A Sunday sermon by Pastor David Singh.

It is Palm Sunday and a time to remember what we call the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Through the years of remembering and adding traditions and rituals like waving palms by children, we have almost lost the seriousness of what was going on.

The crowds were oblivious to what was coming. Only Jesus knew that he was entering Jerusalem, and that this journey would lead to the Cross and death. Yes, Easter will come but not without the Cross and death.

As a nation we are going into one of the toughest weeks in modern history. There is more death coming than anyone thought possible. In the midst of this horror we are called to carry the cross and display the crucified one. The Cross is a reminder that the wages of sin is death. We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 15:55-58:

'O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is

the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved

brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in

the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor

is not in vain.

May the work of the Cross give you confidence in the face of death!

A Sunday morning online sermon by Pastor Steve Hartman.

"Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed" (Exodus 17:11). Lift up your hands in prayer and let all prevail against the enemy. As with Moses, we can get tired, exhausted and our hands can droop. But it is important to lift our hands in prayer and persist if we want to win the victory.

Eternity Church, we were given a prophecy by Pastor Keith Hill that we are called to circle the walls of Jericho in prayer. Our time has come to pray seven times more than normal until the wall crumbles. The call is to walk by faith again and again. It is not what we can see but who goes before us that matters.

Exodus 17:15 says: When the battle had ended ". . . Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner." Come to this altar and make your sacrifice of prayer.

May faith in God give us the energy to do battle against the enemy!

A Sunday morning online sermon by Pastor Steve Hartman.

God is still in control! Jesus is our only security! And now is the time to seek more of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, this is what I chose to say: "I believe in the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit."

In times of trouble and helplessness, as the people of God, we have two choices: to either reaffirm our faith in the Presence and Goodness of God, or to question like the Israelites did when they ran out of water in the desert, "Is the Lord among us or not?" (Exodus 17:7).

How can we continue to affirm God is good when the current situation raises deep existential questions? It is because we have a history and a personal testimony of God's initiative in rescuing us from previous bondage. This is not some personal delusion; it is supported by generations whose history goes back to the events of the Exodus and the victory of the Cross.

We are not simply saying "this too shall pass." We are making a clear and bold statement. We are the children of God, and we believe in God.

May your faith grow in these troubled times!

A Sunday morning online sermon by Pastor David Singh.

Paul in writing to the Philippians says: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice." Paul wrote this letter while in prison, probably in Rome about 60 A.D. His helper Epaphroditus had recovered from sickness and was returning to Philippi. What is Paul's reservoir of contentment even in such testing situations?

This Christian joy is not a stoic tenacity and endurance that just stays tough in the midst of misfortune and hardship. It is not a mantra of saying "Praise the Lord" when everything around you is crashing. Instead, there is in the heart of every believer a deep security which transcends the surrounding circumstances. Peace is not that which comes from outside of us; it is the presence of God in us. We are in Christ, and Christ is in us.

This is why Psalm 23 is such a favorite. "The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want . . . He restores my soul." What we learned as a child now resonates at a much deeper level for us as adults. Faith is more personal, and it has grown. Our experience with God has deep roots and knows how to draw to the surface a security that is counterintuitive. I can rejoice in the Lord always! Always!

May this joy of the Lord be your strength!

A Sunday morning sermon by Pastor David Singh.

God has not given up on the Church. Jesus loves the Church, and it is still his primary instrument in demonstrating that the Kingdom of God has come into the world. Today the Church gets a bad rap and rightly so in most allegations. However, what cannot be ignored is that without the Church the world as we know it would be a lot more evil, hard, cruel and violent.

The Church is both that which comes through the centuries and that which the Spirit gives birth to in fresh ways around the world. It is local and international. The Church gathers around Jesus Christ, and it is in the confession of His name that the Church is constituted. Matthew reminds us of this in 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

At Eternity our goal is to "Gather the nations to worship Christ Jesus and to imitate him." Every time we gather in worship we are a tiny microcosm of God's kingdom plan. We have a part to play. And we are joined both through history and geography with peoples from every tongue, nation, tribe and language. Membership in a local church is an invitation to sign up with a local gathering of believers to participate In this Kingdom plan.

Come and let us together exalt the Name of Jesus!

A Sunday morning sermon by Pastor David Singh.

Our God shared his authority with us when he made us in his image. Both men and women have relinquished this authority, and Satan has taken hold of it. The authority we now share is corrupted by sin. So there is unequal authority, one ruling over the other, the other fighting to regain it, and all this causes disunity. This is the purpose of the Devil. He is the sower of discord.

Our God by his very nature is one. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share equal authority. It is this simultaneous oneness and shared authority which is at the core of the Trinity. What God offered man and woman when he created them is this nature of oneness that comes from shared authority. Satan's purpose was to destroy this unity and bring dissension instead.

Now it is natural for us in our sinful and limited understanding of God to impart to him a human hierarchy that he does not necessarily possess. What we need is to go back to God's revelation of himself and let that be the yardstick for relationships between a man and a woman. The nature of the Trinity transcends familial, organizational, doctrinal, traditional, and historical definitions for male-female relationship and authority.

It is the character and revelation of God in the bible along with God's vision for humanity, both before the Fall and after the Second Coming, which become the heavenly vantage point to determine God's plan for us here on earth.

May God be always more than what we have known!

May we as men and women learn to share authority!

A Sunday morning sermon by Pastor Singh.

"Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" is one of my favorite prayers. Ministry in the church has been a male prerogative. Historically, women in ministry have been subject to the authority of men in the church. What is the vision for women in ministry at Eternity Church? How does our vision for women fit in with God's master plan for his kingdom?

This week we will study God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit, and how God deals with women. From Creation to the Second Coming we can get glimpses of his purpose and learn from the pivotal turning points of our salvation history.

To be human is to experience God through the vectors of mind, body, and spirit. Both men and women bring these essential elements of human nature under God and let God do his work in us. It is not our essential goodness but the initiative, grace and work of God that makes both men and women vessels and instruments for his presence and work.

The following week we will look at a methodology to interpret scripture and do theology as a church with a particular focus on difficult passages that deal with women in leadership and ministry.

Come with expectation that God wants to use all of us!

A Sunday morning sermon by Pastor David Singh.

Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of me" (1 Cor. 11:24). In this command, the sacred meal of the Passover that was celebrated annually to commemorate the Exodus is given new meaning. Jesus shifts the focus of the saving experience to a remembrance of what he has done at the Cross. It is no longer just a remembrance of the Exodus; it is now a remembrance of Jesus at the Cross. Jesus is the Savior. This is the Lord's Supper.

In 1 Corinthians 11:25, Jesus also commands: "Do this, . . . often . . . in remembrance of me." The Communion is meant to be a regular oft-repeated remembrance of Jesus. This is not meant to become so common that it loses its devotion or power. However, it is a regular often repeated experience of Jesus. Jesus is the bread and wine who nourishes our souls in our daily lives. This is the Holy Communion with Jesus.

Finally, Paul says " For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." Jesus is the one who saved us, and yes, he saves us daily. Then the Sacrament is also the visible sign of an inward grace. Every participation in the sacrament is meant to increase this grace, an anticipation for the coming of Jesus when the saving work of Jesus is complete. As long as we do this regularly in remembrance of Jesus, we are proclaiming that He is coming again.

Come Lord Jesus, Come Soon!

A Sunday morning sermon by Pastor David Singh.

This week we consider the election of new elders for Eternity Church.

Our elders are chosen through a discernment process guided by the Holy Spirit. The Nomination Committee does not meet or discuss who to choose. Each committee member spends time listening to the Spirit and then they come with names, which are presented to the others at their first meeting. The committee's task is to observe the convergence of the Spirit and list the names that are common. These names are then given to the Pastor; he has also been praying and made a list of his own. The common names from the different lists are then presented to the Elder Board. The Elder Board approves this list and presents it to the congregation for a vote. During this whole process, the congregation is also given the opportunity to propose names.

After the congregation has voted on the names, the newly-elected elder nominees are invited to explore and demonstrate their call over a period of one year. This gives the church the opportunity to observe their ministry and for the nominees to test their own calling. It is only after this probationary period that elected nominees are ordained as elders. They serve a period of three years in the congregation and the church at large.

I am deeply grateful that over the years this process has helped us to find elders whose distinguishing marks are: servanthood, humility, prayer, discernment of the Spirit and people of character who command respect both in the church and in the world.

Come with prayer and thanksgiving for what God is doing among us!

A Sunday morning sermon by Pastor Steve Hartman.

You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing

You say I am strong when I think I am weak

And you say I am held when I am falling short

And when I don't belong, oh You say I am Yours.

(From "You Say" by Lauren Daigle)

What lyrics to remember of God's song to us when our mindset takes a hit.

This Sunday join us to hear more of what God has to say when we are facing weakness. We welcome guest preacher Steve Hartman, retired pastor from Third Church, and his message,"Surprised by the Power of God in Weakness."