Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor

We aren't so good.

Luke 5

vs 1-5

vs 8, "I am a sinful man."

Peter was not okay with Peter.

vs 10-11

What makes the good news so good is that we aren't so good.

Philippians 2:10-11

Romans 3:23-24

Welcome home!

Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor

Christianity…Is it true?

**What is your it?

Is it GOOD?

When we hear good news, we hope it is true.

Jesus birth:

Good news of great joy… for ALL people!

(Luke 2)

Good news = the gospel

Luke 16:16

Luke 1:1-4

Luke 5:17-26

Luke 5:27-32

Luke 6:32-36

It’s following that makes a difference in this world.

Luke 2:11

Mark 10:45

It's all GOOD [news]!

Message by Bob Crosthwaite, Pastor Emeritus

Luke 15:11-32

vs 12-13

The grass in the next pasture always looks greener.

vs 15-16

- the worst part of the picture

vs 17

- reasoning/intelligence

John 14:2

vs 22-24

If you really want to have a blast, you can’t do it in the “far country”!

1 John 1:9

A son is a son forever!

__________________

1, The younger son

2, The elder son

3, The One who uttered the parable: the Son of God.

YOU can become a son, or daughter, of the Heavenly Father TODAY!

Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor

We are to treat each other in the church the way that God has treated each of us in Christ.

the "one anothers"

Galatians 6:2

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27

When we care for one another...

...we're caring for the body of Christ.

...we enable the body to more effectively fulfill it’s mission.

...no one is expected to carry someone else's burden alone.

...if you don't let the body care for you, we all suffer.

Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor

FEAR

fear = loss (of control)

Fear doesn’t have to be based in reality for it to affect us in a very real way.

ANGER

us vs them

UNITY

Psalm 133:1

John 17:1-21

John 15:12

HOPE

When we lose control, we hold tightest to our source of hope.

Our hope is in the person of Jesus!

____________________________

Thoughts for REFLECTION:

Anger

How have you processed your anger through this election season? Is there someone you need to forgive? Is there someone you need to apologize to? Has your anger brought glory to God? What adjustments do you need to make to ensure that your anger is surrendered to God?

Fear

Ask yourself: in light of this election, what am I fearful of? Is this fear based in reality or perception? If the thing you fear came to be, could you still thrive in the kingdom of God? Would the Holy Spirit be enough for you?

Unity

How critical have you been in recent months of people with different views than yours? How can you learn to focus on the image of God in the people around you?

Hope

The kingdom of God wins or loses based on the strength of our unity around the Truth of the Gospel, the hope of the resurrection, and the mission of the church, to love people into a growing relationship with Jesus.

Let’s be mindful of the source of our hope, the reason we can be hopeful about the future… our hope must be rooted firmly and only in Jesus!

Message by Ben Crosthwaite

"conservative" // "progressive"

**The mature follower of Jesus is

ROOTED in what God has done in the past //

OPEN to where God is leading now.

Exodus 14:10-12

Exodus 16:3

Numbers 14:2-4

We often prefer the familiarity of slavery over the unknowns of freedom.

God's Spirit will point us backwards to remember what He has done in the past, but will only call us to move in one direction -- forward.

___________________________________

**The mature follower of Jesus is

ROOTED in the ancient Christian tradition //

OPEN to new ways of practicing the faith.

Paul's conversion: Acts 9

Acts 17:16-22

We ought to be willing to affirm someone's intentions, even when we disagree with their conclusions.

Acts 17:23-34

___________________________________

**The mature follower of Jesus is

ROOTED in who they are //

OPEN to growth.

Change is not the point... growth is!

(if it's a negative trait, it's not "who you are")

"Rootless openness leads to aimlessness."

Message by Bob Crosthwaite, Pastor Emeritus

Everyone you meet is fighting a battle about which you know nothing.

Revelation 12:7-12

Isaiah 14:12-15

Luke 4:29

2 Corinthians 2:11

I Peter 5:8

Revelation 12:7-9

The first “Casting Down” of Satan:

Deprived of his PLACE

Isaiah 14

Ezekiel 28

Ephesians 6:12

Ephesians 2:2

Revelation 12: 10-11

The second “Casting Down” of Satan:

Deprived of his POWER

Romans 8:33-34

John 12:31

Revelation 12:12

The third “Casting Down” of Satan:

Banned from the HEAVENLIES

Revelation 20:11

***3 Keys to Overcoming the Enemy:

By the power of...

the Cross

our Confession

Romans 10:10

Psalm 119:1

our Commitment

1 Peter 5:6-9

...Quitter or Overcomer??

Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor

James 5

Almost everyone prays.

Almost everyone is frustrated with prayer.

Common frustrations:

#1, I’m not sure anyone is listening.

#2, I don’t feel like I know how to pray well.

#3, I have a hard time focusing.

#4, it’s repetitive.

#5, The praying out loud thing!

What is the purpose of prayer?

~ a button to be pushed?

~ a relationship to be pursued.

And what if God is pursuing you?

Luke 11:1-4

The most perplexing question in prayer is “why?”

Remember:

you are not God.

God isn’t done.

“Do I really believe that God is good?

Do I really trust Him?”

What we want is an answer, but what we need is a Person.

#1, express desires, not demands.

#2, pray “not my will, but Your will.”

#3, focus on the Giver, not the gift.

Message by Josh Young

RIDICULOUS:

causing or worthy of ridicule or derision; absurd; preposterous; laughable

Human perspective vs God’s perspective

Isaiah 55:8-9

Genesis 22:2-13

Plot twist - God would eventually be the one to sacrifice His own Son.

1 Samuel 17

God’s perspective:

The battle belongs to Him.

Judges 7

God’s perspective:

He will rescue you.

Luke 1:34-35

God’s perspective:

God is about to take on human form - an unprecedented act that will happen in an unprecedented way.

God’s perspective:

God can take a little and turn it into a lot - his math is different than ours.

God’s perspective: Faith requires obedience.

John 9:10-11

Isaiah 53:5, 10-12

Romans 5

Message by Todd Crosthwaite, Lead Pastor

James 5

Suffering and pain...

Why? When?

Vs 7-8

Gr: stabilize your heart

Vs 9-11

Perhaps God as you would like for Him to be does not exist.

The only thing worse than disappointment with God is disappointment without God. (Philip Yancey)