Viewing entries tagged
joy

What's at the Heart of Worship?

What's at the Heart of Worship?

GUEST SPEAKER: SAM ARAGONES | OCTOBER 20, 2024

We all worship something, whether spiritual or physical; today's text helps us examine what is true and authentic worship, and how we can live in it every day.

Romans 1:18-25

outline

Available on YouTube
Staying Power

Staying Power

GUEST SPEAKER: DR. WAYNE BAXTER | AUGUST 18, 2024

The Christian life is a lifelong marathon with plenty of ups and downs. The opening of the Letter of James offers us instruction for running and finishing this race.

James 1:2-12

outline

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Framing Our Lives with Worship

Framing Our Lives with Worship

GUEST SPEAKER: DAVID DANIELS | AUGUST 11, 2024

In a world convulsing with violence, corruption, disaster, and bitter divisions, what’s the value of spending an hour or so in church? Multiplied millions of Christians worldwide do so, and this week we’ll explore why in this Psalm.

Psalm 122:1-9

outline

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Immanuel Means We're Secure in the Battle

Immanuel Means We're Secure in the Battle

PAUL SADLER | DECEMBER 17, 2023

When life is a battle, you want to know that God is on your side. The promise that God is with His people brought confidence and security to the people of God in Scripture and should do the same to us today. This message looks at that promise and how we can apply it in our lives.

Psalm 46:1-11

outline

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How God Refines You in the Fire

How God Refines You in the Fire

PAUL SADLER | JUNE 11, 2023

We all face trials, and it can be frustrating when God doesn’t take them away. This message looks at how God uses suffering in our lives and what we can do to partner with Him.

James 1:1-18

outline

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Choosing the Life Worth Living

Choosing the Life Worth Living

PAUL SADLER | APRIL 30, 2023

Everyone has a picture in their mind of what it means to be blessed by God. That picture, if it’s wrong, can discourage and oppress us and even distort how we understand God and where we stand with Him. This message looks at Jesus’ picture of the blessed life and how it’s at odds with how we typically envision it.

Luke 6:20-26

outline

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How to Live Life Free of Regrets

How to Live Life Free of Regrets

Regret is a common feeling people confront at the end of their lives. How do we live today so that we don’t experience regret tomorrow? This message looks at how it’s possible to seize life’s opportunities and the joy that God can give.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:1 // [outline]

Available on YouTube
The Powerful Impact of Others in My Life

The Powerful Impact of Others in My Life

God has made us partners of the gospel, and He uses mutual relationships in order to reach His goal to make us like Christ, and build His church. As we look at Philippians 1, we’ll see how God uses other people in our lives to help us grow and bring joy and thankfulness.

Philippians 1:3-8 // [outline]

Available on YouTube
How to Enjoy Life When You Can't Control It

How to Enjoy Life When You Can't Control It

We can work hard and get a promotion only to learn that our company is facing bankruptcy or moving offshore. The randomness of life’s circumstances can leave us discouraged and frustrated. This message looks at how we can experience joy even when life seems to be out of our control.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 // [outline]

Available on YouTube
How to Stop Dreading and Start Enjoying Your Life

How to Stop Dreading and Start Enjoying Your Life

We all long to be happy, but often happiness feels beyond our reach. This message looks at a person who made the pursuit of happiness an extended research project and considers the wrong paths and ultimate direction of the joy that we all seek.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-26 // [outline]

Available on YouTube
How Jesus Redefines Ministry

How Jesus Redefines Ministry

The goal, motivation, and power of Christian ministry are radically transformed by Jesus. This message considers how.

Colossians 1:24-2:5 // [outline]

Available on YouTube
 Christmas Eve: How Christmas Hope Can Encourage You

Christmas Eve: How Christmas Hope Can Encourage You

Presents can disappoint us. People often disappoint us. Even special events and get-togethers can fail to live up to the expectations we place on them. But Christmas promises a hope that can bring peace and even joy. This message looks at how we can experience that.

Romans 15:12-13

Available on YouTube
Connect to the Power of the Holy Spirit

Connect to the Power of the Holy Spirit

Many people find the Bible’s teachings about the Holy Spirit confusing. The command to be filled with the Holy Spirit is at the heart of how we are to live the Christian life, but it is a command that is often misunderstood. This message looks at how to be filled with the Holy Spirit and what you can expect to see when you are.

Ephesians 5:15-21 // [outline]

Available on YouTube
The Promise of a Humble Saviour

The Promise of a Humble Saviour

Christmas can be a hard time for many people. It’s hard to be alone when we’re told we’re supposed to be together. It’s hard to face the holidays when there are loved ones we’re still grieving. Expectations, stress and conflict can all hit us at this time of year. But joy can be a reality when we hold the Christmas promises. This message looks at a dark period in Israel’s past where they were given promises of the arrival of Jesus, intended to stir their joy. Those same promises can stir up ours today.

Zechariah 9:9-10 // [outline]

Available on YouTube
Teaching Your Heart to Sing

Teaching Your Heart to Sing

It’s easy to be weighed down by bad news and disappointment. We can complain about the bad stuff and be complacent about the good stuff. This psalm teaches us how to find our joy in God no matter what we’re facing.

Psalm 103 // [outline]

Available on YouTube
The Power of a Living Hope

The Power of a Living Hope

As people take steps in the Christian life, they can be tempted to think that ‘the secret’ is in some new teaching or experience. But growth in the Christian life comes by returning to the starting point and deepening our understanding and response to the foundation. This message looks at that foundation and the most common ways people misunderstand and stray from it.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 // [outline]

Available on YouTube
The Morning That Turns Tears into Joy

The Morning That Turns Tears into Joy

Death is like cement to our disappointments. But Easter gives a promise of life. This message looks at the first person Jesus revealed Himself to after He was resurrected – a grieving woman – and shows how Easter can turn our tears into joy.

John 20:11-18 // [outline]

Available on YouTube
The Secret of Contentment

The Secret of Contentment

We live at a time when we have more than ever but feel more dissatisfied just the same. Satisfaction can seem like it’s always just around the corner. This message looks at the secret of contentment and some of the lies that keep us from it.

Philippians 4:10-13 // [outline]

Available on YouTube
Power to Change

Power to Change

Discontentment affects different people in different ways. Sometimes our frustration is with the world. People and circumstances feed our complaints. But sometimes, our biggest complaints are against ourselves. We’re not content with who we are or what we’ve done. We never measure up. This message looks at how to harness the power God gives us to change and move from discontentment to joy.

Philippians 2:12-18 // [outline]

Available on YouTube