August 2014

The devil has schemes and strategies to tempt us to fall. Yet, God's Word calls us to stand! The largest battlefield is our mind. It is satan's grand target - if he can get the mind - he will eventually have access to the heart. To combat this, we are told to put on the helmet of salvation. This includes guarding four areas of thought: Our identity, How we think about daily living, Our destiny, Things that should be forgotten and things that should be remembered.

Throughout scripture we are exhorted to praise God. To praise is to ascribe honor and glory to a deserving one. It is telling God how great He is! However, we all go through seasons where it is harder to praise. Yet it is in these seasons when we most need to praise God because it diverts our mind away from our problem and places our focus on God and His Glory!

As this sermon series comes to a close, the question is asked, "What makes a church great?" Is it great attendance, giving more to the poor and needy, vibrant worship - all these may be good things but they certainly do not make a church GREAT! What makes a church GREAT is the love of Jesus Christ that is revealed there by His people. As followers of Christ, we are called to love, but in order to love as God calls us - it will take the inner working of the Holy Spirit.

John chapter 13 captures one of the most amazing scenes in all of scripture; Jesus Christ washing His disciples feet! It teaches His followers the blessing of humility and the power of serving one another. In this message we discuss the call to love, serve, and prefer one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. In order to fully embrace this call, you must first know who you are in Christ!

In this fifth part of the series we look at the deeper meaning of "godliness." In simple terms, godliness is holy living, but as we look closer, we find that it is holy living which can only flow from a heart which is captivated by the glory of Jesus Christ. As we see the greatness of Christ and what God has done for us through Him, we are stirred to good works.