The Connection Church

Consider the statement, “prayer changes things.” People, in general, may or may not agree with those words. But most Christians, if asked, would emphatically say they do agree that prayer makes a difference in their lives. However, ask those same Christians, “How much do you pray?” and you will garner a slew of different answers. The answers would probably range anywhere from daily to once month. So does the amount of time we pray make a difference? Believe it or not, it most certainly does!

Suppose you could change anything about yourself, where would you start? Many of us would start on the outside. If you could wave a magic wand and change your outward appearance, would it be a light touch-up or an extreme makeover? We probably all go through seasons where we desperately want to change our outward appearance, but those changes can be difficult. As hard as it is to change on the outside, it seems infinitely more difficult to change on the inside. Godly change is not as simple as waving a magic wand. But the good news is that it's not impossible because with God all things are possible. We can be Transformed!

As we finish our Advent sermon series, we will look into the last royal title prophesied in Isaiah 9:6: “…a son is given to us…and he will be called…Prince of Peace…”

Jesus fulfilled this title when He walked on this earth, but His methods were not what everyone expected. It was different than how earthly kings and rulers established peace. However, the peace that The Messiah gave was transformative for those who listened and received it. It was so life-giving that it changed the world. What is the peace that Jesus gave? How can we receive it? And how can we spread it to those around us?

This Sunday, as we continue our Advent sermon series, we will unravel what seems to be a paradox in the royal titles prophesied in Isaiah 9:6: “…a son is given to us…and he will be called…Everlasting Father…”

We know that Jesus is the Son of God. And we even see in the Scriptures that Jesus, the Son, prayed to the Father. So how can the Son be the Father? Did Isaiah miss it in his prophecy? Did Jesus not fulfill this prophetic and messianic announcement?

The people of Israel were waiting for the Messiah—God’s Anointed King that would finally bring everlasting freedom and peace. The people were waiting for God to act. They were anticipating a deliverer to act on their behalf to liberate them from the tyranny of yet another oppressive empire in their history. Then, Jesus was born, and during His life he began showcasing the action of God in the earth, ushering in the Advent of a new Kingdom. Join us on Sunday, as we explore the second royal title announced by Isaiah 9:6: “…Mighty God…”

Christians have claimed from their beginnings that Jesus was the Messiah foretold in the Hebrew Scriptures. Isaiah 9:6 says that “…he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This well-known divine utterance uses four royal titles for the coming Messiah. But did Jesus live up to these lofty titles? Jesus never denied the numerous prophecies of the Old Testament for the Messiah, including this one. He simply fulfilled them! Over the next four weeks, we will examine each of these four titles and how Jesus fulfilled each one. This Sunday, we will begin with the first royal title for The Messiah: Wonderful Counselor.

God designed us to leap for joy in victory over every battle. Even Jesus endured the horrible cross for the joy that was set before Him. In every battle you face, large or small, God has set joy before you, too. Come this Sunday and celebrate the joy experienced in victory as we bring the Face, Fight & Finish sermon series to a victorious completion. Learn how to leap for joy in every battle!

Ephesians 6:10 says, “…be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” In order to Face, Fight & Finish our battles, we need to be strong spiritually. God has given us all of the tools we need in our fight against the enemy. It is true that Satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy. It’s also true that he is a powerful foe. However, as we will see this Sunday, through the strength that comes from growing in the Lord, we can defeat our enemy every time!

Everyone experiences troubles in life that must be dealt with from time to time. For some, it seems like as soon as one battle ends another begins. Despite the barrage of battles, we cannot run from or ignore the fight. In this Sunday’s sermon, we will focus on three principles we need to know to successfully Face, Fight & Finish every battle.

Everyone experiences troubles in life that must be dealt with from time to time. For some, it seems like as soon as one battle ends another begins. Despite the barrage of battles, we cannot run from or ignore the fight. In this Sunday’s sermon, we will focus on three principles we need to know to successfully Face, Fight & Finish every battle.