live as he believed God wanted him to. He was loved and adored by his father Jacob, but this made his brothers jealous and they sold him into slavery. What his brothers intended for harm, God used for good. Joseph tried to always do what was right, no matter what bad things happened to him, and in God’s time, he saw the amazing plan that God had for him. |
Tue, 9 July 2019
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Sun, 30 June 2019
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Sun, 30 June 2019
We speak of throwing up personal walls to prevent being drawn into views or perspectives that might breach our personal space or challenge our emotions. |
Sun, 23 June 2019
Like the Israelites who commemorated God's goodness by stacking stones, always stop to commemorate the times God has been good to you. Never forget to stack some stones. |
Sun, 23 June 2019
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Sun, 16 June 2019
Change is inevitable in life but no matter what changes we may face, we can trust that God is always with us. |
Sun, 9 June 2019
When we are gripped with fear, God grabs our attention with good news. |
Sun, 9 June 2019
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Sun, 2 June 2019
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Sun, 2 June 2019
For Joy!'s vision for the future to become reality we need Jesus' help in the present to see people the way He does. |
Sun, 26 May 2019
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Sun, 26 May 2019
The world still needs heroes. God provides the armor we need to fight against the injustices in our world and the enemies that attack us. |
Sun, 19 May 2019
This sermon explores the passages in the Bible that have left the divorced out in the cold, the victims of scripture misuse, left feeling worthless. Our hope is that by gaining a better understanding of the text that we will see God’s actually intent and heart behind the story being told. |
Sun, 19 May 2019
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Sun, 12 May 2019
This week we focus on the scriptures that make life difficult for women. |
Sun, 12 May 2019
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Sun, 5 May 2019
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Sun, 5 May 2019
This week we examine some of the scriptures that make being part of a church difficult. |
Sun, 28 April 2019
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Sun, 28 April 2019
Today's message focuses on how good Christians used scripture to justify slavery. |
Sun, 21 April 2019
On Easter we remember that nothing can stop heaven from releasing hope into the world. |
Thu, 18 April 2019
Maundy Thursday: Who is this man? - This man is a Servant! While most leaders expected to be served, Jesus Served
Love, according to Jesus, has everything to do with serving others, even in the most detestable work. This is the manner of love he taught his disciples in John 13, on a night when he understandably might have chosen a different path for himself. Right before he was crucified, Jesus shunned the power that was rightfully his; instead, he chose to perform a demeaning task for the benefit of his disciples. My hope is to explore what it means to humble ourselves and serve the people in our world.
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Sun, 14 April 2019
On the first Palm Sunday, as they lined the streets greeting Jesus' arrival, they shouted "Save Us!" They wanted a king to save them. He turned out not to be the king they wanted, but the king they needed. And so do we! |
Sun, 7 April 2019
Scripture says to trust God with all that we are. And we can because God is trustworthy, but sometimes we miss it. Listen and learn how God demonstrates his trustworthiness to us. |
Sun, 31 March 2019
In the darkest moments when all hope seems lost we can still remember God's faithfulness. |
Sun, 24 March 2019
When we are going through trials, we have asked God our questions, we have listened for God’s response, we have prayed for God to intervene, and then we... WAIT! As human beings, most of us do a poor job of waiting. We are anxious and want our answers or action NOW, but God doesn’t work on our timetable. He calls us to wait with faith in the knowledge that He always keeps His promises, and His timing is always right! |
Sun, 17 March 2019
In difficult time, it is perfectly ok to ask God the tough questions. Asking God questions isn’t a lack of faith. When we ask God the tough questions we still believe that even though God has not answered yet, God will. And after all those tough questions are asked, it’s time for us to do something evermore difficult. Stop talking and start listening. Hope in the darkness begins when we are willing to ask God the tough questions. Hope in the darkness continues when we choose to stop talking and start listening. |
Sun, 10 March 2019
When going through through difficult circumstances, it’s ok to go to God with our questions and doubts. |
Wed, 6 March 2019
Jesus reminds us we should only care about an audience of one - God and God alone. |
Sun, 3 March 2019
An exploration into the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. featuring an interview with civil rights lawyer Aurie Pennick. |
Sun, 24 February 2019
The two Luthers made a difference in the world. Two great men the world will always remember. Listen today as we explore the calling of these two great men and maybe even discover our own calling along the way. |
Sun, 17 February 2019
The question we’re asking today is “Can I know God personally?” But, how can you know someone personally who is no longer here in person? Listen as we wrestle with this difficult, but probably most important question that we could ask. |
Sun, 10 February 2019
Some people think the Bible is a book of basic instructions before leaving earth. Some of those instructions are good (eg don’t lie or steal) but some seem really obsolete (eg don’t eat shellfish). But what if the Bible is meant to be more than a list of morals and beliefs. The Bible is reliable because it points to someone and not something. |
Sun, 3 February 2019
Hard to believe that any pastor would stand up and ask that question on Sunday morning. Because everyone knows the answer to that question. Right? No, not everyone grew up reciting creeds and attending churches that proclaimed Jesus was God. So in today’s message we have the opportunity to explore a very good question. Is Jesus really God. |
Sun, 27 January 2019
Christianity makes some very narrow claims. But in Christianity’s defense, many of those claims are based on statements Jesus himself made. So was Jesus narrow minded? And if so, why? Explore God this week with us as we wrestle with the question ... Is Christianity too narrow? |
Sun, 20 January 2019
Whether you believe in God or exploring God, everyone at sometime will ask the question "Why does God allow pain and suffering?" Even Jesus did. Listen today as we struggle with one of the most difficult questions someone could ask. |
Sun, 13 January 2019
Things like nature and ethics may indicate to us that there is something more, but they prove nothing. In the end, each of us must choose to take this data, sift though it, and make an informed decision. Is there a God, or isn't there? |
Sun, 6 January 2019
Have you ever asked "Does life have a purpose?" And if you believe it does, have you ever wondered if YOUR PURPOSE was part of a LARGER PURPOSE? What's worse than asking all these questions about you life's purpose is believing you have no purpose. This week we tackle these tough questions as we begin Explore God. |