The book of Colossians ends with a list of names. Each of the people that Paul mentions has a unique story. In this message we will consider the story of four of these men and what it can teach us about faithfulness, redemption, forgiveness,. and the power of prayer. As we consider the way the Gospel transformed each of these individuals, we will have an opportunity to remember the influence the Gospel has had on our story as well.
Three Components to Evangelism
February 12, 2022 • Tim Cain
How are Christians supposed to interact with those who don’t believe the things that we believe? In this passage Paul gives us three components to sharing the Gospel. What we will find is that while many of us are naturally better at one of the components, all three of them are vital if we are going to faithfully share the good news of the Gospel. In this message we will see why they are all necessary and how it is that we can grow in the ones that we are weak in.
Evangelism Amidst Fear and Weakness
February 5, 2022 • Tim Cain • Colossians 4:2–4
Sharing the Gospel with others is hard. Most of us wish we talked about Jesus more than we do, but find that our fears or weaknesses often keep us silent. So what do we do? How do we overcome our fears and our weaknesses? Where do we find the boldness to talk about Jesus even with those who may not want to hear about him? These are just a few of the questions we will try to answer in this message.
The Dignity, Cultivation, and Excellence in Work
January 29, 2022 • Wes Van Fleet
For a lot of people, work seems like a necessary evil to survive. What if it wasn't always that way and won't always be that way? Would that change how we work in the present? Listen and hear how our work can have dignity, cultivation, and excellence because of the Gospel
Power for Control or for Love
January 22, 2022 • Tim Cain • Colossians 4:1
Power has a tendency to change people, often for the worse. Now the reason this is important to note is because all of us have been given a certain degree of power. In this message we will consider two different ways to use the power we have been given. Will we use it gain control in order to protect our vulnerabilities or will we abandon control and instead seek to use our power to love others and protect their vulnerabilities. Power for love or power for control. In this message we will consider where it is that we learn to use our power for the sake of love and how it is that we are able to abandon control even when it inevitably leaves us very vulnerable.
God's Heart for the Slave
January 15, 2022 • Tim Cain
Some estimate that nearly half of the population in Paul's day were slaves. Many of these slaves had no rights, received no compensation for their labors and were often the victims of sexual exploitation. Here in Colossians 3 Paul takes a moment to address these slaves personally and in his words we get a glimpse of God's heart for them. A heart committed to reminding these slaves of the dignity that they had because they were created in the image of God himself and the love that was demonstrated to them when the creator of heaven and earth chose to take on flesh and come near to them in the form of a slave.
Perseverance of Prayer through the Supremacy of Christ
January 8, 2022 • Jonathan Gower
Why should I pray? Does God really listen to me? Looking at the importance of the role of prayer in a Christian's life through the example of Christ and his followers.
Parenting, Shame, and the Gospel
November 27, 2021 • Tim Cain
What is shame and why do we resort to it so often with our children? What’s the difference between punishing our children and disciplining them? How can we find freedom from the shame we carry and help make our home a place where our children feel safe? What do we do when we fail to be the parents we know we should be? In this sermon we will seek to answer these and other questions that parents may find themselves asking.
How Children Can Please the Lord
November 20, 2021 • Tim Cain
Often children find themselves feeling like everything truly important and significant is reserved for adults. Children can’t drive or work or make major decisions or vote and that’s why it’s easy for children to be constantly looking ahead, waiting to reach the next milestone in order to finally feel like they can do something meaningful. But Paul comes to remind us that God has invited children to do the most significant thing in the entire universe.
Marriage and the Gospel
November 13, 2021 • Tim Cain
Marriage can be hard. Fortunately, God has not left us to navigate the difficulties of marriage on our own. Instead, he has given us very specific instructions for what marriage is supposed to look like and the roles that he has called both the husbands and wives to play. Unfortunately, God’s instructions about marriage don’t make it any easier. Instead, what they do is show us that despite the difficulties our God has designed marriage to be good and beautiful and more than worth any sacrifices that it will inevitably require. Ultimately, we will see that God has designed marriage to be a reflection of the Gospel and he has given both husbands and wives an exalted role to play.
The Power of Song
November 6, 2021 • Tim Cain
There is something about the combination of story and song that is able to drill truth deep down into our hearts. You can probably think of times in your own life where a song has impacted you in a way that words by themselves may not have. That is why in this passage Paul calls us to sing to one another as one of the means of drilling the word of Christ deep into our hearts.
Peace in a World of Anxiety
October 30, 2021 • Tim Cain
Anxiety, that feeling of dread that comes over us when we realize that we are not in control and we think of all the terrible things that might happen. The truth is that our anxiety shouldn’t surprise us. Anxiety is the natural response of people who were made for Eden but can’t seem to find their way back. But in Colossians 3 Paul offers us an alternative, the peace of Christ. In this message we will consider how it is possible to experience true peace in a world full of anxiety.
The Self-Giving Love of God
October 23, 2021 • Joshua Moffit • Colossians 3:14
No one will disagree with the statement that we should "put on love." However, often when we pursue love from the world's perspective we find that it leads to division and disappointment. In fact, self-centeredness often lies at the heart of what we call love. So, what makes Christian love - love that springs forth from a new identity in Christ - different? Jesus shows the heart of God in his self-giving love for sinners. When we are satisfied in his love we are freed to love others with the same self-giving love.
Forgiveness, even when it’s hard
October 16, 2021 • Tim Cain
What is forgiveness and how is it possible? How do you forgive someone who has deeply hurt you? How do you forgive someone who keeps repeating the same old sin? How do you forgive someone who does something completely inexcusable? How do you forgive someone who does something that you know you would never do? In this message we will seek to answer these and other questions related to the very difficult but beautiful call to forgive one another the way Jesus has forgiven us.
Characteristics of the New-Self
October 9, 2021 • Tim Cain
Compassion, kindness, humility and meekness, these things sound great but the truth is that there are many times that we find them very difficult to actually practice. In this message we will look at what each of these attributes look like and what can make them difficult for us to actually do. In the end we will see that before we can ever truly demonstrate these things to others we must receive them ourselves. Fortunately, there is one who has demonstrated each of these things towards us if we are only willing to receive them.
