Sunday Messages
Understanding Christian Character
April 14, 2024 • Pastor Mike Stubbs • 2 Peter 1:3–11
The most important quality of a disciple of Jesus Christ is godly character. That is how real believers are identified and how fake or immature believers are exposed. We are identified by our “fruit” which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Even if a person is gifted, the real test is a person’s character, habits, and lifestyle. Godly believers leave a trail of wholeness in the church not collateral damage.
The Power of the Resurrection
March 31, 2024 • Pastor Mike Stubbs
We were not created to experience corruption, sorrow, and death. We were created for everlasting peace, joy, and life. But mankind sold out to darkness and had to be purchased back by the replacement death of Jesus Christ – Him instead of us. Jesus died for us, defeated death, rose from the grave and offers new life to everyone who chooses to believe.
Albania Missions Report
March 24, 2024 • Chris Dakas • Revelation 14:6
Business as a mission is a concept that intentionally leverages the power of business to meet spiritual, social, and economic needs in an increasingly complex world that can be hostile to traditional mission methodology. The mission, values, and purpose of the business is to create an open door to the Gospel message through the God-given talents and gifts of individuals called to such endeavors. They are often called "tent-making ministries" due to the Apostle Paul using his talent as a tent maker to support his own ministry as recorded in the New Testament. Listen to apostolic entrepreneur Chris Dakas describe his and his wife Laura's calling to, their response to, and the fruit of their obedience as contemporary pioneers in this concept of ministry by 34 years of fruitfulness in the country of Albania.
Getting Love Right
March 17, 2024 • Pastor Mike Stubbs • 1 John 4:7–13
There are a lot of false narratives about what real love is and what real love looks like. And since love is the key identifier that shows if we are really saved through faith in Jesus Christ, it is important that we get it right. In this message we will identify the source of true love, how to identify real believers, and look at some characteristics of authentic love.
Faith, Miracles, and Discernment
March 10, 2024 • Pastor Mike Stubbs
God’s promise of an abundant life is a deliberate and audacious contrast to the hopeless chaos caused by the killing, stealing, and destroying of the devil. Satan’s activity is so natural that we don’t have to do anything for it to happen. But God’s abundant life for us is intentional on our part as we take hold of it by faith, are unmoved by what we see, believe in the supernatural with our eyes on Christ, and stand upon His Word that testifies nothing shall be impossible with God. This causes us to be peace-filled, joyful believers instead of consumed by our anxieties, fears, and disbelief.
Kingdom Priority
February 25, 2024 • Pastor Mike Stubbs
The abundant life involves choices. And choices are placed before us all the time just like Adam and Eve had in the Garden of Eden. Their choice was to obey God or to pursue a lie that was painted up real pretty. In the end, they made a wrong choice that cost them everything, but we have before us opportunity to trust God and choose God. That is what life always ultimately comes down to – choosing God or not. It involves the choice of His Lordship through Christ, His ways, His plans, and His purposes. They all lead to His preordained outcomes. Following Him is the real path to abundant life – the rich and satisfying life.
The Power of Humility
February 18, 2024 • Pastor Mike Stubbs • 1 Peter 5:6
Humility is one of the most important parts of the abundant life spoken of in John 10:10. The Bible teaches that the humble person will be lifted up when he patiently waits upon the Lord while the prideful person will be brought low. The “lifting up” aspect insinuates the outcome of the humble response is a higher state and the outcome of a prideful response is lower on the abundant life scale. The humble person has a teachable spirit so he can be instructed in the God-life instead of being stuck in the school of hard knocks.
Radical Life Change Necessary
February 11, 2024 • Pastor Mike Stubbs
Living the abundant life is a radical concept that flies in the face of the pessimistic predictions of the world meant only to leverage power by controlling the masses resulting in destroyed lives. Even some believers fall short of an abundant or rich and satisfying life because of patchiness in their walk with the Lord and secret pockets of darkness in their lives. If we are going to turn away from the negative outcomes the enemy of our souls wants to deliver to us, we must embrace the life-change that Jesus teaches that leads to a rich and satisfying life. Radically blessed life requires radical choices about how we are going to live our lives.
He Returned the Glory
February 4, 2024
Jesus Christ has shared His Glory with members of the Kingdom of God. His presence and His power are the New Testament garments that show up on ways that enable us to live godly lives. In this message, Rev. Tolbert Livingston encourages us to step up a level in our understanding of New Testament covenant realities.
Embracing Our Heavenly Citizenship
January 28, 2024
The core of our identity is about to whom we belong. When the things of this life – nationality, political affiliation, ethnic and gender identity, etc., - start conflicting with and overriding our spiritual identity by hijacking our spiritually innate biblical behaviors, it is time for us to take a moral and spiritual inventory. Believers are first citizens of the kingdom of God, on this earth for a mission, accountable to the King, and returning to Him one day to give an account of what we have done with what He has given us. If we are going to live the abundant life under the provision of God, we must identify with Him, do what He says, and represent the kingdom well. Otherwise, we will sabotage our own fruitfulness.
The Power of Perspective
January 21, 2024
We have often heard that attitude is everything. There is some truth to that. Especially if we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ walk in His ways. The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is no different than the apostle Paul who was not ruled by his human emotions or human limitations, but trusted God no matter the circumstances. That was his key to an abundant life. We must not let circumstances determine our contentment, but our contentment controls our circumstances.
Marks of a True Christian
January 14, 2024 • Pastor Brandon Little • Romans 12:9–13
There are endless counterfeits that promise fulfillment in the New Year but never fulfill our souls, which long for their Creator. This sermon encourages you to spend more time with God and be intentional to make it as fulfilling as possible one day at a time through rejoicing in hope, patience in tribulation, and constant prayer.
Starting On the Road to Abundant Life
January 7, 2024 • Pastor Mike Stubbs
Jesus uses the context of a good shepherd looking after his sheep in sharing about the abundant life. He provides security and sustenance and all the elements necessary for a rich and satisfying life. In fact, in the gospel of Matthew 6:33, He tells us not to worry about what to wear or what to eat, but instead to focus on Him and He’ll provide all these other things for us. All this is attained by faith, not by doubt and unbelief. The encouragement we receive in the discussion in Luke 13:4 about why the 18 died when the Tower of Siloam fell is not to judge or speculate about the experiences of others when we don’t have all the information, but to focus on living the best life we can by obeying and having faith in God through Jesus Christ.
Can You Pass the Test?
December 31, 2023 • Pastor Mike Stubbs
Many people call themselves believers, but the Bible gives us simple tests we can use on ourselves to see how genuine our faith is. They are the test of belief, the test of obedience, and the test of love. It might seem overly simplified, but the Bible is more straightforward than some contemporary religion makes it out to be. An apple tree must bear matching fruit, or it is not an apple tree. If we find that we are not passing the test of authenticity, this is a good time to make a major adjustment.
Advent 4: Love Letters and Other Gifts
December 17, 2023 • Pastor Mike Stubbs
God loves us so much. We talk about it a lot at Christmas centered around the sending of and birth of His only begotten son – Jesus Christ. We also talk about the love demonstrated in the second Advent – the return of the Lord Jesus Christ for His bride the church. During Good Friday we speak about the love demonstrated in dying for our sins on the cross to take our punishment on Himself and on Easter celebrate His love in the resurrection so we, who had been held in bondage to the fear of death, might experience freedom through His purpose-filled conquest of death so we could be raised into new life. All these things have happened or will happen. What do we have today that demonstrates His present love? We have the Holy Spirit, His love letters, and the church - brothers and sisters in Christ.