Living Faith Christian Church: Messages, Studies, & Stories

When parents raise children, they usually have ways that they reward obedience and discourage disobedience. As cute as children are, and as much as they need encouragement, they are born sinners who need correction, or they will grow up and their unstrained sin will bloom into full blown rebellion. But, even when they deserve punishment for something they did wrong, it is good to periodically give them grace instead. Why? Because that’s the kind of ‘parent’ God is. God met Noah on Mt Ararat and showed him that type of grace. Genesis 8 contains 4 aspects of his divine favor that applies to us too.

A tool company that manufactured drill bits was faced with financial losses, such that company executives gathered to discuss the problem: declining demand. The CEO challenged his team: "We need to revive the bit market! How can we do that?" After an embarrassing silence, one member of the team dispelled the fog: "Sir, the market isn't for drill bits--it’s for holes!" There are no markets for products. The market is for what products do. Customers buy the satisfaction of a need. That business story has an important application for our lives. God created us with needs. Genesis 2 indicates humans were created on Mt Eden with 4 types of needs, and God has provided us the proper way to meet those needs in Jesus.

The Bible describes the church’s worship gatherings as coming to the heavenly Mt Zion. Though on Earth, we can’t see the mountain, it’s real. It’s there and we see it through the eyes of faith. And when we come to church, we meet the needs of our souls on that mountain to be part of God’s Kingdom. The Lord has stamped eternity in our hearts. Humans belong to him and are only satisfied when we submit ourselves in faith to God’s King – Jesus. What is it about God’s kingdom that meets our needs? Hebrews 12:23-24 has 4 reasons why it’s an unshakable Kingdom and meets the deepest yearnings of our soul.

As we close out 2024 and prepare to step into a new year, join us for a message that will inspire and challenge you to reflect on life’s journey. Drawing from personal stories and Scripture, we’ll explore what it takes to endure through life’s ups and downs and how faith can help us finish well. Whether this year has been filled with triumphs or trials, this sermon is a reminder of the hope, focus, and perseverance we need to embrace the challenges ahead. Come ready to be encouraged and equipped for the race set before you in 2025!

Picture a massive CAT5 hurricane raging over the ocean. On the surface of the sea the violent winds whip the water into giant waves and create a scene of havoc and chaos. Yet if you go 100-150 feet below it, there’s little indication that there’s any disturbance above. The deeper you go, the calmer it is. During conflict, our tendency is to focus on what’s going on around us, but the best way to have peace is to deepen on our understanding of Jesus. Like the ocean, the deeper we go, the more peace there is in us. Isaiah 9:1-7 has 4 titles to help us learn more about the Lord so that we can have more peace.

There’s an old poem about peace that goes like this: In the center of the whirlpool, while the waters rush around; there’s a space of perfect stillness, though within turmoil it is bound; all is calm, and all is quiet, scarcely even a sense of sound; so with us-despite the conflict-when in Christ his peace is found. It’s easy to get negative in this world, but God wants Christians to be messengers of his peace especially when we are experiencing discord. Here are 4 actions from Philippians 4:2-9 that we can take to be the calm eye in the middle of a raging hurricane of conflict.

Many people remember what Neil Armstrong said as the first one to reach the Moon, “That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” But the motto of the mission was a different phrase: “We come in peace for all mankind.” What’s so ironic about that slogan is we human beings aren’t good at peace! Not good at all. We fight. A LOT. Wherever humans are, conflict is sure to follow. The Sea of Tranquility on the Moon was so tranquil, because there never had been any humans there to disturb the peace. And this aspect of who we are, that we are prone to fighting, no doubt, disturbs God. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 describes 4 ways Jesus grows peace in our relationships.

In the 1950’s, when J. Robert Oppenheimer, “the father of the atomic bomb,” ​appeared before a Congressional Committee someone asked him, “Is there any defense against these weapons?” He replied, “Peace.” Peace is the only hope we have against atomic bombs because once those missiles take off, the world will be destroyed. But how in the world can we have peace on Earth? World peace seems so elusive, doesn’t it? Well, did you know that God has a plan? And it involves you. Ephesians 2:11-22 contains 3 steps for us to take so that we are agents of God’s peace in the world. 

On one occasion, the Roman Emperor Augustus heard about a gentleman who had enormous debt, but still slept quietly The stress of his debt didn’t bother his soul whatsoever. The Emperor was envious and ordered his servants to buy the bed that the man slept on. Needless to say, it was a useless purchase for the great emperor. It didn’t bring him the peace he desired. Many people are like Augustus. We are looking for peace in all the wrong places. The place to find it is in a person: Jesus. John 20:19-23 has 4 reasons why we can have inner peace in Christ.

One time, a poor little boy saw all the big people putting money into the offering plate at church. He didn’t have any cash to give, but he did have his favorite five marbles in his pocket. So, he put them into the plate! After the meeting, one of the deacons asked the child if he wanted them back. “Oh, no!” he said, “I gave them to the Lord Jesus.” A man, inspired by the excellence of that little boy’s gift, gave the church five hundred dollars to buy them back for the boy. Exodus 35:4-29 contains four principles involved in giving to God’s work, and the last one is reflected in that little boy who had the faith to give his favorite marbles.