Previous Sermon Series "Journey From The Empty Tomb"

Eyes On The Prize

May 31, 2020 • Pastor Logan Ames

As we've entered into the period between Memorial Day and Independence Day, between remembering those who sacrificed for us and the freedom they provided, it's a time when many will be thinking about our blessings in this country. One of the symbols of our great nation is the bald eagle. I remember learning once about the unique ability of the eagle to focus on its prey. The eagle already has vision that is 6 times better than that of humans, but it can be flying up to 100 mph over 200 feet above water and still spot the fish that it wants for a snack swimming beneath the surface. That's why they usually time it perfectly, swooping down to grab the fish just as it gets to where the eagle thought it would be and then returning skyward again. The biggest reason the eagle has this laser-like focus as its secret weapon is because it rarely, if ever, gets distracted by what else is around it. The eagle doesn't look back or side-to-side, but remains singularly focused on the goal, which is to win the prized prey. The eagle is always looking ahead and working as such. This week at Friendship, we close out our post-resurrection series by considering the goals of the Christian walk and how we might remain focused with our "eyes on the prize". We must endure hardships and challenges to the end because we know our full reward is with Christ in heaven. This message will challenge you to do away with any earthly gains that our temporary and to live for the eternal prize that is promised us if we remain faithful.

The Resurrection Memorial

May 24, 2020 • Pastor Logan Ames

Before becoming the pastor at Friendship, I rarely, if ever, used a calendar and it certainly wasn't part of my routine. When God gives you a great ability to recall information, it's easy to be overconfident in it. As a single person with very few others depending on me or anything I do, it wasn't hard to remember meetings or other important things. But in the past 4 years, I've gotten married, had two children, took over as pastor in a congregation with hundreds of regulars, and bought our first home. To say the least, I'm now in the real world like the rest of you and absolutely depend on my calendar or others to REMIND me of certain things. We always think we'll remember the important stuff, but how's that working for you? I find that it's getting harder and harder, especially with more things keeping me busy. I share this because I'm sure most of you can relate. This week at Friendship, for Memorial Day weekend, we'll consider what it means to REMEMBER the sacrifices. How easily we forget! We'll also talk about Jesus, who bled and died and then rose from the grave, yet is just as easily forgotten by the world and even by his followers. What does it mean to be his living, breathing "resurrection memorial"? How can we live in such a way that others see us and think of Jesus? Find out as we gather in person - for the first time in 2 http://months...yes LORD! - to worship and hear the word this weekend.

Entertaining Angels

May 17, 2020 • Pastor Logan Ames

There are times when what God commands in His word and through His apostles flies in the face of what we are taught by the world, and even by well-meaning and kind people around us. When it comes to strangers, for example, we are taught as children not to speak to them. Then, as we grow up and become more aware of the evil that is out there, we still do our best to avoid strangers even though we have more capacity for protecting ourselves. Jesus tells us to be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves - when dealing with the WORLD! But God's word calls us to a different reaction to those with whom we may not be familiar in the body of Christ. This week at Friendship, we'll talk about hospitality; not the kind you show your best friends and family members, but the kind we are commanded to show to the body of Christ even when we don't really know someone well. Too often, even in church, we are hesitant to get to know new people and show personal love and hospitality to them. But God says that when we are hospitable to Christian strangers, we may be "entertaining angels" without even knowing it. Gather with us online Sunday for this challenging, yet very practical message!

Breaking Barriers

May 10, 2020 • Pastor Logan Ames

Over the past few years, there has been a lot of talk in the news about "walls". Your view of said walls is largely dependent on how you feel about rights, liberty, security, and even control. We all live with some kind of wall to protect something we hold dear, whether it be our homes, our material wealth, our families, our emotions, our status, or even our secrets. However, we serve a God who is completely sovereign and demonstrated His ability to break through any barrier we have when Jesus rose from the empty tomb. God knows all our secrets, can expose our emotions, values our material things far less than we do, and certainly doesn't approve of any figurative status "barrier" that allows some people to mistreat others. This week at Friendship, on Mother's Day, we'll take a look at how women have been treated over the course of history and how the empty tomb of Jesus resulted in the breaking of many barriers, including that which was suppressing women. If you want to forget about the world's view of men and women for a day and look into what God thinks of us, you don't want to miss this message!

What Shall We Do?

May 3, 2020 • Pastor Logan Ames

I watched a movie scene recently where one of the characters said, "Talk is cheap, and I'm not buying any". For years growing up in the church, we were taught that we can't just talk about faith in Jesus; we've got to walk the talk. Yet, a survey in the mid-2000s showed that 42% of Americans claimed the title of "evangelical Christian" while just 22% showed consistency with the core doctrinal values of the evangelical faith. In other words, our country is littered with CINOs - people who are "Christian in name only". I believe this pandemic we're all facing is an opportunity to look in the mirror and see what is staring back at us. Do our behaviors line up with the Christian values we trumpet? Are we setting an example for the world around us in not only speech, but action as well? What must we do when presented with a truth about Jesus that exposes an area of sin in our lives? This week at Friendship, we'll be talking mainly about the need for repentance among believers. We can talk all we want about how our country or our world needs it, but it begins with US. The early believers were spiritually moved by a great sermon, but still asked, "What shall we do?" We must ask the same question in 2020, AND be prepared to act according to the answer we receive. The empty tomb means an appropriate response is required. Are you ready?

Clothed With Power

April 26, 2020 • Ben Sorbello

Super Hero… what is the first name you think of…when we think of those words there are many possible answers. This week’s message as we Journey From the Empty Tomb is on, “Clothed with Power”. When we think of Power and Super Hero there is really only one name that should come to our minds and that is JESUS. Some could have thought Superman or Wonder Woman, or Hancock, but these are all fictional characters. The REAL Super Heroes walked amongst us. Recently I read a great book by Logan Ames about Heroes of our Faith and in there we meet many True Heroes. Take for example someone that could part a river with a staff, or a woman who could save a nation because of her looks and words. How about someone that built a boat and saved humanity. These are all pretty good heroes, but what makes a Super Hero? Moving through time and space? Being able to raise the Dead? Heal the lame? Give sight to the blind? Or maybe even walk on water? Or someone that saved mankind from eternal damnation by one act of selfless Love… I know someone that even Created SOMETHING FROM NOTHING…do you want to know who? We have Power inside all of us that is truly Super and it was given to us as a gift, we couldn’t earn it or buy it, but we have it, we just have to believe. Check out this message on Sunday and hear how you are Super because of the gift of the Holy Spirit!

Hope For The Journey

April 19, 2020 • Shawn Peale

Last week, Pastor Ben brought us a wonderful message about the Resurrection of Jesus to close out our mini-series "Journey to The Empty Tomb" . This week at Friendship, we will begin a new mini-series called "Journey From The Empty Tomb". Recently, I came across a teaching from a well-known preacher and he was talking about how so often, the seemingly chaotic things we go through in life were not meant to harm us, but to provide, in the long run, an opportunity to build our faith. Pastor Ben also taught about this a few weeks ago when he brought us a word about Joseph and how his faith was strengthened, and how he defeated opposition. This week, we will focus on the hope that was manifested in the followers of Jesus following His resurrection and what it means for our "Hope for the Journey" in 2020. We will take a look at early post-resurrection events within the lives of the first disciples and followers of Jesus, as well as explore why His Resurrection meant hope for all!

The Tomb Is Empty

April 12, 2020 • Ben Sorbello

As we enter into Easter Weekend, let us prepare our hearts and minds by putting ourselves in Jerusalem on the day when Jesus was entering on a donkey. If we were in the crowd, we were anxiously awaiting this man called Jesus. We would have heard of many of the miracles that he was doing in Capernaum and the neighboring towns in Galilee. Maybe we would have been with him when he was teaching on the Mount. On the other hand, we might have been with him when he raised Lazarus from the dead after he was wrapped and entombed for four days in Bethany, which was less than two miles from Jerusalem, according to John 11:18. So, he passes by us and proceeds to go into town with his disciples, and we return to our homes or stores and continue on with our day, wondering, "could this man be the Messiah we heard about at temple?" How would we spend our time that week? Would we spend it complaining about our circumstances or neighbors? Would we complain about our job or not having enough food for Passover supper? Just a few days later, when we heard this Jesus fellow was being brought to the governor Pontius Pilate and we rushed over there to see the commotion and then we started to cheer, “FREE BARABBAS!", would we wonder what happened to us? We knew he performed miracles; we knew he talked about repentance and Love. We knew Barabbas was a criminal and murderer. WE KNEW. As I reflect on this message, it reminds me of the words of the old hymn, “Were you there?”. Were you there when they nailed Him to the cross? Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? Sometimes it causes me to Tremble, Tremble, Tremble. We should take this time to search our hearts and minds, and then get on our knees and thank the Lord for what he did for us so that we do not have to Tremble, but REJOICE instead. When he took our sins to the cross with him he gave us a new life with Him. Matthew 16:24 says, "Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” This happened months before he was crucified, making this a prophecy. So this week, I invite us to take up our crosses and follow Jesus; do not let the world shake our FAITH but RENEW IT!

Maundy Thursday Service

April 9, 2020 • Pastor Logan Ames

What is Maundy Thursday? Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter, believed to be the day when Jesus celebrated his final Passover with His disciples. Most notably, that Passover meal was when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples in an extraordinary display of humility. He then commanded them to do the same for each other. For more information please contact Pastor Logan

My Redeemer Lives

April 5, 2020 • Bob Mattern

I've been asked several times recently whether I believe that it is God or Satan who is responsible for this pandemic. We have to be careful how we answer this question theologically. We can't say it's God, because He created a world without sin, disease, sickness, and death. We can't say it's from Satan, because that would be assigning him power he does not have apart from God's permission. Sin began with Satan, so I suppose all the consequences from it could be traced back to him. Yet, God desires that we love Him out of our own free will, so He allows us to be tempted, tested, and tried. Sometimes, God ALLOWS bad things to happen that were clearly orchestrated by Satan. Satan's purpose is destruction, but God's plan is to use it for good. Perhaps no better story in the Old Testament better shows this than that of Job, who was a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. In both cases, the men experienced great personal pain and loss, persevered through hope in the Father's plan, and experienced ultimate victory. This week at Friendship, we'll cover the story of Job who saw in advance that his Redeemer would live. Jesus is his Redeemer just as he is ours, and it's the resurrection of Christ that gives us hope no matter the trials we face.

A Humble Vessel

March 29, 2020 • Pastor Logan Ames

When you think about the current pandemic, what do you fear most? Do you worry about being infected with the virus yourself? Death? Infecting others? Not being able to pay bills or buy groceries due to loss of income? Watching your savings or retirement plan go down the drain? Your children missing school and extracurricular activities? While these are all concerning things, I believe there is one thing that ought to concern us more than any other - losing sight of God's goodness and grace! Throughout history, God has allowed awful things, far more terrible than a pandemic, to happen to His chosen people. Each time He allowed something horrible to happen, it was for a purpose, generally to urge them to turn away from idols and back to Him. Could God be urging us to the same right now? In the past, these seasons of suffering often didn't change until someone was willing to risk personal loss, pain, and death to overcome oppression and lead the people back to righteousness. This week at Friendship, we'll look at the story of an Old Testament heroine who realized that failure to follow God's will and allow Him to use her as "a humble vessel" was actually worse than death. She risked her life for the people of God, and God responded to her obedience by saving them all as only He could do. As most of you know, our church gatherings are currently canceled due to the health crisis, so we are conducting the worship service online only. We encourage you to gather with friends or family, have your physical Bibles ready to read along, and worship and learn with us! You can view the service live on Sunday at 10 a.m., or anytime after it's posted, at http://www.friendshipcommunity.org! Just scroll down and click on "view services". If you are having trouble getting through on the website, you may find us by going to http://youtube.com and searching for our church's channel, or by going to a backup website at http://www.friendshipcommunity1.org. Join us and be blessed!

Rescued And Resurrected

March 22, 2020 • Pastor Logan Ames

We are certainly in the midst of some very difficult and trying times as a society right now. None of us have ever faced a true pandemic and every day is a struggle to make the right decisions as we try to balance faith in our God who is above everything and a common sense approach to any social interaction. When we face difficult things like this on a national and even worldwide level, those of us who know God can find hope in looking at how the faithful heroes of the past responded during even worse circumstances. This week at Friendship, we'll discuss a time when God allowed an evil, ruthless regime called "The Babylonians" to come to power over His people the Israelites. How could God do that? What was His purpose? How did the faith of 4 specific young men who faced unimaginable suffering and their full dependence on God give us a framework for our own response to this national tragedy and suffering? Find out the answers to these questions and much more this weekend! If you cannot or choose not to come out in person, we support your decision and encourage you to view the service and worship with us online at http://www.friendshipcommunity.org! Just scroll down and click on "view services".

God Meant It For Good

March 15, 2020 • Ben Sorbello

Most of us can individually look back at one central event, moment, or season of our lives that turned us either toward or away from God depending on how we responded to it. In many cases, God was preparing our hearts and minds for that critical juncture without us even knowing it, and now you see the difference it has made in your life. Just as it happens for each of us individually, it has also happened for the entire world. In the Biblical and Christian worldview, the central event in all of human history is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. God was preparing the world and His people for that moment ever since Creation. Those who came before it were being prepared whether they knew it or not, and those of us on this side of it know the difference it has made. This week at Friendship, we begin our Easter series called "Journey to the Empty Tomb". We'll be looking at Old Testament examples of faith and perseverance, men and women who trusted in the same God who raised Christ from the dead even as they faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles. It begins this week with Joseph, who though persecuted was able to keep his faith in God and saw that He was working all things for good, even the evil perpetrated against him. Don't miss the start of this great series!

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