Times of transition can cause us to wonder what our role should be. In Isaiah, Chapter 6, we read that, during a time of great transition in Israel’s history, God commissioned one of the great prophets of the Old Testament. What can we learn from his commissioning and how can it apply to us this weekend, as we gather to commission Pastor Doug and Dawn to their new roles? Is there a commission for us as well?

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the most significant moment in all history. It was necessary because Jesus was crucified. We cannot kill God and God’s plan of rescue for the human race required both the ultimate sin debt payment and the death-defeating resurrection of Jesus! As a result of Easter, heaven is available to any person willing to trust the risen Jesus Christ to be their Savior! And more… life lived in fulfilling relationship with God here and now can be a reality with Jesus.

"Holy Week"... Did the angels in heaven hold their breath and watch in amazement while Jesus the King of kings, Creator of the universe, conceiver of every life… rode a donkey to Jerusalem to the celebration of the crowds? Did the angels watch in disbelief as, a few days later, Jesus the healer of the lame and blind, deliverer of the demonized, compassionate lover of widows and orphans, was rejected, brutalized, humiliated, and hung on a cross to die? Let's walk this week carefully and tenderly, as we consider how Jesus poured out His love and His life for a human race that still largely ignores or rejects Him. How will each of us respond to Jesus this week?

This week we consider another marvelous prayer in the Psalms. This time we take a look at a powerful prayer of King David that has an interesting future place in Scripture.

Prayer can be a defining moment, shaping the legacy of a person, family, even a community of people. God’s response to Solomon’s Temple dedication prayer remains, nearly 3,000 years later, an appeal to God’s people everywhere.

Looking at Psalm 90 gives us a glimpse into a prayer preserved by God and offered by a man who spoke to God "as a man speaks with his friend" (Exodus 33:11). What can we learn about prayer from such a man?

In our busy, complex, noisy lives, there’s a secret to living life to the full… the sacred privilege of personal, private, conversation with Almighty God. For those who discover a genuine friendship, perhaps even intimacy with God, nothing is more powerful or valuable than PRAYER. For those in the deep trauma of life, nothing is more comforting than PRAYER. Let’s discover the secret of God’s invitation to prayer in this 30-day journey to Holy Week 2015.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)Is it actually possible that God — as busy as He is keeping the entire universe in order, making 350,000 new babies every day, and sustaining the lives of 7.3 billion human beings — that He actually has time and cares enough about EACH of us, that He is ready to “direct” the paths of our lives? If that is true, how does it work? Can there be anything more fulfilling than if I lived my life knowing that God Himself is guiding my journey, EVERY DAY!?

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)TRUST… our daily survival depends on our ability to trust. NO trust is more important to life than our trust in God. If lived well this year, this verse will sustain and guide each of us.

In I Samuel 13:14, God refers to King David as a "man after my own heart." Though David wasn't perfect, we see from both this Scripture, as well as Acts 13:22, that what set him apart from others was his obedience to the Father. Jesus places a great deal of importance on our obedience to His Word, yet, at the same time, calls us "friends" instead of "servants" (John 15). Psalm 34 gives us some great insight into David's heart and is a guide for our own hearts, as we seek to love God with all our "heart, soul, mind, and strength."