Alabaster Group

What binds the people of God is not a family lineage, location, or culture, but a shared commitment to do the Father’s will. Judges 17 shows us that when we lose sight of this, we begin to produce convenient religion that meets the demands of men, yet is oblivious to the desires of God. But those who give their lives wholly to only doing what they see the Father doing are the ones that Jesus is not ashamed to call brothers, with the will of God as the only thing that unites them.

Matthew 12; Matthew 13; Judges 17; Hebrews 2

NYC Sunday Sermon | August 30, 2026

The Shunammite woman is never named, yet Scripture ties her permanently to Elisha's story. She had no special calling upon her life, but she made herself relevant by noticing his needs and meeting them. Her initiative to think outside of herself compelled Elisha to meet her desires and needs even when she could not foresee them. In times of tragedy and distress, she was overtaken by the provision and blessings of God. But her true reward wasn’t in material things, but something much greater: her story became permanently woven into his, proof that anyone can write themselves into what God is doing.

2 Kings 4; Deuteronomy 28; Matthew 10

NYC Sunday Sermon | August 9, 2026

Real unity isn't the absence of conflict or bonding over a shared enemy. It's two people choosing to walk together in the same direction. When God calls us to be united with him, it is an invitation to walk the same path that He walks. It requires the unseen, daily practice of aligning every step, until it's no longer clear where your work ends and God's begins. The goal isn't to earn a seat next to Jesus, but to have walked with him so closely that sitting there is simply where the road was always leading.

Psalm 133; Amos 3; Psalm 1; Matthew 20; Genesis 6; John 12

NYC Sunday Sermon | August 2, 2026

Both poverty and abundance pull the heart away from trusting God. The writer of Proverbs understood this, asking God for neither poverty nor riches but only enough for the day, because either extreme tends to land in the same place: a heart drowning in anxiety. Real peace doesn't come from adjusting the number in the bank account, but from bringing every want and need to God with thanksgiving and learning to be content in that narrow place between too little and too much.

Matthew 6; Proverbs 30; 1 Corinthians 7; Philippians 4

NYC Sunday Sermon | July 26, 2026

Being accepted by God should never be taken for granted. Before David was anointed by Samuel, Saul and all seven of David’s brothers were rejected by God. Even David, a man after God’s own heart, was denied the opportunity to build a house for him. When God does accept our offerings, He gives us the privilege of seeing his will prosper in our lives. Like good soil that a seed is planted in, the works of our hands can provide a fertile environment for the will of God to grow and bear much fruit in the Earth.

1 Samuel 16; Matthew 13; 1 Chronicles 17; Psalm 50; Haggai 1

NYC Sunday Sermon | July 19, 2026

Poverty isn't defined by what someone has, but by the size of their dreams. The woman with the issue of blood dared to believe that her ailment was not the end of her story, but Lazarus could not dream of much beyond his next meal. When the gifts that God blesses us with begin to outgrow our dreams, we squander these blessings in pursuit of our small cravings, and this, as the prodigal son teaches us, is true poverty. In contrast, when we dare to believe that the seemingly impossible is possible God rewards us by elevating us beyond our circumstances.

James 4; Ephesians 2; Luke 15-16

NYC Sunday Sermon | July 12, 2026

There's a world of difference between people wanting what you have and people wanting to become who you are. Envy chases another person's stuff, but inspiration moves someone to live the way they live. Jonathan never sought to be admired; his courage to move toward the enemy without a sign or permission simply stirred everyone around him — the soldiers, the defectors, the fearful — to find the courage they'd been missing all along. The goal isn't to be envied for success, but to carry enough courage and faith that others want to trust God the way you trust Him.

1 Samuel 14; Esther 5

NYC Sunday Sermon | July 5, 2026

In this session, Heidi and Rolland Baker, along with Rapha and Ana Vaney, answer a series of questions from the Missions Week audience based on their personal experiences on the field.

Homeward Missions Week 2026 | Day 7 Morning Service

Our lives are not our own, and there is no bargaining with a God who calls us to obey no matter the cost. Real surrender means yielding when he says to yield, and being stubborn when he says to be stubborn even when it appears strange to everyone around you. When we become this pliable in his hands, we are able to lay hold of what our souls truly long for—his face, his glory.

Exodus 33

Homeward Missions Week 2026 | Day 6 Evening Service

Money is not scarce, but good places to give it are. Ministries hold something far more valuable than any donor's wallet: the altar where an offering becomes holy. Missionaries should believe that their calling is worth more than the gold being offered to it, since without the altar, the gold has nowhere meaningful to go. The Homeward platform is designed to help donors discover and trust real missionaries so both sides can move from transaction to true partnership. Stay tuned for more information!

Matthew 23; Esther 4