IMAGO DEI - The Image of God
Suffering Servant, Exalted King
April 9, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames
Stories of success and glory are always made even better when we get to hear about the suffering and setbacks that were endured to get to that point. Michael Jordan was put on the junior varsity basketball team in high school because his coach said he needed to develop more. Albert Einstein couldn't speak fluently until the age of nine and was later expelled from school. Steve Jobs was fired from Apple early in his career. Walt Disney was fired from a Missouri newspaper because he "wasn't creative enough". The reward that each of these individuals experienced was even sweeter considering what they endured. This weekend at Friendship, we will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. But it's important that we first consider His suffering. The title of this week's message is "Suffering Servant, Exalted King", because the exalting is always preceded by some form of suffering. Jesus suffered more than any of us, and then He was exalted higher than any of us. He is our example, our light, and our hope. Because He endured it all and overcame the devil's attempts to thwart God's will for Him, you and I can also endure whatever comes our way. And we trust that God will lift us up according to His timing. Join us for this uplifting message that will motivate you to press on no matter your circumstances!
The Grief of God
April 1, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames
Have you ever found yourself grieving something that everyone else seems to be celebrating? Maybe you were a teenager who went through a horrible breakup and you were devastated, even though your parents and everyone else said it was a good thing. Or maybe you possess a specific skill that upgrades in business and technology have rendered somewhat obsolete. Everyone cheers what is new, but it likely means a mandatory career change for you. In these situations, the grief you feel from the loss is multiplied by the fact that no one else seems to know, or care, how you feel. This has to be how the God who desperately wants a close relationship with us feels when we are celebrating that which He grieves. How many churches in western civilization are happy, healthy, and rich, but they are celebrating things that make the Lord weep? This week at Friendship, we'll talk about "The Grief of God" and discuss some of the events surrounding the original Palm Sunday. As crowds cheered for Him, Jesus looked upon Jerusalem and wept over their rejection of Him and the coming destruction. Understanding the Lord's heart and what grieves Him will help us understand our own grief, and how we must grieve with hope in His victory over sin and death. As grief affects every human being, we don't want you to miss this message.
The Jealousy of God
March 26, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames
When we think of the word "jealousy", there probably aren't too many positive thoughts that come to mind. Chances are that you've either been entrenched in a vicious battle with this emotion in your own heart, or you've been a victim of someone else's battle with it. Like with anger, feelings of jealousy can dominate the human heart and drive us to cause immense pain for the ones we love. But what if I told you that jealousy, by itself, is not a bad thing? As a matter of fact, it's one of the best things. It has to be, because Scripture says that God is jealous, and that in fact His NAME is Jealous. If we think only in terms of the horrible way some humans have responded to the feeling of jealousy, it's hard to separate that from the pure, raw emotion that exists even within our Father. But if God can be provoked to anger and jealousy and still be without sin, then we must consider what's good about it, so we can see God's original design for these emotions He gave us, so we can then repent of our sin. So, this week at Friendship, we will indeed dig into this complex topic of "The Jealousy of God" and consider how He feels when His people turn aside to idols. If there is no jealousy in God, can there be true love in Him? We'll answer that question and much more. Consider joining us and opening your eyes to Biblical truth you may not have considered to this point.
The Righteous Anger of God
March 19, 2023 • Associate Pastor Ben Sorbello
"I am so angry with you! If I told you once, I have told you a thousand times!" How often have we used or heard those phrases? These would have been great phrases for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, to use on His disciples, and certainly on the Pharisees and Sadducees and other children of God, when He came to teach them over 2000 years ago. He could have expressed great anger toward them, and it would have been righteous anger. Instead, Jesus used grace, mercy, forgiveness, and patience, along with the great ability to show them that, even though they knew the correct path, they chose not to take or remember it. He would often remind them of wise Scripture from the Old Testament and say, “You should already know this.” On Tuesday, the verse of the day for one of the devotions the Holy Spirit of God has me reading was from Deuteronomy 6:5, which says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength". For followers of Jesus, that should sound very familiar because it is the first of the two greatest commandments that Jesus taught us in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. If you have anger that is not righteous, or if you or someone you know has a temper issue, then they need to hear the message that the Holy Spirit of God has prepared for you on "The Righteous Anger of God". Join us as we encourage trust and obedience of our omniscient and infinite Creator!
The Mind of God
March 12, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames
Do you ever feel like someone is speaking a completely different language even though you know the words are in English? This happens when they have great insight and knowledge on a particular subject and your capacity to understand is nowhere close to theirs. For me, it happens with computers and other forms of technology. We have some very knowledgeable people at Friendship who, when they try to explain to me how they see our technological landscape and opportunities, might as well be speaking Russian. I know and trust that they are right, but I can't see it how they see it. For you, that might be the case with sports, music, cars, or maps. When someone tries to explain March Madness, the genius of Mozart, how to change a catalytic converter, or the most direct route from one point to another, you just assume they know what they're talking about. So, why is it that we don't do this with God? Why don't we trust that He knows what is best, especially because explaining it to us would be like speaking a different language to our finite minds? This week at Friendship, we'll talk about "The Mind of God", which Scripture is clear is FAR beyond our minds. He sees and understands things from a level that we can never get to. Knowing this, we ought to believe that what He says is best, especially on things like forgiveness, sin, and the future. Join us as we encourage trust and obedience of our omniscient and infinite Creator!
The Long Nose of God
March 5, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames
When I was a child, I learned about the character Pinocchio, who had a nose that would grow anytime he told a lie. Maybe there was even a little bit of fear that it could actually happen to us, something adults put into our minds to deter us from speaking falsehood. The idea of a long nose has become so synonymous with a lying fictional character that I was shocked when I learned that the God we worship is said to have a long nose. Certainly, our God always speaks truth and never lies, so what else could it mean? There is a specific attribute of God's character and nature that would have been originally understood with reference to His "nose", and it invites us to pursue righteousness knowing that His grace and mercy is available to those who seek Him sincerely. This week at Friendship, we will reveal the holy attribute behind "The Long Nose of God", then we will spend time talking about the importance of acknowledging this while seeking Him in prayer, and finally we will discuss how this part of His nature is revealed in and through us. We are made in His image, and reflecting God's long nose towards the undeserving is a requirement for His followers. Don't miss this one!
The Voice of God
February 26, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames
What does God sound like? Have you ever heard His voice? Sure, we can all imagine what He might sound like because of what we've heard in television or movie depictions of Him, but since when can the created perfectly describe their Creator? The best we can do is guess based on what we know about Him in Scripture. The thing to remember is that God doesn't sound the same to everyone, and He doesn't sound the same in every circumstance. God knows us better than we know ourselves and He always knows what we need. Sometimes, it may be a voice that thunders over us to remind us to fear Him and strive for holiness. Other times, it may be a still small voice that reassures and encourages us. This week at Friendship, we'll be talking about "The Voice of God" and so many of the assumptions or expectations we have that get in our way of truly hearing His voice, How easily do we miss what He is saying to us? Ultimately, He not only wants to speak TO us, but THROUGH us as well. So we will also cover what it means to use our voices to speak His truth. Join us to learn more about His voice and how to apply what He speaks into us!
The Arms of God
February 19, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames
There is an old church hymn that speaks of the joy of believers who are "leaning on the everlasting arms...safe and secure from all alarms". It speaks to the peace we have even as we trod through a world of sin, chaos, and hardship. No matter how bad it gets, we have the strength and power of the Lord Almighty to hold us up and sustain us. Over and over in Scripture, we see reference to the "mighty hand and outstretched arm" of God, when He worked miracles to deliver His people from every possible alarm. In the same way, we should not worry about this world's troubles, because we have the promise of everlasting life with the One who has everlasting arms. In other words, God is not short on power; He has no supply chain issues. This week at Friendship, we'll talk about "The Arms of God", consider His power as a Miracle Worker who is still at work, and what our response must be. Let us join together in worship and recognition of His power and might!
The Eyes of God
February 12, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames
One of the best things about becoming a parent is learning to see the world through your children's eyes. They have a different perspective than we do. They're not afraid to show excitement over the smallest things, not afraid to cry, not afraid to trust, and not afraid to learn or change. Sometimes, we need these renewed perspectives so we don't forget that ours are skewed. Jesus tells us to have faith like a child, largely because they are much more willing to believe what God says and see what He wants them to see. Children don't hold grudges for more than five minutes, and they don't see anyone as unworthy of love and grace. This is the heart of the Father. This week at Friendship, we'll talk about what it means to have "The Eyes of God", specifically as it relates to how He sees the lost. Who have we already cast off? Who have we hated, avoided, or ignored simply because in OUR eyes, they are not worthy? Have we stopped to consider the Lord's perspective, which might possibly put us at odds with Him? We'll dig into the story of an Old Testament prophet who just couldn't see with God's eyes, simply because of how inconvenient it was for him personally. Join us to find out who, and to have your own hearts moved to begin to see things God's way!
The Mouth of God
February 5, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames
What's the dumbest thing you've ever said? How about the most hurtful? The most careless? It may take you some time to come up with your answer to these questions, but chances are that these words came back to bite you at some point. We've been taught as a society and even in the church to focus on actions because they "speak louder than words". While that's true, we can never pretend as if our words just don't matter. Jesus tells us our words will either justify us or condemn us. Paul tells us it's with our mouths that we confess Jesus is our Lord. Our mouths are important because, like every other part of is, they come from God and reflect His image. This week at Friendship, we'll discuss "The Mouth of God" and what it means for us to be very slow and deliberate with our words so that rather than being careless with our mouths, we use them to praise and glorify our Creator. Join us for this important message of reflection, repentance, and renewal
God's Ears
January 29, 2023 • Associate Pastor Ben Sorbello
"Did you hear what I just said? Are you listening to me?" How many times have we said these things to each other? How many times have we said these words to God? We read in Genesis 1:26-27 that God says, "Let us make man in our image", and then, "So God created man in his own image...". So then, if we have ears, does God also have ears? One could argue, since we know that Jesus is God and we use John 10:30, where Jesus tells us, "I and My Father are one", and we also know that Jesus was born of a virgin and "heard" things (Matthew 4:12, Matthew 8:10, and Matthew 14:13), which means He was listening, which means He has ears. So, there are questions we have to ask ourselves: Do we utilize God's ears? When we listen to others, are we listening the way Jesus wants us to? We are all like doctors for His Kingdom and the people we serve, whether they are believers or un-believers, are the patients. If we never listen to their symptoms, how do we know what to do and what to prescribe them in order for them to get better? This weekend at Friendship Community Church, we will be exploring "God's Ears" and we pray that you can join us on this journey.
God's Heart for Life
January 22, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames
"Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance" - Plato The right to life is something about which everyone reading this likely has a strong opinion that is based on what you've heard, learned, and experienced. Opinions are fine, but there is a point for all believers at which your opinions must be surrendered to God's word. It matters not how deeply your convictions are held, for each of us must consider the LORD'S convictions and adhere to them. We are the Church founded on the confession that HE is Savior and Lord, so how can we deny His word in favor of our feelings? This is just as true regarding the right to life as any other issue where we may find ourselves in conflict with His holy word. We must open our hearts to what He says, humbly and willingly receive it, and then reflect and respond to it with action. This week at Friendship, we highly the sanctity of human life by considering "God's Heart for Life". We'll consider what it means to be part of His church, and what is required of us beyond just forming an opinion. Join us to hear about God's heart, as well as local opportunities to stand with others for the right to life, which may involve both sacrifice and blessing beyond what you can imagine.
The Face of God
January 15, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames
What do you yearn for most deeply in your heart? In my years of ministry, I've talked to people with a variety of different answers to that question. Some just want to grow old with their spouses, others are desperate for children of their own, still more are looking for financial peace and security. Almost everyone has something which, if they are granted it, is believed to be the missing link to their joy and happiness. What's crazy is that almost no one, even in the Church, answers that question with wanting to know our God more and more. And yet, if you don't truly know Him, what difference can any of those other things make? This week at Friendship, we'll talk about seeking "The Face of God" and how that impacts our lives and the lives of those around us as they see us. We'll also look at the wonderful example of Moses who, after receiving the promise of a great land that Israel would call its own, declared that none of it mattered if the Lord's presence would not be with him. He showed us how to seek God's face and His glory, doing so with boldness but also humility. Join us for this powerful reminder and encouragement for you and your family!
The Hands and Feet of God
January 8, 2023 • Pastor Logan Ames
There is a well-known Scripture in Matthew 6 where Jesus preaches about storing up treasures in heaven rather than on earth where they can be destroyed. He states His reason for this teaching in verse 21: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also". Where is your heart today? You might say it's with your children, your loved ones, or the Lord, but what do you treasure? What do you spend most of your time thinking about and planning for? Now, I want to pivot and ask you to think about where God's heart is. What does He treasure? What does He think about the most? The answer, my friends, is YOU! David declares in Psalm 139 that if he were to count God's thoughts concerning him, "they would out number the grains of sand". Is there anything you've ever thought about that much? God thinks about us more and knows us better than we think about or know ourselves. And His goal ultimately, is that we would look a lot like Him. This week at Friendship, we begin our new sermon series called IMAGO DEI, which is "The Image of God". From the very beginning, He carefully designed us to look and be like Him. While sin has marred that intent, it cannot destroy it. He is still in the process of molding us into His image. Specifically this week, we're talking about being "The Hands & Feet of God". Join us to learn about how He wants us to go, preach, and serve in a way that causes others to see Jesus in us!