The primary theme of James is living out one's faith, being a doer of the Word and not just a hearer. James calls the follower of Jesus to demonstrate the authenticity of their faith in the midst of all the real life issues and struggles that all believers face, including trials, temptation, self-control, favoritism, wealth and poverty, work, the tongue, and anger.

From the beginning of human existence light was crucial for life. Light holds captive the ability to give all creatures of the earth, sea and air the power of sight. Without the ability to see, being in pure darkness, humans embody fear. Starting in our minds then invading into our hearts and souls. In the first century darkness was more prevalent than light, much like our world today. The Gospel writer, John, makes it clear that Jesus is the light all of humanity needs in the physical and spiritual darkness of our lives. This morning we will examine John's direction for all people towards the light and their orientation to all other people.

What Must I Do to Please God?, Speaker: Darin Slater - This message was preached on June 7th, 2015.

For many of our families, Summer might include vacations, camping trips, and lots of other fun outings. But, for those who are followers of Jesus, Summer also comes with a great opportunity to build relationships with neighbors and get in on great service and mission opportunities. This morning, we are going to here a challenge coming from Jesus' last words on earth and find ways to apply this to our summer.

Have you ever thought about who would play you if your story was ever told in a movie? It may be something interesting to fantasize about, but truth is that we may feel like our story is pretty small and unimportant, so who would want to tell it? As we come to the end of Exodus and conclude our series on this great story told in this book, the truth is that there are lots of people connected to this story of whom we know nothing of. But, they were invited into and involved in the great narrative of God telling His story. And their bit part in this great epic makes everything in their lives important. Today we will conclude our series with a challenge to find our place in the great unfolding story of God.

Remember being a kid and having to go into those creepy places, maybe a damp basement or shadow filled room. You knew you had to go there, but you were so scared. Just going down the stairs or the hall was traumatic. If only someone would walk in front of you to make the journey feel safe and secure. The Exodus story ends with the people preparing to leave Sinai. They are going to journey toward the Land of Promise. It could be a scary journey but they won't go alone. The God who delivered them will go before them, that is as long as they trust and obey.

The God Who Has a People, Speaker: Mike Hubbard - This message was preached on May 10th, 2015.

What a great story! God has rescued His people and they know their God. Moses is up on Mount Sinai receiving God's Word for His people. Seems like everything in Exodus is going to work out great. The problem is that in the valley the Hebrews are losing their mind, pretty much breaking all of the commandments. The valley below looks more like Las Vegas than Sunday church. How can they abandon God so quickly, turn to idols, and absolutely disobey everything they have been commanded? Easy to judge, because, of course, we would never do that. Truth is that the Bible is so real because it is honest about the failure and flaws of people, and the absolute need for grace. But, the Golden Calf story also reminds us that our prayer matters as we pray for fallen and broken people.

It's not like God needs me. He is the Sovereign Creator of everything. But, in His mercy and grace, God chooses to accomplish His purpose and work on this earth through His people. The past two weeks we learned that God has given Moses plans to build an elaborate Tabernacle filled with furniture that is ornate and beautiful. He has also given instructions for the making of clothing to be worn by the priests as they serve before the Lord. God could have just dropped these things from the sky, no big deal for the God who made the earth and the universe. But, He chose to use the giving and gifts of His people to complete this task. This is one of the great truths about the character of our God, He is the God who invites us to join Him!

Leaders are vitally important, especially among the people of God. As much as we hate to admit it, leaders reproduce themselves in the people they lead, especially when part of their job involves representing God and accurately interpreting scripture. As God prepares His people for their departure from Mount Sinai and their journey to the Promised Land, He give the people the Priesthood which is a key form of leadership for the Hebrews. Their role is to be the mediator, the go-between for God and His people, as they will represent God to the people and will represent the people before their God. If they accurately complete their role, the result will be that the people will have a clear understanding of their God.