Jesus heals, redeems, restores, and saves people. He loves people. The powers of darkness seek to degrade, dehumanize and destroy people. The powers of darkness hate people.

We choose Jesus.

Storms erupt in life at the most inconvenient and unexpected times. They kindle fear and anxiety and overwhelm us.

This Sunday morning, we will learn that storms can actually be beneficial for those who have a deepening faith in Jesus. We will learn about what is behind the storms in life and how we can respond.

First and Foremost

What are the priorities in your life? What do you consider "First and Foremost?"

We live extraordinarily fast-paced lives. In fact, many are proud they can "multi-task." However, we have to figure out what is "First and Foremost" in life at some point in time. That is when we become more effective with our lives.

This Sunday we are returning to the Gospel of Matthew. What Jesus does and says is going to challenge us. We will be challenged to determine what is "First and Foremost."

We have so many expectations throughout life. We expect to marry the right person, get a good job, have a family, and become financially successful. However, many times reality does not measure up to expectations. There are disappointments. Where do we go, and who do we rely on when our expectations are not satisfying?

God challenges us to live by faith in Jesus.

This Sunday we are going to learn about a remarkable man who had a heartbreaking situation. He knew he had only one person to go to when he was undergoing a tragic situation.

Where and who do you go to when life does not meet your expectations?

God is in the restoration business. I've been an artist all of my adult life. I have always been fascinated to see old masterpiece paintings restored. National Geographic magazine did a cover story, years ago, displaying the amazing restoration of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican in Rome. They showed the before and after pictures of the paintings. The paintings were distorted over the years because of grime. The restoration brought the paintings back to their magnificent brilliance.

The restoration was successful because the artisans were excellent at their craft. They knew exactly what to do.

This Sunday we are going to learn God is the master craftsman and knows exactly what to do. Your life may need restoration. God knows exactly what to do.

The Value of Worship." God has wired every one of us to worship. We have the free will to choose what we will worship. It is amazing that we will become much like whatever it is we worship.

God desires that we worship Jesus. We become more like Jesus when we worship Jesus. We experience more peace, patience, kindness, generosity, and joy.

There is a malevolent personality that wants to inhibit our worship of Jesus. We will learn about that interruption this Sunday. God teaches us how to overcome the enemy's efforts to destroy our worship.

This Sunday we begin a new sermon series called "Kingdom Power and Mission." The purpose of the series is to grow our faith in Jesus' power and authority to heal and deliver people who are struggling.

We will examine Matthew chapter 8 through 10. Those are the chapters that announce Jesus' public ministry. He steps into the public arena and begins to heal and deliver people from their suffering. We seek to be a church that operates in the grace and power of the Kingdom of Heaven. We will be devoting our time to praying for people to be healed and delivered from the suffering.

We welcome today, guest speaker Pastor Frank Siciliano. Pastor Frank leads "Freedom 4 Me Seminars", which is a two night and ½ day seminar that is for believers and non-believers who find themselves “stuck” in life, or stuck in their walk with God. Many Christians desperately want to do the assignment that God has given them but need help getting free to do His will. The Holy Spirit uses the focused teachings and small group setting to reveal areas in people's lives that need Freedom.

The seminar consists of 4 live teaching sessions. After each session, attendees gather in a small group lead by trained facilitators. The facilitators do not speak into peoples lives but are there to help a person hear directly from God. Truth will come directly from God. Jesus said in John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”

For more information you can go to www.Freedom4MeSeminars.com

Message from the executive director of The Friendship House.

God's plan is to turn people who attend church into an army for the good of those around us.

Every Sunday most of us that go to church are in need. We need encouragement, we need to learn more about who God is, we need friendship and fellowship. These are important and critical components of worshiping God. God delights in meeting those needs.

God also has a need. He delights in people who are willing to be molded and shaped into an army that will bring His goodness and grace to the world. This Sunday we will celebrate God's plan that will encourage us to become that army of good.