Sunday March 22, 2020

A message from Pastor Grant Bruscoe in the "Counterfeit gods, series. 

A message from Grant Bruscoe in the series, Counterfeit gods. This series is about identifying the counterfeit gods in our lives…and replacing them with a supreme desire to know God and love Him. 

Fasting is a spiritual discipline that has been practiced by followers of God since creation. Jesus fasted and invited his followers to do so as well. But what is fasting? Why do we do it? How do we do it? Join us as Pastor Seth Battista explains how the discipline of fasting connects us to God and to each other.  

Followers of Jesus celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, and rightfully so. However, in order to bask in the victory of resurrection we must first enter into the sorrow of the cross. A message from Pastor Jon, teaching from John chapter 19.  

In John 18 Jesus is arrested and brought before the high priest. Is his arrest a tragedy or part of a bigger plan? Meanwhile, his friend Peter denies that he knows Jesus. It's easy to think of Peter as a coward, but have you considered that you might be denying that you know Jesus in certain areas of your life?

In John 17 we catch a glimpse of Jesus' relationship with his Father through an intimate prayer. He prays for all of his followers, past and present, that they may be one as he and the Father are one. In a culture with dozens of church denominations, is unity in Christ really possible? 

The word "glory" is used a lot in the Bible and in church conversations, but what does it mean to glorify God? Guest speaker Bobby Ulrich, Director of CRU ministry at Eastern Washington University, uses the illustration of a small town in Norway to explain how followers of Jesus reflect God's glory to the world.  

In John chapter 15 and 16 Jesus informs his disciples that they will experience persecution because of their relationship with him.  Have you experienced persecution for your faith in Jesus? As followers of Jesus, how should we respond?

In John 15 Jesus uses an analogy of a vine and branches to describe our relationship with him. Jesus explains that in order for us to grow spiritually we must allow God to prune areas of our life that are not producing fruit. Are you maintaining connection with the vine?

In John chapter 13, the God of the universe becomes a servant and washes His disciples feet. He asks His followers to do the same and says that the world will know they follow Jesus buy the way they love each other. Are we showing the world that we are followers of Jesus?