The Cost to Follow

Text: Genesis 22:1-14

What would you be willing to give up for the cause of Christ? Following the Lord is costly and in Genesis 22 we see that God puts Abraham to the test. God calls him to give up his most precious possession - his son Isaac. Through Abraham’s example, we can learn that following the Lord is a call to surrender all that we are and all that we have to Him, and that we must obey Him in all things. There are also many parallels between the sacrifice of Isaac and the cross of Christ, and this passage of Scripture gives us a glimpse into God’s heart and how much it cost the Lord to give up His one and only Son for us.

I Will Magnify the Lord

Text: Psalm 145:1-21

The greatness, bigness, and fullness of God cannot be adequately explained. Neither the breadth of the heavens nor the ocean depths can contain Him. We would naturally think that such an extraordinary, Almighty, all-powerful God would want nothing to do with us, but we discover in the Bible that God is intimately aware of our lives and is deeply concerned for us. When we consider who God is, what He has done, and how He has shown His care for us, it brings us to a place where we cannot help but want to “magnify” the Lord, which is fully explained in Psalm 145. We encourage you to listen to this message today to help you grow in understanding of what it means to magnify the Lord, why it is so important, why God is worthy of it, and why it must be a personal priority in each of our lives.

The Subtle Negligence in the Church

Text: Mark 10:13-16

There are many ways that Satan attacks the Church and seeks to bring about her demise, but one of the most powerful and potent attacks he brings is spiritual complacency that leads us to neglect the next generation. This neglect is rarely intentional, but it is seriously subtle and extremely dangerous. This message points us to the example of Jesus as He models what it means to care for children and point them to Him. We invite you to listen today and consider what role God is leading you to take in leading the next generation to Him.

The Blessed Life: Blessed Are the Persecuted

Text: Matthew 5:1-12

Jesus closes His statements on “The Blessed Life” with this final beatitude: “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness.” This, though, sounds absurd and is directly opposed to our cultural norms and personal wants. We have often come to believe that the truly blessed ones are those who are rich, who have everything they want, and who live life to the “full.” However, Jesus shows us once again that the life blessed in Him is very different than the world. In this message, God shows us plainly that there are deep, profound, and rich blessings in store for those who experience persecution in Christ, and this truth leads us to experience rejoicing and gladness in Him.