Stay the Course: Is Religion a Crutch?
Is religion a crutch?
Stay the Course: Is God Obligated to Do All He is Able?
Is God obligated to do everything He is able to do?
Preparing for Sunday | May 16
We are excited to be gathering in person this Sunday! You can use the button below to register, or to find out more about the precautions we have put in place. If you are unable to join us in person, we encourage you to worship with us via our live stream.
Register to attend a worship service Watch the Live Stream
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Do It Again | [listen + lyrics]
Matt Redman, Mack Brock, Chris Brown, Steven Furtick
2 Corinthians 1:20
Way Maker | [listen]
Osinachi Kalu Okoro Egbu
2 Corinthians 1:20
Let There Be Light [listen]
Bryan Torwalt, Katie Torwalt, Hank Bentley, Mia Fieldes
Genesis 1:3-4
Christ Is Enough | [listen + lyrics]
Reuben Morgan, Jonas Myrin
2 Corinthians 12:9
God of Revival | [listen]
Brian Johnson, Phil Wickham
Psalm 77:13-14
SERMON TEXT
2 Thessalonians 2
MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE
To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. (2 Thessalonians 2:14-15)
Preparing for Sunday | May 9
We are excited to be gathering in person this Sunday! You can use the button below to register, or to find out more about the precautions we have put in place. If you are unable to join us in person, we encourage you to worship with us via our live stream.
Register to attend a worship service Watch the Live Stream
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
This Is Amazing Grace | [listen + lyrics]
Josh Farro, Phil Wickham, Jeremy Riddle
Revelation 5:12
Promises | [listen]
Aaron Moses, Carrington Gaines, Dante Bowe, Keila Alvarado, Lemuel Marin
Psalm 113:2-3
Come As You Are [listen]
Matt Maher, David Crowder, Ben Glover
Luke 15:24
Whole Heart (Hold Me Now) [listen + lyrics]
Joel Houston, Aodhan King
Romans 5:1-2
I Will Look Up | [listen]
Mack Brock, Chris Brown, Wade Joye, Matt Redman
Psalm 121:1
SERMON TEXT
2 Thessalonians 1
MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE
But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:13)
Stay the Course: Becoming People of Encouragement
Are you more discouraged with life than encouraged by life? Bear the burdens of others by becoming a person of encouragement.
Doxologies: Ain’t No Grave
“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12
We celebrated Resurrection Sunday only a few short weeks ago. We combed through the Easter story and the good news of the gospel in intricate detail, from the dark moments that led to Jesus’ walk to Calvary to the glorious moments surrounding the revelation of His resurrection. The truths that permeate Easter are magnificent and astounding. Yet how many of us returned to “normal life” the following Monday morning and allowed the spectacular truths of these events to become clouded by the mundane? (Raising my hand with you here.)
What is it about the minutia of daily life that so cunningly robs us of the joy of our salvation? Ephesians 6:12 says, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Wow. That’s a lot to go up against.
Ever heard the saying, “The devil is in the details”? The seeming insignificance of each word we utter, each step we tread and each decision we make can ultimately culminate in something much more substantial (1 Peter 5:8). In the midst of the daily routine, we can easily be overwhelmed and enticed into embracing the ways of the world (Isaiah 53:6) rather than abiding in Christ Jesus (John 15:5) as we are called to do.
Colossians 2:6-15 says,
“6 Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. 8 See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of the world, rather than in accordance with Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over every ruler and authority; 11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ,12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, 14 having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”
In Christ crucified, the world no longer defines us (Galatians 6:14); we no longer walk in darkness (John 8:12); fear is cast out (1 John 4:18); and the grave has no power over us (John 11:25) as we have been set free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-4). Praise Jesus.
The song Ain’t No Grave is a celebration of these truths and the power of the perfect love of God to assure (Philippians 1:6) and quiet our souls (Zephaniah 3:17) in the midst of a world often marked with doubt and chaos (John 14:27). As we sing this triumphant anthem together, may we rejoice in the victory we have over the grave (Revelation 1:18) and the gift of eternal and abundant life (John 3:16, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 15:52) through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
————–
Ain’t No Grave
Shame is a prison as cruel as a grave Shame is a robber and he's come to take my name Love is my redeemer, lifting me up from the ground Love is the power where my freedom song is found There ain't no grave Gonna hold my body down There ain't no grave Gonna hold my body down When I hear that trumpet sound I'm gonna rise up outta the ground There ain't no grave Gonna hold my body down Fear is a liar with a smooth and velvet tongue Fear is a tyrant, he's always telling me to run Love is a resurrection and love is a trumpet sound Love is my weapon, I'm gonna take my giants down There was a battle, a war between death and life And there on a tree, the Lamb of God was crucified And He went on down to hell, He took back every key He rose up as a lion and He set all captives free
Preparing for Sunday | May 2
We are excited to be gathering in person this Sunday! You can use the button below to register, or to find out more about the precautions we have put in place. If you are unable to join us in person, we encourage you to worship with us via our live stream.
Register to attend a worship service Watch the Live Stream
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus | [listen]
Helen H. Lemmel
Hebrews 12:2
Let There Be Light [listen]
Bryan Torwalt, Katie Torwalt, Hank Bentley, Mia Fieldes
Genesis 1:3-4
Ain’t No Grave | [listen]
Jonathan Helser, Melissa Helser, and Molly Skaggs
1 Thessalonians 4:16
Come Thou Fount | [listen]
Robert Robinson
Psalm 16:11
SERMON TEXT
Matthew 6:19-24
Luke 16:1-13
MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20)
Stay the Course: Simple Answers to Complex Questions
Can God create a rock so large He couldn’t lift it? How can you trust the Bible? Hasn’t science proven the Bible isn’t true? We all come across difficult questions, but often the answers are simpler than we think.
Preparing for Sunday | April 25
We are excited to be gathering in person this Sunday! You can use the button below to register, or to find out more about the precautions we have put in place. If you are unable to join us in person, we encourage you to worship with us via our live stream.
Register to attend a worship service Watch the Live Stream
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Agnus Dei | [listen + lyrics]
Michael W. Smith
Revelation 5:12
King of Kings | [listen + lyrics]
Brooke Ligertwood, Jason Ingram, and Scott Ligertwood
Revelation 19:16
Come Thou Fount | [listen]
Robert Robinson
Psalm 16:11
Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery | [listen + lyrics]
Matt Boswell, Matt Papa, Michael Bleecker
Colossians 1:26-27
Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me | [listen + lyrics]
Jonny Robinson, Michael Farren, Rich Thompson
Galatians 2:20
SERMON TEXT
Matthew 25:1-30
MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Preparing for Sunday | April 18
We are excited to be gathering in person this Sunday! You can use the button below to register, or to find out more about the precautions we have put in place. If you are unable to join us in person, we encourage you to worship with us via our live stream.
Register to attend a worship service Watch the Live Stream
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Great Are You Lord | [listen]
Leslie Jordan, David Leonard
2 Corinthians 4:6
Come As You Are [listen]
Matt Maher, David Crowder, Ben Glover
Luke 15:24
It Is Well (Through It All) [listen + lyrics]
Horatio Gates Spafford, Kristene DiMarco, Philip Paul Bliss
Amos 4:13
Goodness of God [listen + lyrics]
Jenn Johnson, Jason Ingram, Ben Fielding, Ed Cash, Brian Johnson
1 Chronicles 16:34
Yes I Will | [listen + lyrics]
Eddie Hoagland, Jonathan Smith, and Mia Fieldes
Psalm 63:3-4
SERMON TEXT
Matthew 25:1-30
MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)