Are You Ready?
Have We Been Born Again With Jesus
January 2, 2022 • Associate Pastor Ben Sorbello
Well, it is December 30th. Christmas is in the rearview mirror and we are heading towards New Year's Eve, ready to bring in 2022! Are you EXCITED about the New Year? Are you someone who is looking forward or looking in the PAST? How we, as followers of Jesus Christ, look at each moment determines much about our faith walk. Are we walking on water with trust in Jesus or are we distracted by the world? Are we BORN AGAIN WITH JESUS? What a GREAT time to reflect on 2021. When we do that, do we find an abundance of blessings? Or do we only focus on the TRIALS and fail to see the blessings in those trials? Are we still searching for PURPOSE? DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU ARE HERE? Have you been born of water and the Spirit? Join us this Sunday to learn about what Jesus did for Nicodemus in sharing with him the Truth, and consider your own encounter with Jesus!
Christmas Eve Service - Israel, Are You Ready?
December 24, 2021 • Pastor Logan Ames
Hey Magi, Are You Ready?
December 26, 2021 • Pastor Logan Ames
Who is the most famous person you ever met? Who is the one whose presence was so great that you could sense the magnitude of the moment? You probably were excited enough about it to tell all your friends and family. I met future home run king Barry Bonds when I was a child and my dad took us to Lemoyne where he was doing autographs. It was something I couldn't wait for back then, but to be honest he was kind of a jerk. I then encountered John Travolta as a young adult working at the airport when he was in town filming a movie and was flying home for the holidays. He wasn't as much of a jerk, but still didn't care that we were there. I've met a few other famous people, but the results were the same each time - they were indifferent to me, and their presence changed absolutely nothing in my life. But when I met Jesus, He changed everything. Furthermore, He did everything He could to draw me to Him because I matter that much to Him. This weekend at Friendship, we'll talk about another group of people that were called to the Lord while they were a long way off, literally. The Magi were given signs and every advantage they needed to come to Jesus, and they were ready and willing to worship Him when they encountered His presence. It changed them from worldly wise to spiritually ready. Has your encounter with Jesus produced the same results? We're all going to stand before Him again some day, when we'll bow down either willingly or reluctantly. Join us this Sunday to learn about the Magi and consider your own encounter with the presence of Christ!
Hey Shepherds, Are You Ready?
December 19, 2021 • Pastor Logan Ames
Do you get excited about Jesus? Most believers would say "yes" without even thinking about it, but do those around you in your life know it? Far too many believers today show more passion and excitement for their political idols or favorite football teams than they do for the things of God. They yell and cheer and become emotionally invested in things that won't last past today, but are indifferent to the plans and purpose of the Lord. The Christmas season is a time when even pagans are looking for "the Christmas spirit", so it's a great opportunity for followers of Jesus to proclaim His goodness, His grace, and His power. It's a great chance to explain how God loved the world so much that He planned in advance to leave heaven and enter our realm as a baby named "Jesus" because He would save us from our sins. This week at Friendship, we will learn from people who did just that. The shepherds in Bethlehem were ready for the Messiah because God had been preparing their hearts through their work when they didn't even know it. Once they realized what God did, they couldn't help but praise Him and proclaim the good news to everyone they met. Join us this weekend to be inspired by these lowly individuals who found themselves in the middle of the greatest story ever told!
Hey Joseph, Are You Ready?
December 12, 2021 • Pastor Logan Ames
If you are married with children, you hopefully can look back on the times of engagement, wedding, honeymoon, first year, and the arrival of children as nothing but blessed times. Even if there were minor struggles, hopefully those were overshadowed by the joy flowing out of you. One couple that probably found it very difficult to enjoy it all in the midst of their hardship was Joseph and Mary, the earthly parents of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Their circumstances were not ideal, to say the very least. From questions of fidelity, to the condemnation from others, to questions about their love for God and His laws, to lack of immediate family support and absolute poverty, their young marriage and birthing plan looked nothing like they had hoped. Despite all of this, the Lord spoke clearly to them through His angels, and Joseph obeyed God and took Mary home as his wife. He did this regardless of the opinions of others, regardless of the damage to his reputation and business, and regardless of not being able to see the full picture just yet. This week at Friendship, we'll look deeper into Joseph's involvement, his preparedness, and his reaction to the news about the Savior coming. It's good news in the big picture, but isn't all roses and sunshine in the small picture. How do we deal with it? Are we ready for Jesus to come again? You don't want to miss this message to which we can all relate.
Hey Mary, Are You Ready?
December 5, 2021
Well, ARE YOU? "Ready for what?" you may ask - a new day, a new job, a new sorrow, a new joy - anything. I remember those words said to me by my earthly father, at midnight one morning when I was around eight to ten years old when he pulled me out of bed and lead me to the kitchen to get my shoes on as we headed out the door. We were heading to gather up all the chickens on the farm. See, the day before my baby sister was attacked by a mother hen doing her job, guarding her chicks, and my baby sister walked by the wrong forsythia bush. Well, that night my "Mother Hen" told my dad they all had to go! I had to climb all of our trees on a rickety ladder and grab the chickens by their legs and hand them down to my father who was waiting with a wooden bushel to stuff them in. Well it turns out I WAS NOT READY! I have mental scars to prove it! This week at Friendship, we are on week two of our Christmas Advent series that will allow us to look at the lives of those who received the news of Christ's first coming, as well as their preparedness and their response to this good news. Some were ready; many were not. As we dig into their stories, beginning with Elizabeth and Zechariah this last week, we are encouraged by the fact that it is okay sometimes to admit we are not ready but ALWAYS TRUST THE LORD! Let us think about our own readiness for Christ's return, which will happen according to the time the Father has appointed. So the question is, ARE YOU READY FOR WEEK 2? This weekend we will be exploring the Virgin Mother of Jesus to see if she was ready to shepherd in the King of the World...
Hey E & Z?, Are You Ready
November 28, 2021
Remember when we were children and played hide-and-go-seek? You'd count to 10 or 30 or some other number and then loudly announce to those hiding: "Ready or not, here I come!" The announcement was an indication and a warning to all who may not be ready that you are coming to find them one way or another. In this simple children's game is a picture of what it will be like when Jesus returns. He is currently in the "counting phase", giving us every opportunity to get ourselves prepared for His coming. During this time, He is patient, standing at the door of our hearts and knocking, only entering where people willingly invite Him in. But there will come a time when our acceptance of Him will no longer be on the table, and He will be returning whether we are ready or not. In the same way, He came to the earth the first time, whether people were ready for Him or not. This week at Friendship, we begin our Christmas Advent series that will allow us to look at the lives of those who received the news of Christ's first coming, as well as their preparedness and their response to this good news. Some were ready; many were not. As we dig into their stories, beginning with Elizabeth and Zechariah this week, let us think about our own readiness for Christ's return, which will happen according to the time the Father has appointed. Are you ready?