It seems to be the human condition to struggle with anxiety, fear, panic and worry. These things rob us of the joy and peace the soul craves. Psalm 139 contains truth that can serve as a wonderful remedy for excessive anxiety. David, who wrote the Psalm, tells of God’s intimate knowledge of us, God’s presence with us at all times and God’s care. The reason God puts so much attention on us is because we are designed and crafted by God Himself. We are His living, breathing, animated works of art, His treasured possession. When we begin to understand these great truths, we find rest. Why worry when we are in the everlasting arms of God?
Standalone Sermons: CityLove 2019 Recap
With the first year of our CityLove urban missionary initiative coming to a close, Pastor Scott and the CityLove missionaries each share about what they learned during this year of serving the city. Hear from Chris Waugh, Ayisha Jackson, Christina Strachoff, Asa and Heather Sohn, Jack Heibner, and Lianna Wittick as they share inspiring testimonies and unexpected lessons learned through this experience.
Baptism: April 2019
This is a short and simple message from Proverbs 1 to help those getting baptized to stand firm till the end. It reveals one of the most important qualities we can have as Christians, namely, the fear of the Lord. The fear of God is a hatred for sin and keeps us close to the heart of God. It prevents us from hardness of heart and drifting away.
Easter 2019
Coming to a place of deep conviction about the reality of Jesus Christ sometimes takes time. Many people, both seekers and Christians, struggle with doubts or feelings of unreality. Pastor Scott walks through the Luke 24 resurrection narrative and shows that those who were the mighty pillars of faith in the first church were weak, doubting and frightened. Jesus didn’t turn away from them for struggling to believe. He didn’t scold them. He didn’t hate them. Rather, He came to them as a merciful teacher to help them. And when they encountered the risen Christ they were transformed. The end of the message answers the question of what we can do to have an encounter with Christ that transforms our lives into people who are fully persuaded.
Psalm 118
This Palm Sunday message sets the table for Good Friday and Easter Sunday. In this message, from Matthew 21 and Psalm 118, we explore how Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem leads up to our future triumphal entry into the New Jerusalem. We look at how Jesus overcame sin and death, and now by His Spirit enables us to see how God works all things, especially hard things, for our good as Jesus prepares us for that Day of our glorious entrance. Jesus conquered sin and death for the whole world, and now we follow Him in this world as overcomers to the glory of God.
Psalm 1
Guest preacher Nick Fatato teaches on Psalm 1. This psalm includes a warning against aligning our lives with destructive tendencies and an encouragement to intentionally root our lives in the Word and the power of God. We can choose to live by default or by design.
Baptism: Be Baptized!
This is a basic teaching on the meaning and significance of baptism. What is baptism? Is baptism really necessary? What must we do before getting baptized? Is total immersion necessary? What about infant baptism? These are some of the questions addressed. This teaching is perfect for anyone who has identified as a Christian but has not been baptized since making a conscious decision to trust in Christ for salvation.
Psalm 145
This psalm is typical in that it expresses praise for the goodness of God and calls us to speak out the excellencies of the Lord. The psalm is unique among psalms in that it tells us about God’s love and care for every person in the world. Despite God’s love for all, not all are saved. Only those who call out to God in truth, fear God and love God will be brought near, heard and preserved. And those who reject God will be destroyed in the end. Scott gives a strong encouragement from the last verse to pray for and reach people who are spiritually lost around us.
Psalm 107
Once we become followers of Christ the propensity to go astray is real. We choose daily whether we will abide in Christ or follow the impulses of our sinful nature. Psalm 107 describes four different groups of people who each went astray for different reasons. Thankfully, God doesn’t just let us run away. His steadfast love for His people cannot be quenched. He will never leave us or abandon us, even in our worst seasons. He tenderly invites us back, and if we will not listen, He orchestrates circumstances—even severe afflictions—to bring us to a place of humility and crying out to Him. God then answers our cry and rescues us. The psalm describes a cycle of straying/affliction/desperate prayer/rescue. This type of cycle is miserable and Scott gives some strong encouragements at the end about how to not live a “roller coaster Christian life”. The secret is the fear of the Lord.
Psalm 42
Sorrow is an unavoidable part of the human experience and, as followers of Christ, we are not exempt. Jesus Himself was called a “man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53) and Paul said he was “sorrowful yet rejoicing” (2 Corinth 6:10). In this world we will experience sorrow. The experience of sorrow can be dangerous if we let it draw us away from God and into sin. But sorrow can actually be a thing that drives us into the depths of God and it can shape our lives in significant ways. God gives us Psalm 42 as a gift to show us the way to pray through even our worst seasons of prolonged sorrow. This message goes out especially to all those who have been dwelling in the valley of discouragement.