"The Whole Point"

Friendship Community Church

"The Whole Point"

August 18, 2024 • Associate Pastor Ben Sorbello

But they will reply, 'It's no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.'" ~ Jeremiah 18:12

This is what happens when we forget to follow Jesus Christ. Now that we have finished with our reading of Ecclesiastes, what is the point? What did we learn from the past three months? Are we stronger as individual members of the body of Christ? Are we stronger as a local body of Christ in Dover, PA? Are we making our community stronger around us?

Again, what is the point of reading our bibles, coming to worship God, and fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ every week? Why do we get up everyday and live our lives the way we do? These are all good questions to meditate on as we prepare for this week's message from the Holy Spirit of God on Ecclesiastes 12 and, "What's the Point?".

"Wise Investments"

August 11, 2024 • Pastor Logan Ames

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it" ~ Haggai 1:5-6 This is an example of a pretty poor investment strategy. It's not that the people weren't willing to work, but that their work - and the time, energy, and resources poured into it - was not benefitting the kingdom of God. The prophet Haggai was sent to confront them, for they were focused on taking care of their personal homes and goals while ignoring what the Lord wanted for His house and His people. So they found that they weren't getting a good return on their investment, yet continued on the same path anyway. Investing in the work of God sometimes involves physical labor, sometimes financial generosity, and sometimes patient waiting, but always with the salvation of people in mind, and always with the Holy Spirit as our guide. It is work that never stops, no matter what age or stage of life you are in. This week at Friendship, we'll see what the Teacher has to say about "Wise Investments", which generally involve a willingness to be disciplined and delay gratification. This will be a message that applies to many areas of your life, so we encourage you to join us.

"A Little Yeast"

August 4, 2024 • Pastor Logan Ames

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" ~ Romans 6:23 This verse from the Apostle Paul is such a great blessing, reminding us of how far apart what we deserved and what we actually got from God are. We deserved death because of sin, yet we received everlasting life through Jesus our Savior. Yet, as wonderful as the second part of the statement is, we tend to forget about the harsh reality of the first part. There are real consequences for sin. Sin kills. It steals and destroys. You may not physically die directly from a sinful choice, but every sin is a step toward the path of spiritual death. As people saved from the penalty of sin, we cannot forget that we are also spared from the power and practice of sin. We've been forewarned, and we are aware of the domino effect of each sinful choice, so we must do all we can to avoid it. This week at Friendship, we'll talk about how "A Little Yeast" can permeate an entire load of bread, a metaphorical representation of the reality of a little sin or foolishness impacting one's life far beyond their good and wise choices. Christians must avoid sin at all costs, and reject the notion that the gift of eternal life invites us to keep sinning. Join us for this necessary reminder and challenge.

"Don't Forget to Remember"

July 28, 2024

"In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever" ~ Joshua 4:6b-7 This is one of my (Logan's) favorite stories in the Bible, and in fact is one I used this past Saturday while preaching to our brothers and sisters in Mexico. The picture here is actually titled (pillars of remembrance). God did an amazing work to get the Israelites across the Jordan River during flood stage, and they all knew it was God who did it. But they were now heading into the Promised Land where the current occupants would not want to leave passively and quietly. There were going to be battles, first and foremost over the fortified city of Jericho. The only way this Israelite army would be able to take possession of the land God was giving them was to truly believe He was giving it and trust Him to go before them. This would require great faith, but that's why they needed the pillars of remembrance. The visual reminder of the stones taken from the middle of the flooding river when they walked through on dry ground would help them keep walking by faith in the future tests God would give them. We likewise need such reminders. When we face difficult circumstances, we ought to always be able to look back on what God has already done so that we can trust Him once again. This week at Friendship, you'll be reminded, "Don't Forget to Remember". If you are struggling to believe that you can trust God, come and hear a message out of Ecclesiastes 9 that will encourage you to remember all He has done and is doing.