Resurrection Celebration

The word “celebrate” has a very positive image in our minds. Who doesn’t want to go to a celebration? Even a “Celebration of Life” gathering (which is a nice way of saying “funeral”) offers the hope that something good will come out of the event.

Celebrations offer a needed break from our routine lives of work and fulfilling responsibilities when we can cut back, relax and just enjoy ourselves. But unfortunately, they are just that, infrequent breaks from the routine. In fact, if we celebrate too much, our pleasure tends to diminish.

There is, however, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus which can’t be experienced enough. The Apostle Paul dedicates a whole chapter (15) in his letter to a group of Corinthian Christians to this subject and why we can’t get enough of it.

This weekend we’re going to be finishing our Resurrection sermon series with a celebration that doesn’t need to end – ever. Why don’t you join us?

Saturday evening worship: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning worship: 10:00 am

A Resurrection Repentance Revolution

The life of the apostle Peter can be divided into two parts: BDJ and ADJ. BDJ stands for “Before Denying Jesus” and ADJ obviously refers to “After Denying Jesus”. The horrific nature and context of Peter’s denial could have ruined the rest of his life. Instead, Jesus used this betrayal to literally revolutionize Peter’s life. BDJ, Peter was a self-centered man who believed in his own integrity and personal character. ADJ, this same man realized the truth about himself and let Jesus remake him into the man he was meant to be.

This weekend we’ll be studying a seaside conversation Jesus had with Peter after his resurrection. To say the least, it wasn’t a pleasant one for Peter. He was reminded by Christ of that fateful night when he had screamed, “I swear to God I don’t know the man!” Jesus led him to a hard but healthy repentance which opened the way for full and liberating forgiveness. That is what revolutionized the life of Peter. And it can do the same for us 2000 years later. The resurrection does change everything, both in eternity and right now!

Saturday evening worship: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning worship: 10:00 am

When the Blinders Come Off

It is a very frustrating experience to not get a joke which cracks up everybody else. Or to have someone explain three times how to do something on our computer and still not know what they are talking about. It’s as though something has taken hold of our minds and we are locked in a prison of ignorance. On the other hand, what a tremendous feeling it is to finally get something we have struggled to understand. That’s when we have the “aha” moment. It seems as though the mental blinders have come off and we can see everything clearly.

The first Easter Sunday two of Jesus’ disciples were on their way from Jerusalem to a village about 8 miles away. As they walked, they discussed what had happened the previous few days. It was a heated discussion. They weren’t angry with each other, but neither of the two could make any sense out Jesus of Nazareth being crucified. It seemed like such a senseless tragedy.

You probably know how the story ends. If you don’t, check out Luke 24:13-35. It’s a great example of Jesus opening peoples’ eyes to who he is and what he means to us. Everyone of us struggles with spiritual blinders. We may understand Jesus’ rising from the dead better than those first disciples did walking down the road 2000 years ago, but there are things God is doing in our lives that we question or doubt. We just can’t seem to understand what he is doing and it is a barrier in our relationship with him.

If you feel you are not seeing Jesus as clearly as you think you could, join us for one of our weekend services. Let him take the “blinders” off.

Saturday evening worship: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning worship: 10:00 am

The Surprising God

We live in absolutely incredible times! Think of what we can do today. We can see what is inside our refrigerators while we are in the grocery store. We can turn on a cooking pot full of food sitting on our kitchen sink while we are still at work. We can start our car and cool it down while we are in the house getting ready to leave. Pretty impressive. Technology has allowed us to control our lives in ways people never imagined years ago.

We’re used to getting things the way we think they should be. But then God comes along and refuses to play by our rules. What we think he should do is often very different from what he does, and that frustrates us. While we enjoy a small, pleasant surprise every now and then, we do not appreciate the surprising God who regularly insists on doing things in ways which totally catch us off guard.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are God’s two greatest surprises. Even today, it makes one wonder how God works. This Sunday we’re going to go to the tomb with Mary Magdalene, the first person to witness Jesus’ return to life. That surprise changed her life and it can change yours too!

Saturday evening worship: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning worship: 10:00 am