Simple Church

In the second message in our series "Taboo", we see an overarching truth regardless of subject matter. Keith explains it like this, "Jesus is our only hope in the darkness...sin brings you into utter darkness and leaves you there alone to die."

Whether our sin begins small and grows out of control or we immediately turn it over to Christ before it weighs us down, we can all recognize living in sin is selfish. It is giving in to what we want rather than pushing forward in the truth Jesus has called us to. At its root, sin is born from pride. When Jesus died, He overcame death and sin. We have freedom in our pursuit of Christ and all that His salvation offers. 

Remember you are forgiven and free from the weight of this world if your faith is in Christ alone. Remember the love of Christ is like no other love; it liberates and brings life from death. Remember God loves you. Remember the cross.

Romans 13:11-14

Keith Wilson, Youth Pastor

Even in times of not knowing where God is, He is always working. Our circumstances often seem as if we are completely alone in life. We sometimes feel as if God has forgotten or even abandoned us, but take heart. There is a purpose that is greater than what we can see. 

In our series, we see God continuing to orchestrate events that seem hopeless to unfold His plan for the good of His people and for His glory. In our own lives, even when He seems hidden, we can trust God with our lives and the situations surrounding us. Just as we see God making what seemed impossible in the lives of Esther and the Jewish people, we can rest in knowing He is the same today as He was then. God has rescued the world by sending Christ, who redeems our broken past and redefines our rebel heart. Because of Jesus we are made new and we can experience grace from God. As Kenny said in the message, "God is constantly working things out. In our lives, we worry about tomorrow and we have so many doubts about if God is really present or if He is really doing something. Understand that God is using people we can not even imagine, even people we think are wicked and evil, to shape situations around us so He will receive glory from that."

Esther 7

Kenny Nix, Pastor

In our new series "Taboo", we immediately see our desperate need for Jesus to rule our lives. Even though our new life in Christ frees us from the bondage of slavery to our sin, we often look back and pick those weights up again and again. 

We see in the message from Paul to the Corinthians that, like us, their biggest struggle was parting from their old life. Paul explains that even though you "can" do anything, everything is not beneficial. All can become consuming, but there is none like sexual sin. It enslaves more quickly than any other sin. As Christ followers, we are called to honor God with our bodies because we were bought with a high price and we no longer belong to ourselves. 

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Keith Wilson, Youth Pastor

Pride.

We take our pride issue lightly so often, but at its core pride is ugly, selfish and evil. Pride, if left to run rampant, will ultimately be the destruction of our lives and, for many of us, it will consume our souls. 

"There is an evil presence in this world that wants to encourage us to do those very things that we know we should not do that takes us further away from God." -Kenny Nix

Esther 6: 1-14

Kenny Nix, Pastor

In our continued series "Jesus", we see He is enough.

As Christ continued to reveal the truth of who He was to the disciples, the truth, in turn, revealed who they were in their hearts. Having pride, prejudice and judgement for the Canaanite woman who was asking for mercy, they wanted to send her away. Jesus allowed this situation to both minister to her and to teach the disciples about grace and love. This woman worshipped even after she had been rejected because she recognized Jesus is Lord and that is all that mattered. The Canaanite woman's faith was so great that her daughter was healed. She knew what is true even today, Jesus is enough.

The more closely we follow Jesus, the more we see the great need for Him to cleanse our rebel hearts and make them more like His. This grace and love is extended to all of us, regardless of any label we have attached to us. 

Matthew 15:21-28

Kenny Nix, Pastor

In part five of our "Esther" series, we learn even though He seems hidden, God is orchestrating the events surrounding a seemingly hopeless situation soon to befall the Jewish people. Esther knows to approach the king could mean her life, but she was willing to risk everything to save her people. Just as the king extended his scepter and allowed her to enter and make her request, God extends His scepter of grace to us. We can approach the King of Kings with our requests and our burdens because He loves us with a relentless love that has no limits. God is in the middle of the unfolding story of Esther and He is in the middle of each of our stories as they unfold each day. We can trust God with our lives and know that He is faithful to lead us in every situation, even if He seems hidden. 

Esther 5:1-8

Kenny Nix, Pastor

Just as many people did not recognize the blind man after he was healed by Jesus, it is the same way with us when we have a new life and a changed heart. A new life given by Christ is the one thing the world can not explain away. He will take our your heart of stone and place within you a heart of flesh. We see the world in a different way. We have a new purpose and calling and Jesus reveals to us the reality of our lives being used in service for others. Pointing everyone in our path toward the great love of Christ through our broken stories and the truth of the gospel changes everything for all of us. When we shine the light of Jesus, others will see the difference, just like those who knew the blind man. We look the same, but we are a different person when we are new in Christ. That is the power of Jesus in us and, in turn, God is glorified in all circumastances of our lives. The world sees Jesus, not us. 

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory. Psalm 115:1

John 9:1-11, 2 Corinthians 4:5-13

Dawn Hedgepeth

We all have a calling on our life. If you say "no" to God and what He is leading you to in your life, He will call someone else. Fear often keeps people from living the life God has in store for them. 

We see in our fourth message in the "Esther" series, what we fear can either burn us or set us on fire. Even in the face of fear or uncertainty, if we will give God our "yes" and trust in Him, He will continue to reveal more of His calling to us. Because we can not live out the will of God on our own, His strength in us becomes a beautiful picture of God's faithfulness for the world to see, just as it did in Esther's life. Her obedience and willingness to follow through with Mordecai's leadership in her life, even in the face of death,  saved a nation. Esther's willingness to obey ultimately led to the redemption of the whole world through the life, death and ressurection of Jesus. 

Our calling and obedience to it is not only for us, it is for everyone else as well.

Esther 4:1-17

Kenny Nix, Pastor

Continuing in our series "Jesus", we see the importance of intimate and honest alone time with our Heavenly Father. Jesus taught the importance of being genuine in our time with God and not for the attention of people. 

Being alone and honest with God makes us feel exposed. We can take heart when we are feeling vulnerable and open about our sins and struggles. The comfort is He already knows, loves us and has offered forgivness through the redemption of Jesus' sacrifice. When we pray to a loving Father, we can know His great love is bigger than anything we can lay at His feet. His plans are perfect and nothing can separate us from His love. We can rest in the peace only He can offer through a life surrendered to Jesus. 

Only when we fully lay aside our weights and lean into the truth of who Jesus is will we be able to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice for Him through prayer, fasting, forgiving our enemies and loving the world. 

Matthew 6:1-18

Keith Wilson, Youth Pastor

In part three of our "Esther" series, we see two men and two choices. Mordecai, with his steadfast decision to do the right thing regardless of recognition or results, shows that his dependence was on God. Haman, who is willing to do anything to remain in good graces with the king and hurt Mordecai, shows us that left on our own, there is no limit to what our pride and desires will bring to fruition. The comfort in this seemingly hopeless situation for the Jewish people in this story, and for you and I, is God is always in control. Our obedience does not thwart God's will or hinder Him from gaining glory in all circumstances. 

Jesus' death seemed like a defeat to many who followed Him; but, in hindsight, we can all clearly see God's hand in every step of the way. We can choose to see things through the lens of Jesus Christ and the peace only He can offer. The question is, do you know that peace?

Esther 2:21-23, 3:1-15

Kenny Nix, Pastor