- The Challenge of Grace

In part two of The Prodigal Son, Pastor Doug details the journey from Common Grace to Saving Grace. He expounds on the purpose of Grace, presents the challenge of Grace, and even warns us about the risk of Grace. Even though many of us try to, no one can successfully relate to God or their fellow man based on their own performance. It is Grace that makes all relationships possible - both on earth and with our Heavenly Father. Most importantly, Pastor Doug speaks to the high calling of Grace, “to allow us to go back to the garden of God’s original purpose for us and get it right this time.”

- 8,019 sq miles. Roughly the size of Massachusetts. Yet, wars over this land have raged on since old testament times and will continue until the end of this Age of Grace. So why should we continue to pray, why should we continue to search the scriptures regarding prophecies in the middle east? As Pastor Doug concludes his two part series on Why Christians should support Israel, he provides us with the 3 steps we must continue to do in support of Israel: 1) Pray 2) Be responsible citizens - specifically, vote and 3) Live a Godly life. Remember, we are the salt of the earth responsible for preserving God’s will for Israel.

- Because we are all in the same family. Because Israel is God’s land. Because all that we have came from the tribe of Israel - the 10 commandments, the Bible, Christ… Because their blindness led to our gift. Because it is the future site of Christ’s World Government headquarters. Because Israel will last survive after all else has faded away. God himself swore that all of creation - the heavens, earth, stars, gravity - would all go away before Israel will cease to exist. Because the story of Israel is a parallel to our spiritual life. In this sermon Pastor Doug explains the role of Israel in history, religion, prophecy, and so much more; and why - as Christians - we need to support them in any and every way we can.

- There are several key reasons why we praise God, even though it may not necessarily be “our style” or even when we don’t feel like it. As Pastor Doug has shared with us, we were made to have a relationship with God. In light of this, praising God is actually necessary to our existence; praise is the centerpiece of our relationship with Him. Praise is - our full time occupation. Praise is - our first commandment (Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength). Praise is - the voice of faith in the worst of circumstance. Praise is - celebration because God’s mercies are new every day. Praise is - bringing God’s power into seemingly impossible situations. Praise is - commemoration of our victory in Him. Praise is our declaration that with God for us, no one can be against us! Selah!

- God created man to have a relationship with us. He already had angels that would worship and serve Him without question. His desire was to have someone who would choose to serve Him and worship Him. He did not make us to be puppets; therefore, as humans we make our plans - but God directs our steps (Proverbs 16:9). In this week’s message, Pastor Doug concludes the series on being led by the Holy Spirit by showing us what walking in the Spirit and having this living relationship with God looks like. He likens our prayer life with God - through the Holy Spirit - to staying in touch with your spouse or closest loved one via text messaging. It is the same concept; constant communication builds and strengthens our relationships.

- Building on the groundwork laid by guest speaker John Vereecken’s message last week, Pastor Doug returns to those themes and outlines the next steps for all Champion Christ followers. After learning to have faith in God and moving on to the next level of learning to trust God - no matter our circumstances - our greatest desire naturally becomes to obey God in all of our ways. This is made possible by a special gift just from God to us, His believers, which is the Holy Spirit. Once you begin to recognize His voice, and allow Him to lead your walk, “Your kingdom come - Your will be done” becomes more than a prayer, it becomes your spiritual guide.

- We all have that one friend with a “contagious” personality. The one you just love being around. In this sermon, Pastor John Vereecken shares how to be that friend; and, more importantly, how to be that Christian. And ... it only takes 3 steps! 3 non-negotiable steps shared by all Champion Christ Followers. He begins by challenging all who hear these words to press on and take their walk to the next level. Begin by forgetting what is past and strain on to what is ahead, with the ultimate goal of pressing on and taking hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us. Don’t let circumstances dictate your attitude; instead, set your sight on Christ and press on with a triumphant attitude.

- As the prophet Elisha faced the prospect of trying to carry on the work Elijah, he knew that it would be a challenge to fill Elijah’s shoes, and that he would need to have more grace and power than he currently possessed. Just as in the story of Elisha, guest speaker Duane Vander Klok reveals how God transforms our lives to prepare us for a life of significance. When we begin a new journey, whether ministry or in our personal life, it isn’t long before we realize that “the dream is free; but the reality is work.” For example, we embark on the journey of marriage thinking it is going to be a 50-year date; but, the reality is it takes hard work to have a successful marriage - or a successful ministry. We need to do more than just enough to get by; rather, we need to “strike the water” (as Elisha did) and “pound the ground” (as he instructed King Joash to do), in order to achieve the miraculous things God has in store for us.

- In this inspiring message, Pastor Abraham delivers a story of hope for all who need healing in their lives. In his retelling of the story of the woman with an issue of blood, who was healed by Jesus after she managed to touch the hem of his garment (see Mark 5:25-34), Pastor Abraham illustrates how this is so much more than a story of physical healing. Because she suffered for so long from this illness that made her an outcast, she actually was in need of emotional, relational, financial, and spiritual healing in addition to having her illness healed. In one moment, Jesus healed her of all of the brokenness in her life, and he wants to do the same for each one of us.

- The second aspect of grace is Repentance. To repent means to turn and go the other way. Christians have tremendous power to overcome sin by making a two-fold decision: to receive grace with no condemnation and repent and obey the directives of God. Abusing grace by continuing to sin can stifle our relationship with God and we run the risk of discipline. Pastor Doug gives a few practical ways to know you’re right with God: you love your brothers and sisters in Christ; you keep his commandments; and you feel the deposit of the Holy spirit within you. The Holy Spirit is the identifying mark of the sonship within us. When you are led by the Holy spirit you will have peace in your heart and a constant working relationship with the Holy spirit. Be aware of the spirit and do not ignore his direction or the voice will grow quiet until you are ready to listen.