If you've been a human for any length of time you know we like to see ourselves in the extremes. We're either the best thing since sliced bread and God is lucky to have us on His side - or we -rightly- see the flaws in our character and desires and understand how truly broken we are. From that perspective, we can range from total amazement to that God would save us and use us for His glory, to doubt even God could us someone so messed up.-But the story of Esther reminds us that God accomplishes His will in spite of our flaws and not because of them. He turns our disasters into examples of His grace. That should give us all hope.

The story of Esther worried the early church and even some more recent theologians. How could a book of the Bible not mention God by name-- And also, how can a book of the Bible - God's holy Word - contain such spicy content and negative examples----God inspired this record of real events, and He also inspired the author to write it just as he did to remind us that a silent God is not an absent God. And more importantly, God is faithful at all times, even when we can't see the final outcome. Those fact make life today worth living too.

To understand what God is doing in the story of Esther, there's a bit of prologue and a lot of history and setting that needs to be covered. God promised to protect and preserve His chosen people, but thanks to their disobedience, they are now in captivity.--What God wants us to know from this story is that He is sovereign, and He keeps His promises. And what's important for us - even today - is to know that a silent God doesn't mean an absent God. His providence will prevail in spite of our circumstances.

We start a new book of the Bible today and we're in the first part of the Bible called the Old Testament. Pastor Pierre Rosa is beginning his preaching through the book of Esther.--The story of Esther is filled with drama, but it's also filled with hope for believers, who will be reminded that God is sovereign - meaning nothing escapes His control and will. God's name isn't even mentioned in Esther, but we will see - from the very beginning - that He is at work, in the affairs of man and the affairs of state, to accomplish His purposes and prove His faithfulness.--Today's message will be filled with context and details to help set the stage for the main story line, but even in the first 9 verses, we learn much about our great God.

This is where I would usually say, -Pastor Pierre Rosa is continuing his preaching from the book of Matthew- but we reached the end of the Matthew series last week- This is a huge milestone - the product of God's boundless grace, and countless hours of study and preparation by Pastor Pierre.--So rather than just rush on to the next book of the Bible, we thought it would be good to pause a bit and savor the moment. Today, we'll look back on the many highlights of the Gospel of Matthew and talk a bit about what God taught us through this study. I think you'll enjoy the conversation.

If you've ever wondered why you're alive - why you exist - then you're human. God put this sense of eternity in our hearts and that always leads us to wonder about our place in creation. The good news is that the Bible, in fact, Jesus Himself, gives us that answer.--And our mission, as believers, is very clear.--So, as we'll see, what remains for us is to decide if we're really followers of Christ or just admirers of Christ. Are we obedient servants to the God that saved us, or just sympathetic rebels with no hope of eternal life--

The scene we just left was Jesus, buried in a tomb. Praise God that's not where the story ends. No, if He had remained there, He would have been a martyr, He might have been a wise man to admire, but He wouldn't have been the Son of God.--The apostle Paul tells us that God authenticated Jesus as His Son by resurrecting Him from the dead and that's what we'll study today - the scene of the resurrection. It changes everything about how we face today.

Easter is never celebrated with the same enthusiasm as Christmas - and that's not much of a surprise. Christmas is full of lights and candles, gifts, and if you include Jesus, He's a little baby in a manger - not bothering us or confronting our sin at all.--But Easter is the pivot point of history. It's Easter, with its suffering, death, and glorious resurrection, that makes new life possible.--Today, Pastor Pierre Rosa reminds us of his favorite phrase in the Bible- But God---The before and after picture is quite stark. All was lost, but God stepped in to save us. And that's why we should treasure Easter above all other events.

The story of Christ's death is often rushed through - so we can get to the good part- the resurrection. But if we move too quickly, we miss important lessons from these events.--Today for example, we'll stop and watch the process surrounding the burial of Christ. Far from trivial, we'll see God at work, each step of the way. And God means to show us this, if we'll just pay attention. And when we do, we'll witness a God that not only care about the big stuff, but who also cares about our little, insignificant worries and griefs as well.

We've reached the crucifixion of Jesus. This bloody and horrific scene is at the center point of history. It's where redemption occurred and humanity - cursed by sin - found hope in God's Son.--In this third and final message on this event, we witness the last moments before Christ's death. We are amazed that Jesus is still able to speak. We hear the reaction of doubters nearby. And then we see what appears to be the end of Jesus.