 Damon Hopkins A New Way to Live January 29, 2023
We had the pleasure of hearing from Damon Hopkins again this Sunday. He graciously spoke for Pastor Alex as he was beyond jetlagged after his week spent time at Mid-Winter Covenant Conference in Florida. This was the last of the current series A New You. The scripture from Matthew 25 points us to the importance of caring for those around us with a new gracious attitude. The memory verse for this week is Matthew 25:40. “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ In his message, Damon challenged us to use our gifts to glorify God and to serve others selflessly. He pointed us to several areas in which we can look to serve God by showing His love to those around us. Opening our lives and our hearts to Him will bring guidance and direction from God. God has opportunities awaiting us each day if we will listen and look around us. First, Damon pointed us to look for those who are weak or sick. God calls us to love others, help the helpless, love the less fortunate, and care for those who are sick. When was the last time you picked up a card, made a call, or brought a meal to a sick friend? Sometimes we have to disrupt our routine or get a bit uncomfortable in order to care for someone else’s needs. Perhaps there are other ways that you can tangibly express God’s love for those around us. How about praying for someone who is sick or feeling emotionally challenged? The world around us is hard and being uplifted in prayer is a specific way God has for us to support one another. James 5:16 puts it this way, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Prayer helps us too as we seek God, talk with Him about our concerns, get right with Him ourselves and tap into God’s power to heal and save. We are promised in Isaiah 55:11 “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” God’s Word will never come back empty and will accomplish His will in our lives. Pray and keep on praying and seek to diligently lift others to Him. Prayer is a gift He gave to all of us. Do not be afraid to use it daily! Damon also spoke of visiting the sick and those in prison. The blessing of one’s presence might be how one experiences the presence of God. And though we might not all be capable of such a feat; All can pray, call, write, or express compassion through other mediums. Prisons, for example, have a specific set of rules and restrictions for entry. As a congregation, we support Bay Area Chaplains, which minister to those in prisons within Contra Costa County. Their mission goal is to make Christ known. Join us in prayer as they reach a population that is inaccessible to the majority of us. The last area Damon mentioned is speaking to strangers about the Lord. It’s about planting seeds for the kingdom and taking advantage of those opportunities where we can speak of our Savior. Those moments where we can express how God is affecting our lives. Damon reminded us that we are called to do great things for God. God calls us to reflect his love for those who are broken, weak, lost, sick, lonely, and in prison. Perhaps this is challenging and out of our comfort zone. But following God is not about our preference, it’s about our posture. We are submitting our desires, our plans, and our comfort before God so that he may be edified and glorified. He asked us to go and do this for those in need, showing our love for them in His name. John 13:34-35 puts it plainly, 4 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” Jesus asks us to do this for Him. And what we will discover is in doing these things for others reveals our love for Him and those around us. God calls us to love regardless of whether or not the person will love us back. God does his best work when we are outside our comfort zones. Who will you seek out this week? Will it be someone sick, weakened emotionally or physically, or someone you do not yet know? Be there for the world around you as Jesus asked. We are to do these things as if we were doing it for Jesus. Do it and you will be blessed! Linda SERMON LINK A New You | A New Way To Live Click Here to View the Sermon Sermon series, "A New Community " Today Damon Hopkins share how to live a New Way To Live. If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.  Sermon Reflection from January 22, 2023 | A New You
One of my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Baptism like Communion is an outward expression of an inward change. The first step towards that New You is repentance. We need to confess our sins and recognize our need for a Savior. That repentance leads to an open heart that is ready to receive Jesus and believe in His death, resurrection and power to save! He came to redeem us, by us back from the powers of sin in our lives. I love the connection between belief and trust and the power God gives to live for Him. Following Jesus leads to a desire to tell others and make a public profession of faith through baptism. Does baptism save us? NO! But the profession and confession as part of what is described by Paul in Romans 10:9-10 “ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Saying something out loud and not just in your head requires a belief and commitment. Making our belief known by our mouths is very important. When one is baptized the pastor always asks, do you believe in Jesus and do you want to follow Him? This is the public declaration with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and comes from your heart. What happens after you profess that Jesus is Lord? The transformation begins in earnest as the Holy Spirit works His miracle of rebirth and sanctification within you. It is not done in a day or two but starts when you profess Jesus as Lord and will continue within you until you are with Him. What happens to you during this sanctification process? The Holy Spirit seeks to mold and shape you into the one Christ sees you to be in Him. As you yield more and more to His Holy Spirit you will see character change as described in Galatians 5:18-23. It is a putting off of the world and its values and putting on the things of the Spirit and God’s Kingdom. “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Paul tells us we will recognize the world and its actions and because of our love for Jesus we will seek to be fruitful in our lives for Him. It will result in a change of character! As Stephanie mentioned it will result in a new heart, Ezekiel 36:26-27 “ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” With the new heart will come a desire to look into His Word and follow God’s ways. Lastly, we see that belief and trust lead to confession and transformation. All these are worthless without commitment to Jesus. Our lives, our faith need to be more than lip service to God. He knows our hearts and knows when our faith and repentance is sincere. Sincere faith leads to obedience. True obedience to God rises from a heart that loves and trust him and responds to His wonderful grace. How are you doing with true obedience? Is your heart right with God? What do you need to put off in this New Year that is leading you away from God? What do you need to put on that will lead you to a closer walk with Him?
Look again at 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” God promises a New You; you are His New Creation! Step out in faith and claim the New You in the New Year! God is faithful and will not disappoint those who follow Him. Isaiah 49: 23b “Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.” Linda SERMON LINK A New You | A New Yout Click Here to View the Sermon Sermon series, "A New Community " Today Stephanie Soltero share how Baptism creates a New You If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.  Sermon Reflection from January 15, 2023 | A New Community
Pastor Alex has been seeking to awaken in us a sense of newness in this New Year. He started with our need to look into God’s ageless scriptures for direction and purpose. Did you ask God for a word from His Word for your year? Our challenge verse for the 1st Sunday of the year was from Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Cling to God’s Word and the truths revealed there and claim His promises that He so freely gives. God is eternal and so is His Word. Hopefully, you have begun to focus on prayer as Pastor Alex directed us towards on the 2nd Sunday of the New Year. Prayer for your own needs and for the needs of those around you, for direction, purpose and for the salvation of those you know that are without the Savior. Prayer is a weapon God has given us along with His Word to combat the forces of evil in our world and to communicate with Him so we can seek His guidance in our lives. Our memory verse for this week was Romans 10:13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” What a precious promise to know that anyone who repents and turns to God can and will be saved. For your loved ones that are not walking with God or do not even know Him, keep on praying as there is always hope for their salvation as long as they draw breath. Pray, pray, pray! This Sunday Pastor Alex focused on the newness of heart that we need and find in community. Our community of believers is to hold us up in prayer and together in hope in times of distress, hardship, worry, as well as times of joy and rejoicing. The encouragement of believers to believers is powerful. Just as we have a relationship with Jesus through His death and resurrection we have a relationship held together by our mutual love for Jesus. The love He showed us, we are to show to others. Pastor Alex reminded us through the act of taking communion that we are reminded continually of Jesus’ love and sacrifice for us. We are reminded that He wants us to be in community supporting and loving one anther just as He loved and continually loves us. Our verse for this week is 1 Corinthians 11:26 “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” The fact and the act of communion serves to remind us of His great sacrifice and keep us moving forward in community. Jesus said these words when he was breaking bread, communing with his beloved disciples. I like to imagine the Lord’s Table extending from that time into this and that we are all gathered there with the disciples as we are all joined together by Jesus. Where are you exercising community in your life? Do you associate with your fellow believers just on Sunday or do you see them in a small group, a bible study, or in a time of service? Does your community invade and pervade your life? Do you consider your brother and sisters in Christ family? Jesus is saying that as we proclaim His death and join together with Him we are with Him, we are community, we are His family. Where can you infuse more of Christ’s community into your life this week? Let the new YOU who is now in the Word of God, praying daily and seeking community with others, reach out and seek to bring someone else into the family this week! Touch a life with the love of Jesus. God has you where you are for a reason. Look for those God opportunities this week. Linda SERMON LINK A New You | A New Community Click Here to View the Sermon Sermon series, "A New Community " Today Alex Hardt share how Communion is a Covenant For God's People If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.  Sermon Reflection from January 8, 2023 | A New Prayer
As we begin a New Year, Pastor Alex is challenging us to look at the ‘old’ ways were have been doing things and seek a New way which through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit will produce a New You! Last week, he looked at God’s Word and challenged us to dig in, dive in and immerse ourselves so that our Newer You would be pointed to God through His Word. This week he is challenging us to talk to God and establish a firm and lasting connection to carry us through this New Year of 2023. To start this New journey we need to have a conversation with God. That sounds easy enough but in reality it can be difficult. Finding and taking the time to stop the distractions that surround us and focus on communicating with God and be a challenge. There are some tools that might be helpful in this: your Bible is a great resource of how to talk with God, what to ask of Him and why you need to talk things over with Him. For example in Psalm 23 the psalmist, David, point us to God’s ability to provide, calm, guide, eliminate fear, protect from evil, provide tools for me to use, has prepared a place for me to be and will always have my best in mind. As you read the psalm you can pray for these things to be manifested in your life or the life of someone you are seeking to uplift. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Another idea of how to start this conversation with God is to use the ACTS method. A- adoration. Start your prayer time with praise and adoration for who God is. A way to do this is to use the alphabet and pray an attribute of God with each letter, thanking him for his character that sustains you. C-confession. Over and over in scripture we are told to repent, which is being sorry for our sins. Tell God your failings and ask Him to help you over come through His Holy Spirit which dwells within you as a believer. T- thanks. Before we ask God for more, we need to be aware and thankful for all He has done for us. It puts things into perspective as nothing else can. Lastly, S- supplication which is talking to God about your needs and the needs of others. Hopefully, you will find scripture, the alphabet or ACTS helpful in starting that conversation with Almighty God. How does one create a connection with God? Through prayer certainly but also reading His Word and fellowshipping with other believers helps us to see the importance of family, hope, relationships and strength that comes from linking ourselves together by faith. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we join God’s family. He is our Father and we belong to Him and with Him. That is a connection that cannot be severed. I love John 10:28 “ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Through faith in Jesus, I belong to and with God for eternity, and no one or nothing can remove Him from me or me from Him! Praise God! Why wouldn’t you want to have the Newer version of yourself? You can talk with God anytime or anyplace. You can be assured of your place in His family and will always have brothers and sisters in Christ to share in your hopes, joys and sorrows. You have a permanent relationship with God that no one can take away from you, ever! You belong to God and He desires a relationship with YOU! Take time in this New Year to cultivate this God provided relationship through faith in Jesus and let the benefits spill over into each and every day of 2023! Linda SERMON LINK A New You | A New Prayer Click Here to View the Sermon Sermon series, "A New You" Today Alex Hardt share how Prayer Transforms the Heart If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.  Sermon Reflection from January 1, 2023 | A New Word Pastor Alex’s sermon to kick off our New Year was filled with challenge, chaos and change. Why is that? He was looking into God’s Word that is always ageless, alive and active. Are you looking for a new beginning this year? Are you hoping this year will be different than those of the past? If so, the answer lies within God’s Word. God’s Word is timeless and can be applied to our 21st century lives. Amazing but true that the principles set forth in God’s Word are always true no matter the time period in which one lives. Not only God’s principles but the examples He provides in the lives of Abraham, Sarah, David, Peter, James, Paul…. show us how to live godly lives through their successes and failures. God includes His promises in His Word, many of which have been fulfilled especially in the life and death of Jesus, but also those we can claim for our lives today and ones that give us hope for the future. God’s Word challenges us to live our lives on His terms using His ways. It is contrary to our old nature but doable through the power of His Holy Spirit which indwells each believer. Take up the challenge to live by the Word this year seeking to use His truths to guide you each day. God’s Word is also active and will cut deep into our lives to uplift, prune and aid in discernment which we desperately need to survive the chaos of our times. Hebrews 4:12b tells us what the Word of God can and will do, “penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”. The Word of God gets right down to who we are and helps us see the errors of our ways, the errors in our thoughts and motives and it judges or convicts us of things were are doing that are not according to God’s standards. God’s Word holds us accountable, 4:13b “Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account”. God knows all things and will hold us accountable for what we say and do. God’s Word leads us to confession, hope and repentance. 1 John 1:9 reminds us of His way, “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” God’s way turns the chaos of today’s living into hope and direction as we listen to His Word for our lives. Hebrews 4:12 also speaks of God’s Word being active. “ For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword”, God’s Word will not be passive and non-interactive in our lives. The Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to convict and transform us into the ones God can and will use to give out His Word to a hurting world. God’s Word leads to change in our own lives and in the lives of those around us. God’s Word has power and will move you into 2023 in a new way if you listen, seek and allow Him to penetrate your heart and soul with His Word. Lastly, Pastor Alex challenged us to search God’s Word for a guiding word for the year. This is something I’ve done for the last 5 years and have found it profoundly helpful in seeing how God is moving in my life in tangible ways. Here are some thoughts from my blog today about choosing a guiding word. Just like Pastor Alex, I would challenge you to pray about a Word from His Word as you read and study this week. Ask God what Word he would give you from His Word for this New Year. He may give you more than one word to pursue so do that and see where He leads you. The Word you have for your focus has others that are or will be related to it. Make a list of your main word and then 5-10 related words. God will guide you to hone and zero in on the Word He has for you. Now that you have your list, look to scripture for verses that use your word or words and see how God guides in choosing your focus verse for the year. I generally end up with 1-2 verses. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking and praying: Joy- Psalm 16:11, Psalm 63:7, Habakkuk 3:18, or James 1:2 Hope- Psalm 62:5, Psalm 147:11, Jeremiah 29:11, Lamentations 3:21-22, Romans 5:4-5 or 1 Timothy 4:10. Trust- Psalm 28:7, Psalm 31:14, Proverbs 3:5-6, or Jeremiah 17:7 Grace- John 1:16-17, Romans 3:24, @ Corinthians 12:9 or Ephesians 1:7. Peace- Isaiah 26:3, Matthew 5:9, John 14:27, or Philippians 4:7 Or you many choose to examine words like: unity, compassion, mercy, steadfastness, stability, generosity, service or enough. When examining words like these you need your list of 10 related words to aid you in your search for verses. Remember Pastor Alex said his word for last year was More than. Your Word may be conventional or unconventional word. Be open to His leading. Have fun with this and make it an adventure in listening to God and hearing what He has to say to you about your New Year! When you are done, go to the free website www.wordart.com and make a graphic of your word and related words. Here is my graphic from last year to give you an idea. Enjoy God’s Word in a new way this week. Make your graphic and post it where you can refer to it all year! By Linda SERMON LINK A New You | A New Word Click Here to View the Sermon Sermon series, "A New You" Today Alex Hardt share how God's Word is Eternal If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.   Every year we make New Years Resolutions or Goals in hopes that this year will be the best ever or that we can improve ourselves in some shape or form. Those lofty goals that we make tend to fizzle out after a month or two and we wonder why we always seem to be doing the same thing over and over. We never see any real change. This year as I was searching for Goals or New Years resolutions, I sought something more than superficial fluff.
If that was my desire, then I had to change what I focused on. And I began to think...What if my goals weren’t based upon what is on the outside but what is different on the inside? What if my goals didn't just affect the superficial mask of me, but the whole of me? The only think I knew that could change me in such a way...was the thing I always knew to be true, God. Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, [a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Acts 2:42 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. We are created in the image and likeness of God. If we really want to discover a New You then we have to reorient ourselves back to God. Our thoughts, words, and actions would have to reflect our creator. They would have to mirror the life and teachings of Christ. We would have to be in responsive obedience to God. In other words, be in communion WITH God and allow his word and spirit to guide us. Though we messed up and fractured our relationship WITH God, which allowed sin to enter the world and us to experience brokenness, God in his grace and mercy, sent his son, Jesus Christ, so that our relationship WITH God might rightfully be restored. What I discovered is that A New You is only possible through conversations and connections WITH God, which leads to a conversion of the heart. Are you ready to take a journey to discover A New You? By Alex Hardt   Sermon Reflection from December 24, 2022 | The Jesus Perspective
Pastor Alex and his friend Bryson worked in tandem to deliver a compelling recap of all the sermons delivered during the Advent season. His emphasis throughout the month has been that knowing Christ will lead us to live wisely and differently from the world. It was clearly evident in all 4 examples. First, we saw the perspective of the Wise men as their story from Matthew 2:1-12 was read. The Wise men traveled a long distance in search of the child born ‘King of the Jews’. They gave their time to the search, resources and finally their gifts to the child. How are you like the Wise men? Do you seek to know Christ more fully by spending time in His Word? Do you use your resources to serve and help others? Do you give generously of what God has given you? Living wisely and differently involves giving generously of ourselves and our talents with a heart attitude of love and devotion to our Savior. Faith transforms our stingy, self-seeking hearts into ones filled with His love which spills out generously towards others. Second, Pastor Alex read the Shepherd’s story from Luke 2:8-20. Bryson showed us reasons why God would have chosen the lowly shepherds to be the first to worship the Savior. Their place in society was not one that was elevated, but it was one of value. The Christ Child came to all people to save them from their sins. He was needed to restore the relationship with mankind that was broken by the sin actions in the Garden of Eden. His position on earth was lowly born but He was of extreme value and had a high place in heaven. Things are not always what they seem as God uses whom He desires to bring His message to the world. Living wisely in light of the shepherd’s example means one must listen and respond to the Good News from heaven. Their response was immediate and heartfelt as they moved quickly to find the babe and experience for themselves the joy of seeing their Savior. Have you encountered Jesus in a personal way? Has it lead you to embrace the good news and display true joy in your life? Faith transforms our unresponsive hearts into ones filled with joy and a desire to spread the good news of Christ. The truths shown by Mary and Joseph’s part in this Christmas Story lead us to look at the ordinary in a different way. Both the Luke passage 1:30-35 and Matthew 1:18-25 show the encounter of the angel Gabriel with both Mary and Joseph. God chose ordinary people to bring His plan into being. They were devoted Jews but not kings, priests or landowners. By worldly standards they were just village people going about their lives serving God through their faith. God’s trust in them was a reflection of His love for them. How they were to serve Him was profound and challenging. Do you see yourself as one who can serve God? We can take a lesson from Mary and Joseph. Their faith and devotion to God allowed them to serve Him in an extra–ordinary way. Faith transforms our unwilling hearts into ones motivated by His love to do the incredible work He has planned for us. Lastly, Bryson had us look at Jesus and the encounter he had as a babe of just 8 days old. Simeon’s story was read from Luke 2:25-35. The Lord had revealed to Simeon that he would see the Christ, Messiah before he died. What we learn from his story about living differently is that we need to let God reveal Himself in our lives passionately. Our zeal for God should be evident in what we say and do. Our love for Him involves our whole being. Simeon lived his life trusting in God’s promise to him that he would see the Messiah. He lived in faith, knowing God was a promise keeping God and would reveal the Messiah to him. When he was confronted with baby Jesus at his naming ceremony, Simeon knew this was the child who would save all mankind, both Jews and Gentiles. Faith transforms the doubting impatient heart into one filled with zealous passion for Him, belief in His promises and a desire to praise Him wholeheartedly. What kind of a heart is God revealing to you today? Is your heart like the Wise men filled with His love spilling out generously towards others? Like the shepherds which is filled with joy and a desire to spread the good news of Christ? Like Mary and Joseph’s hearts which were motivated by His love to do the incredible work He has planned? Or maybe your heart is like Simeon’s filled with zeal, belief in His promises and a passionate desire to praise God? I pray that your heart is like all of the above seeking to love and serve our Savior which is Christ the Lord. He is with us now. Look to Him and grab hold of His truth. It will transform your heart and life so that you can live differently and wisely for Him each day in 2023! By Linda Knight SERMON LINK This Christmas | The Jesus Perspective Click Here to View the Sermon Sermon series, "This Christmas" Today Alex and Bryson teach the Christmas Story If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.  This Sunday’s message was based on 2 precious passages that describe the angel’s encounter with both Mary and Joseph. Both passages show the strength of character possessed by Mary and Joseph and their heart for God.
Brother Damien pointed us to the risks involved for both Mary and Joseph and how they responded. Both were in a position to be ridiculed by their family, friends and community as a pregnancy in their betrothal period was absolutely against God’s law and outside society’s norms. Their reputation was at stake in regard to men but their integrity with God was pure. God knew their hearts and the circumstances, and He sent an angel to speak with them separately to reassure them that what was happening was of God not of man. God knew their thoughts and addressed their fears with soothing words, “Do not be afraid.” Not only did God’s message tell them not to be afraid but gave them reason for hope and commitment as the purpose of Mary’s pregnancy was revealed. They were to be a part of something greater that would affect the world eternally. Yes, there were personal risks to be taken, but the rewards would be for their good, the good of all mankind and for God’s glory! They would also have the privilege of raising God’s son while here on earth. What an awesome responsibility and blessing God placed in their lives. What risks is God asking you to take to live differently for Him? Is He bringing you to a new place, opening new opportunities for you to share about Jesus, giving you a new ministry to be involved in or perhaps it is a new child, job or home? God has a plan for each of us that requires us to step out in faith and trust Him. He knows the way and will lead and provide just as He did for Mary and Joseph. What did Mary and Joseph have to do to accept God’s challenge for their lives? Both of them had to respond in faithful obedience. Mary said yes to the Lord and her response is filled with her faith in and for God. Here are her words from a portion of the scripture known as the Magnificat, Luke 1:46-50 “ And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.” What an amazing response of gratitude to the Lord for His work within her. Joseph likewise responded in faith. Matthew 1:20-23 describes the situation and the work the Holy Spirit will do within Mary. He is not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. Verse 24-25 tells us what he did after his miraculous dream “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” He immediately acted upon the Lord’s request and took Mary as his wife. He did not stop to question the angel or ask how or why, but he obediently did as the Lord required. Obedience is an expression of love and respect, and God desires us to be obedient. Luke 11:28 “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Obedience also will result in our remaining in God’s love and having joy. John 15:10-11”If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Mary and Joseph both expressed their love for God by accepting His call upon their lives. They were obedient to follow His commands. Their obedience led them to have the privilege of having and knowing God’s Son. He would be in their home, with them and with their future children. They knew they were part of something bigger than their own lives. Their child was to save all mankind from their sins. Where is God calling you to live obediently? You can be assured that following what God has called you to do will bring blessing! God keeps His promises. As Damien continued to share, I was riveted by his testimony because it showed over and over how God had plan for Damien’s life, a purpose and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Just as God knew the plans He had for Mary and Joseph, He had/has plans for Damien’s life. He sought to bring Damien face to face with his Savior, Jesus. God protected, loved and guided Damien because He knew what wonderful things He had in store for him, the plans for his life in Christ. When Damien finally got to the place where he accepted Jesus and decided to walk with him in obedience, he has experienced the blessings of obedience just like Mary and Joseph. Loving God, walking with Him brings blessings into our lives. Thank you Jesus! May you experience the love of Jesus and the blessings of following Him in obedience this season. Linda SERMON LINK This Christmas | The Family Perspective Click Here to View the Sermon Sermon series, "This Christmas" Today Damon teaches from Luke 1:30-35 & Matt 1:18-25 If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.   This photo was taken outside of Bethlehem looking at the hills where the shepherds would have been with their flocks when they received the news of Jesus’ birth. Today it is filled with dwellings but you can still envision the open fields filled with sheep bedded down for the night protected by their shepherds. As Pastor Alex pointed out the fields were not far from the town of Bethlehem where Mary and Joseph were staying with baby Jesus lying in a manger. Seeing and hearing from the angels of God was a life changing experience for these humble, lowly people. God chose them specifically to be the first to hear and worship the new born Savior.
Just as with Zechariah and Mary, the angels told them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Luke 2:10 Fear would be an immediate reaction to seeing a heavenly being. Their minds would have been racing- what have we done wrong, why us, what is this all about? The angels told them they had good news! This news was to be for all people not just the religious elite and wealthy, but all people from the kings to the common man, from Jews to Gentiles. This news would bring JOY! Does this appearance and news brought by the angels cause Joy in your life? What about Jesus evokes joy for you? Is it His saving you, His loving you, His holding you during hard times, or His eternal place He has for you in heaven? If your reaction is joy, why not share the joy with others? Pastor Alex calls this the difference that helps us live wisely and differently. The brushes with Jesus in our lives help us put aside our fears and move into action. The shepherds immediately moved into action after hearing the good news the angels brought. “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” verse 15 They desired to see this Savior for themselves. How can you be like the angels and create a desire to see and hear from Jesus in the lives of others? Pastor Alex suggested that the desire to tell others comes from a changed life, an encounter with Jesus yourself. Through the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within each believer, we can show others Jesus by our words and actions. Once we meet Jesus, we are never the same. He transforms us and leads us to grow more and more like Him. The Shepherds came and found Jesus just as the angels had said. They bowed down and worshipped him. Scripture tells us what happened when they left in verses 17,18,20, “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told”. They were forever changed as they were able to share their amazing story, they were able to speak boldly about the newly arrived Savior and they knew that God was faithful to His promise to provide a Savior. Each of those things that resulted from their encounter with the living God can be said of you as a believer. You have a story to tell of how you met Jesus and what He has done in your life. You can speak boldly about His grace, mercy, love and ability to save and forgive. You know that because of what God has done in your life and you have seen that He is faithful and keeps His promises. Who can you tell your story to? Who needs to hear of God’s love and forgiveness first hand from someone who has encountered Jesus? You can also speak of Christ’s love and transformation in your own life because you have experienced it yourself. Your story is your story and no one can say that it isn’t- it is personal! Why not be bold, like the shepherds, and speak out about your Savior? Look for God moments this season to speak of Him. I know it is trite but still so true, “Jesus is the reason for the Season’. Let others know of Jesus and His amazing love. Linda SERMON LINK This Christmas | The Shepherd's Perspective Click Here to View the Sermon Sermon series, "This Christmas" Today Alex teaches from Luke 2:8-20 If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.  Sermon Reflection from December 4, 2022 | The King’s Perspective
I loved Pastor Alex’s message on generosity which was shown to us as an example to follow by the Magi, Kings or Wise men. Just for fun this morning I looked up Magi in the dictionary. They are wise men, generally assumed to be 3 in number, who came to worship Jesus. They were thought to be Zoroastrian priests from ancient Media and Persia. Lastly, they were known to be astrologers. All of this fits with the story told in Matthew 2:1-12. Another thought is that these men who studied the stars had been influenced in earlier times by Daniel or Ezra or Nehemiah and that is how they had come to know of the coming birth of the “King of the Jews’. The thought that God used pagan kings, wise men to travel a great distance to worship His Son, speaks of the impartiality of God and His love for all mankind. His Son is meant to be worshipped by all people. Back to the heart of Pastor Alex’s message, generosity. How generous do you consider yourself to be? Does your generosity come from a desire to be recognized and thanked or from the heart in wanting to help and comfort others? Do you desire to please God? God desires for us to have generosity in our character as it comes from the heart of God and connects us to Him in a unique way. Our generosity is to be the result of being ‘in Christ’ and having the Holy Spirit indwell us. Believers have a spirit of generosity that is evident in their lives because they know Jesus! Psalm 112:5 “Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.” God’s Holy Spirit will be evident in our lives and gives us a spirit of generosity. Pastor Alex mentioned Proverbs 11:25, our memory verse for the week, “A generous person will prosper;whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” God promises to cause us to prosper and be refreshed when we are generous. Prosperity is not limited to material wealth but can include spiritual and emotional prosperity too! I love the promise in Proverbs 22:9 that God gives us about generosity. “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.” Sharing and giving brings blessings! Jesus is the root of our generosity. He is the one who gave it all for us, that we might know Him and have a relationship with him. Through and by God’s grace, we can be and are made generous if our hearts are willing. 2 Corinthian 9:11 puts it this way: “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” God gives us the resources to practice generosity and that generosity should lead us to give thanks to God from which everything comes. Generosity comes from the heart of God and brings Him glory! So as we journey through this holiday season, take time to examine your motives for giving. Seek to align them with God’s desire for you, that you love Him and He is the reason for your generous spirit and giving. Then bask in the joy of giving as you seek to bring glory to God and bless others. Linda SERMON LINK This Christmas | The King's Perspective Click Here to View the Sermon Sermon series, "This Christmas" Today Alex teaches from Matthew 2:1-12 If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass. |
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January 2023
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