Center Stage: The Encore. Ever watched a sequel to a movie only to be disappointed that it was worse than the firsts movie? Or left a movie after you thought it was finished only to realize later there was an important sequence of clips after the credits rolled? Jesus’ first coming was terrific, especially His death, crucifixion, & resurrection. But His second coming will be a can't miss encore!

In theatre, there are certain stage cues used to give actors instructions where to stand on the stage, like “center stage.” When it comes to our life’s story and the story of humanity, Jesus wants to enter center stage. His life marks history itself. The question is, are we willing to move out of the center of our story, to allow Jesus to take center stage?

Since the beginning of time, God has been revealing Himself to humanity. His goal was to reveal an attribute, characteristic, and truth about Himself. Why? So humanity could know Him personally. Like a great nickname, when we get to know God, the names we use to refer to Him can draw us closer in relationship with Him.

Kool-Aid. Have you ever tried to explain an experience you had that left you speechless? Ever tried to simplify a complex idea? Early in the life of God’s Church, followers of Jesus did exactly this when it came to key beliefs the Church holds. The Nicene Creed is a consolidation for the core tenants of our faith. During this collection of messages, we’re going to take a fresh look at these Roots of Faith.

Community Easter Online Service. Multiple Churches, One Purpose

Set Your Sight. Where our eyes go, our life will go. We want to set our sight on things that are eternal. How we view money is one major indication of where we have set our sight. When we live generously, we put the gospel on display. Generosity demonstrates God’s character, after all, He gave us Jesus.

Expectation + Gratitude. We are living in unexpected times. It seems all of our normal expectations are changing and we feel the disappointment from unmet expectations. God’s promises allow us to stay grounded and our gratitude guards our heart against panic.

God longs to bless His people. He promises to bless the people who walk in unity. The tension is that unity is not our natural response, because it requires a major show of humility known as submission. There are only two ways to remain in unity ⏤ agreement or submission. We want to pre-decide to have a mindset of unity with humility.

Consumers and Contributors. God gave us the local Church to help reset the pre-programmed mindset of being a casual consumer. There is something good that occurs when we sacrifice and spend time serving others. It sharpens away our self-centered edge and softens our hearts to care about others. The key is to shift our focus and our worship off ourselves and onto the cause of Jesus.

Fix Your Focus. Your attention determines the direction you go in life. So, when we get distracted our lives easily drift away from our God-given purpose. But when we fix our focus on what matters most, we can find traction to move forward toward a satisfying life.