All of us long for community and a sense of togetherness. At the same time, the values our culture prizes most teach, reinforce, celebrate, and undermine the very thing we want. Most people are lonely and relationally unfulfilled. This is not how God intended life to be. In the last message, we learned that the birth of the church launched a new community in which individuals shared their life together at every level--spiritually, relationally, and economically.

The Empowered Life

Pastor Chris Martin

www.linworthroadchurch.com

In Week One of our new series The Empowered Life, Pastor Chris gave us an introduction into the book of Acts and into the role of the Holy Spirit. This week we want to look a little closer at this idea of receiving power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, as it says in Acts 1:8. What is this power? Why do we need it? Who is it for, and how do we receive it?

The Empowered Life

Pastor Nick Carruthers

www.linworthroadchurch.com

Christians have believed for centuries in the Trinity--that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yet many Christians give only a nod to the Holy Spirit. He has been forgotten, neglected, and misunderstood. When we fail to grasp His Presence, we default to what we know: self-reliance. Our lives lack power and are marked more by defeat than victory.

This Sunday we open a series from the book of Acts called The Empowered Life. The story of the first Christians is about Jesus continuing His ministry through ordinary people empowered by the Spirit.

The Empowered Life

Pastor Chris Martin

www.linworthroadchurch.com

Seven churches in the ancient world received the most remarkable evaluation a church could ever hope for. Jesus' message to these select churches was given to the Apostle John and is recorded in the book of Revelation. To the faithful members of one church Jesus said, "Hold on to what you have until I come." A church's character and beliefs are not inevitable...they are the result of conscious choices.

In the last two messages, Pastor Nick Carruthers has addressed two important questions regarding the topic of worship: 1) What is Worship? and 2) Why Do We Worship? As we continue on to the last message in our Worship series, we will address the question, “How Do We Worship?” We will see how our deepened knowledge and understanding of worshiping God requires a response that reaches far beyond singing songs at church.

In the last message, we kicked off our new series on worship by trying to answer the question: What is worship? In this message, we move on to answer another important question on the topic of worship: Why do we worship?

There has been a lot of confusion recently when it comes to the topic of worship. Many churches have people called worship leaders who sing “worship” songs, but is that really all there is when it comes to worship? Is worship just singing certain types of songs on Sundays, or have we missed something more? In this first message we will answer the question, "What is worship?"

As we start the new year, Pastor Bob Hearon gives thoughts and reflections on what the Scriptures say about work.

Joy to the World! The Lord is come! Let earth receive her King! The opening lines of this carol are so familiar, it is virtually impossible to merely read them. The music, anthem-like quality, and energy encased in the lyrics leaps off the page as you rehearse them. How did it become the most published hymn in North America? And what Scripture text inspired it?

In the third part of our Carols series, we look at O Holy Night (French: Cantique de Noël), a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 based on the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" (Midnight, Christians). This carol has a surprising and intriguing story attached to it. Its lyrics give us three views of the birth of Christ--a view from heaven, a view from the manager, and a view from our own lives. Within the words of this song, the poet paints a picture of Luke Chapter 2 and the entrance of our savior into a world “in sin and pining, till He appeared."