"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake..."
- Mar 4, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 10 – The Promise of Persecution
Mar 4, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 10 – The Promise of PersecutionSeries: The Sermon on the MountP A R T 1 0 :T H E P R O M I S E O F P E R S E C U T I O N
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake..."
Matthew 11Pastor Ray concludes the section of studies on the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount as the series continues with an eye-opening look at the 8th, and perhaps least understood, of them all. - Feb 25, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 9 – Blessed Are The Peacemakers
Feb 25, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 9 – Blessed Are The PeacemakersSeries: The Sermon on the MountP A R T 9 :B L E S S E D A R E T H E P E A C E M A K E R S
We continue our verse by verse study of the sermon on the mount this weekend with the 7th beatitude: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God".
In a time when wars and relational conflicts are in the news every day, God's people really need to practice this one! - Feb 18, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 8 – The Blessing of the Pure In Heart
Feb 18, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 8 – The Blessing of the Pure In HeartSeries: The Sermon on the MountP A R T 8 :T H E B L E S S I N G O F T H E P U R E I N H E A R T
"To see God is the purpose of all religion".
- David Martyn Lloyd-JonesWe will continue our verse-by-verse studies of the Sermon on the Mount with an in-depth look at the 6th Beatitude, which reveals a dynamic connection between the purity of our hearts and our ability to "see" the Lord, both now and in eternity.
- Feb 11, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 7 – Mercy For The Merciful
Feb 11, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 7 – Mercy For The MercifulSeries: The Sermon on the MountP A R T 7 :M E R C Y F O R T H E M E R C I F U LPastor Ray continues our verse-by-verse studies in the Sermon on the Mount with the 5th Beatitude, one of the most probing and misunderstood of them all.
- Feb 4, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 6 – Hungering and Thirsting For Righteousness
Feb 4, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 6 – Hungering and Thirsting For RighteousnessSeries: The Sermon on the MountP A R T 6 :H U N G E R I N G A N D T H I R S T I N G F O RR I G H T E O U S N E S S
Pastor Ray continues our verse-by-verse studies from the Sermon on the Mount with the 4th Beatitude, one of the most practical of the 8.
"Happiness never comes to those who hunger and thirst after happiness. Happiness is the natural condition of those who hunger and thirst after righteousness." - Jan 28, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 5 – The Meek Shall Inherit All The Earth
Jan 28, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 5 – The Meek Shall Inherit All The EarthP A R T 5 :T H E M E E K S H A L L I N H E R I T A L L T H E E A R T HWe continue our verse-by-verse journey through the Sermon on the Mount with a look at one of the most quoted, yet least understood, of all the Beatitudes.
- Jan 21, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 4 – The Blessing Of The Mourning
Jan 21, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 4 – The Blessing Of The MourningSeries: The Sermon on the MountP A R T 4 :T H E B L E S S I N G O F T H E M O U R N I N GWe hope you can join us this weekend as we continue our verse-by-verse study of the Sermon on the Mount with a close look at the 2nd Beatitude.Warning: it doesn't mean what you think!
- Jan 14, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 3 – Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit
Jan 14, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 3 – Blessed Are The Poor In SpiritSeries: The Sermon on the MountP A R T 3 :B L E S S E D A R E T H E P O O R I N S P I R I TPastor Ray continues his series "The Normal Christian Life: Studies In The Sermon On The Mount" this Saturday as we get into the scripture text for Part 3: Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit
- Jan 11, 2017WHAT SHOULD I DO AS THIS EXTRAORDINARY ELECTION IS ALMOST HERE
Jan 11, 2017WHAT SHOULD I DO AS THIS EXTRAORDINARY ELECTION IS ALMOST HEREBy: Larry Tomczak"A national survey reveals nearly 40% of Americans are experiencing tension with family or friends over this election. The 2016 presidential campaign has been unprecedented and leaves us in a quandary:How do we proceed?What do we say?How do we pray?
- Jan 7, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 2 – Overview Of The Beatitudes
Jan 7, 2017THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 2 – Overview Of The BeatitudesSeries: The Sermon on the MountP A R T 2 :O V E R V I E W O F T H E B E A T I T U D E SHow can I know if I'm living the "normal Christian life" if I don't know what it is? Good question. The answer is you can't! Jesus provides the perfect picture of Christian character in the 8 Beatitudes that introduce the Sermon on the Mount.
- Dec 31, 2016THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 1 – The Normal Christian Life
Dec 31, 2016THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Part 1 – The Normal Christian LifeSeries: The Sermon on the MountP A R T 1 :T H E N O R M A L C H R I S T I A N L I F EWe will kick off the New Year in a big way as we introduce the verse-by-verse study of the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5-6 & 7), which will be our theme for the next 6 months. The series is called "The Normal Christian Life", the life Jesus intends for every child of God to live. Prepare to be amazed and transformed by what He has to say!
- Dec 17, 2016THE WORD BECAME FLESH: Part 2 – Implications Of The Incarnation
Dec 17, 2016THE WORD BECAME FLESH: Part 2 – Implications Of The IncarnationSeries: The Word Became FleshP A R T 2 :I M P L I C A T I O N S O F T H E I N C A R N A T I O NDorothy Sayers, a close friend of the great C.S. Lewis, once said:"The incarnation is the most dramatic thing about Christianity; and indeed, the most dramatic thing that ever entered the mind of man."But in recent years, the busyness of the Christmas season has tended to smother out our appreciation of the amazing account of the God who "became flesh " and the practical implications it has for how we live our lives today.
- Dec 10, 2016THE WORD BECAME FLESH: Part 1 – Implications Of The Incarnation
Dec 10, 2016THE WORD BECAME FLESH: Part 1 – Implications Of The IncarnationSeries: The Word Became FleshP A R T 1 :I M P L I C A T I O N S O F T H E I N C A R N A T I O NDorothy Sayers, a close friend of the great C.S. Lewis, once said: "The incarnation is the most dramatic thing about Christianity; and indeed, the most dramatic thing that ever entered the mind of man." But in recent years, the busyness of the Christmas season has tended to smother out our appreciation of the amazing account of the God who "became flesh" and the practical implications it has for how we live our lives today.
- Dec 3, 2016LAW & GRACE
Dec 3, 2016LAW & GRACEFor 2000 years, the Church has repeatedly tended to slide off the highway of holiness into one of two theological ditches: Legalism (a misuse of the Law) and License (a misuse of Grace). The peril of the last generation was legalism. But this generation is facing the serious error of the other extreme: a "hyper-grace" message that teaches God's grace has done away with God's law. If we are to "earnestly contend for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints", we're going to have to go back to the Bible to discover the law's place in an age of grace!
- Nov 26, 2016WOLF PROOF
Nov 26, 2016WOLF PROOFJesus warned His disciples to beware of the false prophets who were really wolves in sheep's clothing and that they could be known by their fruit. But in his parting words to the elders in the church of Ephesus in Acts 20, the Apostle Paul offers counsel on how to "wolf-proof" God's church. The answer may surprise you.
- Nov 19, 2016CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH
Nov 19, 2016CONTENDING FOR THE FAITHThomas Lunaker, physician to England's King Henry VIII, did not receive Christ until his 30's. Upon reading the Gospels for the first time, he was astounded at the chasm between what he read and what he saw in the spiritual condition of the Church. His conclusion: "Either these are not the Gospels, or we are not Christians." The battle for the Presidency is over. Perhaps now we can get on with an even more important conflict, recovering authentic Christianity in a postmodern world.
- Nov 12, 2016THE BATTLE OF THE MIND: Part 2 – The Weapons Of Our Warfare
Nov 12, 2016THE BATTLE OF THE MIND: Part 2 – The Weapons Of Our WarfareSeries: The Battle of the MindP A R T 2 :T H E W E A P O N S O F O U R W A R F A R EPastor Ray continues his series on "The Battle of the Mind" with Part 2
- Nov 5, 2016THE BATTLE OF THE MIND: Part 1 – Thoughts, Imaginations, and Strongholds
Nov 5, 2016THE BATTLE OF THE MIND: Part 1 – Thoughts, Imaginations, and StrongholdsSeries: The Battle of the MindP A R T 1 :T H O U G H T S , I M A G I N A T I O N S , A N D S T R O N G H O L D S"Be very careful about what you think. Your thoughts run your life." Proverbs 4:23 (NCV)We are living the "perilous times" of the last days (2 Timothy 3:1) and the level of spiritual warfare has never been more intense. The battlefield is the mind. And it's a battle we can win!
- Oct 29, 2016STANDING UP FOR GOD IN A FALLING DOWN WORLD
Oct 29, 2016STANDING UP FOR GOD IN A FALLING DOWN WORLDPolitical, moral and spiritual crises often go hand in hand. A look back at Israel during the days of the prophet Jeremiah proves that this isn't the first time a once godly nation finds itself teeter-tottering over the abyss of judgement. Does God have a word for His people in times like these? He does. And it may surprise you.
- Oct 22, 2016WHAT SHOULD I DO AS THIS EXTRAORDINARY ELECTION IS ALMOST HERE
Oct 22, 2016WHAT SHOULD I DO AS THIS EXTRAORDINARY ELECTION IS ALMOST HEREBy: Larry TomczakA national survey reveals nearly 40% of Americans are experiencing tension with family or friends over this election. The 2016 presidential campaign has been unprecedented and leaves us in a quandary:How do we proceed?What do we say?How do we pray?