No one is beyond the reach of God. No one. No. One. I wonder if we really believe that? In Acts 8:26-35, our springboard text for Sunday, we see one encounter that underscores the larger message of the entire book: the Gospel is for all types of people, and can reach and transform anyone regardless of religious, ethnic, or cultural barriers. Perhaps just as remarkable, God employs broken, but uniquely gifted humans in the process.

This message looks at the final seven "words" (phrases) of Christ on the cross, as recorded in the four Gospels. Each is significant and remarkable, and we highlight briefly the key takeaways from what he says, discovering along the way that "He Practiced What He Preached." We specifically look at the Scriptures of Matthew 27:46, Luke 23:34,43, 46, and John 19:26-30.

The text for this week's message is Mark 12:28-40. It contains Jesus' summary of the greatest commandments: Love God, and love others. Pretty straightforward, right? But actually doing that is quite the challenge. In fact, the "teachers of the law" who knew the commandments best are called on the carpet by Jesus and used as examples of people who knew the content of the command, but were obeying it for the wrong reasons. They had misguided motives and are therefore judged most harshly. This is "Why Motive Matters."

This message looks at Luke 18:1-8, a parable that Jesus tells with a very clearly stated message: He is encouraging his disciples not to give up in prayer. How desperately we need to hear that admonition! The chief character, a widow who is looking for justice, makes constant appeals to a judge who neither fears man nor God. It is only because of her relentless approach that he eventually listens and acts. How much more, then, will a God who loves his children, exact justice for them...and quickly? It is a story of perseverance, for sure, but also a story of faith, as we will see.

Jesus does a lot of healing in the Gospels, but what he demonstrates in the process is that healing goes more than skin deep. He often meets us at our surface point of need and then he takes us deeper, shaping us on every level of our lives. In this message, we look at two texts in Mark 7:24-37 and see how "The Healing Touch of Jesus" is more than one-dimensional.

In our reading through the four Gospels, we see Jesus demonstrating his unparalleled authority over the spiritual realm, over the physical elements, over sickness, and even over death itself. All of this he does with remarkable compassion. It's no wonder that many respond to his call to follow him. When they do, change is sure to come in their lives. On Sunday we will consider his interaction with Simon, as he asks the disciple and expert angler to cast his nets in water that Simon believes has no fish. Read Luke 5:1-11 ahead for what happens next, and pray that we hear the message of the text as we consider, "When Jesus Asks Us to Do the Unexpected."

Pastor Ryan Zhang from New City Presbyterian Church preaches on Psalm 51.

Our text for this message is Mark 1:32-45, where we see that Jesus has the authority and power to heal. However, there seems to be a prerequisite attached to that healing: our willingness. Let's explore what that means for us, today!

This week, we dive into the story of Esther, a woman living during the transition period following the exile who embraced her unique part in those next steps. What strikes many about her story is that, although God is never mentioned, His presence permeates the narrative from beginning to end. The text of Esther 4:12-17 reminds us that, in fact, "God is in the Middle of the Story."

We transition from exile back to Jerusalem in the book of Haggai in today's message. It is a welcome respite from the sorrow of Babylonian captivity, but this prophet reminds those who begin the process of resettlement and rebuilding that there is still plenty of work to be done. Some need to be warned against complacency, and others who remember the former glory of Jerusalem in its prime must recall that God's kingdom is built with small beginnings - so there is always a reason for hope. All told, the prophetic message given to the remnant still speaks to us today, with the reminder that "The Story Isn't Over Yet."