Christmas Message 2025
Awake Us Now
Merry Christmas! The Christmas story from Luke 2 may be a story that is new to some of us and to others it may be very familiar. We are going to look at the part of the story that is about the shepherds. Luke 2:8-9 we read, “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” Did you know that being a shepherd in Jesus’ day was one of the lowliest jobs one could have? They were in the fields all the time, they smelled like sheep and...
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Rescued by Truth: Week 52
Awake Us Now
A difficult and challenging message, this week we address the reality of hell. Hell is not a topic of regular conversation, yet the reality of hell is true. Therefore, it is essential we understand the consequences of our beliefs, our actions, and our behaviors, and that we understand what the future holds. The Bible teaches we have only two destinies: With God (heaven) - or - Apart from Him (hell). Which destiny are we living for?
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Two Year Gospel Study Week 104
Awake Us Now
The Gospel of John Week 26 Scripture: John 20:19 - 21:25. Today’s study will conclude our two year study of the Gospels with a dramatic and amazing ending. We begin with John 20:19, it is the first day of the week (Sunday) and the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly Jesus was standing among them saying “Peace be with you.” This is a phrase in English that sounds so common, like “have a good day.” But in Hebrew it carries much more meaning. Shalom (peace) more than just an absence of conflict or warfare, it refers to all creation - it...
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Merry Christmas
Awake Us Now
Merry Christmas!
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Christmas Message
Awake Us Now
Merry Christmas!
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Christmas Eve Message
Awake Us Now
Merry Christmas!
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Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 15
Awake Us Now
This is the final week in our study of 400 years of Kings and Prophets from Solomon to Jeremiah. King Josiah • Young King seeks God • Spiritual cleansing of Jerusalem • Book of the Law discovered • Reform beyond Judah • Passover observance - King Josiah gives an order to all people to observe God's Passover. This had not been celebrated according to what was written, not even in the days of the judges, nor in the days of any of the kings of...
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The Christmas Story 2
Awake Us Now
Merry Christmas!
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The Christmas Story
Awake Us Now
Merry Christmas!
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Questions - Week 11: What About the Virgin Birth?
Awake Us Now
The message starts with Matthew 1:18 “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.” Pastor explores today’s question: “What about the Virgin Birth?” by tackling these 5 questions: ⁃ Is the “Virgin Birth” really that important? ⁃ Why do only Matthew and Luke mention it? ⁃ Couldn’t this have been a later development? ⁃ ...
info_outlineThe Gospel of John Week 14
Scripture: John 10:1-28, Psalm 118.
In our text today, Jesus talks of being the Good Shepherd. He talks of His sheep. He talks of being the Gate. He tells us He knows His sheep and His sheep know Him. And He tells us that He brings life to His sheep.
Pastor Dodge shares a personal testimony and experience along with many personal photos expounding on what God taught him about the difference between sheep and goats. Pastor shares how powerfully this revelation has impacted him personally, impacted his teaching on God as the Good Shepherd and given him insight into us as God’s sheep.
As Jesus continues, He makes it known that salvation is through Him alone. We see His heart for His people to recognize Him as their Messiah.
Jesus doesn’t offer us a bunch of rules and regulations - what He offers us is Himself. What He offers us is real life. Life that matters, life that has purpose and significance and life that will never end!
Compare what Jesus gives us to what the enemy brings. The enemy comes only to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus brings life, abundant life, life to the full!
Jesus wants us to experience the joy of knowing Him, of knowing the Father through Him, of knowing we will live forever.
As our Shepherd, even in the toughest of times our lives have meaning and purpose. He is there with us and He will use all things together for our good because He loves and cares for His sheep. Jesus knows us by name - We are precious to Him.
He is our Good Shepherd.
We can trust Him.
We can rely upon Him.
Jesus tells the group He’s speaking to that He will lay down His life for his sheep. He says after He lays down His life, He will take it up again - death cannot hold Him, He will rise! He is speaking of all that is coming in the next months ahead.
We see many coming to faith in Jesus after hearing what He said about being the Good Shepherd - but there were many that hearing what He said wanted even more so to get rid of Him.
As the class draws to a close, Pastor shares the story of Hanukah - the Festival of Dedication - mentioned in John 10:22.
As we finish with today’s text, Jesus goes on to retell the people that His sheep hear His voice, they listen to Him, and He gives eternal life to them and no one will snatch them out of His hand. These are powerful and reassuring words for every believer. Jesus IS the Good Shepherd. Jesus is OUR Good Shepherd!
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⁃ The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels.
⁃ The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible. Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before.
Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!