ISAIAH 49:8-15; LUKE 2:1-20; GALATIANS 4:4-6; EPHESIANS 1:9-11

Jesus has just been born, and an angel says to the shepherds in the field, “Do not be afraid! I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” The announcement of Jesus’ birth to shepherds is quite significant when you stop to consider its implications and what it says about God and the part we all play in his plan. In the fourth Sunday of Advent, Pastor David shares how Jesus is a Messiah for the lowest of men to the highest of kings, and that everyone gets included in his story.

WORSHIP RESOURCES

FEAR NOT! YOU HAVE A PART TO PLAY (3RD OF 3 IN  SERIES)

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (none this week)

BULLETIN (12-22-2024)

PROVERBS 3:34; LUKE 1:26-38; EPHESIANS 2:8-10; 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-31

Mary was not fully married when the angel came to her and said, “Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God.” He then told her she would conceive and give birth to the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. What does this news to a young peasant girl from a backwater village say about God’s favor and his ways of blessing the humble? In the third Sunday of Advent, Pastor David shares about God’s grace and how the Lord chooses the most improbable people to fulfill his purposes.

WORSHIP RESOURCES

FEAR NOT! GOD'S FAVOR IS UNMERITED (2ND OF 3 IN  SERIES)

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (12-15-24)

BULLETIN (12-15-2024)

PSALM 6:1-10; LUKE 1:5-25; HEBREWS 5:7-8; JAMES 5:16

It seemed like another day in the Temple, until an angel appeared and frightened Zechariah, a Jewish priest. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer.” But it’s likely that Zechariah had moved on from that prayer a long time ago and had given up on it being answered. In the first Sunday of Advent, Pastor David reminds us that God hears our prayers, and he encourages us to trust in the loving Lord who responds to our prayers and develops our character in the waiting.

WORSHIP RESOURCES

FEAR NOT! GOD HEARS YOUR PRAYERS (1ST OF 3 IN  SERIES)

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (12-01-24)

BULLETIN (12-01-24)

Today we are celebrating God's faithfulness over this past year and expressing our gratitude for the good things he has done.

WORSHIP RESOURCES

BULLETIN (11-24-24)

JUDGES 2:10; PSALM 145:3-5; MATTHEW 28:18-20

Amid a constantly progressing world, where change is often seen as progress, God wants to remind us today—through the stories in the Bible from the lives of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, and even through the story of Bhutanese and Nepali refugees—that He is faithful, even when we don’t see it clearly. He has never changed! In today’s message, Pastor Royal Rai shares his migration story from a refugee camp in Bhutan to the greater Harrisburg where he is planting Ignite Church with a vision to reach future generations of the Bhutanese and Nepali community.

WORSHIP RESOURCES

FANNING THE FLAME SERMON SLIDES (11-17-24)

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (11-17-24)

BULLETIN (11-17-24)

JOHN 7:14-18; I JOHN 2:6; I PETER 3:8-18; REVELATION 12:1-12

People have questions and objections to the Third Way. What are some of those? And what does it look like to embody the Third Way in the church, in our everyday lives, and in our relationships? In the final message of our series, Pastor David responds to questions and objections to the Third Way, he invites us to see that it’s about faithfulness to the Lamb—not being “effective” in the eyes of the world—and he helps us to imagine what is possible when we fully embrace the Third Way of Jesus.

QUESTIONS & OBJECTIONS: BEING FAITHFUL TO THE LAMB SERMON SLIDES (6th OF 6 IN SERIES)

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (11-10-24)

BULLETIN (11-10-24)

MATTHEW 5:1-16; EPHESIANS 4:1-6; PHILIPPIANS 1:27

Last week we looked at the approach and posture that Jesus had when dealing with hot-button issues and polarizing debates of his day. What does it look like to embody the Third Way today? How do we apply the Lord’s example to issues and extremes in a divided America? And what do we do about voting? In the fifth message of our series, Pastor David shares what it might look like to respond to divisive issues in a Third Way, and then he invites us to be a faithful presence and witness for Christ.

OUR THIRD WAY WITNESS SERMON SLIDES (5th OF 6 IN SERIES)

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (11-3-24)

BULLETIN (11-3-24)

MATTHEW 5:38-48, 22:33-40; MARK 12:13-17; JOHN 8:1-8

It’s important to look closely at how Jesus responded to hot-button issues and polarizing debates in his day. We can see several examples in the gospels of how Jesus navigated the extremes. What is the “Third Way” and how did Jesus model it for us? Also, what are the issues and extremes today? Are we “biting the bait” or are we embodying the Third Way? In the fourth message of our series, Pastor David invites us to adopt Jesus’ posture and approach to polarizing debates and extremes.

THE THIRD WAY FOR EXTREME DAYS OF GOD SERMON SLIDES (4th OF 6 IN SERIES)

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (10-27-24)

BULLETIN (10-27-24)

 

PSALM 36:5-7; MICAH 6:8; MATTHEW 12:15-2; LUKE 4:14-21

We can see in the gospels that Jesus cared deeply about justice. In fact, Jesus furthered an ancient vision of God’s justice for all nations. But this “justice” often looks much different than the way the world defines and imagines it. In the third message of our series, Pastor David helps us see that if we’re going to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly” with God in the Third Way of Jesus, then we first must be captured and committed to his unique Kingdom vision for setting the world to rights.

JESUS AND THE JUSTICE OF GOD SERMON SLIDES (3RD OF 6 IN SERIES)

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (10-20-24)

BULLETIN (10-20-24)

 

EXODUS 20:3, 23; MATTHEW 4:1-11, 10:1-4; EPHESIANS 6:10-12

The gospel doesn't fit neatly into our political categories. Jesus is not a cheerleader for any political party. And he didn't fully align himself with any party in his own day. Rather, Jesus intentionally chose a politically diverse group of disciples and said: "Follow me." What does this mean for how we are called to live out our faith and conduct ourselves politically? In the second message of our series, Pastor David invites us to repent of political idolatry, resist the partisan mind, and faithfully follow Jesus.

POLITICAL BUT NOT PARTISAN SERMON SLIDES (2nd OF 6 IN SERIES)

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (10-13-24)

BULLETIN (10-13-24)