I want you to consider something that every Christian should consider: how well do you know your neighbors? I'm talking about the ones who actually live physically close to where you live. Pastor Ben and Nick Strohman and I were challenged with this as we attended our denomination's national general conference back in July. In today's society where people are less and less social, it's quite possible you may not even know your neighbors' names. If you do know their names, do you know anything else about them? Do they know anything about you? Are they aware of your faith or that you are praying for them? This came to mind again in preparation for this week as I thought about how well we know Jesus. How well do we want Him to know us? Would we prefer that He remember our names so we can get into heaven, but that's all? Do we fool ourselves into thinking He doesn't already know everything about our lives, so we can then pretend to hide things from Him? This week at Friendship, we begin a new series called "FOLLOW" which will have a 43-day discipleship journey along with it. The first message in the series is called "Getting to Know Him", because we cannot follow Him as disciples without receiving Him into every area of our lives. We must seek to know Him, and also submit to His knowledge of us. Join us this weekend and in the coming weeks for this important and relevant look at discipleship!
Getting to Know Him
October 2, 2022 • Pastor Logan Ames
Go And Do Likewise
November 13, 2022 • Pastor Logan Ames
Back in 2005, my brothers and I had the experience of a lifetime when all 3 of us went skydiving, accelerated free fall style, meaning we would not be attached to anyone all the way to the ground. I had never had the desire before that and frankly, it terrified me, but there was no way I was going to wimp out while both my brothers did it. In order to do a terrifying thing that we'd never done before, we underwent 6 hours of training and multiple practices on the ground with experts and professionals. These all prepared us, but there was one other over-arching thing that gave us the confidence to move forward with the jump - the knowledge that the experts were going WITH us! They were in the plane with us, they talked to us as the plane door opened at 15,000 feet, and they jumped with us, not letting go until our parachutes were pulled. Even once we were tasked with guiding ourselves to the safe ground, they were talking through radios in our helmets. In the same way, we may be scared to live as God commands or we may find it impossible, but it is made possible and less daunting by our knowledge that the Master is with us. This week at Friendship, we'll wrap up the FOLLOW series with Jesus' command to "Go and Do Likewise". It's hard to imagine living as He lived, but He has trained us, He has shown us the way, and now He empowers us walk this journey with Him. Join us to hear more about how you can do this!
The Best Investment
November 6, 2022 • Pastor Logan Ames
The picture shows us words with which we are all familiar: "In God We Trust". As believers, we certainly stand by this creed, and many were angered by an atheist's attempt to get the words taken off our money several years ago. But isn't it ironic that the words appear on the back of the very thing with which we are the LEAST trusting in God? We love the motto, but having to actually live it out is a whole different ball game. In our hearts and minds, if we are true followers of Jesus, we know that God is the only one whose record is perfect when we trust in Him, since He has never and will never let us down. Yet, we keep chasing after other solutions, hoping they prove to be trustworthy when we know that is highly unlikely. Have you given to a political candidate or agenda more recently than the Lord and His plans? Have you bought yourself some new toy or luxurious vehicle while the Lord's people around the world are suffering? Do you invest more of your time in sports teams, worldly entertainment, and hobbies than in your walk with the Lord? This week at Friendship, we'll talk about "The Best Investment" you can ever make, the one where you offer up your time, money, and every part of you to the Lord for HIS use. The returns on this investment will blow your socks off in a way nothing else can.
Fishers of Men
October 30, 2022 • Pete Wehler
Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose several professional fishermen to be His first group of disciples? Was He hungry? Did He know that Simon and Andrew had lied about the size of the last fish they had caught? Or was it because He knew that in order to be successful at their goal, they had to be willing to put in the necessary work? Jesus came to them while they were busy about their father's business and invited them to follow Him in being busy about HIS Father's business. This required them to leave what was comfortable, step into the unknown, and prepare themselves to persevere in adversity. Jesus saw the parallels between fishing and disciple-making, so He invited them into the life-changing pursuit of reeling in souls. This week at Friendship, we'll look at what it means to become "Fishers of Men", as Jesus called it. Where can we find those who are biting the bait of the world, but need to become hooked on Jesus, and how can we fulfill the purpose He has given us? Join us for this important message regarding the work to which ALL of us are called.