Sunday Morning's at PCC

Have you struggled to do the right thing? Most of us have good intentions and plan on doing the right thing, but there are times that no matter how hard we try we do the wrong thing. Then we try to avoid doing the wrong thing and that his exactly what we do. Paul in Romans 7 knew this condition well as he experienced it himself. But there is hope and it is the transformation of the heart which guides our way of life.

Today, we hear a lot about the health of one’s heart. We measure cholesterol, triglycerides, heart rate, heart beat, and so on to determine heart health. The fact is, we have many ways of determining the health of our human heart, but how do we perform an appropriate evaluation of the spiritual heart. Over the next few weeks, I would like to talk about the spiritual heart and how we can be assured that our spiritual hearts are in good shape. So, how do we measure the health of our heart? How do we know when we are healthy? These and other questions will be addressed during this series. To understand this process, let me make a few comments that will point us in the right direction as we have this conversation.

Ray Delano presents a Biblical approach to overcoming temptation. This message will encourage and give up hope in your life.

In this message we explore the benefits of sharing our testimony. We all have a story and these stories serve to build our faith, encourage others, and honor God. Our story is a praise to the power of Christ to redeem us and direct our steps.

Miranda, Hector, and Ingrid share their stories and the power of God's grace to help them navigate life issues. These stories will encourage you and build your faith. Enjoy!

When we think of peace, we often think of a cessation of conflict and war. But, when we review what Biblical peace is, we find that it is more than a cessation from problems and conflict, it is completeness and wholeness within. This message explores that idea and challenges us to be united with Him, because from Him flows real peace.

In life, what brings you the most joy? What ignites your heart with passion? I am sure that if we polled this room we would most likely get all sorts of answers and responses. I am sure that some would say their kids or grandkids bring the joy. Some would say a specific trip they have enjoyed. Others would say a certain meal or a dessert would bring joy. Still others would say sitting before a fire with a good book brings them the most joy. The fact is each of us has a different opinion as to what would bring us joy. This morning, I propose, however, that the greatest doorway to joy is a personal relationship with Christ. It does not matter what specific items or events bring joy, if those things are not founded in a relationship in Christ.

In John 3:16 we find that God so loved the world. This is an amazing proposition since for all practical purposes we did not deserve His love but He loved us any way. He came to model the best kind of love of all. In the Scripture we find this is an Agape love which means that the love given is not based on the one receiving the love but it is based in the one giving the love. Do you feel unloved and rejected today, if so, this message will inspire you to receive His love.

The wise men journeyed to Bethlehem with one thing in mind, but they left Bethlehem with a different impression. They went looking for a king, but found a child. They wanted a warrior, but found a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. This little baby would have more to offer than they could ever imagine. Through Him they found hope, love, joy, and peace. Today, we too can find hope, love, joy, and peace through Him. As the wise men did, we can and should look to the light that shines into the darkness.

Jesus encountered ten lepers. He spoke to the lepers and sent them to the priest to be proclaimed clean. This was the custom of the day with anyone who had leprosy. While the ten were healed, one leper returned to give thanks and to worship Jesus for the answer to prayer. Because of his grateful heart, this leper was not only healed physically but he was also healed spiritually. A grateful heart makes all of the difference in the world. So, how is your heart?

Paul calls us to rejoice always but with all that Paul experienced, how could he rejoice? How could he call us to rejoice? What was his rational for such a command? As you study Paul’s life, you will find that he issued this command because he understood that his joy was a not response to his experience or his circumstance, but was a response to the One whom he served. The fact is, he could rejoice because he knew who he served and all that Christ had accomplished on his behalf. He recognized that his strengthen came from God. He understood that the work of God within us allows us to face difficult times with a heart of rejoicing.

In life we mess up. We blow it big time. We fail. But through it all, we find that God is the God of the second chance. In the Bible, we find that God gave David a second chance. He gave Peter a second chance and He gave Jonah a second chance. Today, God extends His grace and mercy to us and gives us second chances (sometimes it is a third, fourth, fifth or more).

As the clay, we must have an understanding that the potter has a purpose for every piece of clay in His hands and that means God has a plan for each us. Too often, what we see is the lump of clay. What the potter sees is a flower pot, a cooking vessel, or other useful vessel. We see clay, but He sees a vessel that has a purpose. We see brokenness, but He sees wholeness. We see age and health issues, but God sees a purpose. We see retirement, but God sees a new beginning. Therefore, we can be assured that He has a plan for us, and we can know that He has a purpose for our life. The difference is in our perspective. The difference is in what we focus on. Do we see ourselves simply as clay, or do we see ourselves as having great potential and worth no matter where we are in life?

We all experience brokenness but it is in our brokenness that God grows us and allows us to understand His grace and love just a bit more. God continues to use our life experiences to mold and shape us into the person we are becoming.

Jeremiah was called to experience the mundane event of pottery making, but God wanted to use that event to teach Jeremiah a great lesson about our identity and who we are. For us personally, God wants to use the every day things in our life to teach us great lessons of hope and life.

Treasures in clay pots - Paul gives us a unique picture of who we are and our need for something greater than ourselves. He states that we have a great treasure in jars of clay. On the outside we are fragile and easily broken. But inwardly, we have a strength that empowers us and moves us forward. Outwardly things can be falling apart, but within us we have a strength and power that is beyond us. If the world around you is falling apart, and you need hope, perhaps this message is for you.

Suffering is undeniable and it is unavoidable. So, it is not whether or not we will face problems, but what we do when we face problems that make the difference. We must remember that no matter what we face, Jesus’ love for us is never diminished. He loves us and always will. Even when it seems that He is delaying His response, He still loves us and desires to work things out for His glory and that we might believe.

The amazing thing about understanding God’s plan for our life, is that most often He does not always give us everything about what we are to do at one time. He gives us what we need, as we need it. What He calls us to do is to take the steps we know to take. Whatever the situation, we take a small step, and then we watch as God directs us to the next step. Our goal is to hear God, and take the steps He shows us. We do not have to worry about the outcome, because He will take care of that. Through this process we will see His purposes confirmed and revealed.

Are you surprised at the issues and problems you have in life? Peter states that we are not to be surprised at the “fiery trials” we face in life. When you read that you might think that Peter is crazy? Why, Peter you do not know what I am going through and what others are going through! Well the truth is, He understood completely and gives us direction on how to handle the trials we face. So if you are going through a difficult time in your life, this message is for you.

We all have memories. There are good memories and bad memories that have been stored in our memory banks. These memories rise to the surface when we are stimulated by an experience or an event that reminds of us of a past experience. These memories, even the difficult ones, are important as they remind of the blessing of God. They move us to personal renewal. They remind us that the defeats in our life have been forgiven. So how is your memory?

Every person needs to know they are valuable. God has given us the opportunity to bless others and to add value to their life. To truly understand how to bless others, we need to understand how blessed we are. We have been blessed in order to be a blessing. This message will inspire you to be a blessing.

Have you been praying for something that you desperately need to have an answer? Have you become discouraged by the lack of answers? Let me ask you another question. Do you believe God to be sovereign? Can God do whatever He wants? If God is sovereign and He can do what He wants, then why do we pray? If we pray, then how much do we have to pray? Why does it seem sometimes that we have to bother or pester God to get Him to answer our prayers? Through this message Pastor Bob shares some answers and encourages us toward a lifestyle of prayer.

The greatest aspiration of Paul was to get to know Christ. Paul had a deep understanding that his resume and his pedigree did not define him. He counted all these things as rubbish when compared to knowing Christ, really knowing Him. He was defined by his knowledge of the risen Savior. Through the resurrection he recognized that nothing was impossible. Through the suffering of Christ he learned how to respond in difficult and dark times.

In John 10:10 Jesus outlines two kinds of ways to live. For one we can live under the infuence of the thief (the enemy of our souls) or we can live a life that is filled with abundance and fullness. The thief seeks to steal our joy, kill all hope, and destroy relationships but the Shepard brings joy, hope and restoration to our relationships. Choose the shepard and not the thief and you will get to live life in a new way.

In life, we will either exhibit characteristics of the Pharisees or we will be impacted by the those who demonstrate the Pharisaical attitude. Either way, we need the grace of God that comes to align our hearts to the plan of God in our life. Grace brings us to a place of heart transformation and not just an adherence to the rules. God has always been more about transformation that just obeying the rules. The Pharisees missed the mark because they wanted everyone else to obey the rules while they refused to obey the very rules they forced on others.

No matter what giant you face, that giant can fall through prayer. David illustrated this to us when he confronted Goliath, a nine foot Philistine soldier. Rather than being intimated and afraid, through God David faced the giant and was able to conquer him. That power is available to us today. We can face the giants in our life through prayer.

Unanswered prayer has always been a challenge to the Christian. Ray looks into this question and begins a discussion into why all of our prayers may not be answered. This is an encouraging message that brings us hope.

In life we are either being condemned or we are holding the stones intended to condemn others. Either way God is offering His grace to heal us and restore us. Where we have been condemned by others, God’s grace is more than enough to heal and restore us. For those who carry the stones of condemnation in their hands, God offers forgiveness and healing. We must be reminded that Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save and restore the world.

While we are called to stay in step with the Spirit Paul reminds us that pride is one of the biggest problems we have. Pride causes us to push God to the margins and causes us to believe that we do not need Him. Instead of pushing Him to the margins we are called to embrace and draw close to Him. In so doing we will live in the freedom that has been given to us.

When it comes to freedom, there has always been a price to be paid. In this message, four concepts of freedom are presented. First, freedom is never free. Second, freedom must be preserved. Third, freedom must never be a license to do whatever we want. Finally, freedom must be recieved and lived. This freedom appiles to our country and to our spiritual freedom as well.