Join us for part 6 in our series You Light Up My Life. Pastor Kris will share some key insights from 1 John 3:1-3.

Join us this week as we continue in our series You Light Up My Life with guest preacher Jason Palm! Pastor Jason will bring us an important message from 1 John 2:18-27.

In this Sunday's message, we turn to the story of Mark 10 where a blind man named Bartimaeus cries out for mercy when Jesus walks by. That cry for mercy is where a life dependent on God begins. We admit we cannot do life on our own and He begins the journey of teaching us dependence. Why don't you take a moment right now to remind yourself, and God, how much you need Him. Pray the prayer of Bartimaeus, "Jesus, have mercy on me!"

John talks about the "world". The Greek word is "kosmos". In his Gospel he uses the famous line: "For God so loved the world..." But in our text for this weekend he warns the church not to love the world.

God gives us multiple motivators. Love is, of course, central but love has many facets. We are not simple creatures and God knows the complexity of our motivations. So, He works in such a way as to strum every string in our hearts. He gives us every possible reason to pursue Him and obey Him. And yet, we still disobey. In spite of all the reasons we have to love purely and wholly, we find reasons to be self-serving and unholy. Pastor John in his first letter to the church tells us we cannot love God and be disobedient. Somehow we must tap into the potent mix of motivators and renew our passion to obey Him. Can you think of any reasons to grow in your obedience to God? Join us this Sunday (in person or online) as we uncover a "new commandment"!

Join us this week for a special message from Pastor Kris from Matthew 16:15-17.

David is known as "a man after God's own heart". Wouldn't it be incredible to be remembered for such a beautiful thing. How do we begin to identify the traits of a "man after God's own heart"? The Bible tells us a great deal about David's life. We have loads of information to research about this impressive person. He is another underdog from small beginnings. His early career found him tending sheep as the youngest son in his family. Being the youngest in that culture meant you couldn't expect too much. From these humble beginnings emerges a musician/songwriter, a man of valor, a leader and a legend. We will uncover what David's life has to teach us about dealing with fear, rejection, loss, regret and more. In a time of fear and uncertainty we need the anchor that only "a man after God's own heart" can reveal.

Moses was an underdog before he was even born. The Pharaoh of Egypt was killing all the male children of the Hebrew slaves because their population and strength was getting out of hand. Moses should have been killed as a child. His mother hid him.
Moses went from a slave child struggling to survive to a palace brat under Pharaoh's protection. Pharaoh's daughter found Moses where his mother has hidden him and adopts the child as her own. It is one of the great "underdog" stories.
As Moses's story unfolds, we see our hero is primarily an instrument of God to deliver His people from bondage. The deliverance of Israel is the center of the story. That is why the book is called Exodus not Moses.
Why is the deliverance of Israel, an underdog nation, so important to God's plan? The life of Moses gives us some insights into that question. His struggle with leadership, faith, and survival is a microcosm of Israel's struggle. As we get to know Moses we get to know Israel. Israel gives us a better understanding of Jesus and, of course, as we know Jesus better we know where we stand with God. There is nothing more important than our relationship with Him.

Joseph
The biblical story of Joseph is a story of detours. Road detours are an inconvenience, life detours can shape your future. One of the great mysteries for me when I read the story of Joseph is whether his first big detour was, at least partially, his own doing. In the end, it really doesn't matter that much but the question still nags at me. Was Joseph such a spoiled brat, even as a young adult, that he drove his brothers to hate him. I am not excusing his brothers for plotting to kill him or for selling him as a slave. No amount of narcissism deserves that. However, it was clearly God's plan to send Joseph into Egypt. Were Joseph's arrogance and his brother's hatred just convenient tools to that end?
Joseph addresses this issue later in the story when he says to his brothers, "You planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good...life for many people" Genesis 50:20 (MSG) That is a profound statement when you think about it. Is it possible God could still be in control even when bad things happen? Is it possible God could take the random evil of our lives and transform it into something wonderful? Do we still strive to weed out the pride in our lives if we know God can bring good out of it?
God took Joseph's pride and the brother's hatred and used those things to save millions of people from starvation. And, at the very same time, He was setting up the nation of Israel to be taken as slaves only to miraculously deliver them. He also turned the horror of the cross into the glory of the empty tomb.
The story of Joseph is one of the greatest stories of the Bible. At first glance it is simply a great read. On further examination, there is a lot going on here. The detours pile up and the destination is redefined. There are mysteries of God's activity that defy explanation. And yet, at the same time, we learn more about God's power and activity in the world than we ever dreamed.