Have you ever found yourself standing before an authority figure (parent, principal, boss, police etc...) knowing that you're guilty and deserving of punishment?  In Zechariah 3 Joshua the high priest finds himself standing guilty in heaven's courtroom while Satan accuses him before God.  Today, Pastor Rich will show how through the grace of God we can find our righteousness in Christ.

Zechariah 3

In Zechariah you see the tension of "now but not yet" - the reality of today contrasted with the promises of tomorrow.  God promised Israel that one day the Messiah would be on the throne of David and would bring peace and prosperity - however that promise has not yet been fulfilled.  Like Israel we also have this tension - we're living in a fallen sinful world, struggling with our own fallen desires, while longing to be with our Savior in heaven one day. 

How do we live and survive in this tension?  Today, Pastor Rich will answer this as we look at Zechariah 2.

Zechariah 2

Prophecy points to God's faithfulness, promise keeping, and sovereignty.  It is meant to be an encouragement to us - that we serve and have been redeemed by a promise keeping God.  Prophecy is meant to give us a hope for the future - that our amazing God is in control and is guiding everything according to His plan.  A right view of prophecy should compel us to increase our evangelism - this king is coming back you need to believe in and worship Him before He returns. We should ask ourselves "Is that how I'm living out these words?"

Does prophecy increase your obedience or does it fill you with anger or anxiety?  Today, Pastor Rich will discuss the four horsemen and the four horns, how they relate to Israel and what we need to do about it.

Have you ever felt like you were coasting through life, struggling to just survive? 

The book of Zechariah was written to Israel during a time of great uncertainty.  Israel's seventy year exile to Babylon had ended, and God had allowed them to go back to their homeland as He promised.  However, things were difficult.  Many Israelites had grown comfortable in Babylon and were reluctant to go.  Those that went faced a homeland in ruin that needed to be completely rebuilt.  In addition, Israel had to fight off enemies within their homeland that wanted to thwart and kill them.  So for sixteen years they stopped rebuilding the Temple and were merely coasting through life, trying to survive.

Today, Pastor Rich will show us that like Israel after their exile, God doesn't want us to coast through life, merely surviving.  He wants us to be a light to others, pointing them to Him.  

Zechariah 1:1-6

Today, Jim Gardner will show us what the Bible teaches about dinosaurs, dragons, and how they fit into the Bible's teachings.  

One of the most difficult things to deal with in this life is loneliness.  Tough situations are made tougher when one doesn't have a support system.  Even in our prison system the worst level of punishment someone can get (other than capital punishment) is solitary confinement.  We realize that there is something grievous about isolation - and isolation is a killer.

Isolation brings death and destruction because we were created for community.  God exists in community with Himself (the Trinity), and as image bearers of Him, He wired us to thrive in community.

Today Pastor Rich will discuss that ministry, like life is a team sport - it goes much better when you have a team around you for encouragement and support in good and bad times.

Colossians 4:7-18

Do you have a friend, family member or co-worker that you enjoy hanging around with because they're a source of encouragement - bringing a bit of sunshine to every situation?  Everyone likes to be around these type of people.

Today Pastor Rich will show us from Colossians how to be sources of encouragement to others, pointing them to Jesus.

Colossians 4:2-6

Have you ever seen a fairytale that depicts a 2 headed dragon?  In most of the story lines this makes for a dysfunctional beast, not capable of making the best decisions, rendering it vulnerable to attack by the right opponent.

Just like the dragon, an organization doesn't function using the "2 headed" plan.  There is an ordering in society and the family.  Even the Godhead (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) has an order.  As you saw the Son (Jesus) during His earthly ministry, He submitted to the will of the Father.  They were coequal in glory, majesty, power, and as members of the Trinity, but Jesus submitted to His Father.

Today Pastor Rich will discuss what order looks like in a Christian home, and how our homes can best represent Him.    

Colossians 3:18-4:1

Whether you're in a changing room at the beach, a changing room at the department store, or in a public restroom stall - when someone comes and rattles the door, it often is a nerve wracking experience.  You're in a period of transition that you want no one to be a part of. As we grow in Christ some of the most precarious times are when we commit to forsake sin, and are in that transitional "now what" time period.  During this time it is important to know what to do next.  

God, in His grace and mercy, has spelled out a process for us.  As we take off sin (greed, lust, sexual immorality) we put on Christ. In our passage today, Pastor Rich shows us what it looks like to become more like Christ and less like our old sinful self.

Colossians 3:12-17

Have you ever been invited to go to church and had the thought that you needed to get your life cleaned up before you could go?  The thing is, Jesus is the only one who can clean up your life - and church is a great place to find Him.  It's like needing to go to the Emergency Room, but stopping to get ready first (take a shower, pick out a nice outfit, fix your hair etc...).  Some things are so urgent that when you need to go, nothing else matters.  

As we look at Colossians 3:1-11 we see that we are transformed by Jesus - and as we are being transformed we begin to live differently.