Our Mission To love all people at all times and lead them into a new life in Christ.
Our Vision To be a church that will be multicultural and generational, having a lasting impact on the people to whom we minister.
To see the gospel extend beyond the walls of our church through various outreaches.
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A sure thing – have you heard someone say that? Sure-thing definition -“An outcome that is certain or assured; a certainty”.
We are living in uncertain times. As Believers we live by faith not by sight. Hebrews 11 tells that faith is the substance of our hope. Faith is what underlies the Christian hope. Hope is powered by faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The more we know and understand His will, which is His Word faith increases and hope will grow stronger.
No matter the uncertainty in the world around us, the one sure thing – we have certain hope in the midst of uncertainty. As Believers we are never without hope. Jesus is hope and he lives in us and through us.
“But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.” Isaiah 40:31
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 Jn.4:10
The message I have for today is nothing new, but is a deeper view of God’s character. God is love. It’s His nature to love and He cannot go against His nature. God is perfect love. To be like God is to love like He loves. God’s love for man is “The greatest love story ever told” and there will never be a better one told.
Love is the thing that God wants us all to learn. He was where love had its beginning but He didn’t create love, He was, is, and always will be love. He wants to help us understand love and live a life that revolves around God who is love.
Love is not a human emotion but a Divine emotion coming from the very nature of God Himself. Grace is a form of love and can only be understood when we get a view of love through God’s eyes. Grace is God’s love given to us by God Himself. You can hardly separate grace and love. There really is no reason to even try. Just accept the fact that grace is only love in action.
God is love. But, we can be weak in faith by listening to Satan’s lie saying “You surely don’t believe God loves you”? YES! God loves me.
The greatest counterfeit of God is satan. The more valuable something is the more likely it is to be counterfeited. Lies are the counterfeit of the truth. John 8:44 “He (satan) started out as a killer, and he cannot tolerate truth because he is void of anything true. At the core of his character, he is a liar; a master of deception and the father of lies”! Satan does not want you to know the truth. As Believers our truth comes from the Bible. John 8:32 “If ye continue in my word, . . . ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”.
Since Satan lost his position in Heaven after failing at overthrowing Jesus he now operates in the world to counterfeit that which is in Heaven. What is in Heaven all – that is good, precious and valuable.
Truth outweighs facts. Facts never set anybody free. Fact is I was a sinner – truth is I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and now I am a Saint.
We don’t live under facts but truth. The devil will always tell you what you were – not what you are as a born again child of God.
Don’t be misled by satan, the counterfeiter of all things good. God is good – the devil is bad.
David said, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”. Psalms 27:13-14 As I was preparing for the message, “Finding Honey In The Hard Places Of Life” I heard these words, “the goodness of God, the goodness of God”. Honey is the goodness of God. The Bible doesn’t just say that God does good things. It says that God is good. It’s not just what he does; it’s who he is and who he is never changes.
David said I would have fainted (lost courage, lost hope, gave up) but I believed to see the honey (the goodness of God) in the land of the living.
“The land of the living” is this present world in which we live now. In the hard places of life let us look for the honey (the goodness of God). Whenever we are in the hard places of life God does not bail out. He stays right there with us helping us walk it out. That is His goodness.
You have led me through the fire
In the darkest night
You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a Father
I’ve known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God
“The Goodness of God” (song)
The New Testament Greek word of church is “Ecclesia”. Most today think of the English meaning of Church which is assembly. The church is more than an assembly. The word ecclesia is derived from a Greek verb meaning “to call out”. As Ecclesia we are called out to be the Kingdom of God on the earth. As the church goes, so does a nation. When Ecclesia compromises truth then it affects the nation. And the after effects of compromising the truth of Word has brought ungodliness into this nation as never before. We as Ecclesia have been awakened from slumber. Real breakthrough is happening as God’s Ecclesia gets into agreement with him and kingdom agenda. The church has awakened to the authority we have been given to speak into the nation to see change. As Ecclesia is aligning with God and his purpose we are seeing reformation take place.
We are called, anointed, appointed for such a time as this. Let us not be silent!
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Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep an open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. Matthew 13
The heartbeat of America has been under attack by those with an agenda to destroy everything this nation was founded on. It seems as if the heartbeat of our great nation has been slowly fading away. Many have been thinking will America survive? Looking at things through natural eyes it seems as if there is not much hope. Looking through spiritual eyes takes on a whole different level of seeing. I still hear the heartbeat of this great nation. God has a covenant with America and He is not a covenant breaker. (And You are Way maker, miracle worker Promise keeper, light in the darkness My God, that is who You are) Medical CPR is a term meaning Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Through CPR one attempts to revive the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain and heart in order to save a person’s life.
Spiritual CPR – Continued Prayer Rescue. Spiritual CPR is performed through Believers by faith decrees, praise proclamation, and prayer agreement in order to bring the Kingdom of God to earth. As believers we must continue to perform spiritual CPR and not give up. As we rally together as One we will see our God move in powerful ways. Life is coming back to our nation. The heartbeat of this great nation will be beat loudly again.
The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. James 5:16
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
Like many of you I am trusting the Lord in the day adversity. You don’t know how it will work out or when. This is a time we lean into God and trust.
According to the dictionary the word trust means-a firm belief or an assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, of someone or something. One in which confidence is placed-dependence on something future or contingent-hope. As I take this definition and apply it to this verse for me it is saying and I pray it will to you also. Have a firm belief and an assured reliance on the character, ability, strength and the truth of the promises of God.
On those days that it seems overwhelming we must choose to place our trust and hope and confidence in the Lord. At those times it is tempting to look at the situation, try to figure it out, to plan the next step.
May we be reminded of the verse in Proverbs 3:5-6
-Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. King James Translation
-Put all your hope in God, not looking to your reason for support. Bible in Basic English Translation -Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Good News Translation
-Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. The Message Bible
This is the day which the Lord has brought about; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24
Psalm 118 was not written when times were good. It was a time of adversity. The psalmist cried out to God as he was surrounded on all sides by the enemy. He felt pushed back, and about to fall. Yet right in the midst of great struggles he was able to say, “this is the day which the Lord has brought about and I will rejoice and be glad in it”. This chapter starts and ends with the same verse, of giving thanks and praise to God. We read of gratitude and the reason for praise – God’s unending love. This phrase is repeated five times, first at the beginning of the chapter and then at the end. “His faithful love endures forever.” His love is everlasting to everlasting. Everyday is a gift from our God. We never know what a day can bring but we can trust the one who holds us in every moment.
We Have This Moment – Today hold tight to the sounds of the music of living happy songs from the laughter of the children at play hold my hand as we run through the sweet fragrant meadows making memories of what was today we have this moment to hold in our hands and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand yesterday’s gone and tomorrow may never come but we have this moment today tender words Gentle touch and a good cup of coffee and someone who loves me And wants me to stay Hold them near while they’re here, oh and don’t wait for tomorrow to look back and wish for this day We have this moment to hold in our hands and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand yesterday’s gone and tomorrow may never come but we have this moment today (Gaither Vocal Band)
“And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:31(NKJV)
This word, boldness, is defined in word wealth for the verse above. It means outspokenness, unreserved utterance, freedom of speech, with frankness, candor, cheerful courage, and the opposite of cowardice, timidity, or fear. Here it denotes a divine enablement that comes to ordinary and unprofessional people exhibiting spiritual power and authority. It also refers to a clear presentation of the gospel without being ambiguous or unintelligible.The Greek word “Parrhesia” is not a human quality but a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit.
“And with great power(dunamis) the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:32(NKJV)
Dunamis means energy, power, might, great force, great ability, strength. It is sometimes used to describe the power of the world to come at work upon the earth and divine power overcoming all resistance. The English word is dynamite. The dunamis in Jesus resulted in dramatic transformations. This is the norm for Spirit Filled Christians.
We live in a world, today, that is putting pressure on us to compromise our faith. I have lived my life by God’s Word. I have preached His Word and I believe the Word is a standard by which we should judge our lives. I will not change nor surrender my faith to any other idea or person. I will love them, and help them anyway I can but I will not compromise my faith in God’s word. I speak it.
Don’t Reject What is Impossible to Earn!
Ed Elliot
One of the greatest ways we can reject or resist God’s love for us is to try to work or earn it. A free gift will never be received by the person who is trying to deserve it. Don’t reject what is impossible to earn!
We see this so clearly with the elder brother of the Prodigal son. He kept all his father’s laws and commandments, believing he would be rewarded for his hard work. When he heard his wayward, sin-loving brother was being thrown a party with the fatted calf being the main entree on the menu, he was livid with jealousy and anger. This was their father’s gift to the Prodigal, welcoming him home, but the older brother thought he deserved it all because of his hard work and obedience. Their father patiently explained to the elder brother that everything he had was his for the taking. Why didn’t the older brother know this? Because he had no intimacy with his father. He saw their relationship based on his obedience to all the rules. His father never related to his children based on their performance but on the love he had for them. The older brother went without for a long time because he knew his father’s laws and commandments but not his father’s heart. Sadly, many believers are no different from this older brother. They endeavor to obey God’s laws and commandments, believing it will earn them His favor and blessings. Like the older brother , they will grow angry and frustrated when they see prodigals freely receiving what they have worked so hard for.
Don’t make the mistake the older brother made in trusting in rules and laws to give you what only intimacy with God can.
“For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” Romans 5:17
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek or pursue after. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek or pursue first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these shall be added to you. Matthew 6:31-33
The Gentiles (those without God) are seeking after the temporal things of life. Don’t be like them. Jesus is saying those who belong to me don’t need to worry about your daily provision. The key is seeking me. When you pursue me and my way I will provide the daily things you need.
In previous verses of Matthew 6 Jesus says, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you.
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek or pursue after. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek or pursue first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these shall be added to you. Matthew 6:31-33
The Gentiles (those without God) are seeking after the temporal things of life. Don’t be like them. Jesus is saying those who belong to me don’t need to worry about your daily provision. The key is seeking me. When you pursue me and my way I will provide the daily things you need.
In previous verses of Matthew 6 Jesus says, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you.
THE TRIUMPH OF GOD’S LOVE
So what are we going to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He didn’t spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. Won’t he also freely give us all things with him? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect people? It is God who acquits them. Who is going to convict them? It is Christ Jesus who died, even more, who was raised, and who also is at God’s right side. It is Christ Jesus who also pleads our case for us. Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword? Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things ]impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39
“When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ And Moses said, ‘Here I am.” Exodus 3:4
Yes Moses believed God spoke to him through the burning bush. What Moses did not believe was in his ability to do what God asked.
God called Moses to lead his people from a life of oppression, but Moses made excuses for why he couldn’t. “And Moses said to the Lord, O Lord, I am not eloquent or a man of words, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and have a heavy and awkward tongue. Exodus 10:10
There are times when we ask “Why me, Lord?” There are a lot of people who could do better at speaking than me. I am just not the right fit for the task. We all need encouragement at one time or another. Maybe not because we lack courage but reassurance that we can.
The One who has called us to the task is faithful. Our faithful God is there to remind us that He will be with us. He will continue to guide and protect us. He will work all things together to fulfill His purpose.
“And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
Like Easther God may be calling you for such a time as this! He is waiting for your yes. As Mary said, “Lord be it unto me according to your Word.”
“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:14
Beloved, it is vital for you to receive the gift of no condemnation because that is what will give you the power to overcome your weaknesses, destructive habits, and addictions. If you believe that God condemns you for your failures, would you run to Him for help?
Look at how Jesus gave a sinner the power to sin no more. He defended the woman who was caught in adultery. He looked tenderly into her eyes and asked her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No, on, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” John 8:10-11.)
The Ten Commandments, in all their pristine holiness, cannot make you holy and cannot put an end to sin. The power to stop sin from destroying your life comes from receiving the gift of no condemnation from Jesus. Your Savior, who has fulfilled the law on your behalf, says to you, “Where are those who condemn you? NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU! Now, go and sin no more.” This is grace, my friend. This is His unmerited favor! The law says that God will not condemn you only IF you stop sinning. However, Grace says, “I have taken your condemnation on the cross. Now, you can go and sin no more.”
Romans 6:14 “Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace (unmerited favor).” If you are still struggling with sin, it is time to stop depending on the law. Fall upon His unmerited favor like the apostle Paul did. When you know that Christ has made you righteous apart from your works, and that He has perfected you by His unmerited favor, that will give you the ability to overcome every sinful temptation, habit, and addiction in your life!
Right now, when you reach out to your Savior Jesus, God sees you as perfect in Him. He does not condemn you for your past, present, and even future mistakes because all the mistakes that you will make in this life have already been nailed to the cross. You are now free to sin not more, experiencing victory and success over every sin and bondage in your life! Joseph Prince
When we look at what God has done it give us encouragement to continue to believe even though we may not see what we are praying for. God is continually showing us his goodness in our lives on a daily basis. The word tells us, his mercies are new every morning.
Have you ever been upset because you were late to work and you are never ever a late person. Only to find out there was an accident that you avoided because you were ten minutes late leaving the house. What about finding money in an envelope on your counter and it was just the right amount you needed to get you through the week. God is good and so faithful. Continue to stay encouraged by remembering what God has done.
What are you believing God? It may seem the wait has been so long and nothing is happening. God has not forgotten. He heard you the first day you cried out to Him. Holy Spirit whispers to you, “I, the Lord, will bring it to pass when it is time. I will make it happen in due season”. Let us wake up with the expectation that today may be the day.
This is from the Lord and is His doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has brought about; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:23-24 NIV
Thank you for responding to me; you’ve truly become my salvation! This is God’s work. We rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it! This is the very day God acted—let’s celebrate and be festive! Salvation now, God. Salvation now! Oh yes, God—a free and full life! Message
I heard the following story and I wanted to share it with you. May you be encouraged. A woman was scheduled for open heart surgery. Her Pastor asked if she would give him permission to watch the surgery. She granted his request and the hospital let him observe the operation. The surgeon and his team took her heart out and did what was needed to repair her heart. The surgeon put her heart back in and the medical team did what they needed to do but her heart would not start beating. After several attempts to get the heart beating the surgeon walked to the head of the bed and leaned over and whispered, “This is your surgeon and your operation is over. I have done all I can do”. You need to tell your heart to beat again. The Pastor said, “Somewhere deep in the recesses of this lady she heard the words spoken by her surgeon and within a few seconds her heart started beating again”.
So many things in life can cause hurt and pain. But don’t allow your life’s heartbeat to stop beating. There may be times when it seems life is two steps forward three steps backward. Keep believing, keep hoping, keep living. Speak to your heart to beat again. Tell yourself to breathe again. Yes your wounded heart will heal. You will love again, you will trust again, you will believe again. You will continue to live as your life’s heartbeat beats one with the One who created you.
“God says to you, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you”. Jeremiah 31:3
Let every heartbreak And every scar Be a picture that reminds you Who has carried you this far Cause love sees farther than you ever could In this moment heaven’s working everything for your good
Tell Your Heart To Beat Again Song by Danny Gokey
There are some that say:
The Bible is just another story to be told.
The blood of Jesus is no longer needed to cleanse the sins of man.
Miracles have all passed away.
Heaven is only a fairy tale of streets paved with gold.
Hell is just the imagination of man.
But I choose to believe.
The Bible is the infallible Word of God.
The blood of Jesus is the only way sinful man is cleansed from sin.
Miracles are just as relevant today as told in the book of Acts
Heaven is a place of eternal bliss for those born again.
Hell has been prepared for the devil and his angels.
Mighty voices can be heard in the land as an army of believers are shouting out, “God bring about Your kingdom. Manifest Your will here on earth, as it is manifest in heaven.
DO YOU BELIEVE!
Tomorrow our thoughts go toward the freedom we have in America as we celebrate July fourth. This day we remember those who have sacrificed for those freedoms we have and the ones who paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. As I remember the lives of those who gave way for the freedoms we have in this country my thoughts go toward the one who paid the ultimate sacrifice with his life for our spiritual freedom-Jesus the Son of God
From the moment we first believed Jesus forgave us, our spirit was literally crucified with Christ in the spiritual realm, buried, and then raised back to life as a new, perfect, sinless spirit. We got a brand new spirit. Our spirit is free from the power of sin. That is some shouting words there!
The late Dr. Adrian Rogers said, “The me I see is the me I’ll be”. Get rid of that ole stinking thinking sin mentality and see you as God sees you. God does not call you a sinner saved by grace. He calls you his child, beloved, accepted, righteous. Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
John 8:36 “So if the son sets you free you shall be free indeed.” You have been set free by the blood of Jesus who paid the ultimate sacrifice, believe it, receive it, accept it, and walk in it.
We are living in unprecedented times. As believers we must stand our ground and not be shaken by all the chaos and disorder. This is a time to stay focused and lean into God and the Word with all we are. What we do should not be done out of fear, but faith. Stay in faith!
Since the pandemic in 2020 we have heard a lot about “this is the new normal”. Sadly to say so many Christians have given into this and have become stagnated.
But I believe that God has given us a word- “Don’t accept what you have heard, this is just the new normal. Not in my Kingdom. For my Kingdom is advancing on the earth. Those who belong to me, those whose heart is turned toward me will not settle toward the new normal. For they have a story to tell and tell it they will”. Hallelujah!! The story of the believer, “What Jesus has done for me He will do for you. He is a Savior, waymaker, promise keeper, and a light in the darkness”. The roar has been restored to the believer. Believers are rising up out of stagnation.
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever”. Isaiah 40:8
God has not forgotten what He has spoken through the written Word. God has not forgotten the words he spoke to you personally. God has not forgotten about the words he has spoken over our great nation. He is faithful to his word. He is a Covenant keeping God.
Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good”?
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