Imagine you were being held captive and you had two choices. You could profess your faith as being a Christian and die, or you could choose to stay silent and live. Which would you choose? If you are truly a follower of Christ, you should choose to die. Seems harsh right? But that’s what Jesus did for you! He died so that you could have eternal life. In today’s message, Pastor Jimmy is going to encourage you to become like Paul. He risked everything for his faith because he had hope that Jesus would save him. 

A strong church is full of a variety of people, serving in many different ways empowered by the Holy Spirit, to build a long-lasting movement of God.  As you seek to bring in believers, build leaders, and strengthen those in your midst, consider looking beyond the typical.  Today, Pastor Jimmy will encourage you to remember that effective leaders come from all kinds of backgrounds.  God can change anyone’s life and use them in powerful ways.  God can work in and through anyone who is faithful and obedient! 

Paul experienced many moments of suffering and turmoil.  He was rejected, hated, and many, many people did not choose Jesus after hearing him.  He felt like a failure many times during his ministry.  There will be times, Pastor Jimmy explains today, that you too will feel like a failure in your own faith or even in your ministry.  But, you must not give up walking faithfully with God.  Surround yourself with others who believe and cling to Jesus who empowers and sustains you.  God will not fail in His plans! 

When you explain, boldly and courageously, what Jesus has done in your life, people are often intrigued.  It’s a great place to start telling others about Jesus and the way to salvation.  But, it’s so important to go one step further, Pastor Jimmy encourages you today.  After proclaiming the name of Jesus, invite them to respond.  Ask them if they’d like to put their faith in Jesus.  Invite them to meet you at your church.  Encourage them to read the bible and seek God through prayer. Give them a chance to take a step of faith.  

There’s a strategy that some Christians use to try to convince others to believe in Jesus - they hate them because of their sin and convince them they’re going to hell unless they believe.  Well, today, Pastor Jimmy will encourage you to try a different way.  Instead of showing hatred and condemnation, show unbelievers love, kindness, and hope.  When you meet someone in their sin and shame, and offer Jesus, you’re shining light in their darkness.  You don’t have to condone their sin but lovingly show them a way out.  

In this world, you’ll face trouble as a believer, the bible declares.  Every culture resists the truth of God’s words and those who stand for it.  And for the church to survive and thrive its people need to be willing to stand firm in faith and resist the sway of culture Pastor Jimmy explains today.  It’s easier to go with the culture, it’s much harder to go against it and obey Jesus.  Because when you do, you’ll face trouble and trials.  But stand firm on Jesus.  Cling to His word.  Change the culture by showing the way of Jesus.  

Governments, cultural movements, and religious groups have all tried for centuries to stamp out the Christian movement.  And no matter how hard anyone tries to destroy Christianity, they can’t.  Today, Pastor Jimmy will explain how the small, early church has lasted and grown through the ages.  One of the most fundamental and important things that has helped the church to stand is its belief and trust in the bible.  The Bible informs the church’s mission in this world and the decisions they make.  

Salvation is not based on what you do at all. What you do will be influenced by your salvation - not the other way around. This has been an area of controversy since early on in the Church. Jewish Christians assumed that following the law was as important as believing in Jesus, and tried to push that on the Gentiles, but the Holy Spirit revealed a different truth. In today’s message, Pastor Jimmy will clarify that salvation simply comes through believing in Jesus as your Savior - no other requirements or conditions. 

In our world, there’s heavy pressure to just stay silent as Christians. Our media and culture sneer at us and act like we’re crazy to believe what we believe. We want to show grace as we encounter this oppression, but we also know that we’ve encountered a truth that needs to be shared. In today’s message, Pastor Jimmy will explore the balance of truth and grace - they go hand in hand with each other. Grace cannot withhold life-saving truth, but we need divine help to deliver it with grace.

Have you been hurt by the Church or a person in the Church? That can be hard to bounce back from. This group of believers represents Jesus, but all too often, we don’t look anything like Him in how we treat people. In today’s message, Pastor Jimmy will point out that those feelings are completely valid. We’re a flawed representation of Jesus. Like an amateur musician trying to play a masterpiece, we’re going to hit bad notes - but it doesn’t make the piece itself any less beautiful or brilliant.