This is the first week of our new fall series, Revealed! Pastor Dave introduces how the Old Testament points to Jesus. When we see Jesus in the Old Testament, it fully opens the scriptures to us and allows us to know Him better. It also prevents us from misperceiving God and frees us from performance driven religion. Understanding the Old Testament law that Jesus fulfilled, reveals just how amazing Jesus truly is. 

Our mission here at North Way Christian Community is to lead people to know, experience, and follow Jesus. When we do those things, we encounter God. However, each of us naturally prefers one over the other two. You might love mission trips and evangelism, so you prefer the follow circle. There is also one that we don’t prefer. But without all three…know, experience, and follow…our mission is incomplete and ineffective. The longer we stay in our preferred circle alone, the more divided our church becomes. When we are willing to know Jesus, seek to experience Him, and follow Him and what He calls us to do, we will encounter God.

We all have roadblocks in our path that keep us from fully stepping into the life that God has for us. Some of us are aware of our roadblocks and we avoid them. Or sometimes they are blind spots and sneak up on us. In this sermon, Pastor Brad Beggs talks about worship roadblocks. Worship isn’t about what we like, but who we love. If we are willing to put aside our certain preferences, circumstances, past experiences, and feelings toward worship, God will pull us close to Him. When God speaks to us, worship will remind us of who we are, why we are here, and that we are not alone.

The life of a Christian was never promised to be an easy one. Would you be willing to suffer ridicule and hate? With today’s cancel culture, we are afraid to share our faith with others. We are afraid to stand up for what the bible teaches. If we are obedient, open our hearts, and start searching for supernatural opportunities, God will equip us with the clarity we need to break through the fear of sharing His word with others.

It’s easy to slip into the “if only” mindset where thinking if you have a different job or nicer car makes you feel more content. However, as followers of Jesus, it’s the wrong perspective to have. If contentment is based on a material goal, then enough will never be enough. You’ll keep chasing after it. True contentment in life is not about what you have. It’s about who you have. Jesus is the one who gives us the safety and security we need. It’s a perspective shift. Jesus is always the better. 

Over the years, there’s been a cultural shift of understanding what marriage looks like in our world. Marriage once was mainly viewed as a permanent, contractual union designed for mutual love, procreation, and protection. Today, it’s often viewed as a terminal contract designed more for personal fulfillment. A question to ask ourselves is, in whose honor are you holding your marriage? Yours or God’s? If we want to understand marriage, we must look to Jesus and what He did for the church. He held it in God’s honor.

Do you ever go through seasons of life wishing you had a remote control to pause, fast forward, or rewind a certain moment? We long for more control in our lives, especially when it comes to time. However, Jesus wants us to live in the now. But not for the now. He wants us to live with an eternal mindset. This starts with allowing God to shape the desires of our heart, practice gratitude, and to move toward Jesus.

Over the years, we developed this idea that when it comes to following Jesus, there is a spectrum of Christians. However, there is no biblical category for comfortable Christianity. Following Jesus means trading a comfortable life for a challenging life. In Hebrews 12, the author compares following Jesus to running a marathon. Running the race begins with believing in Jesus and ends with looking like Jesus and loving Him more. There are three keys to running the race, fixing our eyes on Jesus. Run surrounded. Run free. Run focused! 

As Christians, there should be evidence of our faith based on our actions. When it comes to faith, we should constantly be desiring something more. It should always be active and growing. If we are struggling with this, it could be that we feel content. Hebrews 11 gives examples throughout the Old Testament of men and women who put their faith into action such as faith by worshipping, faith in leadership, and faith in obedience. God showed up for each of them. Their stories should inspire us to step out of our comfort zones, activate our faith, and live out God’s will.

As Christians, there should be evidence of our faith based on our actions. When it comes to faith, we should constantly be desiring something more. It should always be active and growing. If we are struggling with this, it could be that we feel content. Hebrews 11 gives examples throughout the Old Testament of men and women who put their faith into action such as faith by worshipping, faith in leadership, and faith in obedience. God showed up for each of them. Their stories should inspire us to step out of our comfort zones, activate our faith, and live out God’s will.