Big Questions - Power... When the Holy Spirit Comes
Awake Us Now
Pentecost, the gift of the Holy Spirit to believers, is all about the power of God -- the power to live a new life, the power to give glory to the Living God, the power of faith that transforms us and that beckons to others to come to God as well!
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Big Questions - My Witnesses... To the Ends of the Earth
Awake Us Now
It is easy to get distracted by other things — some of them perhaps important things — but Jesus makes it clear to His followers that our primary task is make disciples. To that end, we are to be His witnesses, "even to the ends of the earth."
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Dig Deeper - Week 2: The "Submission" Passage
Awake Us Now
Today’s class is a study of Ephesians 5:21-33. A group of verses that are controversial, often attacked and many times misunderstood. Ephesians 5:21-22 “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, [submit] yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.” In the original Greek text the second [submit] word is not there. There is not a verb in this sentence and so in traditional Greek practice, you take the verb from the previous sentence and insert it into the next sentence. Please note that this is really important - because what this is saying is,...
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Big Questions - Obey... Everything I Have Commanded
Awake Us Now
Obedience is not optional - it is command from Jesus Himself. But we are not saved because we obey; rather, we obey the Lord because He has saved us!
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Big Questions - All Authority... in Heaven and on Earth
Awake Us Now
God has chosen you and me not simply to be religious, but to be disciples. We are to follow Jesus faithfully, grow in the knowledge and love of Him, and share with others the powerful things He has done so that they become disciples too!
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Questions - Week 13: Is Marriage Outdated?
Awake Us Now
In this message we will look at what the Scriptures have to say about marriage, analyze concerns and questions raised in our day, overview the cultural changes that have led to many questioning the value and benefit of marriage, and do so from a Christian worldview. We will also take a look at some secular contemporary research and what it indicates. Common Reactions: 1. The culture has changed: - Married Couples comprised: 1950 — 78% of all US households 2020 — 47%...
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Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 4
Awake Us Now
Our study opens with a look at Civil War between Rehoboam and Judah vs. Jeroboam and Israel (931-910 BC). 1 Kings 12:1 We read that Rehoboam went to Shechem, “for all Israel had gone there to make him king.” Shechem was an historic site for the nation from about 500 years early when Levitical priests recited the blessings and the curses from Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Shechem is the city near these two mountains. In verses 3 and 4 we read that Jeroboam challenges Rehoboam. Reheboam goes to 2 advisory boards. One was the elders that had served under his father, Solomon. They...
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Big Questions - Lord and God! Jesus' Amazing Claims
Awake Us Now
Lord and God? A great moral teacher? A very good man? What claims did Jesus actually make about His identity?
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Big Questions - Stop Doubting and... Believe!
Awake Us Now
Faith is essential ... but in what do place our faith? The scriptures make it clear that we are to place our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Savior of all the nations, and the Hope of all the earth!
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Big Questions - Receive... the Holy Spirit!
Awake Us Now
When Jesus says to His disciples, "Receive the Holy Spirit," it is not a "one-and-done" activity. He desires us all to live continually in the Spirit!
info_outlinePastor opens by sharing that he is convinced the New Testament is genuine and true. Having read the Bible over 90 times in the last 15 years and having read original sources and the writings of scholars over the centuries, he is convinced the New Testament is trustworthy.
To answer today’s question, Pastor takes us on a journey through other common questions regarding the New Testament:
⁃ Who wrote the New Testament and when? This is a controversial subject. Modern skepticism says it has late dating and anonymous authorship. But this view ignores the latest scholarship which shows in recent research that the New Testament books have early dating before 70A.D. and that it was written by eyewitness authors who knew Jesus and were willing to risk their lives to proclaim Jesus and His resurrection.
⁃ How do I know it wasn’t tampered with? There is manuscript evidence with over 5,800 Greek manuscripts showing the accuracy of the transcripts plus there are over 20,000 Latin, Coptic, Syriac and other translations that are also accurate when compared to each other. The variants are textual having only minor variation in spelling and word order but all with no doctrinal deviations.
⁃ Is there any evidence supporting its claims? Non-Christian sources like references to persons in Acts and the local cultural peculiarities show that the Book of Acts matches up with what is said in the non-christian writings and sources from that time. Acts jives with what is written in the other non-christian sources. Archaeological discovers support the truth of the New Testament and Acts in particular. Excavations match the details found in Acts with some amazing artifacts showing that what we find buried in the ground bears new testimony to the very things we read in Acts. Pastor shares many of the recent artifacts and discoveries. What we see is that the New Testament is not just made up but the words of eyewitness who were there and saw what took place.
⁃ Isn’t it just pious “feel good” religious fiction? Truthfully, the New Testament is not a “feel good” book. The New Testament is and has been culturally and morally unpopular - it says things people do not want to hear., things that make them uncomfortable. At the heart of the New Testament is a scandal - a crucified Messiah, humiliated before the eyes of all. Why write such a not “feel good” story…. Plus the New Testament calls people to radical discipleship with self denial as a lifestyle. It calls people to have love for their enemies. It is not feel good religious fiction - it is a powerful testimony to the very plan and character of God and the actions of God in history.
⁃ Is it too old to be relevant for modern times? In answer Pastor shares a personal story exemplifying the relevancy of the New Testament’s effect on his life and he shares how the New Testament continues to impact his life and the lives of others because it is relevant for all. Pastor shares that there is nothing more important than surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ. Just because the New Testament is old doesn’t mean it doesn’t speak to our day. It is still valuable and essential. Old things are not worthless.
Pastor continues with a challenge to read the New Testament and to see for ourselves, because to ignore the New Testament is to make the most serious mistake we can make. He passionately encourages us to read the New Testament allowing God to speak into our hearts and to mold and shape our lives, destinies, families, communities and the culture.
Pastor closes with:
⁃ What do you think are the consequences of ignoring reading the New Testament if it is true?
⁃ Will you act on what you sense the Holy Spirit is telling you?
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