“Get Outta Town!” Text: Mark 1:29-39 Pastor Joe Donahue explores the Good News of the inbreaking power of the Kingdom of God – with power to change lives. When the whole world stands at the doorstep, turn instead to the Father who sustains us in our innermost being.
“Stewardship: Gifted to Serve” Text: Esther 4:1-14 & Ephesians 2:10 God has gifted each of us to serve, to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do. Pastor Jon looks at the story of Esther as a way to help us explore how being obedient and available can put us…
“Stewardship: Who’s in Charge Here, Anyway?” Text: Matthew 25:13-40 & Philippians 2:1-11 Properly understood, “stewardship” means so much more than financial management and generosity. In beginning a new series, Pastor Jon explores what it means to be a steward of all that God has entrusted to us: our bodies, our families, our churches, our ministries,…
“An Eternal Home” Text: 2 Samuel 7:1-16, Luke 1:26-38, & Revelation 21:1-5a, 22-27 Pastor Jon traces the themes of tabernacle/temple as places for God’s presence to dwell. What we learn in Christmas is that God isn’t as interested in a house built by human hands, but in making His abode among His people. As we…
“Publish Glad Tidings” Text: Lamentations 1 and Isaiah 40:1-11 In the second week of Advent, Pastor Jon looks at the ways that Isaiah 40 answers the laments in Lamentations 1. As we enter into the brokenness around us, we represent Jesus who entered into our broken world. We become the ones who publish glad tidings: that…
Faith Promise #2: People of Connection Text: John 3:1-17 Dr. Lail continues our Faith Promise Convention with a look at what it means to know that God gave his very best. Shaped by God’s generosity, we participate in the mission of sending light into dark places, helping people discover Jesus and the transformation that he…
Faith Promise #1: “People of Patient Purposeful Passion” Text: Joshua 14:6-13 Today we welcome Dr. Mark Lail, director of Stewardship Ministries for the Church of the Nazarene, to share with us about the ways in which Nazarenes have passionately participated in the purposes of God. Using Caleb as our example, we are people who are…
“People of Prayer” Text: Philippians 4:4-9 Paul exhorts the believers in Philippi not to be anxious or worried, but to trust God with their concerns. Pastor Jon continues our study of the People of God by looking at what it means to be People of Prayer. We rejoice always, we give thanks, and we fix…
“People of Cruciformity” Text: Philippians 2:1-13 Christian unity does not lead to uniformity, but to cruciformity. In Philippians 2, Paul invites the people of God to be people whose lives are shaped by the cross. Christian humility is more than simply avoiding pride and arrogance, it is patterning our lives after the life of Christ,…
“People of Gratitude” Text: Philippians 1:3-11 The People of God are People of Gratitude. Paul begins his letter to the believers in Philippi with an expression of gratitude for their partnership in the Gospel. Today, we consider what we have to be grateful for, and the ways that we partner together in the Gospel.