"No Longer Slaves"

Friendship Community Church

"No Longer Slaves"

March 3, 2024 • Pastor Logan Ames

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" ~ Galatians 5:1

In one of my favorite movies of all-time, The Shawshank Redemption, there are two characters who get released from prison at different times in the movie who had each spent more than four decades behind bars. In each case, the now-free man struggles mightily with life outside the prison walls. They long to commit crimes that will send them back into their slavery to the state. It might be a miserable existence, but it's all they know! They've been declared legally justified and free, yet the constant fear of the unknown and the difficulty of just getting through each day has them craving for the prison bars. Sadly, one takes his life and the other only presses on because of the hope he has in finding his friend. It's a fantastic illustration of what happens to so many people spiritually. Christ sets them free, but they still long for the "comfortable misery" of the slavery they once despised. If Christ has set us free, it is so that we will never again return to our chains, so that we can walk in new life with Him. This week at Friendship, we'll dig into Romans 6 and see how Christ's death makes us "No Longer Slaves" to sin. He's a chain breaker and a way maker, and you can trust Him to guide you into your newfound freedom, even as you rid your life of all the things on which you used to depend. Join us to hear more about how to walk in this born-again life!

More from Current Sermon Series "Romans Road"

"Remembering the Servants"

May 26, 2024 • Pastor Logan Ames

"After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: 'Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them - to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses'" ~ Joshua 1:1-3 It may seem odd that God would be so direct about picking up the proverbial torch and moving forward after the death of one of the most important and influential men in the history of Israel. But there are two things to consider here: 1) God spoke these words to Joshua after the Israelites had mourned for thirty days, and 2) God accurately identified Moses as His SERVANT. This means that, as important as he was, his time was over and it was up to more servants to continue God's work. Of course, God understands that we mourn the incredible losses in our lives, so He provides a set time to do so. But after that, it's time to consider how we can move forward with God's work until we also meet our earthly end. This week at Friendship, we will honor and remember those who have sacrificed for our freedom. We will then conclude our Romans' Road sermon series by digging into Chapter 16 and the importance of "Remembering the Servants". As we remember those who serve the Lord, just the same as we remember those who gave all they could give for our benefit, it should also make us consider how God wants us to continue His work, and how He might want us to sacrifice. The work of the gospel is always advancing, never stagnant. Join us this weekend to both remember those who have come before us and also look ahead to our purpose.

"Unity In Christ"

May 19, 2024 • Associate Pastor Ben Sorbello

"So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" ~ Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV Here are some questions to ponder before our next training session with the Holy Spirit of God: 1. Have you been built up because of our trip down the Romans' Road? 2. Do we have unity in the faith and have we become mature in Christ? 3. Are we still living for ourselves, or have we surrendered to His cross and now live for our King and His Kingdom? We have to be honest with ourselves and each other as the body of Christ in Dover, PA. If we are all connected in our faith, we cannot suffer silently; we must speak up and ask for help. When untreated, that part of the body can become damaged or cause other parts of the body to be damaged. Let us be UNITED IN CHRIST and united TO each other part of the body of Christ at Friendship Community Church. Let us reach out to newer parts of the body, introduce ourselves, and see how they are doing, in order to prevent the body from getting sick and encourage it to remain healthy and strong. This week at Friendship, as we journey into Romans 15 with the Holy Spirit of God, we'll discuss the unity we should have in Christ. Are we operating as a body of Christ at Friendship or individual organs that are outside the body? Are we connected to one another or causing dissension by our words and deeds? Join us as we find out more about what it means to have UNITY IN CHRIST!

"Love & Liberty"

May 12, 2024 • Pastor Logan Ames

"She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness" ~ Proverbs 31:26-27 On this Mother's Day weekend, we first of all think about all of the mothers and other women God has brought into our lives who do His will and we are thankful to Him for them. His purpose and work for them is blessed. The woman of noble character described in detail in Proverbs 31 not only instructs her children faithfully in the Lord, but she also watches over them, provides for their needs, and refuses idleness. When you think about it, the two verses above reveal the two primary ways that parents help their children avoid stumbling - faithful and true teaching, and keeping an eye on them. The parallel for the Church is clear. In the Church, we are all God's children, so we all must instruct one another AND pay attention that others do not stumble as a result of our action or inaction. This week at Friendship, as we dig into Romans 14, we'll discuss the "Love & Liberty" we have in Christ. While being His followers gives us freedom in many areas of life, freedom does not trump love, and we must act in love in all we do. It doesn't trump lordship either, as Christ still has the final say over what is right and wrong for us. Join us as we find out more about what this means for our conduct as believers!