Daniel: When Kingdoms Collide (2) - Mixed, Not Melted
Awake Us Now
God calls His people not to blend in to society, but to stand out, to reflect the mercy and goodness of God, so that He may be exalted through all the nations!
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 9
Awake Us Now
Prayer is an amazing gift from God! We have His plea to talk with Him. Genuine prayer; not showy prayer, but rather simply experiencing the presence of our Living God, the Father. Other topics covered are Jesus’ teaching on fasting and possessions. Based on Matthew 6:5-24.
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 8
Awake Us Now
Pastor points out the Old Testament’s words, “Thus says the LORD,” and compares them to the words of Jesus in the New Testament that say, “But I tell you.” What does this tell us about who Jesus is? Pastor explores the “But I tell yous” as found in Matthew chapter 5 and we learn what Jesus calls us to. That call is to a changed heart, which can only happen when we come to faith in Jesus. God’s call is personal! He wants to change each one of us by the shed blood of Jesus, the Son of God.
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 7
Awake Us Now
In Week 7, we hear more of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Jesus calls us salt and light. What does He mean when He uses these words to describe how we are to be? As historians have looked at world history, more and more of them are coming to the realization Christianity changed everything. Jesus has had a greater impact on the human condition than anyone in all of history. What Jesus produces in people, changes them!
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Dig Deeper - Week 11: Two Pictures of the Messiah
Awake Us Now
We will look at the two pictures of the Messiah found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). 2 Pictures of Messiah Reigning King Humble Substitute This double picture is what led some of the great Hebrew rabbis to suggest there might be two Messiahs that would come at different times and in different manners. And that then became the dominant tradition: Messiah will raise the dead Messiah will be victorious Messiah will reign in Jerusalem Messiah will bring peace If we look at the New Testament the early followers of Jesus believed this same thing about the Messiah....
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 6
Awake Us Now
We finish Matthew 4 on following Jesus, and begin the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 that opens with the Beatitudes.
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 5
Awake Us Now
Week 5 of our Matthew study digs into chapter 4 on the Temptation of Jesus, His three temptations and the reality of an unseen spiritual world.
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Questions - Week 23: How Are Minds Opened Today?
Awake Us Now
This message focuses on the question: “How are minds opened today?”, which is part of our ongoing series: “What’s the answer?” Pastor explores how people’s lives are changed and what changes their attitudes about God, about Jesus, the resurrection, and about the power of God’s Word. Pastor takes us through Luke 24:36-47, an encounter with Jesus that His disciples have with Him after His resurrection. Jesus tells them: “This is what I told you while I was still with you; Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets...
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Daniel: When Kingdoms Collide (1) - Daniel's God
Awake Us Now
The Book of Daniel is the story of the collision of two kingdoms, a spiritual war that is still being fought in the heavens and on the earth. In the end, the Kingdom of God wins!
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 4
Awake Us Now
Week 4 of our Matthew study is all about John the Baptist and his message of repentance, a message that can be difficult for the religious to accept.
info_outlineLuke 1:26-38; “Mary’s Story”
The Christmas story is familiar to most of us, but Pastor Dodge gives us a fresh view of this well know story over the next few weeks beginning today with the story of Mary, Jesus’ mother.
Mary’s name means bitter. She was born in an obscure village, raised in a difficult time when the children of Israel were in bondage to Roman master. BUT her Son would not only redeem Israel - He would redeem the world.
Very little is know about Mary. What we know is that she was a virgin born in the town of Nazareth, a town not even mentioned in the Old Testament. However, God chose an obscure little town and an unknown young woman to be the carriers of His promised Savior. Though Mary’s name means bitter, God changes things! He turns bitterness into joy! A unique birth, a unique mother and a unique child!
Today, Christmas is under attack. Yet perhaps it’s more than that. The battle is larger than the attack on Christmas, it’s a battle that goes back to the garden of Eden. It’s not a war on Christmas, it’s a war on God.
The human race, since our fall, has been hostile to the things of God. But! The magnitude of God’s love is that He breaks into our world even when we are His enemies.
Let us pray that God would move in the lives of people to reveal His incredible goodness.
This well-known story shows us many things:
⁃ God breaks into the life of Mary and He still breaks into our lives today.
⁃ Mary willingly listened to God’s message to her through the angel Gabriel and His Word is still active and alive today!
⁃ Gabriel tells her what to name her son. She is to name Him Jesus, meaning “God saves” and God continues to save His people today through faith in Christ Jesus.
⁃ Mary asked “I am a virgin, how will this be?” Gabriel responded through the Holy Spirit and the angel goes on to say in Luke 1:37 “For no word from God will ever fail.” God’s promises are assured. He does the impossible! He does what no human being can accomplish - our redemption! Jesus alone redeems and saves. Through the power of the Holy Spirit using the Virgin Mary to conceive and bear a Son - God’s one and only Son - Jesus breaks into our world with His saving grace!
Today’s reading ends with Mary saying, “I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled” and then the angel left her. Such a powerful example of trust - she hears the word of God, receives it, believes it and rejoices in it.
So much to learn from Mary. She’s not just our Savior’s mother, she is an amazing role model for any who desire to be servants of the Lord. Things that stand out about Mary that we can apply in our own lives as well:
1. Devout Faith - trusted God even when what Gabriel told her seemed impossible. We too are called to devout faith in God today.
2. Humility - humble individual who knew it wasn’t about her, but about God. A truth for us to internalize too.
3. Obedience - she listened, obeyed and followed God. Faith saves and when we have faith we will obey! Faith shows itself in obedience.
4. Worship - sing praises- thank God for what He has done.
As we celebrate Christmas we’re not simply looking back to what happened long ago at Jesus’ first coming. We’re also looking forward to His final coming when He returns - when He reigns and rules forevermore!
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St. Luke’s Account is part three of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. The Gospel of Luke takes a look at the life of Jesus, beginning with the well-known Christmas stories. Luke, a non-Jew, offers a unique perspective into the story of Jesus’ life.
This study is great for large group. small group or home group Bible study.