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Sadly, many in the Church body have abandoned hope for physical change. Resolutions and diets have ended in disappointment. Turn your focus to the true path to permanent transformation. By the end of this session you'll be singin', “On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.” Focus verses: Titus 2:11-14, Romans 5:1-2, Romans 8:26-30, Psalm 51, Romans 15:13Support the show
In what do you place your hope? The stock market? Your paycheck? People? By the end of this session you'll be singin', "On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand."Focus verses: Romans 15:13, Romans 8:24-25, Ephesians 1:18-20, Ephesians 2:4-7, Psalm 103, Psalm 43:5, Hebrews 6:19-20, 1 Corinthians 15:12-19Support the show
“The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved; your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.” – Psalm 93:1-2 Today is Christ the King Sunday where we focus our worship on the cosmic character of Christ's reign over the world. It is a proclamation to all that everything in creation and culture must submit to Christ. It is an invitation to actively and joyfully submit to His rule. Christ the King is the last Sunday of the season of Pentecost and of the church year. This day completes the Christian journey through the life of Jesus Christ on earth and in heaven which began with the preparation for the birth of Jesus in Advent. King Jesus is victorious over sin, death, and the power of the Devil. By His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus won the war against evil. On Christ the King Sunday, Christians recognize and worship Christ as King of heaven and earth for all time without challenge and without end. Come let us worship Christ the King! Scripture Reference: Mark 10:32-45 11/24/2024
On Christ the King Sunday, the Rev. Nick Lannon preaches a sermon on Daniel 7 and John 18, which portray Jesus as the two kinds of kings he is: an almighty king, worthy of honor and respect, and a redeemer king, who comes to save sinners.
On Christ the King Sunday, Rachael and the gathered community wrestle together with the implications of the image of God as King, how Jesus' life and death invite us to question and reimagine it, and what all of this means for the way we approach our own life and use of power. The post What kind of king? (And so what?) appeared first on St. Croix Church.
This Sunday, 11/24 pastor Jon Saunders continued in our sermon series in 1 Corinthians. This week's sermon is "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand" from 1 Corinthians 3:10-23. For more information about Redeemer Presbyterian Church – Detroit, visit us online. http://redeemerdetroit.com/ Instagram Facebook
On Christ the King Sunday, the Rev. Nick Lannon preaches a sermon on Daniel 7 and John 18, which portray Jesus as the two kinds of kings he is: an almighty king, worthy of honor and respect, and a redeemer king, who comes to save sinners.
The Practical Faith Academy Podcast from Cecil Taylor Ministries presents guests who have important things to say about putting your faith into practice. Cecil interviews each guest to understand their life stories and their ideas for living a seven-day practical faith. Deb and Bruce Potts have served as marriage mentors in their church for a dozen years, using techniques they've learned during 48 years of marriage. The Potts also endured a trying health crisis that overlapped with the pandemic, which stretched and renewed their faith. Their wisdom about marriage and about life shines in this podcast that focuses on changing yourself to help your marriage and to equip you to deal with life's difficulties. Highlights of the podcast: (:31 start) (+1:01 delta) 1:55 (ORIG 0:54) Their definitions of a seven-day practical faith 4:57 (ORIG 3:56) The role that faith plays in their marriage 7:23 (ORIG 6:22) On Christ being in the center of their marriage 9:01 (ORIG 8:00) Three key principles they share with couples. 11:33 (ORIG 10:32) How reactions to family of origin affect marriage and parenting 14:36 (ORIG 13:35) Bruce talks about his medical crisis requiring two brain surgeries during the Covid pandemic, how his faith helped him during that time, and how the crisis changed his approach to life. 19:55 (ORIG 18:54) Deb's experience during Bruce's hospital stay in isolation and how faith and community pulled her through. 23:49 (ORIG 22:48) Why and how they wrote a novel, “Love on Life Support,” about Bruce's crisis within the Covid crisis. 28:37 (ORIG 27:36) The hardest part for them about putting faith into practice. 31:03 (ORIG 30:02) Their best tips for developing and maintaining a seven-day practical faith. 32:02 (ORIG 31:01) How people can learn more about their work in marriage mentoring You can learn more about what the Potts offer at DebPotts.com and by searching for MarriageMentorMoments on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Also check out their award-winning book, “Love on Life Support," which can be accessed from their website or from Amazon. Cecil Taylor is an author, speaker, podcaster, blogger, and provider of Instant Content to churches and small groups. Please register for Cecil's free monthly newsletter on the Cecil Taylor Ministries home page. You'll receive a free gift, which changes from time to time, and the newsletter itself will enrich you with practical faith tips, tips for your church, updates on Cecil Taylor Ministries, a devotional, and more. It's the best way to stay in touch with Cecil! Cecil is now a Chicken Soup for the Soul author! He is a contributor to “Tales of Christmas,” a Chicken Soup for the Soul book that was released on Oct. 15. You can learn more about Cecil and what he offers at https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com, at https://www.facebook.com/ceciltaylorministries , and the Cecil Taylor Ministries YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHP_khu3r77ubl5jvHsf5-w . Cecil's parenting advice can be found at his new website, https://www.UnisonParenting.com, at https://www.instagram.com/unison_parenting/ and at https://www.pinterest.com/CecilTaylorMinistries. For more free content like this from Cecil Taylor Ministries, visit https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com/free-content. Cecil's books and video studies can be found and purchased through https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com. Every video study's first lesson can be seen for free via the Free Content link above by clicking on “Sample Lessons.” Cecil's Instant Content portfolio of books and video studies includes: - NEW: “Unison Parenting: The Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Christian Parenthood with One Voice” (book and eWorkbook available now; book study Leader Guide and first video study available in early 2025). Cecil provides proven parenting strategies with an underlying layer of parenting in unison through all the ages and stages of a child's life. The goal is to help the child become a mature adult who makes good decisions. - “From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone” (book, six-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant's Guide). Cecil explores a dozen Bible studies of Jesus inviting people out of their comfort zones into their trust zones and how to apply these stories to our lives today. You'll uncover your own comfort zones and learn how to deepen your faith by getting uncomfortable for Jesus. - “The Next Thing” (book, five-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant's Guide). “The Next Thing” supplies a four-part Christian model for dealing with crisis. You'll find the model to be flexible and applicable to many crises. - “Live Like You're Loved” (book, five-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant's Guide). “Live Like You're Loved” affirms that God loves you, forgives you, sends you, and walks with you in eternal relationship. You'll learn how to embed each of these scriptural truths into your daily life.
Sermon Summary: God's Blessing in the Ordinary Sermon Title: Unraveling the Tension: God's Blessing and Our Reality Speaker: Erica Scripture References: Genesis 27-28 Erica began the sermon by reflecting on the hymn "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand," connecting the imagery of a solid rock to the concept of God's unwavering faithfulness. She acknowledged that many people feel like they are standing on sinking sand, far removed from the stability and security that God offers. Drawing from the story of Jacob in Genesis, Erica highlighted the tension between God's blessing and our often chaotic realities. Jacob, despite receiving a divine blessing, faced numerous challenges and uncertainties. Erica emphasized that God's blessing is not always immediately evident in our circumstances and that it often operates beyond our perception. The sermon delved into the true nature of God's blessing, which is rooted in His faithfulness rather than our circumstances. Erica explained that God's blessing is a gift that is not dependent on our outward successes or failures. She used Jacob's experience as an example, demonstrating how God remained faithful to him even in the midst of adversity. Erica also discussed the concept of God's presence in ordinary places. She emphasized that God can reveal Himself to us in the most unexpected and seemingly insignificant moments. The story of Jacob's encounter with God at a certain place serves as a powerful illustration of this truth. The sermon concluded with a call to action, encouraging listeners to recognize God's presence in their own "certain places." Erica urged them to name their current situations as "Bethel," meaning "house of God," and to worship God in the midst of their challenges. She emphasized that God is accessible and faithful, and that His blessing is available to all who seek Him. Key Points: The tension between God's blessing and our reality. The true nature of God's blessing: rooted in His faithfulness. God's presence in ordinary places. The importance of recognizing God's presence and worshiping Him in our circumstances. Bible References: Genesis 27-28 John 1:51 Transcript That song reminds me of that old hymn, On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand. I can only remember the chorus. On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, all of the ground is sinking sand, all of the ground is sinking sand. What's the rest of the song? Nothing less, Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not toss the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, all of the ground is sinking sand, all of the ground is sinking sand. You sound really beautiful, we're going to sing it again. On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, all of the ground is sinking sand, all of the ground is sinking sand. What a great hymn. And just as I was singing that, I just felt that there are some people this morning and that's exactly how you feel. You feel like you're standing on sinking sand and this thing, this experience of standing on a solid rock just feels like something that is a million miles away from where you find yourself right now. And I want to encourage you with our passage this morning that actually where we find Jacob today is in a very similar situation how you might feel this morning. Last week we explored Genesis chapter 27 and Andy if you get chance to listen to it again please do because it was very, very clear. I went away with a word that was going round and round in my head all last week was leaning into the sovereignty of God and trusting. And there have been so many things that have come up in my mind this week where I've just had to say Erica you need to lean into the sovereignty of God. You don't have to understand everything or work out how to fix everything because I'm a fixer or work out all the analysis of it all. You just need to lean into the sovereignty of God and trust Him. And that was what I picked up from last week. So we saw Jacob in Genesis chapter 7, the younger of these two brothers. Remember we've been following the story of this quite amazing but slightly bonkers family and quite similar to my own. We see Jacob the younger brother and with the help of his mother Rebecca they come up with a plan to deceive the older brother Esau out of his blessing. And at the end of the chapter 27 we see how Jacob now receives the blessing that was rightfully meant for the older brother according to culture and tradition. He receives the blessing and instead of it doing him good his brother is now furious with him, his brother now wants to kill him and rather than being safe and lovely and comfortable he then has to run away. And that's where we find Jacob now. Rebecca is sending Jacob telling him to run away, you need to flee for your life, you need to go to my brother Laban, find a wife, get on with your life, you cannot stay here, it is too dangerous. And that's where we find Jacob this morning and we're going to read, Heather is going to read from us Genesis chapter 28. So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him, then he commanded him do not marry a Canaanite woman, go at once to Padan Aaron to the house of your mother's father Betharoth. Take a wife for yourself there from among the daughters of Laban your mother's brother. May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham so that you may take possession of the land where you now reside as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham. Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way and he went to Padan Aaron to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebecca who was the mother of Jacob and Esau. Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Padan Aaron to take a wife from there and that when he blessed him he commanded him do not marry a Canaanite woman. And that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Padan Aaron. Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac. So he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath the sister of Nebaiath and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham in addition to the wives he already had. Jacob left Beersheba and set out to Haman. People wanted to laugh at that point. I could hear the little sniggle that went around the room. Carry on, sorry. In addition to the wives he already had. Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haman. When he reached a certain place he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth with its top reaching to heaven and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord and he said I am the Lord the God your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you in your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth and you will spread out to the west and to the east to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. When Jacob awoke from his sleep he thought surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it. He was afraid and said how awesome is this place. There is none other this is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven. Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel though the city used to be called Luz. Then Jacob made a vow saying if God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's household then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house and of all that you give me I will give you a tent. Jacob has just received his blessing but um I don't know how blessed he actually feels with the situation he finds himself in. I'm not sure that he does feel all that blessed. He's deceived his father, he's angered his brother to the point of murderous rage and now his brother mother is begging him to flee for his life. There is nothing about this situation that would turn up on the Facebook post that would say hashtag blessed and yet he's received the blessing but there's nothing about the situation that would say that he even remotely looks like he is blessed and before we get into the scripture I want us to have a quick look at that the tension that we need to understand between God's blessing and our reality and often the two don't meet and if I were to ask you that question this morning do you feel blessed? How many of you would have the confidence to raise your hand? Do you feel blessed this morning? How many of you would be confident to say actually I don't feel blessed? Thank you Alan and Christie at the back there. Thank you very much because there were others in the room but we all know that that's not the Christian thing to do is to put our hands up and say actually I don't really feel blessed but that's the tension that we have to live with. We have to recognize that God's blessing doesn't always immediately align with our outward circumstances and this was certainly true for Jacob this day so that Jacob had received the blessing of God and yet almost immediately his life seems to unravel almost immediately after receiving this amazing blessing. How many of you have felt like that here's the blessing of God and the next minute you wake up and suddenly everything feels chaotic and slightly bonkers around you so he gets this amazing blessing and immediately he has to flee his home he has to leave everything familiar behind and now his future looks nothing like certain at all and I wonder if there was a question mark in his mind that said was it really worth it? Was it really worth it? The tension between God's promises and God's blessing and our present reality is something we all experience at times and often it feels miles apart from each other. Our reality can be messy, our reality can be chaotic, our reality can make us feel uncertain and afraid and yet if we belong to God if we belong to Jesus we are still blessed. Whether you feel it or whether you don't feel it we are still blessed and that's the tension that we are living with all the time. So when I was thinking about that today I wanted to think just really briefly for a moment what is the nature of God's blessing because the world out there will tell you that the blessed life is the comfortable life the life where everything is working in your favor where you have everything you need you lack nothing that's what the world will tell you all the photographs on Facebook are photoshopped to make it look like the perfect relationship the perfect bunch of children the perfect life and yet we all know that under the surface that's not always the reality of Allah. Are you with me? So what is the true nature of God's blessing? The blessing Jacob received from Isaac was real and it carried divine significance. If you look at the story of the Bible you can see the divine significance of the blessing on Isaac's life but the immediate consequences didn't look anything like the blessed life that we might expect. Instead of comfort and favor Jacob faced fear and isolation and uncertainty. I want to cheer you up all this morning as Jonathan would say cheer up folks. God's blessing often operates beyond what we can see or feel in the moment. Blessed be the name of the Lord. That's his prerogative. Sometimes it doesn't look blessed but I think it's this understanding that actually I don't need to feel it in order for something to be true. So God's blessing often operates beyond what I see or feel in the moment. The other thing that we need to understand God's blessing is is not dependent on my circumstances. Outwardly Jacob's life didn't look blessed at all he was running and yet God was still at work and you see that play out as his life goes on. God was still orchestrating something far greater than Jacob could see at the time and when we may this morning feel far away from blessed when life gets difficult but that doesn't diminish the reality that God's blessing is still in our lives and in actual fact often God's purposes unfold in our struggle. That's his prerogative. Blessed be the name of the Lord. The blessing of God is always rooted in his faithfulness. That gives me a great sense of relief because if it was rooted in my faithfulness then it would come and go depending on the weather in the morning. God's blessing is rooted in his faithfulness and Jacob sees this. The blessing of God is anchored in God's faithfulness regardless of what was going on around him. So even as he fled even as he ran away even as he went away from the certainty and the familiarity and the relationships he knew God still went with him and in Genesis 28 verse 15 you see this incredible verse that God says over Jacob as he's running away as his future is uncertain God says to him I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. Yes Lord but I don't know where I'm going. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. Yes I know but my brother wants to kill me. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I know but I don't know where I'm going. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. This is the wonderful certainty about belonging to God and God sends Jacob on his way and says actually Jacob whatever you are and whatever you do I am faithful to you and I want to encourage you this morning that wherever you are and whatever you do and wherever you find yourself today God is faithful to you. Yes I know but I've messed it up and I've made mistakes and I feel far away. God is still faithful to you. That's the nature of his blessing. I'm sure we've all experienced relationships that haven't quite worked out. I certainly have and times when things haven't looked right and times when there's been a parting of company I've experienced that in my own life and yet one thing I know is that even when I have offended God or been unfaithful to him he has stayed closer to me than a brother. He is never far away. He is always close. He never says I'm done with you. Fine. Always faithful and that's where Jacob finds himself this faithfulness of God. So I want us to look at Genesis chapter 28 10 to 11 particularly this morning. That was just looking at the nature of God's blessing. You're expecting all of your life to work out all the it won't but one thing is certain is that God is with you and he will walk with you and he is unfolding his plans and his purposes in your life even if you don't feel it. Is it warm in here? Is it me? So Jacob is running away. The story tells us that he came to a certain place and he stops for the night and taking one of the stones there he puts it under his head and he goes to sleep. There is nothing famous or significant about this certain place that Jacob finds himself in. Nothing about it that says that this is a special place. It was an ordinary unremarkable place. It was not famous or important. Jacob hadn't arrived anywhere special he had just arrived at a place. It was in this very ordinary unremarkable insignificant unimportant place this certain place that God chose to reveal himself to Jacob in a powerful way. I want to encourage you this morning that God doesn't need special places in order to meet with us. We don't have to go on the pilgrimage to Lourdes to find our savior. We don't have to go on the pilgrimage to the latest women's conference or any other conference. We don't have to go to a special significant place. We can find God right in the middle of our place that we find ourselves right now. It was just a place. It was ordinary insignificant unimportant and this is where God chose to reveal himself to Jacob in a powerful way. To the woman at the well her certain place was a well. To Zacchaeus his certain place was a tree. To the woman with the issue of blood her certain place was a crowd. To the world God chose to reveal himself to us in a certain place a lowly stable. I'm giving you prepared for the countdown to Christmas when we start singing it apparently is only what 95 days or something ridiculous. We could start singing carols now couldn't we? God meets us anywhere even in the most unexpected or seemingly insignificant place he can show up in your mundane. He can show up when you're running away when you have no faith and everything is against you. You don't know where to find God when you are feeling disappointed or where everything is going on well in your world. God can meet you in your certain place. He is good at finding your certain place and meeting with you there. God's presence and blessing aren't tied to the significance of our surroundings or even the people around us. The Bible tells us that Jacob was alone so you whether you're in a high point in life or in an ordinary or even uncomfortable place where you feel like you're sleeping on a rock where your rock is a pillow God can meet us there. I find that really exciting. Yes, why is it reassuring? Just to know that when you're on your own and all the volume is turned down in the world and you are on your own and all the songs aren't being sung from the front to just there. God can meet us. So what happened that night as Jacob slept at this certain place with a rock as his pillow and if you felt like last night's sleep you were sleeping on a rock as a pillow because of the thoughts that were going on in your head. He has a dream and in this dream he isn't a fugitive on the run and he isn't on the receiving of a telling off, this receiving end of a telling off. This is the incredible vision of a stairway from earth to heaven and the vision is of angels descending up and down this stairway and the Lord is standing above it and he speaks directly to Jacob in this dream and he's reminding Jacob of who he is and the blessing he carries. God made a point of reaching out to Jacob in this very low moment to remind him of the blessing that was his. Now the stairway, it symbolizes a connection between heaven and earth. It represents a bridge and not a divide. The way I was thinking about it, if I was running away from something, if I was fearful for my life, if I know that I had stooped through a level of deception and what I got had not potentially been rightfully mine or anything else, I would imagine that there was this divide between me and God. But what God showed Jacob that day is a bridge between the heavenly divine realm and the realm of broken mankind and dysfunctional humanity. And the angels coming up and down on this stairway symbolizes its interaction between the spiritual world and the human world. In other words, what God was saying to Jacob is that you're not far away. Heaven is closer to you than you think. There is a bridge between me and you and the realm between heaven and earth is not thick like we imagine it to be. Actually it's paper thin. Isn't that beautiful? And he's encouraging Jacob with this and he's saying it's paper thin. You have access. There is a bridge between me and you. This is the first time in Jacob's life that he has a revelation of God and he doesn't have a revelation of God when all his ducks are in a row and his life is perfect and everything is fine and God says, right, you are perfect now. Now you can have a revelation of me. His life is broken and all his ducks aren't in a row. In fact, one of the ducks is a pigeon. His life is imperfect and yet that is when God chooses to show him this incredible revelation where he says, Jacob, I am with you. There is a bridge between me and you. And what is Jacob's response? Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it. I want to encourage you this morning to say God is present in all the certain places of our lives. Even when you can't see him, he is still there. There's that great song that says, even when I can't feel it, you're working. Even when I can't see it, you're working. You never stop, you never stop working. Great song and that's what God was confirming to Jacob in that moment. Even when you haven't got everything set out as you want it to be, I am still there and it opens Jacob's eyes. Surely the Lord is in this place. John chapter 1 verse 51, Jesus himself says this, he says he is the ultimate connection between God and humanity. You read the scripture in John chapter 1 verse 51, you see almost a replica vision where Jacob sees the ladder and the angels ascending in descender and God says I am with you. In John chapter 151, John is describing, Jesus is describing his relationship. He says I am the angels and you will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the son of man. In other words, he is declaring that Jesus is the fulfillment of Jacob's vision. Jesus is the ladder, the symbol of the connection between heaven and earth. In Christ, that connection is fully realized. Jesus is the bridge. He is our encounter with God. If you know Jesus this morning, there is a bridge between you and him that has already been established and his name is Jesus. Isn't that beautiful? If you don't know Jesus, you won't understand the fullness and the joy of that or the security of knowing that. Jacob's ladder was a shadow. What Jacob saw in his vision was a shadow of who Jesus actually is, the fulfillment of this connection between us and God. What a great revelation. Early the next morning, if we go back to Genesis verse 18, sorry, Jacob, let me start again. Verse 18, early the next morning after his encounter with God, Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on it. I found this really interesting actually because when you read earlier on in the passages, I don't know if you noticed, but there were lots of stones in that area, lots of them. And I always try to think to myself if something is in scripture, it's in there for a reason, something that God wants us to see. So I was thinking about Jacob, he arrives at his certain place and he looks around for a rock and he takes it and he lies down and he uses it as a pillow. Do you think he used a rock as a pillow at home? No? Well, not likely. What was he likely to have used? A blanket, a coat, a cloth, some sheepskin, something. Any of you opt for a rock as a pillow? No. So there's something interesting about this particular thing. There are lots and lots of stones and for me the way I want to imagine it, and you can correct me if you think I'm wrong at the end, but I think it's almost symbolic of where he was at that time. He was in an uncomfortable place. This was an uncomfortable pillow. It was in a place of vulnerability. So there's that kind of symbolic thing going on. It's interesting, after he has this vision and he sees the bridge between himself and God and suddenly heaven feels more accessible and God feels more close, the Bible says he takes a rock. Which rock? The same rock. Don't you find that interesting? Because I do. I think out of all the rocks he could have chosen to then put as a pillar and anoint with oil, why was it that he used the rock that had been under his pillow, under his head? Why was it that one? Might think I'm wrong, but I'd like to suggest that he took his vulnerability and he took his pain and he took his uncertainty and he took all the stuff that was going on in his head and he'd had this encounter with God where heaven seems really close and God is somehow accessible and he gathered this particular stone and he took it to his certain place and he put it there and he poured oil over the top of it as a symbol of worship. That's what I think happened, as a symbol of worship. The vulnerability, the pain, the insecurity, the difficult time, whatever that certain place, he takes it all and he puts it down and he says because of what I've seen of you, God you are close to me, I see that heaven is now accessible, you have made a bridge, I can now hear from you. He creates a place, a place of worship. He takes it all and pours oil over it as a symbol of worship and dedication. Transforms his certain place into holy ground, into a place of worship and encounter with God. The Bible tells us that Jacob names this place Bethel, which means house of God. From an ordinary place with no name, this certain place, he now says I see God, this is the house of God and he takes all the mess, this is my imagination, he takes all the mess and the negativity of the situation, he says God is here, Bethel, how awesome is this place. Do you think that's what he'd said the day before when he arrived at his certain place, having run for miles thinking ah where am I going, who's going to look out for me, what's going to happen? Do you think he said wow Bethel, how awesome is this place? No, yet an encounter with God in his certain place transformed this into a place, this is the house of God. Nothing about his situation had changed, nothing had been fixed, nothing had been sorted, nothing had been put back the way it used to be, but the situation hadn't changed, but Jacob's perspective had. That's amazing. I'm so challenged by this, I would love to say that at every season of my life I've always approached it with the perspective God is here. I have to be honest and admit that often the perspective I've adopted in situations has not been the perspective of God is in this house. Sometimes my certain places, those times of my life that I've found particularly challenging or tough, rather than God is in this place I have named it bitterness and frustration. Any of you with me on that or is it just me in this room? Thank you for your honesty, where I focus so much on the problem or on the lack that that has become the center of my attention. And God was challenging me, I've been even thinking about it today, to use the language of God is in this house, God is in the middle of my ducks and my pigeons, God is right there. Sometimes I've named the certain places isolation and despair, I've chosen not to see God, I've chosen to feel abandoned and isolated, believing that somehow I'm disconnected from hope and from God. Maybe that's how you feel this morning, I have to admit I have done this so many times. Bethel, God is in this house. Sometimes I've named my certain places, I've not seen God is in this house and isn't it wonderful, wow this is an amazing place, rather it's been dominated by fear and anxiety. Anybody in that or is it just me? Thank you Alan. Alan and I are on the wavelength here Jack, thank you. Dominated by fear and anxiety, I've not found assurance in God's presence because I've allowed fear to take over and I've lost peace. And I've not had the perspective that surely God is here. Sometimes I've named my certain place, reliance, self-reliance and pride. Anybody else? Thank you, thank you. These two guys are laughing here. Put your hands up. How many of us, that in the middle of what's going on, what we rely on is our own strength and wisdom. Yes, we all do it. Isn't it funny how we think we're wiser than God or we think we have the better strategy. I do this and that's what I've done. I've not looked at everything that's going on and I've not said actually God is in this place. I've actually decided that I'd better fix it and I rely on my own strength and wisdom and the path of self-reliance and prize causes me to miss what God is doing. And you know what happens when we depend on self-reliance and pride? That we end up facing burnout because we have to pedal faster. And we end up feeling disappointment because if we don't get it right somehow, we end up feeling like failures. God has revealed Himself to us, those of us that know Jesus. He has revealed Himself to us. He is the fulfillment of Jacob's dream. He is the bridge by which we encounter God and I have encountered God in my life. I know the time and the day when it happened. I know Jesus. So I get to choose the perspective and decide what to name the certain places of my life. And I don't have to wait to feel it. I can choose as Jacob did. This certain place I'm in right now is my house of God, my Bethel. So think about your certain place just for a moment. Close your eyes just for a second and imagine where you're at right now. Identify your certain place because we've each got them. For Jacob, it was a wilderness, a place of uncertainty, fear and discomfort. Maybe for you that certain place that you are imagining in your life right now is a difficult season. It's a tough season. It's a hard season. It's a confusing season. Maybe that's your certain place this morning. Maybe your certain place is that job that feels mundane. It doesn't feel like it fits you. You feel like a square peg in a round hole. You feel unfulfilled. Maybe that's your certain place. Maybe your certain place is a strange relationship. Maybe that's your certain place right now. Maybe your certain place is a personal struggle. Maybe you're feeling isolated, disappointed. Maybe you're not sure where God is or your faith feels dry. The wonderful thing about Jesus is we can be honest with Him about where we are at right now. We struggle to be honest with each other because that's not the Christian thing to do, but we can be honest with God. He knows your certain place. Maybe your certain place is a health issue. Maybe you feel like you're carrying a weight. Maybe you're one of the people this morning that actually your certain place is a good place and you feel like all is well, that you're running a million miles trying to maintain it and control it. Whatever that place may be, it may feel ordinary or hard or insignificant, but that doesn't mean God isn't present. And just as Jacob didn't expect God to meet him there, we often don't expect to encounter God in our everyday struggles. Rather than saying, if only I wasn't here, then I would be able to meet God. Maybe we can turn things around like Jacob did and take that pillar that has been the stone under our head and bring it to God as worship and say, God, this is Yours. Meet me here. I wonder if you can be bold to say that, God, this place is Yours. Meet me here. God, this place that I'm in, this season of life that I'm in, this job that feels mundane that I'm in, this strained relationship that I'm in, this personal struggle or feeling of isolation that I'm in, this health issue that I'm in. God, this place is Yours. Meet me here. Meet me here. And then as we choose to worship, we say, this is where I'll meet God. I'm not going to wait until things change. I'm going to meet God right here. One of the biggest phrases that I hear or have heard over life is, where is God in all of this? I've even said it, where is God in all of this? Rather than this is where I'll meet God. I wonder if you have the boldness this morning to take hold of your certain place and say, God, this place is Yours. Meet me here. And then have the boldness and the courage to say, God, I'm going to meet you right here. You are in this place. On Christ the solid rock I stand. On other ground is sinking sand. On other ground is sinking sand. On Christ the solid rock I stand. On other ground is sinking sand. On other ground is sinking sand. Lord, I take the rock from under my head, the symbol of my vulnerability, the symbol of my struggle, and I take it and I pour oil on it as an action of worship, believing that You will meet me in this place. But I'm trying, I want to change the circumstances, and I think that if I change it, if I fix it, if I make it different, that's when You'll meet me. But God, I believe Your word to us this morning is that You will meet us right where we're at right now. That we don't have to change anything or be anything or say anything or fix anything or do anything. Just come with expectant hearts and say, God, meet me here. Meet me here in this place. Meet me here in my vulnerability. Meet me here in my frailty. Meet me here in this, my certain place. And I give it to You as worship this morning, pouring oil on it, knowing that You are faithful, knowing that Jesus, You are the bridge toward with my encounter with God. Thank You that You are accessible to us and Your blessing is on our lives whether we feel it or whether we don't. Thank You, Jesus, that on Christ, the solid rock we stand, end of, full stop, that's it, bottom line. Thank You, Jesus. And Father, I want to pray for those this morning that don't know You, Lord Jesus, feel like they're being buffeted from one thing to the next. Father, I thank You that You wanting to have an encounter with anyone here that doesn't already know You. You want an encounter this morning. So thank You for that Holy Spirit. Thank You for touching our hearts. Thank You for being who You are. Amen.
On Christ the solid rock I stand --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jimmy-barrett/support
2 THESSALONIANS The last seven years of human history that will be marked by intense persecution, afflictions, and martyrdom of Christians. Although many Christians believe they will escape the Tribulation, the biblical evidence, particularly from the epistles to the Thessalonians, indicates that believers will be kept in the Tribulation rather than taken out of it. Steve also shares his personal motivations for focusing on biblical prophecy, concerned that many may not make it through the difficult times to come. He references historical and theological perspectives on the severity of the Tribulation period. Referenced in today's episode: 2 Thessalonians 1:4, and 3:1-3 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7, and 3:-3-4 Matthew 24:9-13 John 17:15 Augustine, Sermon 94 2 Timothy 3:12 Hippolytus, On Christ and Antichrist CCC 675 We appreciate your interest in learning about biblical prophecy! Video format of the Luke21 podcast is available on YouTube @luke21prophecy. If you're a YouTube user, we invite you to subscribe to our channel @luke21prophecy and share with your friends & family. This podcast remains possible due to the support of our listeners and their word of mouth. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luke21prophecy/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Luke21Radio/ For exclusive content and additional resources on biblical prophecy, visit https://luke21.com/ Bible translations Steve recommends: RSV-CE – Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ESV – English Standard Version, if you don't want to use a Catholic bible
When we choose to bring our brokenness to Jesus, we will see something beautiful. #theloriclineshow Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org! ~~~ Imagine you could start each day with someone showing you two doors. Behind door number one is something beautiful. Behind door number two is chaos. You get to choose which door you walk into. Which would you choose? The obvious choice, you would think, would be to choose something beautiful, right? Of course! Beauty is what we desire. Beauty is what we long for. But do you know what I've discovered in my own life? There are days, more than I want to admit, that I choose door number two. I choose chaos over something beautiful. Think about it. Do you do the same? What are you choosing to see right now? You may say, ‘well Lori I'm not choosing anything. This world is simply IN chaos. This day is giving me sickness, death, pain, struggle and an election year.' Yes, no doubt this world is full of chaos and we have so much coming at us, we can still choose beautiful. But how do we do that? Romans 8:5-6 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Do you see the two doors? One is flesh and one is spirit. When we live by the flesh, our minds are set and fixed on fleshly desires. Behind that door is anger, hate, division, death and chaos. We'll see it all around us. But, when we live by the spirit, not just any spirit, the spirit of the living God, we see beautiful things, even in the midst of chaos. God opens our eyes and gives us the ability to desire and do what is good, to focus on what is lovely and to see what is beautiful. In that place, there is life and peace. I cannot choose this on my own and neither can you. The pull of chaos is too strong. Often the roots of our own internal chaos and brokenness can lead us to crave chaos, be comfortable IN it, create it and even embrace it! If we are not made new by the saving grace of Jesus and allow our minds to be renewed by the Holy Spirit on a daily basis, the lure will be too great. We will choose chaos over what is beautiful. We'll add to it by pouring gasoline on the dumpster fires of life burning around us instead of walking IN the garden, full of peace, quenching those fires with the living water that flows freely through us. Choosing beautiful is putting ON Christ. (Romans 13:14) It's walking by the spirit. (Galatians 5:16) And starting each day, before you begin to scroll or stroll through it, putting ON the new self. (Ephesians 4:24) Putting on Christ leads us to see what He sees. We can move through the chaos of the day, not focused on all the things, but seeing the hearts that so desperately need a savior. That's been the root cause of chaos since the garden and it's the only cure. When the peace of Christ rules my heart, circumstances around me won't. It's that simple. It's not easy, but behind that door IS joy, life, peace and something beautiful. That's the truth. What will you choose today? Bring the brokenness of your life and this day to Jesus. When you do, no matter what surrounds you, you will see something beautiful. I'm Lori Cline.
Do you remember the lyrics of the song ‘On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand'? The chorus goes like this: “On Christ the solid rock I stand All other ground is sinking sand” It's based on the Truth in Matthew 7:24-27 where Jesus says that if we will listen to His teaching and obey it, then we will be like people who build their house on solid rock (instead of sinking sand). Now that just sounds like good sense to me! But let's face it - there are places that feel wobbly in all of our lives. Places where we still have fear, anxiety and worry. Places where we're struggling to find hope. Places where breakthrough seems like a far off dream. This is the nature of everyday life. But as you watch or listen to today's episode you will find new hope and courage as you ask Jesus for help you stand on the stability that ONLY He can offer in your life. It's a game changer for sure. So, as always,
The invitations are still out. It is not too late. When the king enters the hall, how will he find us? The classic hymn “On Christ the Solid Rock,” contains the lines, “O may I then be found, dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.” Christ Jesus has a graceful robe of rightness and wholeness and peace to give us. He wants us at the feast. So for heaven's sake, put your clothes on!
The invitations are still out. It is not too late. When the king enters the hall, how will he find us? The classic hymn “On Christ the Solid Rock,” contains the lines, “O may I then be found, dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.” Christ Jesus has a graceful robe of rightness and wholeness and peace to give us. He wants us at the feast. So heaven's sake, put your clothes on!
Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 392 - On Christ's Ascension I Now Build - Colossians 3:1-4: If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 394 - We Thank Thee, Jesus, Dearest Friend - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Chaplain Don Moldstad (Preacher), Rev. Prof. Dennis Marzolf (Pianist)
Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 392 - On Christ's Ascension I Now Build - Colossians 3:1-4: If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 394 - We Thank Thee, Jesus, Dearest Friend - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Chaplain Don Moldstad (Preacher), Rev. Prof. Dennis Marzolf (Pianist)
Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 392 - On Christ's Ascension I Now Build - Colossians 3:1-4: If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 394 - We Thank Thee, Jesus, Dearest Friend - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Chaplain Don Moldstad (Preacher), Rev. Prof. Dennis Marzolf (Pianist)
Christ will remind us of The Rock of Assurance we all need. Christ will teach us the only way to survive the storms of life and the final storm of judgement is to build our lives upon the solid ROCK of Christ as our only foundation. May we all be able to sing and proclaim together: "On Christ, the solid rock, I stand!"
March 31, 2024 EASTER SUNDAY Preparation for Worship Time for Gathering Opening Hymn “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” Christ the Lord is risen today alleluia sons of men and angels say alleluia Raise your joys and triumphs high alleluia sing ye heavens and earth reply alleluia Lives again our glorious King alleluia where O death is now thy sting alleluia Once he died our souls to save alleluia where's thy victory boasting grave alleluia Love's redeeming work is done alleluia fought the fight the battle won alleluia Death in vain forbids Him rise alleluia Christ hath opened paradise alleluia Soar we now where Christ has led alleluia following our exalted Head alleluia Made like Him like Him we rise alleluia ours the cross the grave the skies alleluia Prayer of Praise Song of Worship Prayers of the Church and the Lord's Prayer Offering and Doxology Scripture Lesson Luke 24:1-12 Sermon My Hope is Found Closing Hymn “In Christ Alone the Solid Rock” In Christ alone, my hope is found He is my light, my strength, my song This cornerstone, this solid ground firm through the fiercest drought and storm What heights of love, what depths of peace when fears are stilled, when strivings cease My comforter, my all in all here in the love of Christ, I stand In Christ alone, who took on flesh fullness of God in helpless babe This gift of love and righteousness scorned by the ones He came to save Till on that cross as Jesus died the wrath of God was satisfied For every sin on Him was laid here in the death of Christ, I live There in the ground, His body lay light of the world, by darkness slain Then bursting forth in glorious day up from the grave, He rose again And as He stands in victory sins curse has lost its grip on me For I am His and He is mine bought with the precious blood of Christ! On Christ the Solid Rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand All other ground is sinking sand! on Christ the Solid Rock I stand All other ground is sinking sand all other ground is sinking sand! No guilt in life, no fear in death this is the power of Christ in me From life's first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand Till He returns or calls me home here in the power of Christ, I'll stand! Here in the power of Christ, I'll stand! here in the power of Christ, I'll stand! Benediction • Sunday Morning Study – Is It the End? | 9 AM in the Sunshine Room • Sunday Prayer | 9:30 AM in the Sunshine Room • Monday Bible Study | 12 & 6 PM in the Sanctuary and via Zoom • Wednesday Fellowship Coffee Hour | 10:30 AM in the Sunshine Room, join us for coffee and snacks. • Wednesday Issues Hour | 11 AM in the Sunshine Room and via Zoom • Friday Men's Study – How to be a Kingdom Man | 8:30-9:30 AM in the Sunshine Room • Grace Place Tour: Tuesday, April 2nd | 1PM at Grace Place, please sign up. • F3 Ladies Luncheon: Friday, April 12th | 12 PM at Bistro La Baguette. Individual checks, please sign up. • Men's Steak Cookout: Thursday, April 25th | 5 PM at Falconer Jones' home. Please sign up. • Next Sunday we will be collecting canned goods once again for our “Cans for Communion” drive. • Thank you to John and Karen Boatright for providing the cookies today. • The chancel flowers are given today by Ellie and Bill Buchanan. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/naplescommunitychurch/message
I love the old Hymn, “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand!” So many of the old hymns and songs teach powerful Scriptural truths and this one speaks the truth when the lyrics speak, “My hope is built on nothing less that Jesus' blood and righteousness.” This morning we will delve into the meaning of Hebrews 10:19-23. We… Read more
The Biblical understanding of Justification centers on Christ's cross and empty tomb. For Christ's sake, God declares the dead in sin to be alive, the unrighteous now righteous, the condemned are now not guilty, and the sinful are forgiven. Melancthon proves this Truth by pointing to the many passages in Scripture that clearly confess our hope in Christ. “My hope is built on nothing less, Than Jesus' blood and righteousness; No merit of my own I claim But wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid rock I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.” LSB #575, st. 1 Rev. John Pless, Assistant Professor at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to continue our study of Justification. Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations.
In this episode, hosts Oren Martin and Caitlin Van Wagoner are joined by Dave Bruskas to finish out our two-part series on union with Christ, including discussions on applying it to our everyday lives, putting off sin, and signs we're getting it wrong. Chapter I: 00:00-07:37How does the concept of being united with Christ apply to our everyday lives? Scripture Mentioned: Colossians 1:15-23, Colossians 2:6-7, Colossians 3:1-17 Chapter II: 07:38-13:00Is it common to think less of putting ON CHRIST than we do of putting OFF SIN? Scripture Mentioned: Colossians 3:3, Romans 8, Colossians 3:15-16 Chapter III: 13:00-20:27What are some signs we are getting this wrong? What is re:generation? Scripture Mentioned: Romans 6, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32 Chapter IV: 20:27-27:28How can we grow in the concept of being united with Christ? Jerry Bridges, Who Am I?: Identity in Christ Sinclair Ferguson, Union with Christ: Life-Transforming Implications J. Todd Billings, Union with Christ: Reframing Theology and Ministry for the Church Robert Letham, Union with Christ: In Scripture, History, and Theology Rankin Wilbourne, Union with Christ: The Way to Know and Enjoy God Paul E. Miller, J–Curve: Dying and Rising with Jesus in Everyday Life Scripture Mentioned: Galatians 3:24-25, Matthew 5:17, Matthew 11:28-30, Mark 10:45 Chapter V: 27:28-33:12How has the concept of being united with Christ played out in your own stories? Scripture Mentioned: Philippians 2:3-8 __ Learn more about Watermark Community Church at watermark.org Follow along with WatermarkInstagram | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter
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On Christ the Solid Rock the Tabernacle of David finds foundation in the Holy Spirit. Never forsaken nor abandoned; God's LOVE has secured us all along. Contact Us; Covenants.LLC1@yahoo.com; CovenantsOnLine.com; on FB and YouTube @Covenants; or call 304.528.9220.
On Christ the King Sunday, Jesus morphs his kingship into the likeness of a shepherd so that we can understand it better. "Sheep or Goats?" is the question he asks in this episode of Turning Home.
On Christ the King Sunday, Fr. Tim discusses Jesus as the King who flips expectations by asking us to care for the "least of these."
On Christ the King Sunday, Fr. Tim discusses Jesus as the King who flips expectations by asking us to care for the "least of these."
Christ the King Sunday focuses our worship on the cosmic character of Christ's reign over the world. It is a proclamation to all that everything in creation and culture must submit to Christ. It is an invitation to actively and joyfully submit to his rule. Christ the King is the last Sunday of the season of Pentecost and of the church year. This day completes the Christian journey through the life of Jesus Christ on earth and in heaven which began with the preparation for the birth of Jesus in Advent. King Jesus is victorious over sin, death, and the power of the Devil. By his death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus won the war against evil. On Christ the King Sunday, Christians recognize and worship Christ as king of heaven and earth for all time without challenge and without end. We welcome to our pulpit this morning a guest pastor and are excited that he and his wife and daughter are here worshiping with us. Matt is a missionary with CRCNA Resonate Global Missions and is preparing to move with his family to Turkey. There he will serve as a church planter and resource provider, advancing God's kingdom in a difficult place. Scripture References: John 4:1-26 11/26/23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHJE08qVHO4
How might we re-imagine God's justice in a restorative framework rather than a primarily punitive one? On Christ the King Sunday, Christopher Mack reexamines scriptures on God's justice and judgment through a lens of nonviolent theology and restorative justice. [Matthew 25:31-40] Reflection Where are you struggling to see God at work in our divisive, violent, over-consumptive, and destructive world? When you long for God to be at work in the world, what values or actions do you hope for? How might our hunger for justice reshape our baggage of images of God's judgment? Resources Book: Raising Abel: The Recovery of the Eschatological Imagination by James Alison
On Christ the King Sunday, hear about the culmination of the gospel story and the connection between giving thanks and Jesus' proclamation that faith can make you well.
Jesus spoke about two builders in a parable where he contrasts two lives: One built on rock and one built on sand. The life built on the solid rock, representing a foundation in Christ, stands firm in the face of life's storms. This life is all about grace and it is built on faith, wisdom, and a loving relationship with the Father. In contrast, the life built on the sinking sand of self-righteousness quickly crumbles when trials come. As the old hymn goes, "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand," so goes our life when we build on the unwavering Rock named Jesus. This Saturday night, Jason Clark is reorienting our attention to Jesus as perfect theology… The cornerstone of our lives!
On this episode, H. Ray Dunning gives a series of lectures on the Apostles' Creed. In part 1, Dunning discusses the following lectures: Introduction to the Creed, On Christ, and On the Work of Christ. This was originally produced for the Laymen's Tape Club in 1982 and has been re-formatted for a podcast episode. 00:00 Intro 00:27 Introduction to the Apostles' Creed 08:55 On Christ 15:58 On the Work of Christ 24:22 Outro
October 8, 2023 Preparation for Worship Time for Gathering Opening Hymn “Jesus Calls Us, O'er the Tumult” Jesus calls us o'er the tumult of our life's wild, restless sea; Day by day His sweet voice soundeth, saying, "Christian, follow me." Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world's golden store, From each idol that would keep us, saying, "Christian, love me more." In our joys and in our sorrows, days of toil and hours of ease, Still He calls, in cares and pleasures, "Christian, love me more than these." Jesus calls us- by Thy mercies, Savior, may we hear Thy call; Give our hearts to Thine obedience, serve and love Thee best of all. Prayer of Praise Song of Worship Prayers of the Church and Prayer of our Lord Offering and Doxology Scripture Lesson Mark 6:45-56 Sermon Through the Winds and Waves and Storms Closing Hymn “In Christ Alone” In Christ alone, my hope is found He is my light, my strength, my song This cornerstone, this solid ground firm through the fiercest drought and storm What heights of love, what depths of peace when fears are stilled, when strivings cease My comforter, my all in all here in the love of Christ, I stand In Christ alone, who took on flesh fullness of God in helpless babe This gift of love and righteousness scorned by the ones He came to save Till on that cross as Jesus died the wrath of God was satisfied For every sin on Him was laid here in the death of Christ, I live There in the ground, His body lay light of the world, by darkness slain Then bursting forth in glorious day up from the grave, He rose again And as He stands in victory sins curse has lost its grip on me For I am His and He is mine bought with the precious blood of Christ! On Christ the Solid Rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand All other ground is sinking sand! on Christ the Solid Rock I stand All other ground is sinking sand all other ground is sinking sand! No guilt in life, no fear in death this is the power of Christ in me From life's first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand Till He returns or calls me home here in the power of Christ, I'll stand! Here in the power of Christ, I'll stand! here in the power of Christ, I'll stand! Benediction: • New Study: How we Got the Bible: Sundays| 9 AM in the Sunshine Room and via Zoom • Sunday Prayer: Sundays | 9:30 AM in the Church Office and via Zoom • Bible Study: Mondays | 12 & 6 PM in the Sunshine Room and via Zoom • Fellowship Coffee Hour: Wednesdays | 10 AM in the Sanctuary, join us before Issues Hour for coffee and donuts. • Issues Hour: Wednesdays | 11 AM in the Sunshine Room and via Zoom • Men's Lunch: 1st & 3rd Wednesdays | 12:30PM at Blueberry's Café • F3 Ladies Luncheon: Wednesday, October 18 | 12PM at Seasons 52. Individual checks, please sign up. • Member Spotlight: Sunday, October 29 after service. Join us as we learn more about John & Karen Boatright. • Thank you to Norma & Dawn Bartsch for providing the cookies today. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/naplescommunitychurch/message
If you're one of the rare people who thinks that a marathon isn't challenging enough, I'd like to introduce you to the “arctic-ice ultra-marathon.” It's a race, about 5.5 marathons long in the arctic circle. Their description says, “Experiencing day time temperatures as low as -40 degrees, you will battle across snowfields, Arctic tundra and frozen lakes. This Arctic ultra marathon is both challenging and exposed, putting physical and mental endurance to a painful test. Be ready to take on the conditions that the Arctic Circle can throw at you. As darkness descends, you will feel like the only person on the planet.” Does that sound appealing to anyone?Ok, so what does an ultra-marathon have to do with Hebrews 10? Well, our text, Hebrews 10:32-39 is about endurance. And specifically, an encouragement for Christian endurance. And it has endurance-athlete like undertones, that, once we look at who these Christians are and what they had endured, make a lot of sense. The picture that comes to mind is of being about 4 marathons into something like an ultra-marathon, looking at the cost, and getting discouraged… starting to wonder: is following Jesus worth it?This encouragement also comes on the heels of a dreadful warning against abandoning Jesus. This week Pastor David Mathis has written to our church, reflecting on the sober warning in the verses before our passage on the result of apostasy. No matter who you are, you need to hear the warning: Walking away from Jesus (abandoning the Christian faith) will result in you facing the full judgment and wrath of God. “It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” You do not want to end up there. It's a dreadful warning we all need to hear. But here, in verses 32-39 the author follows up his warning with an encouragement to these particular Christians for their endurance. And as we look at his encouragement today, my prayer is that we too would be encouraged in our faith, and would grow in encouraging one another through his example.Let's pray. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for revealing yourself to us through it. And this morning, wherever we're coming from, I pray that you would prepare our hearts to receive your word and that by your Spirit you would deepen our faith, and our joy, and that we would run with endurance; looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. We ask this in Christ's precious name, Amen.The sermon outline this morning is a three-part encouragement that fuels enduring faith: a past confidence, a better possession, and a promised return.Verses 32-34, “But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach & affliction and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison And you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property.” The author's encouragement to these christians begins with 1) Reminding them of their past confidence. If you remember, in the parable of the sower… A farmer sowed a bunch of seeds, some fell on the road and were immediately snatched away, some fell on rocky soil and didn't have the roots to survive the heat of persecution, and some fell in thorns and were choked out by the worries of life and deceitfulness of riches. Well the author of Hebrews, in recalling the background of these Christians, reminds them that none of those describe them. He says, when I look back on your early days of walking with Jesus, and what you endured for the sake of Christ, I see real, enduring faith. And here, we get our best glimpse at the background of these Christians; and it's pretty incredible: These were not baby Christians. They were veterans, who had lived faithfully through severe persecutions, and the author makes a point of that for their encouragement. He reminds them that when they were first “enlightened” (when they first saw the light of the Gospel and trusted in Jesus) their faith was evident through their transformed life. And that transformation was especially clear in their suffering. For one, becoming a Christian made them unpopular – and that's an understatement. The text says they were “publicly exposed to reproach.” They were openly ridiculed. Whether it was their friends or family or coworkers, the people around them were not happy about their new faith, but mocked them for being Christians. Later we see that things escalated, and pretty severely, because some of these Christians were even arrested and sent to prison for their faith. And because prisons back then were not like our prisons, where you get food and blankets, these prisoners were now dependent on their loved ones to bring them food just to survive… which must have led to a challenge for their community group: who's signing up for that meal train? If you go and bring aid to your fellow Christians in prison, you've now got a target on your back. And that means you risk getting thrown in prison yourself, or as we see later, in verse 34, you risk losing your possessions. It's not clear if this was official confiscation or angry mobs, but either way, the outcome is the same, imagine your stuff, gone. Your house, your car, your savings, wiped out. And here the author teases out a distinction. There was direct suffering that individual Christians experienced as a result of their faith, and, there was the voluntary stepping into the suffering of other Christians, by the rest of the Christian community. The church acted: with compassion and by taking risks (often at great cost to themselves) fueled by love towards their fellow Christians. These Christians suffered together. Think less Gladiator, and more like “Band of Brothers” - a community of Christians enduring together, with love and compassion.And how did these Christians fare? Well it says they endured. And endured here means they persisted in faith, as evidenced by their life of faith despite their suffering. And they didn't just survive, they flourished! When it came to their own suffering and loss: it says they joyfully accepted the plundering of their property. They counted the cost and gladly said Jesus is worth it. And when it came to indirect suffering, the whole Christian community stood boldly and publicly united. The church did not splinter or fall apart. Their unity was evident through their practical and tangible support. It's important not to dismiss these Christians as just being of a different, unrelatable sort. They weren't superheroes that could tap into something unavailable to us, and they weren't stoics, unaffected by suffering. These are real people, like you and I. They had families to support, children to look out for, bills to pay, and they worked just as hard to earn their living as you and I. They felt the sting of rejection and ridicule like you and I do. Yet, they didn't waver. They did not back out or hide. They also didn't become bitter, cynical or angry at God.A note on testimonies The author, in writing to this particular group of Christians, encourages them through positive examples from their own past, testimonies from their own church – to draw strength and encouragement for their present endurance. And if we just stop and reflect on what we have in this room, right now, it's incredible! You are surrounded by hundreds of Christians who have experienced the same transforming power of the gospel that's described here. I would encourage us all to make opportunities to hear and share one another's stories of the power of the gospel in our lives. Our testimonies, of God's faithfulness and our endurance, especially through suffering. Maybe it's a conversation over dinner with friends and family, life groups, or community groups. We need to hear of the transforming power of the gospel and of the legacies of past faithfulness not just in biographies, but especially from one another. The church needs to be reminded of past faithfulness to draw strength and encouragement for our present endurance. And I'd love to share a glimpse... a day from my own story back in college. I had grown up in a Christian home, I had heard the gospel often, and made early professions of faith, but in college I remember just feeling stuck. A cloud of doubt and skepticism surrounded me that I could not break out of, for years. I doubted everything about God, including his very existence, and then one day, sitting in the college hallway, I was reading Foxe's Book of Martyrs, a collection of true stories from the early church. And I got to the story of Denisa, who the author says was “a young woman of only 16 years old.” Denisa was standing in a crowd, and witnessed a man renouncing his faith under torture. And instead of hiding or blending in, she spoke up and publicly rebuked the man saying: “O unhappy wretch, why would you buy a moment's ease at the expense of a miserable eternity!" And 16 year old Denisa, avowing herself to be a Christian, was beheaded soon after. Both her rebuke and the realness of her faith stirred my heart deeply; and I remember pleading with God, saying “God, I want that kind of faith. Why can't I have what she has? Why is my heart so hard? Would you please remove this doubt and give me faith like hers? And he did. In that moment, Jesus was more real to me than any of the students walking past me in the hallway. I will never forget the peace, the joy and love that filled my heart and transformed my life going forward. And looking back on my past confidence has been a deep source of encouragement in my faith. You are surrounded by hundreds of unique stories of the transforming power of the gospel, and examples of enduring faithfulness. Let's hear and share evidence of God's work in our lives for one another's encouragement and endurance. That's what the author is doing here by reminding them of their past confidence. A note on ConfidenceFaith and Confidence are often used synonymously, as they are here, and it's important to recognize that the foundation of our faith is not how confident we are. Christian faith is always personal, but it's not subjective. It's like running across a frozen lake. You don't step onto a frozen lake because you feel confident in yourself. You step onto the lake because the ice is solid enough to hold you. If it can't hold you, then you will fall through regardless of how confident you are. That's why Paul says, if Christ isn't raised from the dead, our faith is useless and we're still in our sins. Our faith stands or falls on the object it rests on: the perfect person and work of Jesus on our behalf. That's why we sing: On Christ the solid rock I stand. He is our confidence. At the same time, that objective confidence has to become your own. Faith is personal. You've got to believe! That's why the author speaks of “your” confidence. Real Christian faith is taken to heart and lived. It's not standing on the shore thinking about how solid the ice is. It's putting your weight on it and running.The secret to their enduring faith was not how confident they were, but the substance, the foundation, that their confidence rested on. And that's what the author focuses in on in the second part of his encouragement:2) He reminds them that their confidence was rooted in a better possession.Verses 34-36, “For you had compassion on those in prison. And you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.” After reminding them of their past faith, he then reflects on the substance of that faith. The way he does this is by intentionally lingering on the theme of possessions. He reminds them that the reason they joyfully accepted the plundering of their possessions is because they had a better possession. What they had in Christ was infinitely more valuable than what they were giving up. And the revealing word here is joyfully. Their own joy testified to the reality that Jesus was more valuable than their stuff, their possessions, or their money.And our money matters. Jesus talked about money a lot, because our money habits both reveal and shape what we value most. Matthew 6:19, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, … 21 For where your treasure is [where your money is], there your heart will be also.” There's a reinforcing cycle: The more we value something, the more we invest our money in it. And the more invested we get, the more valuable it becomes to us. Jesus says: store up for yourself treasures in heaven, and your heart will follow. Invest your money where you want your heart to go.For example: Do you want your heart to be more excited about God's work in global missions? Invest in global missions. Do you want your heart to more fully embrace God's work through the mission of your local church? Invest in your local church. There's a book that I've found really helpful on this called The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn, I'd highly recommend reading it. Don't wait until your possessions are threatened to discover what your heart values most. For these Christians, what their hearts valued most was Jesus. He was their better possession. These Christians remind me of the parable of the man who found a treasure in a field, who then, in order to get that field, gladly sold everything he had. No one reads that parable and thinks, man, what a poor guy having to give up all his stuff… No, he discovered a better treasure! He found a deeper joy! And the whole book of Hebrews has been arguing that Jesus is better. Piling up the arguments: Better than angels, better than Moses, better than the old covenant sacrifices, and here, definitely the most relatable comparison for modern readers: He's better than all of our possessions. People often ask: What would you do if you won the lottery? We talk about it like it's the best thing that could happen to someone. Would you quit your job? Buy a nice house on the beach? Travel the world with your family? No more worries about paying your bills? Whatever your answer is to that question, Jesus is better than that. God made you to be satisfied in Him, for eternity. Nothing else will satisfy. Everything else either disappoints, or it doesn't last. Jesus is the deepest and most lasting treasure in the universe, and when we trust in Him he becomes our greatest possession. When we believe in Jesus, we receive… Him! Not only the complete forgiveness of your sins, but an eternity of life with him: living face to face in the presence and enjoyment of Jesus. In your presence there is fullness of Joy! At your right hand are pleasures forevermore! There is no greater joy than the joy promised to those who trust in Jesus. And there's a link here, between present and future. There is a better possession, that they already possess, linked to the promise of a future reward. A fulfillment. And that future fulfillment takes the author into the third and final part of his encouragement:3) He invites them to look to the Returning Jesus. And he does this by quoting Habakkuk chapter 2, 37 For,“Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” For some context, Habakkuk was an old testament prophet who, looking around at the injustice and the suffering in Israel, brings a complaint to God: Why is there so much wickedness that seems to go unchallenged? Does God see? Does God care? How long will God let this go on? And God answers him by saying, I do see, and I am doing something about it: For one, I'm preparing the Chaldeans to invade, as a judgment on Israel for their wickedness.And Habakkuk is not satisfied with that answer: How is that any better? What kind of resolution is that? They're more wicked than we are! What's the big picture? What's God's game plan? Where's the definitive judgment and the resolution? God I'm watching and I'm waiting.And God says, the things I promised will come to pass. Write them down. Their fulfillment is coming. It won't be according to our timeline, but in God's perfect timing. But as for you, Habakkuk, (and this is the famous line) the righteous shall live by faith.Paul, quotes that line in Romans 1 to show us the foundational link between our justification and faith. We are justified, (counted righteous) not by our works, not by anything we do or deserve, but only by trusting in Jesus: The substance of our confidence is the perfect and complete work of Jesus on the cross, in our place. “Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.” And the author of Hebrews has been clear on that foundation throughout the whole book. Our confidence is not in ourselves, but in Jesus: our perfect high priest, and his perfect sacrifice for the complete forgiveness of all our sins and unrestricted access to God for eternity. We are saved by faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. But here, looking at Habakkuk 2, the author highlights an application for those who, like Habakkuk, are living between God's promise and it's final fulfillment. As we look to the returning Jesus:It's by highlighting the link between faith and live. How do the righteous endure as they wait for the final fulfillment of God's promises? They Live by Faith. Faith is not only a moment in the past of trusting in Jesus, it's a life of leaning in and drawing near. We don't shrink back. We continue to look to him by faith, until he returns. The application here, drawn out from Habbakuk 2 is “Let us live, by faith! With our eyes fixed on Jesus as we wait for the final fulfillment of God's promises at Christ's return.Jesus is coming back, God gave us his word. And with Christ's return, will come the eternal reward, the final fulfillment of all God's Promises. Our text says “the coming one, is coming, and will not delay. That's about as emphatic as he can be. Jesus is coming. God's plan was in action in the days of Habakkuk, and its fulfillment is that much closer today. Jesus was coming when you first became a Christian, and He's that much closer today. So don't give up! Jesus is so close! So don't walk away! This is the main exhortation here: Do not throw away your confidence! The author concludes confidently in Verse 39: “We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” As another translation says: we're of those who have faith, for the safekeeping of the soul. Our endurance, our safekeeping, is tied to the reality that our faith rests on Jesus. It's who we are; our very identity. There are no alternatives to go back to. The TableWalking away from Jesus is a dead end road that leads to destruction. That's not us. And I love that the author speaks in the present tense, and includes himself here. We are those who have faith. Right now. The most important question for everyone in this room is: are you believing in Jesus? Right now. If you are, keep believing. Do not look away. Keep your eyes fixed on him, as you live by faith, waiting for His return.And this brings us to the table. Every Sunday, at the table we look to Jesus together. 1 Corinthians 11 says that when we eat the bread and drink the cup we “proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” Every Sunday when we reach out to take the bread and the wine we remind ourselves and one another – He is sufficient (He is our greatest possession) and he is coming back, like he promised.
We were formed by God. We may look like our parents but we have The Fathers heart and calling in us. Some of us have been told that we were an accident. But God doesn't make mistakes. Before God formed us in the womb. He molded us and carved out who we were. He designed us way before we were even a thought in our parents mind.God designed us and designed our destiny at the same time. If we don't fit in, it's because God designed us to be set apart. He made us different so we can seek for something greater than us. By not fitting in God reminds us of who we aren't, so we can discover who we are. The more we compare ourselves to others, the more we'll fail to be who we're called. God put a call and destiny in our life not to fit in, so we can become leaders and pioneers.When you're walking in the kingdom mindset you should know… Christ FOR you. He loves you at ALL times. His love is not bases on us, it's based on Him. Christ IN you. We invite Him into every part of our life, good and bad. Christ ON you. Instead of putting on our old and dirty clothes. It's time to wear and put on Christ. When we're in Christ we become everything He is. When we're in Christ, He doesn't see our failures because He turns them into our testimony. We need to put on the armor of Christ everyday. The armor is not some religious stuff, the armor of is Jesus, so we can't forget to put ON Christ.Application: Do you currently feel like you don't fit in? What are some things that come to mind about who God has designed you to be? Are you currently walking in all 3 of the kingdom mindsets? If not, how can you begin to do that today?Prayer: Father, Today I receive and believe that you're FOR me, IN me, and ON me. I ask that you remove all the dead things and become the center of my life. Thank you for not only loving me but also liking who I am. I'm ready to discover all that you designed me to be. In Jesus name, Amen.
Rather than a deep dive, how about a meandering boat tour along the waters of these two beloved hymns: On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand and The Love of God.
Psalms 1:5-6 — In this sermon of Psalm 1:5–6 titled “The Way of the Ungodly,” Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones diagnoses the way of the ungodly and then presents the prescription given by God for the ungodly to be remedied. Listen as he lays out the five aspects of God's future judgment: the fact, the nature, the terms, the thoroughness, and the consequences. It is a dismal future for the ungodly person. They will not stand amidst the congregation of the righteous. Since God's law sets the standard for humanity, how can anyone meet that standard? There is only one way and only one secret to happiness and blessedness. Only Christ can remove the fear of death and judgment. As the hymn states, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus's blood and righteousness… On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.” A person can stand on nothing else in this world or on the Day of Judgment but on the rock of Jesus Christ.
"Lead me to the rock that is higher than I." Spurgeon called Psalm 61 a pearl, little but precious! David could have written this psalm during any of the many times he was in danger, but perhaps the best context is the rebellion under Absalom (2 Sam. 15-18). David prayed about a foe (v. 3), protection for his life (v. 6), and the security of his throne (v. 7, where "abide" means "be enthroned"). The psalm opens with David crying out in distress but closes with him singing praises to God. There was an urgency in David's cry because he was overwhelmed by what was happening and fainting under the pressure. He was obviously not at "the ends of the earth," but he felt that way, for he was away from home and away from the sanctuary of God. He was describing "spiritual geography" and his need to know the presence of God in what was going on. The image of the Lord as "rock" is a familiar one in David's writings (Psalms 18:2, 31, 46; 62:2, 6, 7). A rock is a symbol of strength, stability, and security. I can't help but think of one of my favorite hymns, The Solid Rock. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand: all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.” Paul told the church at Corinth that when the people of Israel came out of Egypt with Moses that they “all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:3-4). David needed the Lord to “lead him”, to lead him to this Rock, to help him and sustain him (Psalm 62:2, 6, 7). We are never so far away that we can't pray to God, or, as in the case of Jonah, so far down (Jonah 2). David looked back at his life and was encouraged to remember that God had never failed him in any crisis (v. 3), and He would not fail him now. To David, God's home was the tabernacle, the place where His glory dwelt; and David longed to be back in Jerusalem to worship and adore his Lord (v. 4). "I will trust in the shelter of Your wings", probably refers to the cherubim on the mercy seat that covered the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies (Psalms 36:7-8; 57:1; 63:2, 7). David was not a priest, so he couldn't enter the Holy of Holies, but he could abide in the Lord and find refuge in Him (Psalms 46:1; 90:1). God's "wings" provided safety right where David was, so he didn't need his own "wings" to fly away (Psalm 55:6-8). When David became king, he made some promises to the Lord and to the people, and he intended to keep those promises. All during his wilderness exile, while hiding from Saul, David obeyed the Lord (Psalm18:19-27), and he sought to be a shepherd to the nation. Why would the Lord care for David all those years, give him his throne, and then allow him to be replaced by his wicked son? His throne was his heritage from the Lord (16:5-6), just as the land of Israel was the heritage (possession) of God's people (37:9, 11, 22, 29, 34). David's requests in verses 6-7 relate to God's gracious covenant with David (2 Sam. 7). The Lord promised David a throne forever and a dynasty forever (Psalm 89:36), and this has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Luke 1:30-37; Acts 2:22-36). David's concern was not for his own name or family but for the future of Israel and God's great plan of redemption. His own throne was in jeopardy at that time, but he had confidence that God would keep His promises. "He shall abide before God forever " (v. 7) meant "May King David live out his full life," protected by God's mercy and truth, but to believers today it means, "May Jesus Christ reign forever!" The throne of glory is secure, for God has set His King on His holy hill of Zion! (Psalm 2:6). In view of this, let's follow David's example and trust the Lord, call on Him, obey Him "day after day," and sing His praises. God bless!
On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand - Kati Lacey
April 9, 2023 EASTER SUNDAY Preparation for Worship Time for Gathering Opening Hymn “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” Christ the Lord is risen today alleluia sons of men and angels say alleluia Raise your joys and triumphs high alleluia sing ye heavens and earth reply alleluia Lives again our glorious King alleluia where O death is now thy sting alleluia Once he died our souls to save alleluia where's thy victory boasting grave alleluia Love's redeeming work is done alleluia fought the fight the battle won alleluia Death in vain forbids Him rise alleluia Christ hath opened paradise alleluia Soar we now where Christ has led alleluia following our exalted Head alleluia Made like Him like Him we rise alleluia ours the cross the grave the skies alleluia Prayer of Praise Song of Worship Prayers of the Church and Prayer of our Lord Offering and Doxology Scripture Lesson Luke 24:1-12 Sermon Nonsense to Wonder Closing Hymn “In Christ Alone The Solid Rock” In Christ alone, my hope is found He is my light, my strength, my song This cornerstone, this solid ground firm through the fiercest drought and storm What heights of love, what depths of peace when fears are stilled, when strivings cease My comforter, my all in all here in the love of Christ, I stand In Christ alone, who took on flesh fullness of God in helpless babe This gift of love and righteousness scorned by the ones He came to save Till on that cross as Jesus died the wrath of God was satisfied For every sin on Him was laid here in the death of Christ, I live There in the ground, His body lay light of the world, by darkness slain Then bursting forth in glorious day up from the grave, He rose again And as He stands in victory sins curse has lost its grip on me For I am His and He is mine bought with the precious blood of Christ! On Christ the Solid Rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand All other ground is sinking sand! on Christ the Solid Rock I stand All other ground is sinking sand all other ground is sinking sand! No guilt in life, no fear in death this is the power of Christ in me From life's first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand Till He returns or calls me home here in the power of Christ, I'll stand! Here in the power of Christ, I'll stand! here in the power of Christ, I'll stand! Benediction: • Sunday Prayer: Sundays @ 9:30 AM in the Sunshine Room and via Zoom • Bible Study: Mondays @ 12 & 6 PM in the Sunshine Room and via Zoom • Issues Hour: Wednesdays @ 11 AM in the Sunshine Room and via Zoom, off this week • Men's Lunch: 1st & 3rd Wednesdays @ 12:30PM at Blueberry's Cafe • Movie Night: Wednesday, April 12th @ 6:15PM, at the Paragon Theater. $10/ person to Mary Rush, please sign up. Movie starts at 7PM, we will be showing "True Spirit” • Book Signing: Sunday, April 23rd after service. Karna Bodman will be signing her new book: Wrigley at the White House • All Church Picnic: Sunday, April 23rd @ 4PM at Billy Allyn's house. $25/person, tickets on sale March 26th. • F3 Ladies Luncheon: Wednesday, April 26th @12:30PM at Two Fillets. Individual checks, please sign up. • Men's Group Cookout: Friday April 28th @ 5PM at Falconer's home. More info and sign up sheet are in the back. • Thank you to Sue & Bill Hawkins for providing the cookies today. • The chancel flowers are given today by Nancy Johnston --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/naplescommunitychurch/message
The shedding of Jesus' blood gives us a very good reason why He is who He is in our lives today and for eternity. Join me now and listen in! On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand: https://youtu.be/84owCmm8byI Agnus Dei / King of Kings: https://youtu.be/yBp63773Cxc Nothing But the Blood: https://youtu.be/K1wlnYwgHWc ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Listen on these platforms:
On Christ's Invitation to Chaos by Dcn. Harrison GarlickEastern Oklahoma Catholic Podcast produces podcasts, lectures, homilies, and more for the faithful in eastern Oklahoma. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast to stay up-to-date on everything Catholic in our diocese.Text of audio:Water is chaos. Water is death, disorder, ugliness, and confusion. As Holy Scripture teaches us, after God had made the heavens and the earth, the earth was, in its primal state, covered in water and “darkness was upon the face of the deep.” Yet, above these primordial depths fluttered the Spirit of God and by His Word He drew Creation from the waters.The opening of Holy Scripture presents us with a pattern of God pulling order from disorder, life from death, and beauty from ugliness. As He pulled our world from the waters, so too will He pull salvation from chaos and death time and time again.Remember the narrative of Noah's Ark, and how God, in His anger, recalled the primordial waters of Creation to once again retake the face of the earth. Death, chaos, and destruction reigned. Yet, God again in His mercy drew forth salvation from the watery depths and humanity was made anew with Noah and his family.Remember the narrative of the infant Moses laid upon the waters of the river Nile. As Noah had his Ark, so too did Moses have his basket—and what should have been his death became his salvation. For Pharaoh's daughter drew him forth from the waters and named him Moses—meaning “to draw out.” His name, of course, is prophetic—because as he was drawn out from the Nile, so too will he draw Israel out of Egypt. Yet, once again water appears as death, as Israel becomes trapped on the banks of the Red Sea—but God turns what should have been death into life by allowing Israel to cross.Note as well the fate of the Egyptians who were swallowed up in a watery death—a warning to us all of what happens if we attempt to navigate the chaos of this life without God.We could also speak of how the waters of the Jordan River stood between Israel and the Promise Land or how Jonah, in his disobedience, was cast from his ship into waters and swallowed by a beast of the sea.The entire pattern of God drawing forth salvation from the waters is perfected in the baptism of Jesus Christ. For here there is no ark or basket, but rather the very instrument of death itself—water—is made the tool of salvation. We are submerged in the baptismal waters to show our death with Christ, and, as God pulled forth Creation from the primordial waters of Genesis, so too are we drawn forth as new creatures in Jesus Christ. As St. Thomas Aquinas reminds us, Christ was not baptized to become holy, but to make the waters holy for us. God enters into death and the instrument of that death becomes the portal of our salvation.This ancient symbolism of water representing chaos and death gives new insight into the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ—we may recall His first miracle of turning water into wine or His later miracles of walking on water and rebuking the storm at sea. We may even start to understand why, when He cast the demons into the pigs, the demons drove the animals to be drowned in the waters. Time and time again, Holy Scripture uses water to demonstrate the authority of Jesus Christ over chaos and death.Here, let us stop and ask: Why is any of this important to today's Gospel? Well, have you ever wondered why Jesus chose fisherman for His first disciples? Why not choose carpenters like He and his earthly father? Why did He choose fisherman? To understand, we must apply the lessons learned since Genesis: that the waters represent a formless, primordial chaos.For our Lord tells His first disciples,...
For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.Today's podcast (12 minutes) comes from "Bearing Injuries is the Proof of True Patience" (Book 3, Chapter 19) and "On Christ's Obedience to the Father" (Book 3, Chapter 13).Scriptures: Rom 8:17-18; Heb 12:4; 2 Tim 2:5; Luke 18:27; John 15:9-10; Ps 18:42; Jas 2:20; 1 Sam 16:21; Ezek 20:17; Gen 2:7 Application questions: Do I react differently when wronged or inconvenienced by a pleasing person? Or am I indifferent as to who it is that wrongs me?2. Do I agree with à Kempis that "If you refuse to suffer, you will be refused the crown"?3. Do I tend to see injuries and inconveniences positively -- as opportunities to grow in humility, or negatively -- situations merely to be endured?4. Do I submit to those over me (parents, teachers, the government or government workers, leaders), or do I tend to put up a fight?5. In the course of my life, can I say that Christ's humility is overcoming my pride? Next meditation: "On Obedience & Submission" and "On Earthly Affections" (Book 1, Chapters 9 and 6)
For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.This podcast (12 minutes) contains and is based on most of "On the Loss of All Comfort" (Book 2, Chapter 9).Scripture: Phil 4:11-13; Ps 30:6-8,10-11; Job 7:18; Rev 2:7. Practical application:(1) Don't allow ourselves to lose faith or perspective just because we are going through hard times.(2) Don't allow ourselves to lose faith or perspective just because we are going through long, extended, hard times when we feel despair.(3) Let's not portray ourselves to insiders (fellow pilgrims) or to outsiders as though we have never struggled with temptation, wavered in zeal, or felt the "withdrawal of divine favor." Thomas à Kempis was a realist, as well as an idealist. His example is well worth emulating..Personal sharing:Person.Grace & Ungrace I (introduction, from Lamentations) -- Douglas JacobyGrace & Ungrace II -- Douglas & Vicki JacobyGrace & Ungrace III -- Douglas & Vicki JacobyNext: "On Bearing Injustices" (Book 3, Chapter 19 -- original title: Bearing Injuries is the Proof of True Patience") and "On Christ's Obedience to the Father" (Book 3, Chapter 13).
On Christ the King Sunday, Dom and Melanie take a walk on the beach, discuss whether published recipes can ever be modified, talk about how The Chosen's anachronisms can be okay, and why Christ's kingship is so different from any other king's. The post Christ the King appeared first on StarQuest Media.
On Christ the King Sunday, Britt invites us to consider how the path of suffering that Jesus modeled is, in fact, the path of power.
SCRIPTURE: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+22%2C+Psalm+18&version=NIV (2 Samuel 22 / Psalm 18) SHOW NOTES: We all experience days when words of praise just don't roll off our tongue. In our Scriptures today, David gives us examples for how we can approach those times when life is difficult and when it seems too hard for our lips to praise the Lord. In 2 Samuel 22 & Psalm 18, we see two versions of the same account in David's life. The book of 2 Samuel is set in an historical framework but each of these chapters is written as Hebrew poetry. David declares, “I love you, O Lord, my strength.” He knows he can cry out of God. The Lord will rescue His children from their strong enemies. These words from a hymn penned over 150 years ago are filled with truth … “When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay … On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” He is my rock and my salvation. SONG: "Worthy Of My Song" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeL9mKnd38g (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeL9mKnd38g)
Most of us grew up singing, "On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand." You can hear it now reverberating through the church rafters. This week's parable inspired the lyric of this classic hymn and causes us to evaluate our foundation for life more deeply. In this episode, we dig deeper into the meaning of the text. We hope you enjoy it. And don't forget to subscribe!
In what do you place your hope? The stock market? Your paycheck? People? By the end of this session you'll be singin', On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.Focus verses: Romans 15:13, Hebrews 6:19-20, 1 Corinthians 15:12-19
Rev. Sean Kilgo, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lawrence, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel for Sharathon 2022 to study Martin Luther's Easter hymn, “Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands.” This marvelous Easter hymn helps us to rejoice that Christ is the Savior who has done what we could not do. Our sin left us powerless in the prison of death, but Jesus has come to conquer this greatest enemy of ours and strip it of its reign and power. The strife was real and strange, yet the outcome of Jesus' victory was never in doubt. As the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb, Jesus' blood marks us as His own people so that no enemy can harm us. In this Easter joy, we keep the festival of the Lord's resurrection and receive Him and all His gifts in the Holy Supper of His Body and Blood. Lutheran Service Book 458 1 Christ Jesus lay in death's strong bands For our offenses given; But now at God's right hand He stands And brings us life from heaven. Therefore let us joyful be And sing to God right thankfully Loud songs of alleluia! Alleluia! 2 No son of man could conquer death, Such ruin sin had wrought us. No innocence was found on earth, And therefore death had brought us Into bondage from of old And ever grew more strong and bold And held us as its captive. Alleluia! 3 Christ Jesus, God's own Son, came down, His people to deliver; Destroying sin, He took the crown From death's pale brow forever: Stripped of pow'r, no more it reigns; An empty form alone remains; Its sting is lost forever. Alleluia! 4 It was a strange and dreadful strife When life and death contended; The victory remained with life, The reign of death was ended. Holy Scripture plainly saith That death is swallowed up by death, Its sting is lost forever. Alleluia! 5 Here our true Paschal Lamb we see, Whom God so freely gave us; He died on the accursed tree-- So strong His love--to save us. See, His blood now marks our door; Faith points to it; death passes o'er, And Satan cannot harm us. Alleluia! 6 So let us keep the festival To which the Lord invites us; Christ is Himself the joy of all, The sun that warms and lights us. Now His grace to us imparts Eternal sunshine to our hearts; The night of sin is ended. Alleluia! 7 Then let us feast this Easter Day On Christ, the bread of heaven; The Word of grace has purged away The old and evil leaven. Christ alone our souls will feed; He is our meat and drink indeed; Faith lives upon no other! Alleluia! hymnary.org/hymn/LSB2006/458
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