Lessons in Exile Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be streaming our worship service live at 11:00 AM each Sunday morning via Facebook Live for the foreseeable future. (Our church building is now closed for any events/activities). A copy of...
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Lent 2020 – Part 4 | Nehemiah 7:73b-10:39
Nehemiah 7:73b-10:39 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be streaming our Sunday service live at 11:00 AM each Sunday morning via Facebook Live for the foreseeable future. (Our church building is now closed for any events/activities). A copy of...
Read moreLent 2020 – Part 3 | Ezra 7-10
Wrestling with Ezra I. UNDERSTANDING the FLOW of “Ezra-Nehmiah.” A. Rebuild the TEMPLE. (Ezra 1-6) B. Rebuild the TORAH COMMUNITY (Ezra 7-10) C. Rebuild the CITY of JERUSALEM. (Nehemiah) To grasp the heart of the message today it is important to...
Read moreLent 2020 – Part 2 | Ezra 1-6
The Temple: It’s not what you think I. RETURNING to build the TEMPLE. (Ezra 1-6)A. SUPPORT from the KING. (Ezra 1:1-8)B. Initial STAGES and DISAPPOINTMENT. (Ezra 3:1-13)C. The problem with KINGS and TEMPLES. (Ezra 4-6)D. Still SOMETHING is...
Read moreLent 2020 – Part 1 | 2 Kings 24-25; Ezra 1
Realize, Reflect, Release, Refocus I. From BAD to WORSE to NOTHING. (2 Kings 24-25)A. A CYCLE of REBELLION… (2 Kings 24:1-20)B. …Leads to a KINGDOM in RUINS… (2 Kings 25:1-12)C. …And a FAITH that appears POWERLESS. (2...
Read moreI AM – Part 8 | Rev. 1:1-20; 21:6; 22:13
The Alpha and The Omega I. The REVELATION of JESUS. (1:1-20)A. Jesus is PRESENT. (1:1-20)B. Jesus is SPEAKING to the CHURCH. (1:11,19-20)C. Jesus is IN CHARGE. (1:8, 12-18) I’m sneaking in an “I Am” from John that isn’t in John. Consider it a...
Read moreI AM – Part 7 | John 15:1-17
I am the True Vine I. The Command: LOVEJohn 15:12-17, 13:34-35; 1 John 3:11, 4:7-16A. It is in GIVING that we RECEIVEJohn 15:12-14, 17B. The HUMANIZING effect of LOVEJohn 15:14-15C. Lovelessness = FRUITLESSNESSJohn 15:4, I Cor. 13, Gal. 5:22-23...
Read moreI AM – Part 6
The Way, The Truth, and The Life I. “Don’t let your HEART be TROUBLED.” (14:1, 27) A. WORRY: Part of the HUMAN CONDITION (16:33, Gen. 3) B. The OPPOSITE of Worry: TRUST (14:2) C. The WAY out of WORRY (14:6, 1 Peter 5:7, Matt. 6:25-33) II...
Read moreI AM – Part 5 | John 11
The Resurrection and the Life I. Talking Past Each Other (v.9-16, 21-27) A. Cryptic Confusion (v. 9-16, 21-27, Mt. 13:34) B. The Gap Between Knowledge and Faith (v. 22,24,26-27) C. The Gap Between Different Kinds of Knowing (v.40, Job 42:5) II...
Read moreI AM – Part 4 | John 10:1-21
* Audio recording unavailable this week due to technical difficulties. * The Gate and the Good Shepherd I. The story BEHIND these STATEMENTS. (9:1-41) A. A MAN born BLIND. (9:1-12) B. Spiritual LEADERS who can’t SEE. (9:13-41, 10:6,19-21) Before...
Read moreI AM – Part 3 | John 8:12-30
Light of the World I. A RADICAL claim at a Jewish FEAST. (v.12)A. The CONTEXT of “SUKKOT”. (Lev. 23; Jn 7:2)B. The RITUALS of the FEAST. (Jn 7:38)D. The LOCATION of the STATEMENT. (v.20) I am the light of the world. Seems like a pretty nebulous...
Read moreI AM – Part 2 (Family Meeting) | John 8:31-59
GBC Value: Focused on Jesus I. Which JESUS are we FOCUSED on? (I Cor. 11:1)A. VENGEFUL and CONTROLLING Jesus? (OT/Revelation)B. GENTLE and FORGIVING Jesus? (Gospels)C. “LOOKS like ME” Jesus? (Mark 8:33) The first value that we list on our GBC...
Read moreI AM – Part 1 | John 6:25-59
Bread of Life I. PURSUING Jesus on our TERMS. (v.25-34)A. ASKING surface QUESTIONS. (v.25)B. SEARCHING for a SYSTEM. (v.28)C. Demanding PROOF by PRODUCTION. (v.30-31) The context is important here. Jesus has just feed 5000+ with 5 loaves and two...
Read moreChristmas Sunday 2019 | John 1:1-14
The Christmas (Back) Story I. In the BEGINNING…AGAIN. (v. 1-5; Gen 1:1)A. A WORD is worth a 1000 PICTURESB. CREATOR of EVERYTHING. (v.2-3)C. The SOURCE of LIFE. (v.4)D. The POWER of LIGHT. (v.5) John’s gospel doesn’t contain a birth...
Read moreAdvent 2019 – Zechariah’s Dreaming Of… ~ Part 4 | Zechariah 3:1 - 4:14
The Power Behind the Priest and King I. Dream #4 – The PRIEST is PURIFIED. (3:1-10)A. The ACCUSATIONS are… TRUE. (3:1-3)B. God’s DECISION, not our WORTHINESS. (3:2-5)C. Called to FOLLOW and to REPRESENT. (3:6-10) We’ve come to the...
Read moreAdvent 2019 – Zechariah’s Dreaming Of… ~ Part 3 | Zechariah 2:1-13; 5:1-4
“I will live among you…” I. Dream #3 – A CITY without WALLS. (2:1-5)A. The REBUILDING is COMING. (1:16, 2:1-2)B. The LOGICAL STEP to take. (v.2)C. SOMETHING better than WALLS. (2:4-5) We are moving deeper toward to central message of...
Read moreAdvent 2019 – Zechariah’s Dreaming Of… ~ Part 2 | Zechariah 1:18-21; 5:5-11
Two More Unusual Dreams I. I’m dreaming of HORNS and CRAFTSMEN. (1:18-21)A. SCATTERED by the POWERFUL. (v.18; Micah 4:13, Dan. 7:24B. SAVED by the… CRAFTSMEN? (v.19-21; Zech. 4:6) These dreams of Zechariah are unusual in and of themselves...
Read moreAdvent 2019 – Zechariah’s Dreaming Of… ~ Part 1 | Zechariah 1:1-17; 6:1-8
We Wait in Hope I. Zechariah – MINOR prophet with a MAJOR message. (1:1-6)A. The CONTEXT of this BOOK. (Jer. 25:11, 33:11-14; Ez, 5:1-2)B. The STRUCTURE of the DREAMS. (Zech. 1-6) Welcome to Advent, the season of the Christian Year...
Read moreSamuel & Samson: The People God Uses – Part 10 | I Samuel 12:1-25
Samuel’s History Lesson I. The TEXT is very INTENTIONAL here. (I Sam. 11-12)A. A major VICTORY for the new KING. (I Sam 11)B. An EARLY farewell SPEECH. (I Sam 12)C. COMPARISON and CONTRAST. (v.3-5)D. A POWERFUL history LESSON. (v.6-19) II. Once...
Read moreSamuel & Samson: The People God Uses – Part 9 | I Samuel 8:1-22
Give us a King I. Another TIME of TRANSITION. A. TRUSTED father and CORRUPT sons. (v.1-5) B. GIVE us a KING. (v. 5-22) 1. Samuel’s RESPONSE. (v. 6) 2. God’s RESPONSE. (v. 7-9) 3. The PEOPLE’S RESPONSE. (v. 10-22) All good things seem to come to...
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