Life Minus Authority = Chaos

No one likes the thought of having another human being as a supervisor or manager. If we have difficulty accepting God’s ruling role in our lives, how much less we willingly submit to a fellow member of our race! However, the sociological formula above is true, if there are no structures of authority in life such as parents, law enforcement agencies, and governments, we would be living in total chaos with everyone doing exactly what he or she wanted with little or no regard for how their behavior affected others.

In the last seven of the 10 commandments, God establishes laws and institutions which make human life in large groups possible. This weekend we’re going to be studying the fourth commandment – Honor your father and mother. It seems that God is talking to us about the family, but this commandment goes much deeper than that. As we dig into Biblical truths we find that God has established various authorities which are designed to be tremendous blessings in our lives.

While there are times, as children, we resent our parents, in most cases, when we get a little older we are profoundly grateful for the loving discipline with which they molded our lives. We might complain a lot about the government, but imagine if we had a different type of government? Worse yet, what would our lives be like if there were no government at all? Try to picture your daily life in such a scenario. It would be chaos.

God’s commandments are just that – commandments to be obeyed. But far from being a miserable burden we must carry through life, they open the door to incredible benefits which God has designed for us. Join us for one of our weekend worship services and open God’s door to blessings in your life.

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

Where Are You Looking?

The view of a person using binoculars is going to vary tremendously depending on the direction those binoculars are pointed. The same is true for the way people look at what is important in life. For those who see our world as closed off from God, as an experience which begins at birth and ends with physical death, the view is going to be focused downward, on the individual and how he or she perceives what is most important. For the people who look up to the God who is not only powerful but also involved with and committed to human beings, such individuals will take their cues from Him. And as you would imagine, the conclusions are usually very, very different.

On Sundays some people have made a habit of “going to church.” They do so for many different reasons, but there are some very strong historical explanations for this practice. From very early on, the God of the Bible commanded people to take a day off to not only rest, but to focus on him, to see that life is about so much more than just working, eating, playing and sleeping – it’s about being a part of his family and what he is doing in this world.

The Third Commandment: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, is really about worship, and worship is simply the window to God’s world. In worship we see God for who he is, what he has done for us and what it means to our daily lives. Worship takes our fixed downward gaze at the world as we know it and opens up the possibilities of a life with God and for God.

Worship, it’s so much more than going to church, it’s a whole new way of looking at life. If you need a change of spiritual scenery, join us for one of our weekend services.

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

Names

Who comes to mind when you hear the names: George, Abraham, and Michael?

Your answer would definitely be influenced by your age and where you where brought up, but there is probably a good chance that when you read George you thought of a guy with a white wig and blue uniform with the last name Washington. As for Abraham, did a soulful, sad, bearded man come to mind as you remembered Abraham Lincoln? If you are a musical person, the name Michael would have led you to picture Michael Jackson in your mind. If you’re into sports, you saw Michael Jordan soaring through the air with a basketball.

Names mean a lot not only to the one who holds the name but also to other people. We identify others by their names, it is our way of visualizing the individual.

And what about the name – God? What comes to mind when you hear it? Do you feel fear, love, resentment or even apathy? What do you imagine: a bully, a dictator, a father or a Savior? How do you use God’s name? To express anger, ridicule, praise or worship?

Here’s an interesting question: why are the names “God” and “Jesus Christ” the only proper names we use to express extreme anger and frustration? What are we trying to say? Are we blaming God for the situation? Why does cursing with God’s name pack such a powerful punch among us humans?

When you share your name with another person, most probably, you want to get to know them; you are interested in learning more about them and you want them to get to know you. Have you ever thought God has told us his name(s) for the very same reason?

If the only way you know how to use the name of God is when you’re angry, you are selling yourself way short. The name of God can transform your life. Why not join us for one of our weekend services to find out how?

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

"Your God May Be Too Small"

If someone is giving us more details than we think we need, our response is something like, “Just get to the point.” We much prefer bullets to paragraphs. “Keep it simple” is the watchword of the day. We even carry this attitude over into our relationship with God. When we do, the results are disastrous. In a few words, we dumb God down. He becomes either a genie who does miracles at our whim or a bully who punishes us at his whim. For most of us, our conception of God is far too small.

It’s good for us on regular occasions to take a step back and reevaluate who God is and what kind of relationship we have with him. This weekend we have an excellent chance to do just that as we study the very first of the 10 Commandments: “You shall have no other gods;” or in the words of Jesus Christ, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind.” You may find that the God you thought you knew is far greater, far better, far more able to transform your life than you ever imagined.

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