Abram is 99. Sarai is 90. But God is Almighty, El Shaddai. That changes everything. It changes Abram to Abraham. It changes Sarai to Sarah. And it changes the male body in Israel - circumcision - a gory, bloody, painful mark to something beautiful and Christward. In this passage, we hear the Word of God proclaim the mercy and power of God in something as strange as circumcision and what it means for us today as we strive to follow Jesus.

Do you have a big decision coming up? Or even a medium sized one? For a Christian, I hope one of the biggest considerations is proceeding down the pathway God has planned for us. So, how do we discern God's will? I bet it often varies, depending on the decision and how it affects us. And, I bet some of us regret decisions and wonder if we are now on a pathway God never meant for us. This is one of the biggest pastoral counseling issues I have faced over 20 years - how do I know God's will? This message is a special teaching on discernment of God's will and the 100% guaranteed method of figuring out what God's desires for your life and your decisions.

Worse than failure as you follow God - much, much worse - is success in living apart from Him. In fact, the truth of the matter is: when you fail in the things of this world precisely because you are following God, that is ACTUALLY success. So, what do we do when there is a gap, maybe a big gap, between the promises of God and our present reality? What do we do with so much waiting around for God to act on his promises? Genesis 16 is another story of dealing with that waiting period and it is a very provocative story that is extraordinarily realistic in its representation of human fear and brokenness when faith is tested but also a beautiful testimony of God's patience and grace with us and His dogged commitment to keep his promises.

Worse than failure as you follow God - much, much worse - is success in living apart from Him. In fact, the truth of the matter is: when you fail in the things of this world precisely because you are following God, that is ACTUALLY success. So, what do we do when there is a gap, maybe a big gap, between the promises of God and our present reality? What do we do with so much waiting around for God to act on his promises? Genesis 16 is another story of dealing with that waiting period and it is a very provocative story that is extraordinarily realistic in its representation of human fear and brokenness when faith is tested but also a beautiful testimony of God's patience and grace with us and His dogged commitment to keep his promises.

Have you ever had your heart leap and your stomach sink when you thought about the future and it occurred to you that you have no idea how to proceed with what little resources you have? That sinking feeling is anxiety. Often the next beat is our inventive ability to figure out how to proceed with our resources - the things we can see, have at our disposal, and seem to have control over. And that works... until it doesn't. What if our souls could be anchored in something so true, so real, and so powerful that we could restfully walk in God's ways into the future, trusting Him to provide based on what He has already provided in full? That is the point of the story of Genesis 15.

Have you ever had your heart leap and your stomach sink when you thought about the future and it occurred to you that you have no idea how to proceed with what little resources you have? That sinking feeling is anxiety. Often the next beat is our inventive ability to figure out how to proceed with our resources - the things we can see, have at our disposal, and seem to have control over. And that works... until it doesn't. What if our souls could be anchored in something so true, so real, and so powerful that we could restfully walk in God's ways into the future, trusting Him to provide based on what He has already provided in full? That is the point of the story of Genesis 15.

At the end of the day, what is a church ultimately for? Fill up the spiritual tank once a week? A place to get medicine for personal hurt or soul wounds? A one-stop-shop for learning and experiences that lead me closer to Jesus with excellent programs and production? A place of easy entry for non-Christians or young Christians who need the basics of faith? OK, you sense the cheekiness, but I admit there is some truth in those descriptions but all of them are also incomplete and not founded on the most important things. For this final Sunday of our Meaningful Membership series, we will look at Ephesian 1 to take in what the church is for - ultimately to behold the infinitely vast treasure of God's grace to us through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit and to treasure that in all of life.

At the end of the day, what is a church ultimately for? Fill up the spiritual tank once a week? A place to get medicine for personal hurt or soul wounds? A one-stop-shop for learning and experiences that lead me closer to Jesus with excellent programs and production? A place of easy entry for non-Christians or young Christians who need the basics of faith? OK, you sense the cheekiness, but I admit there is some truth in those descriptions but all of them are also incomplete and not founded on the most important things. For this final Sunday of our Meaningful Membership series, we will look at Ephesian 1 to take in what the church is for - ultimately to behold the infinitely vast treasure of God's grace to us through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit and to treasure that in all of life. 

Is it possible to have a church that has strong attendance, has a beautiful campus, has strong Biblical doctrine, is well respected in the community, has gifted and highly trained leaders, is financially stable, and has a great vision and mission and yet be totally fruitless??? Unfortunately, yes. That's why we'll look at 1 Corinthians 13 to see what actually is a church where the Gospel is the culture.

Is it possible to have a church that has strong attendance, has a beautiful campus, has strong Biblical doctrine, is well respected in the community, has gifted and highly trained leaders, is financially stable, and has a great vision and mission and yet be totally fruitless??? Unfortunately, yes. That's why we'll look at 1 Corinthians 13 to see what actually is a church where the Gospel is the culture.