Bay Area Community Church

There is something powerful about “presence.” Phone calls are great. Text messages can communicate we’re thinking of someone. But there is nothing like the presence of a loved one. When you feel you can’t go on, the presence of a friend changes everything. Loneliness is overcome by the presence of a another. Even a great success can be a place of isolation if there is no one present to celebrate. The truth is that as a believer in Jesus you are never alone. The Spirit’s presence is with you always. That reality should change everything. Yet sadly for most, it doesn’t. Join us this Sunday as we discover how to experience the Spirit’s presence in our lives.

When I think about becoming more like Jesus, I occasionally think, "Man, it'd be nice if Jesus were still around and we could just WATCH him do his thing - that'd be so much easier." But as it turns out, Jesus told his disciples it'd be BETTER if he LEFT. As crazy as that sounds, we'll be exploring why he was right as we study the Holy Spirit and his role in our discipleship journey.

Last week we talked about God’s story for the world and His story for Bay Area. This Sunday I’ll be sharing with us our specific focus for the year. One of the best examples of it comes from the life of Mary of Bethany. It’s hard for me to find a better example of someone so devoted to Jesus. If anyone was a devoted disciple, it was her. Why? What was it about her? Join us this Sunday as we discover together what it means to be a devoted disciple of Jesus!

All of us long to be part of something bigger than ourselves; something that makes a difference in the world. There is nothing grander to be part of than the church of Jesus and to be used by Him to break down the gates of hell. This Sunday we kick off our new ministry year with Vision Sunday, one of the highlights of our year! Get ready to be surprised and encouraged by all God is doing through our church family. Get ready to be challenged to grow to be more like Jesus and be used to advance the Gospel in you, your neighbors, and the nations! I can’t wait to share with you a bit of our history, God’s story for the world, and His plan for us in the days ahead.

"Ugh, become my parents?! Cringe"... said every teenager ever. But once life comes at you for a few more years, most of find out that just maybe our parents were on to something with some of that advice they gave us back in High School. This Sunday, we'll talk about how Wisdom is passed from one generation to the next and we can become people that seek that which matters most. 

After almost 4 months, Mary Kaye and I can’t wait to be with you this Sunday!! It’s true that “distance makes the heart grow fonder” and our heart for our Bay Area family has grown. Entering sabbatical, I turned 65, Mary Kaye and I celebrated 41 years of marriage, followed by marking our 30th year at Bay Area. All that to say, our sabbatical gave us time to reflect on God’s faithfulness. This Sunday I’ll share a few encouraging reflections and focus us on the Scripture that has uplifted me the most while away.

Most of us have had times in our lives where we believe that we've done all the right things and yet we've gotten none of the right results. Our life hurts in ways that don't make sense, despite our best efforts to please God. Its in moments like that where we want to COMPLAIN to God, but honestly... that feels wrong. Am I allowed to complain to him ABOUT him? In this sermon, we'll learn the skill and power of lament as we watch God's people pour out their honest pain to the God they thought they could trust who seems to have let them down.

We all go through times in life where the pressure is mounting, hope seems lost, and our world feels like it’s on fire. As we participate in God’s renewal project in the world by making passionate, maturing followers of Jesus, the question arises, “what gets us through?” In David’s mind, it’s “to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.” Why is that and what does it mean? Join us this Sunday as we dive in to find out.

Life is awesome and life is hard. I’m seeing this truth show up in my marriage, raising teenagers, and making a living. Because of that it seems like I’m asking God for help and wisdom almost every day. Off the heels of last week’s sermon about “praying the Bible,” we turn to three simple prayers from Psalm 90 to help soak in the awesome and rise to each new challenge.

We can all agree that Prayer is vitally important in the life of a disciple - however, have you ever been honest enough to admit that sometimes prayer is... well... boring? Hard to do? If you've ever struggled to get traction with meaningful prayer, I'm hoping the mindset shift we will discuss on Sunday can help you (like it has helped me and many others). See you then!