November 27, 2022 • Pastor Phil Burdoin • Matthew 16:18, Ephesians 2:19, Romans 12:9–16
Many people no longer have any respect nor regard for the church, especially here in America and for good reason. The church has often been the source of great pain and suffering to those who are the most in need. But the issue is not with the church, the issue is with those in leadership who have abused their power for selfish gain and brought shame to the name of Christ or who have twisted the true gospel into something Jesus never intended. The issue is not with those who do not believe what we believe, the issue is that they do not believe that we really believe what we say we believe by the way we live. As a result, many believe the church is no longer relevant and no longer trustworthy and should be ignored or simply go away. The Church, as Jesus intends, is the only hope for the real issues that everyone in our world faces.
The Church Matters
Telling My Story
November 20, 2022 • Pastor Bill West • John 9:1–34
This message will emphasize that you don’t have to know it all and have all of your questions answered before you begin to follow Jesus or begin to talk to others bout Him. Many people are afraid to talk about their relationship with Christ because they believe someone may ask them a question that they cannot answer. We think we have to know it all or we will not be credible to others. But all that we have to know is the fact that Jesus has and can change lives. This man’s encounter with Jesus changed His life. He could not answer all of the questions that the religious people asked him, all he knew that His life was changed and that is all that mattered to him.
Telling My Story
God's View of Money
November 13, 2022 • Pastor Bill West • Matthew 6:19–34
Jesus taught more on money than on faith and prayer. Money can either be a great servant in our lives or a terrible master that we pursue. How we view money and its place in our lives plays an important role on the way our lives will go. Will I trust God to provide what I need or will I trust money? Will Jesus be my treasure or will my treasure come from what this world has to offer. Money serves as a means to provide for our basic needs and to be able to share with those in need. Getting God’s view of money and things right in our lives will allow us to live a greater freedom to love God and people and to use the things He provides to make life better for all of us.
What is My Purpose Part 2
November 6, 2022 • Pastor Bill West • Matthew 25:31–40, 1 John 3:18
As Christ followers, we are accountable for the way that we treat others and the way that we treat others is the way that we treat Jesus. Jesus purposefully makes us uncomfortable by describing the kinds of people we are to care for: hungry, thirsty, homeless, the sick, the overlooked and marginalized. He makes it clear that we are to be involved in more than just giving money, we are to become a part of the solution. We are to be willing to build relationships with others regardless of their needs.
What is My Purpose Part 2
What is My Purpose Part 1
October 30, 2022 • Pastor Phil Burdoin • John 13:1–5, John 13:12–17
The disciples struggled with being willing to put others first. They all wanted the places of power and prestige and refused to take on the mantle of a servant. This is something we all struggle with today. Jesus grabbed some water and a towel and began to act like a servant. This is what Jesus has done for us and what we are to do for each other. We are not greater than Jesus and will be blessed if we do what He has done. We are here to love and serve Jesus by loving and serving others. Our purpose is to point people to Jesus, the One who has loved and served us.
The Enemy is Real
October 23, 2022 • Pastor Bill West • 1 John 4:4, Ephesians 6:10–18
In a world that that denies the supernatural, we must remember that there is a real enemy that we are battling, there is one that wants to destroy us and the work of God. You are not just going out into the world this week; you are in the middle of a spiritual warfare. We do need to recognize the truth that the real battle is not other people, or the world we live in, but the real struggle is against spiritual forces that oppose God and His plan for our lives. God has promised that we will prevail through His power in our lives-we can rely on Him to be with us no matter what happens to us. He has given us the weapons that we need to battle the enemy that we face.
The Enemy is Real
The Way that We Grow
October 16, 2022 • Pastor Bill West • Romans 5:1–5, 2 Corinthians 4:7–9, Isaiah 43:2
Life is hard and filled with pain and suffering. We all want to know why God allows pain and suffering when He has the ability to stop it. We want to know where is God when we are hurting? We often feel that God is silent and not there, but the Scriptures are clear that even when God appears to be silent, he is not absent. He is with us. Paul teaches us that our hope is not found in comfortable circumstances but in the fact that our painful times can be the place where God meets us and causes us to persevere and that the perseverance grows our character and growth in character gives us Hope. God's goal for us is to be conformed to the image of his Son and God often used challenging circumstances to do that.
The Way that We Grow
The Helper We Have
October 9, 2022 • Pastor Bill West • John 14:15–21, John 16:12–13
Charles Stanley has said: “The Holy Spirit has been sent by the Father to assist us in all practical matters of Christian living. He is our number one helper. Jesus has called us to obey whatever He has commanded us and He knows we all need help do that. So Jesus asked the Father to send a Helper to help us be obedient to His call on our lives. The Holy Spirit now lives in us to empower us to obey all that God has commanded us to do as His followers.
The Helper We Have
The Problem We All Face
October 2, 2022 • Pastor Phil Burdoin • Genesis 3:1–19
All of creation was designed by God and for God. Mankind is the crown of God’s creation. God placed Adam and Eve in the garden to enjoy and work it. They were given access to everything but one thing. They were commanded not to eat of the one tree. However, they chose to disobey God and did the one thing they were commanded not to do and we’ve been doing it ever since. Each person, each culture, each group, and each generation faces the same problem. Like Adam and Eve, we hide, we deflect and we blame. We all end us more broken and messed up, even though we believe that we can get better. We can’t because we are born in sin and we all choose to sin. Only God can save us from our sin and that is what He did through His Son.
Why Rooted?
September 25, 2022 • Pastor Bill West • Acts 2:42–47
The early Christians were devoted to the apostle’s teachings, those who had actually been with Christ. They were devoted to each other and to fellowship together and prayer. They shared their lives with each other. God worked through them to continually reach those who did not know Him. This series Rooted will explore how we as the church in 2022 should still value and practice these things.
Why Rooted?
