December 15, 2024 – Jesus and Jubilee – Isaiah 61:1-4

Jesus brings the possibility of jubilee. What are the longings of the human soul? Jesus connects to those places bringing freedom and fulfillment.

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Good News of Deliverance

61 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.

December 8, 2024 – The Wilderness and the Way – Isaiah 40:1-5

The Lord finds his way to his people to bring deliverance. He leads them home and back to life.

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
God’s People Are Comforted

40 Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

December 1, 2024 – Stepping Into the Story – Isaiah 64:1-4

The Protagonist Advent series gets rolling this Sunday in worship. The message is titled “Stepping into the Story.” Our scripture passage will be Isaiah 64:1-4. Hint: The sermons will all be based on passages from the prophet Isaiah during this series. The daily reader starts Sunday as well. If you still need a book, you can pick one up on Sunday before or after worship or in the church office first thing on Monday morning. Furthermore, stay tuned to our church’s Facebook page for weekly videos from our staff and church members sharing their reflections from the daily reader.

We long for God to show up in our mess and fix it. When God does come, it isn’t always as we expect.

Isaiah 64:1-4
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
64 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,
so that the mountains would quake at your presence—
2 [a]as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,
you came down; the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 From ages past no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who works for those who wait for him.

The Book of Exodus is critical in understanding God’s plan of restoration for humanity that spans across both the Old and New Testaments. We will see in this series how the deliverance and restoration of Israel connects to a greater fulfillment in Christ. As the children’s book, The Jesus Storybook Bible, says, “Every page whispers his name.” Christ’s glory is found on every page of the Holy Bible, and you will see this in profound new ways in this series.

November 17, 2024 – Don’t Drink the Punch – Exodus 32:1-6, 15-24

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Golden Calf

32 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took these from them, formed them in a mold,[a] and cast an image of a calf, and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” 6 They rose early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being, and the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to revel.

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of the covenant in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, written on the front and on the back. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the tablets. 17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But he said,

“It is not the sound made by victors
or the sound made by losers;
it is the sound of singing that I hear.”
19 As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’s anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets from his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.

21 Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn hot; you know the people, that they are wicked. 23 They said to me, ‘Make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, take it off’; so they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”

The Book of Exodus is critical in understanding God’s plan of restoration for humanity that spans across both the Old and New Testaments. We will see in this series how the deliverance and restoration of Israel connects to a greater fulfillment in Christ. As the children’s book, The Jesus Storybook Bible, says, “Every page whispers his name.” Christ’s glory is found on every page of the Holy Bible, and you will see this in profound new ways in this series.

November 10, 2024 – The Big Ten – Exodus 20

Are the 10 Commandments still relevant to Christians to today? How do we apply them to our life? Can you imagine a world where these basic moral principles are not honored?

God Gives His People the Ten Commandments

20 Here are all the words God spoke. He said,

2 “I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. That is the land where you were slaves.

3 “Do not put any other gods in place of me.
4 “Do not make for yourself statues of gods that look like anything in the sky. They may not look like anything on the earth or in the waters either. 5 Do not bow down to them or worship them. I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I cause the sins of the parents to affect their children. I will cause the sins of those who hate me to affect even their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 6 But for all time to come I show love to all those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will find guilty anyone who misuses his name.
8 “Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy. 9 Do all your work in six days. 10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to honor the Lord your God. Do not do any work on that day. The same command applies to your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and your animals. It also applies to any outsiders who live in your towns. 11 In six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea and everything in them. But he rested on the seventh day. So the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “Do not murder.
14 “Do not commit adultery.
15 “Do not steal.
16 “Do not be a false witness against your neighbor.
17 “Do not want to have anything your neighbor owns. Do not want to have your neighbor’s house, wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey.”
18 The people saw the thunder and lightning. They heard the trumpet. They saw the mountain covered with smoke. They trembled with fear and stayed a long way off. 19 They said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself. Then we’ll listen. But don’t let God speak to us. If he does, we’ll die.”

20 Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. God has come to test you. He wants you to have respect for him. That will keep you from sinning.”

21 Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. But the people remained a long way off.

Worship the Lord

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Here is what you must tell the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘You have seen for yourselves what I said to you from heaven. 23 Do not put any other gods in place of me. Do not make silver or gold statues of them for yourselves.

24 “ ‘Make an altar out of dirt for me. Sacrifice your burnt offerings and friendship offerings on it. Sacrifice your sheep, goats and cattle on it. I will come to you and bless you everywhere I cause my name to be honored. 25 If you make an altar out of stones to honor me, do not build it with blocks of stone. You will make it “unclean” if you use a tool on it. 26 Do not walk up steps to my altar. If you do, someone might see your naked body under your robes.’

1 “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
Exodus 20:3
God wants what is best for you. If you put something else before Him in your life, it’s harder for him to bless you.

2 “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.”
Exodus 20:4
Anything you worship more than God is a “graven image.” Cars, clothes, sports, even our jobs are dangerous things to worship because they can go away. But God will never go away, and that’s why it’s best for us to only worship Him.

3 “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
Exodus 20:7
This can mean using God’s name like a swear word, or it can mean saying you are a Christian but not living or acting like Jesus would want you to act.

4“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
Exodus 20:8–10
Sunday, or the Sabbath day, is a day we can all go to church, worship God, and learn how to be better people and Christians. Keeping it holy means doing our best to remember Him throughout the day.

5 “Honour thy father and thy mother.”
Exodus 20:12
It’s important to show our parents respect. This might look different for everyone, but we should always try to love and care for those who cared for us first.

6 “Thou shalt not kill.”
Exodus 20:13
A simple but important rule for anyone.

7 “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
Exodus 20:14
Men and women make promises to each other when they are married. These promises are important, and breaking them causes deep sadness. Keeping those promises help men and women have happy marriages and happy lives.

8 “Thou shalt not steal.”
Exodus 20:15
It is important to God that His children are honest with each other. Taking anything that doesn’t belong to you is stealing, and is against His commandment.

9 “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.”
Exodus 20:16
This one is about honesty. If you lie to someone, you are “bearing false witness,” and may cause harm to yourself and to others.

10 “Thou shalt not covet.”
Exodus 20:17
To covet means to be so jealous of something someone else has that you want it desperately. Coveting makes a person miserable and keeps them from putting God first. This commandment helps keep you from falling into this bad habit.

November 3, 2024 – Resurrection and Life – John 11:1-4, 20-27, 32-44

This is an special annual service where we honor the memory of those members of our church who have entered the Church Triumphant. We are reminded by Scripture that Christians do not grieve as those without hope. Our hope in is the Lord who promises to make all things new, including a new heaven and a new earth.

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Death of Lazarus
11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus,[a] “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather, it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Jesus the Resurrection and the Life
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[f] Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,[g] the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

Jesus Weeps
32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life
38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

The Book of Exodus is critical in understanding God’s plan of restoration for humanity that spans across both the Old and New Testaments. We will see in this series how the deliverance and restoration of Israel connects to a greater fulfillment in Christ. As the children’s book, The Jesus Storybook Bible, says, “Every page whispers his name.” Christ’s glory is found on every page of the Holy Bible, and you will see this in profound new ways in this series.

October 27, 2024 – Wonder Bread – Exodus 16:1-4; 9-15

The Israelites, while wandering in the wilderness after leaving Egypt, begin to complain to Moses and Aaron about their lack of food, essentially saying they would have been better off staying in Egypt where they had plenty to eat; God hears their complaints and promises to provide them with “bread from heaven” called manna, which they will gather each morning, with a double portion on the sixth day to prepare for the Sabbath; the people then witness the miracle of manna appearing as dew on the ground, and they are instructed to gather only what they need for each day, demonstrating God’s provision and testing their obedience to his commands. 

Exodus 16:1-4

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Bread from Heaven
16 The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim and came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not.

Exodus 16:9-15
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites: ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’ ” 10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 The Lord spoke to Moses, 12 “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”

13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?”[a] For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

The Book of Exodus is critical in understanding God’s plan of restoration for humanity that spans across both the Old and New Testaments. We will see in this series how the deliverance and restoration of Israel connects to a greater fulfillment in Christ. As the children’s book, The Jesus Storybook Bible, says, “Every page whispers his name.” Christ’s glory is found on every page of the Holy Bible, and you will see this in profound new ways in this series.

Oct 20 2024 – Momentum – Traditions Service – Exodes 14:1-6, 10-18
Speaker: Rev. Jimmy Criddle

This week in our Exodus series we pick up the Israelites’ story in chapter 14 as they start their journey out of Egypt into the desert. Our message will answer this question – How do we gain forward momentum in the Christian life? To put it another way, how do we break out of the old ways of life and experience new depths of faith?

 I want to issue a challenge to you for this Sunday. Before you step across the threshold of the sanctuary or the worship center, pray this simple prayer. “Lord, make your presence known to me today as I enter to worship. I give you the room I am entering today. Come, Jesus, come!”

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Crossing the Red Sea

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall camp opposite it, by the sea. 3 Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them.’ 4 I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, so that I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his officials were changed toward the people, and they said, “What have we done, letting Israel leave our service?” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him;

Exodus 14:10-18
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
10 As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone so that we can serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today, for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.”

15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. 16 But you lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. 17 Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.”

The Book of Exodus is critical in understanding God’s plan of restoration for humanity that spans across both the Old and New Testaments. We will see in this series how the deliverance and restoration of Israel connects to a greater fulfillment in Christ. As the children’s book, The Jesus Storybook Bible, says, “Every page whispers his name.” Christ’s glory is found on every page of the Holy Bible, and you will see this in profound new ways in this series.

October 13, 2024 – The Great Multitude in White Robes – Revelation 7:9-17

The Multitude from Every Nation

9 After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out in a loud voice, saying,

“Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb!”
11 And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 singing,

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 For this reason they are before the throne of God
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
16 They will hunger no more and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat,
17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The Book of Exodus is critical in understanding God’s plan of restoration for humanity that spans across both the Old and New Testaments. We will see in this series how the deliverance and restoration of Israel connects to a greater fulfillment in Christ. As the children’s book, The Jesus Storybook Bible, says, “Every page whispers his name.” Christ’s glory is found on every page of the Holy Bible, and you will see this in profound new ways in this series.

Sept 29, 2024 – Anatomy of a Pharaoh – Exodus 7:1-6

‬ ‭NRSV‬‬ “The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and I will multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. When Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay my hand upon Egypt and bring my people the Israelites, company by company, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.” Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them. Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.”