Getting the gospel of Jesus Christ out to other people groups is part of the mission of the Church. After our conversion we begin to minister to those in our peer group, our family and our community. This message takes a panoramic look at why engaging in missions is essential to the history and future of the Church.
When Policy Undercuts Purpose
June 1, 2014 • Jeff Lyle
One day, Jesus Christ caused a scene in a synagogue, threw the order of service out the window, never finished his sermon and set a woman free from nearly two decades of spiritual and physical slavery. Sounds exciting, but the people in charge had a fit about it and the interaction between them and Jesus reveals that the Son of God did not come to earth to preserve religious preferences. Jesus came to transform people. This message gives you the opportunity to discover whether his or her own personal policies are undercutting the purposes of God in our generation.
Reaching the Elite
May 25, 2014 • Jeff Lyle
In 1990, billionaire Ted Turner received the Humanist of the Year Award from a group of atheists. The primary reason was because he had commented earlier that year to a group of reporters that “Christianity is a religion for losers.” We may be tempted to believe that the educated, successful wealthy people around us are not interested in spiritual truth. What is the Church of Jesus Christ doing to reach the elite?
Love Tell Help Kids
May 18, 2014 • Jeff Lyle
This message serves to remove all doubt about the importance of preparing the younger for Kingdom stewardship, and removes all excuses for our being negligent in this call from God. So often, children are placed on some imaginary back-burner with the presumption that they will add value to the Kingdom when they are older. Interestingly, when Jesus told us how we must enter the Kingdom, he placed a child before us and said, “Become like this one."
Far-Country Focus
May 4, 2014 • Jeff Lyle
This refreshing message shows us the overwhelming love and compassion of God the Father for those who have brought themselves into ruin. If you do not believe that grace is mind-blowing then you have not yet properly understood it. God is looking for sinners to save, and sprints toward sinners to rescue them. God lavishly pardons the repentant and blesses them with His very best. Additionally, there is a clear call for believers to live out this very same love as we seek to reconcile the world unto God. We are the body of Christ: feet running, mouths speaking, hands extending and hearts reflecting the powerful desire of God to save all who will believe.
Embracing Committed Stewardship
April 27, 2014 • Jeff Lyle
This message focuses on the blessings of being a giver and how it leads to the true riches of Kingdom living. Sooner or later every Christian must face the issue of what they do with their money. Jesus taught that God’s chief rival for our heart’s loyalty is the desire to gain wealth. The Lord went so far to say that, if you will live for God then you will abandon living for money and, if you live for money, you will not be able to live for God. The issues of sacrifice and proactive joyfulness in giving are addressed, and like any other topic in the bible, the listener must gauge whether he or she will believe God or something else. Blessings await those who trust God on this and this message points us in that direction.
Pursuing Spiritual Growth
April 13, 2014 • Jeff Lyle
All followers of Christ are to engage themselves in pursuing active spiritual maturity. Spiritual growth is the natural mode for the supernatural life. All Christians (no matter what denomination!) are supernatural creations. We are not bodies with spirits but, we are spirits with bodies. When we are saved in Jesus Christ we become new creations who are spiritually alive. Because we are alive in Christ we will be growing in Christ. The fact is that a Christian has to purpose not to grow because God is working to transform us into the image of His Son. Pastor Jeff passionately reminds the listener that God has empowered us to grow in our faith, advance in our maturity and to invest our lives in others. Do you consider yourself mature in the faith? Do you desire to grow deeper in your relationship with God? Listen carefully to learn more about how this will be accomplished, in part, by your commitment and effort. God’s grace never nullifies human responsibility.
Discovering Renewing Worship
April 6, 2014 • Jeff Lyle
Personal worship is the high call of each and every child of God. If worshiping God is confined to one day per week, at one location, then you could probably use a little reorientation concerning this essential part of the Christian life. Worship is everything to the followers of Jesus Christ. We can actually worship Him with our entire being wherever we are no matter what we are doing. Just as the TV pitchman happily declares, “But wait… there’s more!”, we are also called to worship alongside of one another. Gathered worship is the gift of God to His family and far too many of us who name the name of Jesus have diminished the mandate of the New Testament. This message calls believers to reevaluate their commitment to the assembling of the saints. Without apology, Pastor Jeff confronts the notion that we are permitted to come and go as we please when it comes to living out our faith alongside of others. Worship is the lone activity which endures into eternity and the Book of Revelation never pictures worship as being done privately and individualistically. This is a family activity and it begins the moment one is saved and endures until the grand climax in glory.
Cultivating Authentic Community
March 30, 2014 • Jeff Lyle
Believers are called and empowered to live a life of shared community and oneness. If you believe Jesus always received what He prayed for, then this message holds great significance for you. Hours before His betrayal and crucifixion, Jesus offered up what is often called “His High Priestly Prayer”, where He prayed for His disciples…and also for you. What did He desire from the Father? That all who follow Him would be one with each other. God does not save us to be lone rangers, mavericks, spiritual slalom skiers. He saves us from our sin, from our doom, to Himself…and unto one another. Jesus put it near the top of His prayer list while on earth and we get to learn how close to the top of our own it rests.
Becoming the Church
March 23, 2014 • Jeff Lyle
Let's not long for the good-ol'-days but let's be wise to recognize that there are some things that churches cannot do without. Don't make the mistake of glamorizing the early church. We often think if we could travel back in time and be a part of the first-century church then we would be content. Just remember that it didn't take long before numerous challenges and dangers arose among those early Christians. Having said that, the idea of going back to the first-few-months church has some appeal. In those embryonic moments of the first assembly of believers, there are some core components that modern churches do well to attain. Sound teaching, committed community, spiritual power and healthy numerical growth were all taking place among Christians who had little organization and no ministry structure. This message helps us revisit what can be easily lost in our modern era.
The Mission
March 16, 2014 • Jeff Lyle
This message takes us back to the 3 primary emphases of the mission of the Church: loving people, telling people and helping people. Great things happen when we embrace simplicity. Gospel ministry has become far too complicated. With all the advancements in modern society one would think that life would become simpler. But it has not. Technology is extremely helpful in many ways but some things were not meant to be technological. At it's core, Christianity is relational. When Christians lose sight of this truth, Gospel ministry becomes encumbered.
