Sermons Ordinary Faith

To be or not to be? That is the question! Join us with guest speaker Raphael Sifuentes as we dive deep into the word of God and the questions some of us so often have.

When we wear religious behaviors as a mask to hide our true pain and disconnection, we rob ourselves of freedom and love. We can choose to get real and be healed of our inner brokenness.

 Most of us carry anxiety everywhere we go. Stress, anxiety, and fear are not the provision of Jesus' teachings. Peace is our birthright and promise. Our peace is so complete in Christ and from the Father, that we bring peace with us everywhere we go.

We are not always the best version of ourselves.  If our fears drive our behaviors, that best version will not show up. When Jesus taught the attitudes and behaviors recorded in his sermon on the Mount, He knew it would only be realistic to those who had leveled up in their belief system from Fear to Love.

Your life will look very differently when you believe in Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Impossible behaviors and compassion become readily available and commonly practiced when we believe.

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

Patrick Klein from Vision Beyond Borders works very hard to get Bibles and resources to Christians in less accommodating places. His testimonies of God's care and provision are deeply inspiring.

 Why Does Easter Matter? We all search for meaning, purpose, and hope. Jesus' resurrection is the ONLY worthy answer for that search. It proves that God Is Love and He is Love FOR You.

Jesus didn’t just ask people to believe in Him. He asked people to follow Him. And, the beginning of the end of the story demonstrates that Jesus lived as He taught. And He taught us to be followers, not merely admirers.

People who were nothing like Jesus, liked Jesus. Jesus was difficult to resist because He loved people who were nothing like Him. Just like His Father. Rethinking Jesus means rethinking terms. It means asking questions like, “Who is my neighbor?” And then taking actions based upon the answer.

Our actions are the only honest indicator of our beliefs. It is our actions that advertise the truth of what we believe. When our actions align with Jesus' teaching and example, our world witnesses the most undeniable proof of His existence, sacrifice, and resurrection.

Our actions are the only honest indicator of our beliefs. It is our actions that advertise the truth of what we believe. When our actions align with Jesus' teaching and example, our world witnesses the most undeniable proof of His existence, sacrifice, and resurrection.

Is the Gospel still Good News, or just a tired old set of rules and regulations? Is salvation about quenching our thirst from streams of living water, or merely sipping on spoonfuls of fat-free milk? How we follow Jesus is entirely dependent on our picture of who he is, what faith is, and what we think God wants from us.

Believers are encouraged to be filled with the Holy Spirit. But, what does that mean? Is it weird? Is it mystical? Or, is it a new kind of ordinary? And, if it is, what IS a new kind of ordinary for people who are dearly loved and greatly enjoyed by God?

You know what you know. And, what you know has gotten you to where you are. BUT, will it take you where you want and need to go? If your marriage could be better, would you be willing to unlearn what you know in order to learn something better? (Disclaimer: I am about to make a lot of references that are common in most marriages. My goal is not to trigger you, or make you angry or guilty. But to give you hope for something better)

When we follow Jesus, we start a process of growth. In that process, we learn that there are many things we need to unlearn, and much more we must relearn. Do we have enough humility for the process?

Metanoia is so much more than regret for past sins. Once understood and embraced it produces a transformation. Since Jesus began His ministry teaching people about metanoia, it is our joy to understand it as deeply as possible.

Our lives become much more peaceful and clear when we learn to think like Christ. Metanoia is the process of entering into Christ’s thinking, attitudes, and behaviors. Paul called it the “mind of Christ”.

You don’t have to think like everyone else. The way you think will set the course of your life. When you follow Jesus, He Transforms your thinking. So many impossibilities become realities when we learn to follow Jesus and accept His gift of repentance or Metanoia.

The Joys and benefits of Christianity as Jesus demonstrated are so much much better than you realize. Our relationship with Jesus frees us from every oppressive and harmful reality our world presents. Jesus gave us a very practical and powerful path to freedom.