Sermon: The Lions You Will Face
Theme: Daniel’s decision as to how to live his life meant that he was in danger of losing it.
Purpose: To see in Daniel’s story that he had to choose what manner of life he was going to live, and to claim a life that is full rather than one that complied with other’s expectations.
Scriptures:  Daniel 6:1-28 Daniel thrown in the lion’s den.
Romans 8:31-39 What will separate us from the love of Christ?

Questions:
What is the cost of our being faithful to God and true to ourselves? When are we tested and tried, to prove what we believe and to hold fast to our values? What kind of person never has their values or beliefs tested? What is the difference between holding true to our beliefs or values, and being stubborn as we refuse to question or to grow? How do we learn to be people who know what to hold fast to, and where to compromise? What are the values that we will never compromise upon?

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Sermon: “Broken Stories from Broken Lives”
Theme: The gift that God gives us of the bible is a human glimpse into what is divine, the gift of the knowledge of God in particular times and circumstances.
Purpose To introduce the bible as a human and divine description of God’s love and presence.
Scriptures: John 1:14-23 Jesus, the Word Made Flesh, is known first through Isaiah, Elijah, and other Old Testament prophets.
Hebrews 11:3-13 The faith that began in the Old Testament fulfilled in Christ.
Questions:
Why do we need to have the Old Testament? Why do we tell the Old Testament Stories to our children? Do the stories really mean what we think they mean? How do we deal with the way in which people saw God in parts of the Old Testament? Should we eliminate the stories that include violence and ways of thinking we now know to be destructive? What can we learn from these stories?

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One Worship Service 9am

Sermon: “The People On Fire” Memorial Day Weekend
Theme: The Holy Spirit fills and enlivens our ministry, directing us to be empowered and enlivened by God’s own power.
Purpose: The congregation will embrace the gift of God’s Spirit rather than focus on their own control.
Scriptures Acts 2:1-21 The Holy Spirit comes upon the church.
John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15 Jesus promises the Holy Spirit will come and will bring new understanding.
Questions:
Can we allow God’s power to become more important than our own control? Why do we not see the power of the Holy Spirit flowing more freely in the world today? What do we need to change in order to become more open to Christ’s energizing and renewing presence? How do we become more Holy Spirit oriented without losing the strengths and capabilities that God has given us uniquely? What does Jesus mean by leaving us “The Advocate?” How do we use these gifts effectively?

Click Here to listen to sermon from May 24th.

8:00 Service:

Sermon: “Meanwhile, In the Real World”
Theme: The hardships and trials that God’s people face enable them to stand out and show Christ’s compassion and grace in the world.
Purpose: To enable the congregation to connect their challenges and trials with opportunities to share Christ’s love.
Scriptures: Psalm 1 Happy are those who meditate on God’s law, like trees planted by a stream.
John 17:6-19 Jesus prays for the disciples who will abide in the world and share what they have received from Christ.

Questions:
What does it take to have a strong faith in the world today? What are the practices and disciplines that enable us to be like a tree planted by a consistent source of sustenance? How do we use the “Law of God” to be a guide to our faith? What does it mean that we do not belong to the world? In what ways should we separate from the world and to what degree are we here to transform the world?

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Other: Grade School Bibles will be received during worship;
Sermon: “Experience the Resurrection”
Theme: As we experience Christ with us, we are healed, and renewed, and sent out to share the message of Christ’s rising from the dead among all who are still struggling with darkness and fear.
Purpose: The congregation will joyfully recognize their experiences of Christ’s resurrection and share this with all they meet.
Scriptures: John 20:19-31 The disciples experience Jesus’ presence in the upper room.
1 John 1:2:2 We proclaim what we have seen, and touched, and heard, that Christ’s light heals us from our sins.
Questions:
What does the resurrection mean for our life and faith? How do we integrate our experience of Christ’s raising from the dead in our daily lives? How do we share this gift of hope and expectation of blessing with people who are struggling with feelings of emptiness and anxiousness? How do we become people who receive the resurrection on a daily basis?

Click HERE to listen to the message from April 12th, 2015

Sermon: “Because He Is Risen…”
Theme: By Christ’s rising from the dead we are freed from our bondage to the past and our fears of the future.
Purpose: The congregation will celebrate and rejoice in the gift of the resurrection.
Scriptures: Isaiah 25:6-9 On this day we receive a feast of gladness because death no longer has power over us.
John 20:1-18 Christ is raised and witnessed by Mary.
Questions:
What is different in our lives because of the gift of Christ’s resurrection from the dead? What is the difference between “resurrection” and “resuscitation?” How is our perspective on life changed by the knowledge that death has been defeated? What becomes our purpose in life as people who have the message of hope over death to share? What can we do to truly celebrate the resurrection?

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Sermon: “Humbly, Riding on a Donkey”
Theme: Christ comes to us in humility, and we know Christ when we take on the same lowliness and servanthood.
Purpose: The congregation will seek to know Christ through setting pride aside and seeking to live faithfully.
Scriptures: Mark 11:1-11 The Palm Sunday Procession into Jerusalem.
Philippians 2:5-11 Have this same mind that was in Christ Jesus.

Questions:
Why did Jesus choose to ride a donkey into Jerusalem at that time? Did he know that he was fulfilling a prophecy or did it just happen that way? Why did everyone get so excited about Jesus coming to Jerusalem that day? In what ways did Jesus contrast with other leaders of the same time? What difference does it make to us if we seek to be humble and willing to serve God? Is servanthood still something worth practicing?

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Sermon: Too Broken to Pray
Theme: Prayer is a relationship with God that at times transcends words, and at times is challenged by not conforming to our will. “Thy will be done.”
Purpose: The congregation will recognize that we pray to a God that does not conform to our will yet loves and walks with us at all times.
Scriptures: Romans 8:26-30 We don’t know how to pray, but God has determined that we will be conformed to the image of the son.
Mark 14:26-42 Jesus prays that the cup pass, disciples cannot stay awake to pray.
Hebrews 4:14-16 Jesus has been tested in all ways that we have been, grace in time of need.

Questions:
How do we handle the times when we are too upset or angry to pray? Does God become angry with us when our prayers are selfish or angry? What if we accidently pray something that is not good for us? Will God punish us if we tell God off or pray in a disrespectful manner? Why do some feel the need to pay in very formal ways? What does it mean when we say in the Lord’s prayer: “Thy will be done?” Do we really want God’s will or are we at times just being polite?

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Daylight Savings Time
Sermon: “Unanswered Prayer?”
Theme: As Christians we are at times challenged by prayers that are unanswered, or events that cause us fear and doubt.
Purpose: The congregation will understand prayer as a living relationship with a sovereign God that at times is difficult.
Scriptures: Luke 18:1-8 Parable of the unjust judge
1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 Pray without ceasing, do the work of God.

Questions:
Why do some of our prayers go unanswered? Did we do something wrong or is there another reason why prayers that seem so right do not result in what we believe should take place? How do we “Pray without ceasing?” Is God really like an unjust judge that doesn’t care or was Jesus trying to make some other point? What does persistence accomplish with prayer? Does persistence actually wear God down to our point of view or does it change things for us somehow?

Click HERE to listen to the message.