Endangered Christians Series - Part 5 - Life without the Holy Spirit

   

Listen as Pastor Rick gives the 5th sermon in the series of the Endangered Christian.  He expounds in this message about the danger of living life without the Holy Spirit.

Hearing the Word of the Lord

  

Have you ever asked questions like these:

“Lord, why am I struggling so hard to know your will in particular situations?  Lord, why do I feel so lost when you have promised wisdom?  Lord, why do I sometimes feel separated by days and weeks from the sense of your voice?”  And then for you, my people, “Lord, why are they struggling to hear you amid their grief or suffering or pain?  Lord, why are they going so long without answers to personal prayer and cries of the heart?  Lord, why are they struggling to grow closer to you or achieve their spiritual desires and goals?  Lord, why are they closer to the things of earth than the things of Heaven?”  Finally, “Lord, why is it so hard to hear your voice?  Why didn’t you make it easier to hear?”

Listen as Pastor Rick talks about these today.

The Internal God

I urge you to reject the lie from Satan in the beginning that we can be gods within ourselves.  I also urge you to go beyond the place where you merely believe in an External God “out there,” but come to know Him as the INTERNAL God “in here.”  Get to know the Eternal One Internally where you are His and He is yours; where your spirit is intertwined with His Spirit; where you are never alone, but Christ liveth in you!  Live with the constant undercurrent of joy that sustains you no matter what the circumstance and that daily refines you to be more like Him!

The Building Series - Building God's Children

   

The three principles today:

• Our children are Treasures from God.
• Our children must be Trained Biblically.
• Our children must be Trusted to the Father.

My fellow parents, if we anchor our parenting in these three principles, we will be well on our way toward building children in the way we ought.

BAPTISM

Listen as Pastor Rick teaches about Baptism in advance of our baptism service scheduled for next Sunday!  We hope you can join us!

Who Wins

Listen as Rev. Sams shares a wonderfully deep sermon with us from 1 Timothy Chapter 3.  This one is worth hearing a few times to digest the truth.  Our thanks to Rev. Sams for his ministry!

PLEASING

Oswald Chambers said, “I have to learn to relate everything to the master ambition, and to maintain it without any cessation. My worth to God in public is what I am in private. Is my master ambition to please Him and be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how noble?”

What does it mean to please God?  Pastor Rick tackles this question in an effort to help us align our perspective with God's reality instead of many of the misperceptions we may have about the answer. 

Our Ascended Advocate

Listen as Pastor Rick enlists the help of the audience to discover the importance of the Ascension in the doctrines of Christianity.

Footprints to Follow Series - Sermon 8 - Imitators of God

Listen as Pastor Rick challenges us from Ephesians 5:1,2 to be Imitators of God as dearly loved children.  Who do you imitate?

The Spirit Series - Sermon 3 - Receiving the Spirit

Listen as Pastor Rick shares a simple but heartfelt candid message about what it means to receive the 
Holy Spirit.  Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?

The Spirit Series - Sermon 2 - The Sending of the Spirit

Listen this week to the second sermon in the 3-part "The Spirit" Series, "The Sending of the Spirit."  Shared on Pentecost Sunday, 2015, this sermon briefly shares the significance of Pentecost to the Christian Church, particularly to the individual believer.  Do we NEED the Holy Spirit?  Listen to this sermon to be prepared to hear the final sermon of the series next week.  

Footprints to Follow Series - Sermon 7 - "Sealed by the Spirit"

Listen as Pastor Rick shares a sermon that is Sermon 7 of the Footprints to Follow Series and Sermon 1 of a three-part series about the Holy Spirit.  Are you sealed by the Spirit?


Excerpt:
"So I encourage you again: do not walk in fear.  Instead walk in righteousness as you are called to do, doing so in the fear of God ever listening to that precious whisper of the voice of the Holy Spirit who is our security, our authenticator, our endorser, our preservation, and our protection in this present world and in the world to come."

The Post-Resurrection Series - MARKED BY THE SON

Spring is here and all of us are spending more time in the sunshine.  Usually we can tell this because sunburns show up in the congregation!  :-)   But this caused me to wonder if the sunshine marks us so quickly when we spend time in it, can people tell when we have been in the presence of THE Son of God, Jesus Christ?  How about you?  Are you marked by the SON?

The Post Resurrection Series - ANCHORED IN HOPE

Listen as Pastor Rick shares a message of faith and hope based upon the resurrection.  It is a hope certain and sure!  This is the first message in the Post-Resurrection Series.  Listen and be encouraged!

LET THE FIRE FALL

Listen as Pastor Rick links three Biblical moments of God's presence and teaches us to pray for God's blessing in like manner. 

REVOLVE

Looking back on the old year and looking forward to the year ahead, listen as Pastor Rick challenges us to ensure we are revolving around the right axis.  How's your core?

A Real Relationship

Listen as Pastor Rick adds an unexpected installment to the "Reality" series as he talks about the importance of a genuine relationship with Christ.  Is it a religion, a relationship, or both?  Listen to find out!

"Filled Full"

Listen as Pastor Rick shares a message about relevant holy living by being "Filled Full."

A Garden Heart

In the beginning God created man and woman in His image, stamped with His likeness, possessing pure hearts.  They were made perfect without flaw.

Yet, when they chose to sin, they marred forever the perfect creation gifted them by the Creator.  From that day to this, the world has tended to chaos and mankind to decay. 

Many still believe there is no hope of restoration until eternity comes.  But I want to encourage you all.  It is true we cannot restore creation (though we should work to preserve it as best we can).  We cannot restore our bodies (though we should take care of them as God’s temple). 

However, God can restore our souls to the same status they had when created: pure and whole – perfect.  The same sacrifice which Christ made for our justification also provides the means for our sanctification – restoration of a Garden Heart.

This does not mean you will be perfect in every action, but it does mean you may be guided by the Holy Spirit in every motive.  Thus, though cursed with a dying body in a fallen world, we may live with Heaven in our hearts.

          How about you?  Have you met Jesus Christ and surrendered all you are to all He is so you may be all you can be until you reach the gates of Glory?  Do you have a Garden Heart?

"Good" Samaritan?

     A few days ago I failed to set my alarm properly which resulted in missing my early-morning ride to work.  However, on my resulting drive to work, I found out why.  As I prayed in my car, I began to wrestle with the idea of who we want in our church. 

     Our church like many others has been attended from time-to-time by people who don’t quite fit the cookie-cutter image of a “Christian” or "typical" church attendee.  Our church is attended by people from every economic station and class.  Some people might be put-off by people who seem to be of greater material or spiritual need.  I had to honestly pray this matter through with God to ensure that I was viewing people as Christ does. 

     I must confess that before this prayer session I would rather have reached doctors and lawyers and other “successful” people: a nice “white-collar church.”  However, I felt very convicted about this mentality.  Jesus Christ came to those who needed Him…to those who needed the touch of the Master Physician.  Who are we to do any less?  How can we turn away from the man, woman, or child lying by life’s roadside who has been kicked and beaten by circumstances and background, abused, and robbed of all dignity, respect, and hope?  Dare we pass by on the other side of the road? (Luke 10:25-36)

     We must pause in spite of the danger that we might be robbed ourselves, in spite of being sullied by the dirt of their lives or blood of their wounds.  We must pick them up, bandage them, and love them with abandon with no expectation of anything in return.  We must have compassion and love as Christ loves: Who died and gave Himself for us.

     And so I prayed today, “Lord, send us the people who need you!  Let our paths cross the paths of those who desperately need to know Your peace and need Your mighty power in their lives.  Let our church be a church for the disillusioned, downtrodden, and broken-hearted!  Don’t bring us people who will harden their hearts, worship other gods, or refuse to repent and be redeemed.  Send us those in need of compassion and ready for the cross.” 

     As I prayed, I wept at this idea: How many Christians and churches abort new babes in Christ?  What about the broken souls who are ready to receive the touch of Christ and instead are turned away, given the cold shoulder, referred to a program, or are lost simply because we do not have the eyes to see, ears to hear, or hearts to have compassion?  With our lives and conduct are we turning souls away from the cross or thwarting the work of the Holy Spirit in our community?  I was heavily burdened by this idea.  I do not want to be one who aborts babes in Christ!

     Instead I want to lead a crowd of “crown flingers.”  What?!  That’s right!  I want to reach heaven someday and when we gather before Him, I don’t want my crown to be the only one clattering to the ground as I prostrate myself before the throne of Christ!  I want a whole pile of crowns falling thick and fast from souls who were rescued from the burning by our church: souls who rejoice with us because we had the compassion of Christ and the stamina of the Holy Spirit to bear fruit unto the Gospel of Christ and bring newborn Christians into the Kingdom!

     This is my heartbeat…is it yours?