Sermon Reflections from Jesus is Here | Julio Barros | April 14, 2024
It was a pleasure to welcome Pastor Julio to the pulpit today as he and his congregation had worked alongside us in packing meals for Rise Against Hunger. It was a glorious time of serving together in spite of the fact that there was a language barrier. It was a glimpse of heaven as we know all believing peoples will be there on day worshiping the Lord together. The text of Pastor Julio’s sermon was Luke 18 and the parable of the unbelieving judge who was constantly bombarded by the widow coming to him seeking justice. She was persistent until the judge finally relented and sought justice for her. Her persistence was likened to our prayers and our need to be persistent in prayer. God is listening and desires to know our hearts. That which one prays for repeatedly is truly on their heart and matters to them. God knows this and honors persistence. Pastor Julio spoke on the importance of prayer in various ways. First, he mentioned that prayer has a physical effect on the one who prays. This close time with God makes one happier and even will cause one to smile. Taking time to pray daily will make a difference in your life as it is what the Bible would consider good medicine. Proverbs 17:22 “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Spending time with God will change your heart and provide an attitude adjustment for better living. Next, Pastor mentioned the spiritual effects of having a prayer life. When you pray you build something around you that adds protection and hope for your family and wisdom for daily living. It is a time when you tap into the wisdom of God and let it flow into you. Prayer is not just mindless repetition but communication and relationship building with God himself. How do you build friendships with others? You do it by spending quality time with them, sharing your heart and working together. God allows us to spend quality time with Him, share our hearts and serve Him with others to strengthen our relationship with Him. Jesus called himself our friend in John 15:14 “You are my friends if you do what I command.” Our question to ourselves should be, how do I know what God commands of me? Through His Word He reveals himself to us, through faith in Jesus and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit we can learn of God’s ways and through prayer God speaks to us. Being the friend of Almighty God is an awesome thing. Now to the actual praying and the need to be persistent like the widow in the parable. God will answer prayer but in His time. Isaiah 55:9 “ “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” We do not know the times of life, the interactions of relationships and the whys and why nots of all things like God does. So His answers are sometimes, “Yes”, sometimes “No” and sometimes “Wait”. We must keep praying and trust in God’s timing and sovereignty. We must always remember that God gave man free will and what God desires may not come to pass if the person is unrepentant and rejects God. Pray diligently that the Holy Spirit will be able to soften your loved ones hearts towards God and that they will come to know Jesus. I lean on 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God desires that all come to know Him- so keep on praying. Pastor Julio closed with this thought, “May our daily life be an act of prayer.” That would truly bring a change of heart to us both physically and spiritually. Praise God! Linda MESSAGE LINK Click Here to View the Message on Youtube Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass Sermon Reflections from Jesus is Grace | Alex Hardt | April 7, 2024
As Pastor Alex preached from Luke 15 this Sunday, I caught a vision of the many facets of Jesus’ character. Our God has many attributes to who He is. Some are ones that are for him alone like- sovereign, creator, Savior, glory, Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient and others are ones that He has in perfection but desires that we emulate like love, mercy, justice, goodness, kindness, compassion, patience, etc. From the parables in Luke 15 and Jesus’ actions we can learn much about our Lord. As Pastor Alex noted, Jesus began by confronting the narrow minded thinking of the religious leaders. Luke 15:1-2 “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” The religious leaders were criticizing Jesus for associating with known sinners. Their idea was that their sins were small in comparison and they were more worthy. However, Jesus showed by his actions and words that He is impartial. He loves all sinners and desires that all would come to repentance and faith. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” The first parable Jesus told the crowd was of the lost sheep. The shepherd loses one sheep and leaves the 99 in search of the lost. His conclusion in verse 15:7 “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” This attitude shows Jesus’ incomprehensible love. It is a love beyond our understanding. Alex put it this way, the pursuit of the lost.. is a reflection of the Father’s love for His children. We do not understand that kind of full love that would lead Him to send his only son to die on our behalf. John 3:16 says it this way, “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God’s love is complete and beyond our understanding. Thanks be to God for His great love for us! The second illustration Jesus told the crowd was of the woman who had 10 silver coins and had lost one. She went in search of this lost coin and like the lost sheep she rejoiced when she found it. Luke 15:10 “ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” This speaks of God’s great joy when someone turns to Him and accepts Jesus as their Savior and Lord by his infinite grace. His joy at our turning to him shows His kindness that we do not deserve. His grace is favor that is undeserved. He gives it freely, feels His joy freely and we did nothing to earn it. The joy of redemption is the restoration of the lost by the GRACE of God! Thanks be to God for His marvelous grace towards us! The last parable in this series is the story of the prodigal son. The son who takes his inheritance and squanders it recklessly. When he comes to his senses in the depth of despair, he realizes at that the servants in his father’s house are better off than he is. He returns home and his father unexpectedly welcomes him home and prepares a feast of celebration. Jesus was trying to explain the concept of mercy and forgiveness. The father is merciful and forgiving towards anyone who repents and turns to Him. Without Him, they were lost and now they are found. They have moved from death to life which is what we do in Christ through our faith in Him. Alex’s statement is so true, only the compassion of the Father can turn sinners into repentant citizens of heaven! The other son who had worked diligently all those years was upset over the father’s welcome feast. However, the father shows understanding and wisdom when he tells the other son in Luke 15:31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” The son who stayed has had the benefit of the father’s love and care all those years and has a full inheritance plus time with the father. The father desires that the other son understand the love, joy and compassion towards the lost when they come home. They were dead and now are alive. Ephesians 2:4-5 “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” Thanks be to Jesus for His amazing Grace towards us! Linda MESSAGE LINK Click Here to View the Message on Youtube Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass Sermon Reflections from United in Love | Alex Hardt | February 11,2024
Pastor Alex continued this week teaching us about the concepts of Rhythms- those things we do to keep ourselves connected to God. As we saw with prayer the connectedness is doable and needs to be exercised daily, weekly, yearly = all the time. This week Pastor Alex focused on the fact that to stay connected to God we need to stay connected to each other in a loving way. Love is an intangible thing as it needs to take the form of words and deeds. It needs to be shown. Christ showed His love for us as described in Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He also expressed his love while here on earth by healing, casting out demons, befriending the friendless, serving, feeding, etc. His love took action and it was felt by everyone who came into contact with Him. God’s love towards is was sacrificial, John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God showed his love for us by sending Jesus to die on the cross and raising him from the dead. What about your love is genuine, sacrificial, kind, serving or helping? When you see others, do you look for ways to bring them to Christ? What about your Christian friends? Do you look for ways to show them Christ’s love? Christ healed- who can you heal with words of kindness or a loving deed? Christ cast out demons- who do you know that needs to know of the love of God and be free of their demons? Can you talk to them or pray for/with them? Christ befriended the friendless- who do you know that needs a friend? Christ served others- do you have a group where you can serve in his name? Christ fed many- who do you know that needs physical food like a meal or an invite to lunch. Who do you know that needs spiritual food from God’s Word? Do you have a verse, a word of encouragement or prayer to give to them? Authentic love in Christ is transforming and His Holy Spirit will motivate us to be more and more like Jesus as we walk with Him each day. Being connected to God through and for others means we actually have to join in, be there, stand with other physically, hold hands, pray together, speak, eat and enjoy one another’s company. In Acts 14:27-28 Paul tells what he did upon returning to Antioch from his trip. “ On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.” Paul was excited to tell other believers of the work God was doing in the world. In Acts 12:5 we hear about the church praying for Peter’s freedom “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” In Acts 2:41-43 we see the church being about supporting one another “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.” In each of these scenes in Acts we see the church being together and connecting. Are you part of our gatherings? Do you want to learn about our missionaries and pray for them? Do you join with our 24 hours of prayer as we lift Crossroads and each one of us before God’s throne? Do you regularly come to worship? How about a home group or bible study group, are you there? Do you join in social events to break bread and visit with one another? Without these actions, we can’t be invested in each other’s lives. Christ desires that we connect with one another to uplift and encourage each other in our walk with Him. Remember Christ’s words in Matthew 18:20 “ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” When we gather with others, acknowledging Him in our hearts and lives, He promises to be there in our midst. You would not want to miss out- join us to connect. Linda MESSAGE LINK Click Here to View the Message on Youtube Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass. Sermon Reflections from Sin and Righteousness | Alex Hardt | October 15, 2023
What do you know about righteousness? Biblically, it is right standing with God that comes through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. The contrast between the righteousness we have through Christ and living a life where we are stuck in the rut of habitual sinning is the topic of 1 John 3. Pastor Alex began is sermon this Sunday with a look at our own counterfeit behaviors. It is important to know a counterfeit when you see one. Are we willing to acknowledge them and turn them over to God? In 1 John 3, John says that continual sinning on our part is not how true believers will act. Those who are pretending to be believers or who are just going through the motions of being ‘Christian’ are not of God. These are sobering thoughts that cause us to evaluate our own walk with Jesus. How do others see me? As a sincere believing Christian who tries to follow Jesus in word and deed or as a phony, a pretender, who says they are Christian but does not speak or act as one who follows Jesus? John wants us to know that by belonging, or following Jesus, we are children of God. We bear His name, His Spirit and are created in His image. As God’s children we are loved equally, cared for, protected, and taught how to be more like His Son, Jesus. He has truly adopted us fully into His family and we are HIS! I love 1 John 3:1 “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” God proclaims that we are His children. The reason He gives for us not ‘fitting in’ to the world is that the world does not know Him and we belong to Him. However, we fit perfectly into His kingdom because we do know Him as our heavenly Father. What a great assurance for each of us that our value and worth comes from the Father’s love and belonging to Him. How does one recognize a counterfeit? With money, the bills can looks so perfect that they are not recognizable except by an expert. God is the expert and knows our hearts so no one can ‘get past’ God, so to speak. Our job is not to waste time trying to root out the counterfeit Christians but to live our lives proclaiming Jesus. We are to put on His righteousness daily and seek to show Him to those around us. What does that look like? It is different for each of us but evidence of our faith and the working out of our salvation will be evident in the fruits of the Spirit that are found in our lives. Galatians 5:22-24 “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. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Are you seeing more of these fruits in your life? Do you see a decrease in your passion for worldly things and an increase in your desire to please and serve God? It does not happen overnight but is a lifelong process as we put on His Righteousness daily and seek to Put Off worldly standards and actions. Pastor Alex also wanted us to realize that pursuing God in our lives is a destiny making proposition. If we pursue God fully with a heart committed to Jesus and we will be mightily used by God in His kingdom. If we are ‘stuck’ in the world, driven by earthly desires, pleasures and goals, it will lead us to make poor decisions and not be kingdom effective. We have to choose- follow the world and with its goals and rewards or follow God and receive His purpose for our lives and His eternal rewards. The choices we make today affect our tomorrow. Choose wisely. Choose life in Jesus or death. I pray you will join me in saying, I choose life in Jesus. Joshua put it this way when presenting this same question to the Israelites in Joshua 24:15 “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Linda MESSAGE LINK Click Here to View the Message on Youtube Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass. Sermon Reflections from Love and Hatred | Alex Hardt | October 8, 2023
Pastor Alex spoke candidly about the world’s pressures upon us to choose its ways over God’s. Our sin nature predisposes us towards that, but our Spiritual nature from God moves us towards Him in spite of our propensity to sin. We are reminded of Jesus’ words of promise in 1 John 4:4 “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” We are comforted by this truth for we know that we will be victorious in Him. Our text for today was 1 John 2 and begins with obedience in the face of sin. John acknowledges that we all sin and comforts us with the truth of Jesus’ forgiveness. “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” John hopes that by leaning into Jesus we can avoid sin, but he assures us that we bear Jesus’ righteousness though faith. This truth can and does comfort us. John then tells us how to focus on being obedient to God in the face of all the adversity in which we live daily. *If we have come to know Jesus, we’ll work to keep his commandments (3) *Obedience to God’s word brings God’s love to completion in us (5) *Knowing Jesus gives us the desire to live and be more like Him(6) *Living in Jesus’ light means setting aside hatred for others, exchanging darkness for light (9) *Hatred for others, or yourself, creates a darkness which will surround you and cause you to be blind to Jesus and what He desires for your life. (11) By being Obedient to God’s Ways and Word, we show our love for God. The proof of our love is in how we act and speak. How does this challenge you to better align your actions to God’s Word? Do you see a need to know more about His ways so you can better show Jesus to those around you? Join a home group- a bible study and dive into His Word with fellow believers. See the Church Website for groups and when they meet. In 1 John 2:15-17, John specifically talks about avoiding the world’s influence in our lives. “ Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” John warns us not to put our love efforts into loving the world. Because if we do, we are committing ourselves to many undesirable things that are opposed to God and His ways. He names pride, lust, fleshly pursuits which would include craving physical pleasures, power, greed, advancement, achievements for self-gain, etc. Many of these can start out harmless enough but when fueled with pride, greed, lust and envy they become perverted. We do need to work hard and take pride in our work and achievements, but not be filled with boasting, self-love and entitlement. John also reminds us that the worldly things are just that, worldly and will only endure for the here and now. They are temporal and NOT eternal. Only things done for God will stand for all time. Lastly, John warns us of opposition we will face from without. Before the opposition has been within our own character. This opposition in the form of antichrists which are very real and powerful. Verse 22-23 “Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” Each one of us faces antichrists in our lives. John classifies anyone who denies Jesus is an anti-(against) Christ. We need to be watchful and aware of those in our lives that oppose us because we love Jesus and desire to live like Him. Jesus prayed for us as He knew we would face opposition. John 17:20-21 “ My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Paul warned of spiritual opposition in Ephesian 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” James encourages us in James 4:7-8 “ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.” Pastor Alex concluded with the fact that Satan with all his worldly enticements opposes Jesus with His love assurance, protection, eternal life, hope and guidance and are competing for our love. The choice is up to us. God created us with free will and we have to choose. Not choosing is denial. There is no fence sitting. Why wait? Walk with Jesus and taste of His eternal love, commitment, guidance, protection through His indwelling Holy Spirit. Be assured that those God who answer God’s call He will equip and empower to follow His Son! Linda MESSAGE LINK Click Here to View the Message on Youtube Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass. Sermon Reflections from Divine Connections | Joselin Hernandez | September 10, 2023
Have you visited the grocery store, coffee shop, or gas station this week? Chances are, you've stepped out of your room or bed at some point during your week. And what happens when you do? You encounter people. What if we viewed every interaction as an opportunity to share the Gospel? Millions of people haven't yet come to know Jesus, our Lord and Savior, but we can make a difference one person at a time. Maybe striking up a conversation with the barista at your favorite local café could eventually lead to a chance to share the Gospel with them. Or perhaps taking your dog on your usual route each day could provide an opening to impact someone's life. The truth is, we can't predict the impact we might have on someone's life with just one encounter. Often, it feels easier to remain silent about our faith to avoid offending anyone. But what if the person you encounter is the one whom God has placed in your path to lead to Christ? Would you feel regretful if you missed the opportunity to bring them into God's kingdom? Perhaps the initial conversation won't immediately lead to their conversion, but you could plant a seed, offer them a starting point, and help them experience Christ's love. Throughout the scriptures, we see ordinary individuals called by God to share His message of goodness. When they obeyed, something extraordinary often occurred: those they shared God's message with came to know Him. Reflect on your own faith journey—did someone introduce you to Jesus? Was it a friend, family member, or perhaps a stranger who handed you a pamphlet or offered a prayer? Maybe it happened while you were on a sports team, at work, or at camp, and someone had the courage to discuss Jesus with you. The pivotal point wasn't necessarily your immediate decision to follow Jesus; it was that someone recognized your worth and importance and decided to share the most significant news in human history with you—that Jesus was a manifestation of God's love, and His love was meant for you. What could be more crucial than that? It's easy to talk about our favorite sports teams, jobs, or coffee orders, but imagine if we focused our conversations on Jesus instead. What if we shared something that could genuinely shape, mold, and transform lives? In one Bible story, this is precisely what happened. Philip, prompted by God, approached a eunuch who was already a believer but didn't fully comprehend his faith. Philip didn't hesitate to engage in conversation, and as a result, the eunuch gained a clear understanding of his beliefs. Not every experience will mirror Philip's, but in all our interactions, we have the opportunity to make God known. So, what will you choose to do—conceal your faith or share the greatest news ever? MESSAGE LINK Click Here to View the Message on Youtube Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass. Alex Hardt November 27, 2022
The Altitude of Gratitude, A Valley of Thanks The portion of scripture Pastor Alex chose for this message was 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18. This section is titled Final Instructions in my Bible. The letter to the Thessalonian believers had been newsy and instructive from the Apostle Paul, but as he closed, he wanted to give them some fine points for living that would help with their continued walk with Christ. His points will do the same for us today. So that they would clearly understand he lists the dos and don’ts that they need to be aware of, as do we.
Pastor Alex wanted us to see the actions that make for a life lived in the Valley of Gratitude. If you wonder, how do I become grateful, why am I grateful, what does gratitude look like today- this is a very specific passage that tells us exactly how. A grateful heart pays attention to the needs of others, seeks to serve them and live in peace with those you live and work with. Unity in the body of Christ in a sign that we love one another! Helping someone who is not as well off- be it spiritually, mentally or physically creates love and thankfulness within yourself. Encouraging a discouraged person with a smile, email, card or kind word is being about the Lord’s work right where you are. Putting aside vengeful thoughts or actions and concentrating on doing what is good for everyone is the productive Christ like way of living. In verses 16-18, Paul comes to the big three that are especially what Christ desires. Rejoice always- live with a sense of Christ like joy in your life. You can do this if you remember you are redeemed and loved by Christ. Remember Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Without Christ you were dead in your sins and now you are destined for eternity with Him. Pray Continually- live with a sense of connectedness to Christ. He is ready and willing to hear your cries and help. Remember Hebrews 4:16 “ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Give thanks in all circumstances- live with an attitude of gratitude about all things in your life- physically and spiritually. If it is hard to be grateful for certain circumstances you do not understand, claim Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” As a believer and child of God, you can claim this over your life. We do not need to totally understand all things because God does! Our job is to trust Him to use them for good in our lives, for our good and His glory, just as He promises! The end of verse 18 says, “for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. All the things Paul had listed in verses 12-18 are good for us, good for the body of Christ, good for His work among us BECAUSE it is Christ’s will for us. He desires that we live in this manner so that we will glorify Him in what we say and do. May your day be filled with the Do’s of Christ. May you see an increase in your heart’s gratitude towards Him who provides you each day with opportunities to love Him and serve other in His name. Linda SERMON LINK The Altitude of Gratitude | A Valley of Thanks Click Here to View the Sermon Sermon series, "The Altitude of Gratitude" Today Alex teaches from 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 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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