When tragedy strikes where do you turn? This week we look at Elijah as he turned to the only place he knew, God. Because of his faithfulness to God, God was faithful to him!!

God called Elijah deep into the heart of Baal worship territory, to a widow woman with hardly enough resources to sustain herself, much less the prophet of God. Trusting in what he knew of God, Elijah was faithful and as a result, God blessed him and the widow and her son. When we trust God more than our circumstances, not only is God faithful to us, He is also faithful to those we influence. 

This week we explore the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 16:29-34 & 17:1-7 in order to see the way that God often calls His people to stand against evil even when the situation is not optimal. We follow the example of Elijah, standing on the authority and knowledge of God as he confronts King Ahab. As Christians, we too must be able to stand alone on the truth of God's Word, even when the world and all odds are against us. If our confidence is in our own ability or understanding we will surely fail, but when we place our trust and confidence in the power and promises of God, He will use us to do amazing things for His kingdom!

You can't be holy on your own. No matter how hard you try. Apart from the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, we may look good to the world, but we will never look like Christ. The foundation that our faith must be built upon depends on Christ as our Cornerstone. From His death and resurrection, every facet of our life must be aligned with His teachings, the Word of God. If any part of our faith does not align with Him, our faith system will be off. Even minor inconsistencies bring huge errors! The same is true for the community of believers, the church. If we do not focus on and function by the Word of God, Jesus Christ as our cornerstone and foundation for life, our mission to the world will never reveal the awesome power of The One True God. Listen in as we hear Peter's message in 1 Peter 2 about what it means to have Christ as our Foundation for a Holy Life!

We take a look at Romans 7 this week as we understand the struggle within each of us and the call of faith to desire to do the things of God. But what do we do when our heart's desire is overcome by our sinful inability? Pauls shares with us his own experience. Listen in as we discover how sin had made each of us completely and totally rotten before a Holy God. But God sent His son Jesus to do what we could not!

Christians are called to be holy. Everything about the life of a believer must be built on the foundation that God is holy and we are called to be likewise. An unholy Christian, though they may look pleasing to the world around them, will never give the full image or likeness of Jesus Christ. Paul tell the church in Rome that we have been buried with Christ as in death, BUT, we have also been raised again to new life. No more is sin to rule over our earthly bodies. The freedom from sin and abundant life made possible through the resurrection of Jesus Christ is meant to be experienced even today! Join us as we walk through this new life as we explore Romans chapter 6. Why Holiness? Because The World Needs Christians to be Holy.

This week we look at Peter's letter to the believers who were scattered among the nations. Even in the midst of persecution and lack of fellowship with other believers, Peter reminded them of the life that comes from faith in Jesus Christ and an inheritance that is kept safe in Heaven. We are called to be holy, set apart for God and obedient to His word, not to earn salvation, that is a gift through the work of Jesus Christ, but out of gratitude for what was done for us! Christ, our savior known before the foundations of the world, has come to give us life abundantly that cannot be shaken by our circumstances. (1 Peter 1)

Everything about God begins at one place. His holiness. As we explore the way that God is set apart from us in every single way, we can begin to understand His righteousness and the importance of our obedience to the word of God. 

As we celebrate Pentecost 2020, we experience the power and joy that comes from the fulfillment of Christ's promise to send us a great helper. We take a look at that day when the Disciples were given extraordinary power and through their actions changed the world. We also look at Paul's letter to the believers in Rome as he testifies to the new life that come from a relationship with Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit of God in our new lives!!

Why do some people respond to the Savior's calling and some do not. Jesus answers that question as he addresses the crowds in Matthew 13. He asks each of us to consider what type of soil our heart may be when we consider what it means to be a disciple of Christ!