What Identifies us as followers of Jesus Christ? Is it the way we cut our hair? How about the way we dress? External displays of loyalty to Christ are not necessarily wrong, but they also do not guarantee that we are believers. The reality is that it is not an external mark that designates us as followers of Jesus Christ, it is the internal attitudes of the heart, that make us His followers! Love for God is most clearly demonstrated not through lip service, but through our obedience to what He asks of us. What makes false disciples so difficult to detect is that they often have outward trappings of genuine disciples, remember the rich young ruler of Matthew 19:16-21 was outwardly moral, but had no relationship with Christ. Beginning in John 13:31 and running through the end of chapter 16, Jesus gave a farewell address to the 11 disciples, and in John 13:31-38 the LORD highlights a premier mark of those who are His true disciples, namely, sincere, selfless, love. This passage emphasizes the supreme standard of that love by focusing on the person and work of Christ Himself. These verses illustrate the quality of love that is to … READ MORE

MESSAGE: “The Glory of Heaven”

Scripture Text:  1 John 3:2 

Introduction:

     Wednesday was the start of Passover Week, if you are Jewish …..  This was the most important day in the History of Israel.   On this day, the Israelites were set free from the Egyptian bondage, and began their journey to the promised land.  Passover was designed to remind the nation of Israel that they were set free from the bondage of Egyptian, and set them free to enjoy the glory of the promised land.  While the nation, had to make a stop at Sinai, to understand the plan and purpose of God, and how He desired them to live, God planned on them being salt and light to the nations around them.  Throughout the Old Testament the Israelites were given further information on what it means for them to be a follower of Yahweh.  And they are to be a testimony to the world of the goodness and grace of God.

     Then one day, in the dark of night, the Messiah came to a small town in Bethlehem.  The Announcement came to the Shepherds, the Messiah was born, the world would never be the same!  Jesus grew … READ MORE

MESSAGE: ” Why is the atonement enough? “

Scripture Text:  Hebrews 1:2-3 

Introduction: 

Allow me to begin with a parable of 4 candles:

The first candle represents peace, but the world was not willing to keep that peace so it has been extinguished. 

The second candle represents Faith: But the world does not want Faith, It wants to figure life out on its own, so It has been extinguished. 

The third candle represents Love: But because of the selfishness of the world, People push away others, and are focused only on themselves, and therefore it is also extinguished.  

The fourth candle represents hope: without love, Faith, and Peace there is no hope, and as a result that candle also is also extinguished. 

The problem is that without hope there is not  a reason to go forward.  Without hope, we lose perspective. 

It leaves us with a haunting question Where does our hope come from. 

Jeremiah 17:13 says,   O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and

they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.

Jeremiah 18:12 continues,  And they said, There … READ MORE