Bay Area Community Church

In the Old Testament we see a guy who looks pretty normal, going about life the way most of us do – figuring it out ourselves. He grew to have a reputation of doing whatever it took to get ahead, and was even known for burning bridges when relationships didn’t end well. His name was Jacob, and he could have written a book on self-reliance. This all changed when he found himself between a rock and a hard place – it was there he wrestled with God. If you find yourself white knuckling life, depending on yourself to survive, it might be time to stop wrestling with God and let Him fight for you.

In this message we wrap up “Unrivaled” with what we are calling the main event. We are engaged in a fight to give up control of our lives, to get out of our comfort zones and to see Jesus use us in greater ways. Over the last several weeks God’s Word has confronted us to invite Him to take His place on the throne of our hearts, to step out in great faith and to grow in generosity.

One of the most challenging areas for many believers has to do with giving. Giving really takes surrender and faith. We know that Jesus is to be preeminent over our finances, and yet we struggle. We offer many reasons that hinder our giving: not making enough money, debt and uncertainty of the future, to name a few. But what we don’t embrace is the simple truth that it is a blessing to give! This message is not about guilt or condemnation. It is all about grasping the absolute blessing of generosity.

Worry is what some of us do best. What’s at the top of your worry list? According to a recent Chapman Survey, over half of Americans say they are “afraid or very afraid of not having enough money for the future.” That strikes close to home, doesn’t it? Why do we worry about money? In this message we learn how to overcome these fears and take the next step of faith and generosity.

In this message we continue our series called “Unrivaled.” If you missed last Sunday, be sure to check out baccunrivaled.org and pick up a book on your way into our gathering this Sunday. Together we are focusing on the preeminence of Jesus over all of life. Our response to the Unrivaled One is to surrender completely and to trust. This Sunday we will talk about trusting Him. Faith is the key to experiencing all that God has for us. Jesus has an extraordinary plan for each of us and for Bay Area. He loves us and wants to use us. Yet too often we focus on the obstacles and challenges we face instead of placing our full faith in God.

This Sunday we continue our focus on the preeminence of Jesus. You definitely want to be here for the start of an exciting new series. We’ve been preparing for months and believe God will greatly change our church over the next five weeks. Our theme for this season is called “Unrivaled.” Unrivaled focuses on the supremacy of Jesus and our response to Him. The Lord wants to change us and use us to help reach the world for Christ. That only happens when we surrender and make Him unrivaled in our life.

“He is risen just as he said!” That was the message the angels gave the women at the tomb of Jesus. As believers, our hope is found in the resurrection. Yet many people remain skeptical. In this message we bring "The Closing Arguments” to bear on the case for the resurrection.

The events of the first Good Friday were carefully recorded and preserved. This Good Friday, we reflect on and retrace the last steps of Jesus and consider how His last steps will impact ours today.

For a long time now there has been a string of hit shows on TV that solve crimes and other mysteries by using forensic evidence. This evidence involves the bread crumbs, paper trails, fingerprints and other clues to all add up to enough evidence to convict. It could be said that even without the eyewitness testimony of credible witnesses, you could build a slam-dunk case for the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. In this message we set out to do just that. As we prepare our hearts for Easter, we also prepare our minds to see the writing on the wall, that Jesus may really be alive and still at work today.

Lee Strobel, the leading investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune, was a devout atheist. Suddenly, the unexpected happened. His wife came to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Flabbergasted, he determined to use all of his investigative skills to analyze the evidence for Jesus and the resurrection. In his own words, “I plunged into the case with more vigor than with any story I had ever pursued. I applied the training I had received at Yale Law School as well as my experience as legal affairs editor of the Chicago Tribune. And over time the evidence of history, of science, of philosophy, of psychology—began to point toward the unthinkable.” Confronted with the evidence, Lee Strobel joined his wife in surrendering to Christ. What was the evidence that convinced Strobel? In this message we explore the resurrection: fact or fraud.