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Glorious Conclusions- Part 2
May 12, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Romans 8:31–39, Psalm 44:4–22, Psalm 13:1–2, Romans 8:28–29
Pain hurts. That’s the most obvious statement you will read this week. It always causes us to ask questions and, as Christians, it causes us to ask questions about God. Those questions can range from, “what did I do to deserve this?” to “what am I to learn from this?” This week the apostle Paul is going to confront us with the reality that, according to the sovereign purpose of God, we can do everything that we should be doing to glorify Him and still find ourselves in seasons of hardship. The question becomes, how have you reconciled the sovereignty and love of God in painful circumstances? We hope to help you with that this week.
Glorious Conclusions - Part 1
May 5, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Romans 8:31–34, Romans 6:1–2
It’s been said many times that every good thing must come to an end. Endings are as common as beginnings. This morning, we are beginning a three-week journey to bring Romans 8 to a close. Paul does that by compelling us to look back over all that he has said thus far and draw some conclusions concerning it. He begins this last section of Romans 8 with this question, “What shall we say to these things?” What are we to make of this? I would encourage you not to stop there, but to ask yourself, “What shall we do with these things?” How shall we apply such great and glorious truths to our lives? How will they encourage us, transform us, and motivate us as we live the Spirit-filled life of Christ?
God's Glorious Plan
April 28, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Ephesians 1:3–5, Ephesians 2:4–7, Romans 8:28–30
Our God is a God of both divine purpose and thoughtful, orderly, and effective processes. We can clearly see the reality of this woven into creation from the process of reproduction, physical growth, and even the change of the seasons from winter to spring. It should come as no surprise that salvation would be similarly thoughtful, orderly, and effective in achieving God’s good purposes. Last week we looked at Romans 8:28-30 from the perspective of purpose. This week we will look at it from the perspective of process and discover together how God takes the believer from their unbelief to their ultimate glorification.
What is Good?
April 21, 2024 • Pastor Andy Shanks • Hebrews 12:5–7, James 1:3–4, Philippians 3:20–21, 1 Peter 4:12–13, Romans 8:28–30
Romans 8:28 which states “and we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good” is one of the most known verses in the Bible. However, it is also one of the most misused verses in the Bible, and oftentimes this misuse is by well-meaning Christians. This morning, we will explore this verse and its purpose. We will discuss what it means to be conformed to the image of God, and true power behind these verses when used at the appropriate time in the right context.
Our Helper in Prayer
April 14, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Romans 8:26–27, Psalm 121:1–2, John 15:26, 1 John 5:13–15, Psalm 70:5
This week marks our return to Romans chapter 8 and our verse by verse walk through of the book of Romans that we’ve entitled, Masterclass. Throughout this amazing chapter, the apostle Paul has been emphasizing the person and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. He does that very thing in this week’s text specifically with regards to prayer. Have you ever found yourself in such a confusing, emotionally heavy, or traumatic moment that you didn’t even know how to pray or what to pray for? Have no fear. Paul encourages us that even in these pressing moments, the Holy Spirit, our Helper, helps us by praying for us in perfect harmony with the will of God. Be encouraged. You are greatly helped.
The Glory of the New Covenant
April 7, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • 1 Corinthians 11:17–26, Hebrews 9:13–15, Jeremiah 31:33–34, Ezekiel 36:24–27
This Easter season we have been seeking to behold our glorious Christ and the Bible is clear that if we desire to see His glory most gloriously, we should look at the Gospel. To that end we have lingered at both the cross and the empty tomb. We have seen Him die and we have seen Him rise from the dead. This final week we will consider perhaps the most significant outcome of His death and resurrection – the purchase and inauguration of the New Covenant. This act on Jesus’s part is commemorated in what is known to Christians as the Lord’s Supper or Communion. Join us this week as we seek to understand the institution of the New Covenant and celebrate this life-changing reality together.
The Glory of the Resurrection
March 31, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • 1 Corinthians 15:1–20
The technical Gospel is defined as the death of Christ, according to the Scripture, and the resurrection of Christ, according to the Scripture. The Bible would say that these two essential and inseparable events, locked in history, are steeped in captivating and transforming glory. This week over two billion people around the world will stop, gather, and celebrate the fact that Jesus has overcome death and risen from the grave. The apostle Paul, our author this week, was once a violent opponent of Jesus and His Good News, but he had his life transformed by the risen Christ who is still changing lives today. We pray that you will be changed by the fact that the tomb is empty and Christ is risen indeed!
The Glory of the Cross
March 24, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Galatians 3:10–15, Romans 3:19–20, John 3:16–17
This week begins with Palm Sunday and ends at the cross. It's a week in which celebration and joyful anticipation gives way to grief and deep sorrow. And yet in all of the pain, the anguish, and the death there is woven throughout an abiding and transforming thread of glory. How could that be? It's because in the death of Jesus on the cross we see all the attributes of God come together in their most glorious and harmonious display for the salvation of sinners. And that truth is meant to utterly unmake and remake us.
Thirsting for Glory
March 17, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • 2 Corinthians 4:1–6, Exodus 33:18–20, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 1:6–8
We, as human beings, have been hardwired to thirst for glory. We crave after, search for, long for, and seek out moments and places that overwhelm us, inspire us, or change us. The biblical writers are consistent in their view that the most overwhelming, most inspiring, most transformative, and most glorious thing in the universe is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This week we will begin a four week Easter series that will lead us to the cross and the empty tomb for one purpose - to be overwhelmed and transformed by glory.
ABF- Kenya Trip Report
March 10, 2024 • Pastor Mike Harris, Pastor Doug Forman, Pastor Andy Shanks
We have been supporting a missionary project with Timau Church, a member of the Mt. Kenya Fellowship for several years called Timau Community Outreach. None of us had ever been to Kenya to see what was happening with that project, so we recently made a trip to Kenya to catch up on what is going on with the Mt Kenya Fellowship and to evaluate potential future projects with the fellowship there.
A Test of Faith
March 10, 2024 • Jonathan Rust
This morning, we welcome Jonathan Rust as he brings a final report of his missions work in Portugal. Jon has started a number of churches in Portugal and has also been heavily involved in leadership training. We can celebrate with Jon and his wife Cindy as they just got married a few weeks ago! They are praying about a possible part-time ministry that they can both be involved in later in the year. Visit our missionary wall for an update that Jon sent out in January about God’s answers to prayer and for ways to pray for he and his family.
Judgement is Coming
March 3, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • 1 Corinthians 4:2, 1 Corinthians 3:10–15, 1 Corinthians 4:5, Romans 14:10–12, Revelation 4:9–11
Have you ever felt judged by others? What were they looking for? What hung in the balance of that judgement? How did it make you feel? If you're like most people, judgement leaves you feeling vulnerable and uncomfortable. The tension arises for the Christ-follower in the fact that the Bible is very clear that all people, including the Christian, will face divine judgement. This week, as we consider all that is before us beyond this life, we want to explore the importance of living today in light of eternity. What you do in this moment (and why you do it) has a profound impact on what comes next.
A Most Glorious Next
February 25, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • 1 John 3:1–3, 2 Corinthians 11:24–27, Romans 8:23–25, 2 Corinthians 12:9–10
It’s hard to live in this present moment when a person is anxiously consumed with what comes next. But what if there was a future before us that is so glorious that it’s actually meant to inform and transform this present moment? That is the reality for the Christ-follower. Our future has already been revealed and the glory of it is meant to transform how we live in this present moment. What is that glorious next for those who know Jesus as their Savior? It’s the complete transformation of our physical bodies when we see Jesus face to face. That reality is meant to change how we walk through the hardships of this present life.
A Biblical View of Creation
February 18, 2024 • Pastor Andy Shanks • Romans 8:18–22, Psalm 65:12–13, Genesis 3:17–19, Genesis 2:19, Isaiah 11:6–9
By its very nature creation glorifies God. However, due to our sin, creation is under bondage and corruption. What is God doing with creation now? What will it look like when the bondage of sin is lifted off of creation? And what should we be doing with creation now? We will be diving into Romans 8:19-22 as we take a closer look at God’s creation. We pray you will be challenged to spend some time in nature, care for creation, dream about what a perfect creation will look like, and worship the God of creation.
Suffering in Perspective
February 11, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Romans 8:18
This morning marks the first of four messages that will have a focus on heaven. In this week’s text, the apostle Paul seeks to compare our present sufferings with our future glory and his conclusion is that they are not comparable to one another. We have all had days when we might have found that hard to believe. Our suffering seems so painful, and heaven seems so far away. The question becomes, what are the glories that are before us? What will heaven be like? What, as Christ-followers, can we expect to happen when we get there, and what impact should those things have on the life we’re living right now?