Abraham Heschel wrote, “The real issue with prayer is how one understands God.” It’s not about the words, the form, the structure, or the formula; people have a hard time with prayer because we fail to have a proper view of God. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE FIND THIS WEEKS ANNOUNCEMENTS, SONG LIST, NOTES, AND MORE AT…

Jesus tells a parable about an unjust judge and a persistent widow to teach His disciples about prayer and persistence. The judge, who neither fears God nor cares about people, repeatedly ignores a widow’s plea for justice. However, due to her relentless persistence, he eventually grants her request to avoid being bothered further. WATCH FULL SERVI…

Jesus tells a parable about two men who went to the temple to pray: a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee, considered righteous by society, prays confidently, thanking God that he’s not like other sinners. He lists his good deeds, such as fasting twice a week and tithing everything he gets. In contrast, the tax collector, despised by society…

This sermon explores Jesus’ response to the Pharisees and scribes who criticized Him for eating with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus answers with three parables: the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son. The focus is primarily on the parable of the Prodigal Son. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE FIND THIS WEE…

Last week we did a quick look through this passage about Zacchaeus. Today, we will take this real story and turn it into a parable for us and our life in the Kingdom of God. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE FIND THIS WEEKS ANNOUNCEMENTS, SONG LIST, NOTES, AND MORE AT YOUVERSION 2024 SUMMER MISSIONS UPDATE…

Zacchaeus was despised by his community, yet Jesus sought him out and initiated relationship. This visible act of grace precedes any visible change in Zacchaeus’ behavior, highlighting a crucial aspect of the Gospel: God’s acceptance is not a reward for our righteousness, but the very power that enables our transformation. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOU…

Parables are (very broadly), “a fictitious narrative that would generally refer to something that might naturally occur, by which spiritual and moral matters might be conveyed.” There is no end to the speculation that centers on the parable that Jesus tells today. People get caught up in various theories, asking, “Is it really a parable or a true s…

Jesus didn’t teach in parables because He couldn’t figure out a better way to preach. These narrative form illustrations and stories have been used by rabbis for ages. The Jews called storytelling used to illustrate a message AGGADAH; it was creating word pictures to bring a deeper understanding of God and the world. Aggadah, to the Hebrews, were k…

As Paul brings his first letter to Timothy to a close, he reminds Timothy that this life will feel like—and is—a battle. We are not to run after our own glorification, but to flee those things and pursue righteousness. Paul wants Timothy to see the difference between a Gospel culture and a religious culture. While we have peace with God because of …

Money (wealth) is one of the hardest things for most people to get their heads and hearts around. Greed is insidious, and we often don’t notice when it gains control over our lives. Jesus will even remind us to “watch out” in regard to money, because he knows of our blindness. 1 Tim 6:6-10 seems to address people who don’t have a lot of money yet w…

Today Paul moves into how we live and honor one another in the body of Jesus. A proper doctrine—set of beliefs—honors those around us. Defining honor, in how Paul discusses, it would simply mean: ascribing worth through action. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE FIND THIS WEEKS ANNOUNCEMENTS, SONG LIST, NOTES, AND MORE AT …

When the Apostle Paul instructed Timothy to be an example, Timothy was in a tough spot. As a young man, he was pastoring a church—that most likely had not called him—of people who despised his youth and inexperience. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE FIND THIS WEEKS ANNOUNCEMENTS, SONG LIST, NOTES, AND MORE AT YOUVERSION …

When it comes to correct doctrine and Biblical reasoning, it is important to understand that we (humankind) brought sin into the world and through the Gospel, God—who made the world in the first place—is remaking it through Jesus. We are never called to abandon our humanity, but rather to celebrate its rescue, redemption, and remaking. Today we can…

1 Tim 3:16 is a short poem that is full of doctrine. It captures the richness of early Christianity in the way it challenged both the popular ‘mysteries’ and the rule of Caesar. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE FIND THIS WEEKS ANNOUNCEMENTS, SONG LIST, NOTES, AND MORE AT YOUVERSION 2024 SUMMER MISSIONS UPDATE…

We believe that God has taught us through the Scriptures (continually), through His Spirit (presently), and that the proclamation of the Good News will go on for eternity. What we believe is important, because it will affect how we live every moment of our lives. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE FIND THIS WEEKS ANNOUNCEM…

Paul writes what he does in 1 Timothy because he understands what the Bible says about sin and grace. Only the Gospel deals with us—as we are—and leads us to grace at the same time. Because of Jesus, we can acknowledge our sin and yet not be destroyed by it. Paul tells Timothy to continue to contend and celebrate the Gospel. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON Y…

Doctrine is about what God has handed down to us—ultimately pointing to the good news of what Jesus did and is continuing to do. Proper doctrine will translate into how we live our lives, how we interact with others, how we worship God, and how we pray. Prayer is more than asking for things, but today we want to look at what we should be asking for…

In the first part of Paul’s letter, he doesn’t talk about all the details of false teaching, but the implications of it for the Church. False teaching always undermines the true Gospel. Jesus + anything is not the Gospel. The Gosfeedpel is that Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE FIND THIS WE…

Paul ends all his talk about the armor of God by focusing us on prayer. He ends with “finally” as he winds up his letter and reminds us of how to walk in God’s strength. This is a reminder that our strength comes from God, as He is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine. The armor we wear is God’s armor and not our own. WATCH FULL SERVIC…

Last week in Ephesians, we explored spiritual warfare and what it means to be strong “in the Lord.” Some people think that it takes a lot of faith to believe in the spiritual realm, but not believing in it requires just as much faith. Christianity is not superstitious in that there are demons behind every problem; many of our issues are self-caused…

As Paul rounds out the book of Ephesians, he ends with the word “finally.” He has one more thing of vital importance he wants to tell the Ephesians (and by extension, us): Eph 6:10-11 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. WATCH FULL SERVICE …

In the later parts of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul shows us what trusting and following Jesus practically looks like in various relational scenarios. Paul takes most of his words from the previous weeks and moves them into the real world. As we explore these things and gain more clarity, our lives begin to change as a deeper understanding of God daw…

Today in Ephesians we walk through some verses that people often read out of context. When we do not read the Scriptures in context, it leads to many misunderstandings of the text. Looking more closely, we can find great encouragement and wisdom in Paul’s words. Today we will talk about husbands, wives, and the word submission. WATCH FULL SERVICE O…

Today in Ephesians, Paul reminds us that as great as our salvation is, it doesn’t stop at the moment of our conversion. We are told to put off the old self and put on the new, to continually be renewed and transformed through the work of the Holy Spirit. Throughout chapters 4-6, Paul will show us what it looks like to live this way. WATCH FULL SERV…

One of the main ideas throughout Paul’s words is that we want to honor God before a world of people who dishonor Him. This goes with Paul’s words today in Ephesians 5:16: making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. We know we live in a world where the majority of people live in darkness; one of the reasons we live for God in outward…

As the book of Ephesians progresses, Paul speaks more and more about the practical ramifications of following Jesus in our lives. Paul starts to speak about the things that directly pull us away from a deep relationship with Jesus—namely, our sin. We often surrender to things other than Christ, which leads to hardened hearts and forgetfulness about…

Paul will teach us in Ephesians how to work, communicate, speak honestly, and labor well. He talks about relationships, bitterness, and forgiveness. What makes Christianity different from other religions is our motivation. Christian life flows out of a new understanding of who we are in Christ. We can’t live the Christian lifestyle externally unles…

Everything at the end of Ephesians 4 is related to our family identity in Christ. Because we are family, we tell the truth, use our anger correctly, don’t steal from one another, don’t put one another down, and don’t live in bitterness. These actions are borne out of our new identity in Christ. When Paul says to “put on the new self,” it means to r…

In Ephesians 4 Paul will talk about the spiritual “people” gifts of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors/Shepherds, and Teachers (APEST). Paul picks these gifts here (because there are more gifts in other books of the Bible) for a purpose, that purpose is to help us see Jesus better. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE …

In Ephesians 4 Paul will talk about the spiritual “people” gifts of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors/Shepherds, and Teachers (APEST). Paul picks these gifts here (because there are more gifts in other books of the Bible) for a purpose, that purpose is to help us see Jesus better. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE …

In Ephesians 4 Paul will talk about the spiritual “people” gifts of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors/Shepherds, and Teachers (APEST). Paul picks these gifts here (because there are more gifts in other books of the Bible) for a purpose, that purpose is to help us see Jesus better. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE …

Luke's Gospel highlights female disciples and gives us three names from among that group: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna. Mary Magdalene’s story is an Easter story. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HEREFIND THIS WEEKS ANNOUNCEMENTS, SONG LIST, NOTES, AND MORE AT YOUVERSION…

As Paul starts this section of his letter, he moves his focus to our lives and the unity that Christians are supposed to have inside the church. We are to love one another as Christ has first loved us. Within the Church, we will have people of different political views, different tastes in music, differing parenting styles, different food choices, …

In the second half of Ephesians Chapter 3 Paul prays (again) for us to walk in power and love. Most of the first 3 chapters of Ephesians is about doctrine, but that doctrine is shown to us through Paul’s prayers. Paul continues to praise God and pray for this church. For Paul, prayer and action are not opposite ends of the scale of Christian activi…

In today’s passage, Paul reminds us how salvation entails being brought into God’s family. We are to be unified in our love and worship of Him; only by getting our eyes off ourselves and on Jesus will we ever see true and lasting unity. It’s important to remember that our very security in God’s family is a result of the work of Jesus Himself. WATCH…

In today’s passage, Paul reminds us how salvation entails being brought into God’s family. We are to be unified in our love and worship of Him; only by getting our eyes off ourselves and on Jesus will we ever see true and lasting unity. It’s important to remember that our very security in God’s family is a result of the work of Jesus Himself. WATCH…

Today we are going to walk through one of the most profound things in the Bible, being saved by grace through faith…and then being sent out to be God’s workmanship in the world. Ephesians 2:1-3 shows us what we are saved from: our trespasses and sin. Ephesians 2:4-7 shows us what are saved through: God’s mercy and kindness (we go from spiritual dea…

While Ephesians 1 sees salvation from God’s point of view, Chapter 2 examines salvation more from a human point of view. Chapter 3 will combine both perspectives so that the following chapters (4-6) are very practical in their theology. The truth is we cannot live practically unless we know what we believe; doctrine is important. WATCH FULL SERVICE…

We have spent the last 4 weeks looking at Paul’s prayer about who God is and what He does in the world. While Paul normally starts his letter with a greeting before launching directly into how he is praying for a particular church or people, in Ephesians, He focuses on who God is first. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE F…

Ephesians 1:3-14, in the Greek text, is one sentence and one prayer. Paul seems so excited about God that he doesn’t have time for punctuation! He starts and ends with “praise God,” and in the middle, he proclaims who God is and what He has done. Paul is trying to get us to see the magnificence of Jesus as the King over all things. WATCH FULL SERVI…

When it comes to a book like Ephesians, our brains and rational leanings almost do us a disservice. We are in a world of deep theological truths, but can get distracted by certain words and phrases (e.g., election, predestination, etc.). WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE FIND THIS WEEKS ANNOUNCEMENTS, SONG LIST, NOTES, AN…

Before Paul gets into his specific prayers for others, he establishes the appropriate context for all Christian prayer, reflection, and exhortation: The worship and adoration of the God who has lavished His love upon us. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE FIND THIS WEEKS ANNOUNCEMENTS, SONG LIST, NOTES, AND MORE AT YOUVERS…

“To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus,” is to whom the letter of Ephesians is addressed. The letter itself is written in a more formal way than some of Paul’s other writings, which tend to have a rapid-fire pace. Ephesians has a trajectory to it that shows us salvation from God’s point of view in Chapter One, salvation…

Yes, it is 2024 and we are doing one last message in our Not So Little Women series by looking at a forgotten mother named Hannah. Hannah is the mother of the prophet, Samuel, who would go on to become the most known prophet in ancient Israel. Samuel will anoint Israel’s first king, Saul, and their greatest king, David. Aside from Samuel’s legacy, …

The Not So Little Women series focuses on stories of different women in the Bible. Today, we look at Martha, on of Jesus' disciples. Who was Martha? – She was a disciple of Jesus. Martha was from Bethany, a 2-mile walk from Jerusalem. She was the sister of Mary (of Bethany) and Lazarus. Martha was a ‘get things done’ person and likely had a gift fo…

Merry Christmas Eve. We tend to see Mary and Joseph as people who were overflowing with blessings because God had provided them with the miraculous birth of Jesus. Instead, the reality is that they had just as many questions as we would about a “virgin birth.” Mary and Joseph most likely lived with rumors and innuendos following them most of their …

In the genealogy account of Matthew’s Gospel, we see that we can’t understand Christmas or the birth of Christ without first understanding Jesus’ family tree. If you look at ancient family trees and genealogies, there are almost never any women in them, but in Jesus’ genealogy, there are quite a few women named. Ruth is one of those women (as well …

We often prefer to learn lessons from people we like or have an affinity toward. We do not often think that we can learn lessons from those whose lives or choices are “questionable.” All too often, we want to write off the ugly parts of the Bible and only focus on the happy places…or reframe the narratives so people do not look as bad as they actua…

Deborah was the only female judge in the Old Testament book of Judges. Her story is the dream we should have for all the children at Element: that they would grow up to know God, walk with God, lead others to know God, and to speak honestly and truthfully. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HEREFALL/WINTER UPDATE FIND THIS WEEK…

Today in our Not So Little Women series, we look at a woman named Abigail who was married to a “worthless” man named Nabal. We meet a few men in this story, yet all of them look terrible and make bad decisions. The only time we see them come back from the brink is when Abigail speaks wisdom into their folly. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD P…