Week 1: A Light in the Darkness.

Main passages: Hebrews 2:14-18, John 1:1-14

We have no idea just what kind of predicament we are in.  Humanity as a whole is enslaved by sin, owned by Satan, and destined for death.  We can’t beat any one of these enemies.  And so Jesus comes to saves us!   If we are to understand the magnitude of this miracle we must see the magnitude of the problem He came to solve.  This was the only way to save us and He is the only One who can do it.  When Jesus comes to earth He is true light breaking into the darkness of our world to give us hope, life, and peace.  Joy to the World indeed!

Main Passage: 1 Timothy 2:1-4

As we are on mission in the world it will not be the case that everyone we meet will immediately give their lives to the Lord.  We will face opposition.  But we must not lose heart!  The Lord calls for us to pray for the lost, just as He prayed for us before we were saved.  We must be consistent in praying for individual lost people, our city, culture, nation, and the world.  We se great examples of this in Simeon and Anna in the temple, Daniel in captivity, and Nehemiah in captivity.

Main Passage: John 13:34-35

We cannot simply speak the gospel.  If we have been transformed by Christ then this should change the way we live.  Jesus said that people would know we are his disciples by how we love one another.  Thus we should live out the gospel in how we love.  This starts with our Christian community in our local church.  From there it extends to all that we encounter.  But we must show the love of God in our lives so that people will be able to hear the gospel we speak.

Jesus has given us the gospel and it is our job to tell that good news to others.  We cannot simply live this out, it must be spoken!  But how do we do that?  We see many examples in Scripture of how to share the gospel and all are valid. But it must be spoken by all of us, not just those who are gifted evangelistically. Are we speaking the gospel to our neighbors?

This Sunday we will step out of the series to do a retrospective on our missions efforts over the past 20 years.  We will have multiple partners on hand as well as video testimonies to share.

Main passage: Acts 1:6-8

Keywords: missions, two feathers, native American, ACFS, Romania, YUGO, IMOJ, Tanzania

Main passage: Mark 1:14-15

Jesus always challenged people to repent and believe in the gospel.  How do we teach this to others.  Through the framework of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration we can clearly tell people the plan and will of God for them. These are also bedrock realities that shape our understanding of life.  We must understand these realities and then be willing to share it.

God has called us to go and make disciples. To that end, He has placed us in this unique time and place. We specifically are called to reach our neighbors with the gospel of Jesus. Do we understand the need? Do we understand our mission? We must help people to become disciples and then develop as disciples of Jesus.

The Most Important Things to Remember

David Watson

20th Anniversary Service

Still seeking

Main Passage: multiple

We must commit to be lifelong seekers of God. How do we do that? Through worship, study, fellowship, and the rest of the disciplines. But these can’t be rote acts of obedience. We must continue to seek the heart of God from our heart. 

Adam Robinson

September 28, 2025