Sunday's sermon from the Community Evangelical Free Church in Soap Lake, WA. Our text for this Sunday is Malachi 2:1-9. At this point in Malachi God is making a clear case against the priests who have treated Him with dishonor and as insignificant. This heart condition in the priests is reflected in their actions, as they are guilty of leading the people astray. So in our text God is calling on the priests, along with the people, to take His Word to heart. To listen up and act in accordance with what He declares. Whether it be from a parent or a friend, we have all had experiences of not taking sound words to heart when we should. But what we have in Malachi today is more than just sound advice, instead it is the very words of the living God being spoken to His people. Just as the people of Malachi’s day were told to “listen up”, we too are being told to listen and obey. To hear the words of the living God and take what He says seriously. Of course we know that we will never do this perfectly, so when we find ourselves failing we have, not a human and imperfect high priest, but we have Jesus the Great High Priest to whom we can look to for help, strength, grace, and forgiveness. May we fix our eyes upon Him as we pursue godly living. If you have any questions or comments you can contact us at [email protected]

Sunday’s sermon from the Community Evangelical Free Church in Soap Lake, WA. Our text for this Sunday is Malachi 1:6-14. Last week as we began our study in the book of Malachi, we were reminded that before God brings correction and discipline He reminds His people of His relentless love for them. This week as we press on in chapter 1, we now begin to read of the correction God brings to His people through the prophet Malachi. This first complaint God makes against the people really begins with the priests, the spiritual leaders of the day. Rather than treating God as supremely worthy, they are treating God in both actions and attitudes as worthless; like a chore to get done or an annoying burden to carry. God calls out this sin and declares that He alone is supremely worthy of the people’s best actions and attitudes. As we ponder this text, we must respond by evaluating our own hearts. How have we treated the God of the universe? Are we lazy in our service to Him? Are we annoyed at His commands? Are we apathetic in our worship? If we find ourselves sinning as the priests and people of Malachi’s day were sinning, the only answer is to run to Jesus. Only in Jesus can we truly offer up ourselves as living sacrifices that are pleasing unto the Lord. May we all be encouraged to behold the glory of Jesus and be transformed. We pray those who hear this sermon will be blessed in the Jesus. If you have any questions or comments you can contact us at [email protected]

Sunday’s sermon from the Community Evangelical Free Church in Soap Lake, WA. Our text this week is Malachi 1:1-5. As we begin a new study in the Old Testament book of Malachi, we take some time to familiarize ourselves with some background and contextual information. Malachi is a book that is written around the time of Nehemiah after Israel has come back from Babylonian captivity. The people have once again forgotten God and have begun to live lives of corruption. Malachi is a prophet of God sent to expose the sins of the people and call them back. No matter where one dates the book of Malachi, the bottom line is that the people of God need to hear the Word of God, and the word that is brought to us through the prophet Malachi in these first few verse is that God relentlessly loves His people. Before God brings correction, He declares and reminds His people of His love. Today, we know God’s love has been ultimately demonstrated in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for our redemption. We pray that as you listen to this sermon, that you would be reminded of the love of God in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions or comments you can contact us at [email protected]

Sunday’s sermon from the Community Evangelical Free Church in Soap Lake, WA. This Sunday our text comes from Matthew 28:16-20. As we wrap up the gospel according to Matthew we are challenged to be disciples of Jesus who go out make more disciples of Jesus. While this command, known as the Great Commission, can be difficult and even uncomfortable at times we must realize that it is God’s plan for the advancement of the gospel throughout the world and among all people. Rather than make excuses about why we can’t obey this, true disciples of Jesus should be looking and praying for ways to obey. The hope as we ponder this familiar text is that we who believe will be encouraged to submit to the authority of Jesus while being comforted and strengthened by the never-ending presence of Jesus as we go and make disciples among all people. We pray those who hear this message will be blessed and encouraged in the faith. If you have any questions or comments you can contact us at [email protected]

Sunday's sermon from the Community Evangelical Free Church in Soap Lake, WA. Our text for this Sunday is Matthew 28:1-15. The hope as we reflect on the text before us is that we would be reminded that Jesus really did physically rise from the grave. The resurrection of Jesus isn't simply something that happened 2000 years ago, but still matters today. Jesus rose because He has all authority, deserves our worship, and conquered sin and death. We pray this sermon encourages you in your walk with the Lord. If you have any questions you can contact us at [email protected]

Sunday’s sermon from the Community Evangelical Free Church in Soap Lake, WA. Our text for this Sunday is Matthew 27:57-66. Over the last several weeks we have been reflecting on the suffering of Jesus on the cross, and today our text records for us the result of His suffering which is death. While there have been many attempts by critics to explain away the resurrection of Jesus by dismissing His death, what we find in our text is a clear account of the fact that Jesus really did physically die. The death of Jesus is important for us to not skip over, in fact it is an essential gospel truth. Without the death of Jesus there is no forgiveness of sins, and therefore we are still slaves to sin. The encouragement for us today is to remember the grace of God extended to those who are His through the death of God who took on flesh. The death of Jesus is a reminder of the depths of God’s love for us in Christ - that He would be pleased to die for us while we were sinners. We pray this sermon blesses those who hear. If you have any questions or comments you can contact us at [email protected]

Sunday’s sermon from the Community Evangelical Free Church in Soap Lake, WA. Our text for this week is Matthew 27:45-56. Over the past several weeks we have been moving through the sufferings of Jesus as He was tried, scourged, and crucified on a Roman cross. Although we’ve spent much time detailing the physical sufferings of Jesus, our text today highlights the spiritual sufferings of Jesus as He cried out from the cross quoting Psalm 22:1, “my God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?”. As we dwell on the magnitude of this statement, along with Jesus yielding up His spirit, and the Temple veil being torn in two, the response should be nothing other than awe and wonder. Just as the Roman centurion who witnesses these things stood in awe and acknowledged that Jesus was in fact deity in the flesh - so too as we by God’s Spirit encounter these events our hearts should be overwhelmed with awe, gratitude, and wonder at the love of God in Christ Jesus for us who are HIs by faith. That we are no longer alienated but reconciled; we are no longer enemies but now have relationship; we are no longer condemned but securely justified by His grace. We pray this sermon will encourage you to look to Christ and behold His glory. If you have any questions or comments you can contact us at [email protected]

Sunday's sermon from the Community Evangelical Free Church in Soap Lake, WA. Our text for Sunday is Matthew 27:32-44 and in it we read of the crucifixion of Jesus. It's at the crucifixion of Jesus that we see the gospel at work. As Jesus, God in the flesh, is killed we see on full display the sinful arrogance of man in the midst of God's saving mercy. The only hope for the problem of sin is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we reflect on and be encouraged as we dwell on the good news! We pray this sermon blesses those who hear. If you have any questions or comments you can contact us at [email protected]

Sunday’s sermon from the Community Evangelical Free Church in Soap Lake, WA. Our text for this Sunday is Matthew 27:24-31 where we find Jesus being handed over to crucifixion. Even though Pilate seems reluctant, he still has Jesus scourged and delivered over to death where soldiers proceed to mock and beat Him. The reminder for us as we reflect on this text that everything Jesus endured, He endured it willingly and in the place of guilty sinners. Jesus wasn’t forced into dying on the cross, but rather willingly laid His life down for the sheep. This reminder ought to ignite in our hearts an overwhelming sense of gratitude. That God in the flesh would die in our place, for our sin, that we might have new hearts and eternal life is reason for great joy. May we be reminded that Jesus is our all sufficient savior. We pray this sermon encourages and challenges you in the faith. If you have any questions or comments you can contact us at [email protected].

Sunday’s sermon from the Community Evangelical Free Church in Soap Lake, WA. Our text for this Sunday is Matthew 27:11-23 and in it we come across the Roman trial of Jesus as He stands before Pilate. In this trial we are reminded that Jesus is the King, that He is the Truth, and that He is Righteous. The implications of these truths would demand that all people yield to Christ, yet we all struggle to different degrees in yielding as we should. If we are truly going to yeild Jesus then it will mean His is authority is the highest authority in our lives, when it comes to truth, there is no truth outside of Him or that does originate from Him, and He is the only one who is perfectly righteous and therefore the only one qualified to be our all sufficient Savior. The prayer as we reflect on this text is that the Lord would encourage and grow us to yield to Jesus more and more every day. If you have any questions or comments you can contact us at [email protected]