In general, we prefer to do the right and moral action when we are faced with difficult situations. For most of us, our conscience kicks in and helps us desire to stand for righteousness. But our enemy and flesh still have a way of weaving sin into our lives when we least expect it.
Since we all fall short of God?s standard of perfection, it should not surprise us that we can find the effects of sin everywhere. We can see the effects at work, home, and even church. There is no safe place to hide away from sin.
Being on the lookout for temptation and potential pitfalls is certainly a wise approach to life. However, we must also recognize that our enemy is deceptive and his goal is to entangle us in sin where our guard is down.
The bad news is, with sin ever-present in this world, we will fail. Time and time again, despite our best efforts, we will slip up and disappoint our friends, family, church, and God. The Bible is filled with Scripture that reminds us of our fallen nature and our propensity to sin. This propensity to sin is evident with the people we read about in the Bible. Though many of them (King David, Peter, and Samson, to name a few) walked closely with God, they each had moments in which they failed spectacularly.
The good news is that Scripture reminds us that our enemy will one day be defeated, and in the meantime, his tactics can be beaten. James 4:7 encourages us to obey God and stand up to the devil?s schemes. In doing so, the Bible promises us that the devil will flee.
Our calling is to live in obedience to God. His desire is to protect us from sin and its consequences. Thus, when trust His promises and remember that His path leads to life, we can overcome Satan?s attacks and the deception of sin.
Primary text(s): Romans 3:1-31
by Dion Frasier
Preaching
It's hard enough that we have to deal with our own fleshly desires, but there is also a real enemy that actively attacks us. His end goal is always sin and its consequences.
Young or old, spiritually mature or a new believer, no one is immune from sin. Even Christ had to fight against temptation. There is much to learn about overcoming sin from Matthew 4:
In Matthew 26:41, Christ tells us, "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." One of the worst mistakes a Christ follower can make is to think they won't commit
a specific sin. When we think we are stronger than temptation, we forget to wholeheartedly seek the Lord, and then we are vulnerable to attacks. The enemy plays at our weaknesses and loves it when we forget to guard against him.
We can hold tight to the promise of victory over sin (1 Corinthians 15:55-58), but we are human and we will
struggle. In those times, we can praise God for His Son who redeemed us and we can confess our sins while
seeking grace.
Primary text(s): Matthew 4:1-11
by Justin Kuhn
Youth and Worship Minister
by Justin Kuhn
Youth and Worship Minister
Primary text(s): Matthew 20:17-28, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Deuteronomy 11:18-21
by Dion Frasier
Preaching
At the conclusion of Solomon's musings, he offers one of the most simplistic and to the point messages found in scripture. "The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you." Ecclesiastes 12:13 MESSAGE While this statement appears to be empty of explanation and details, when coupled with all that Solomon wrote prior to this statement, it is actually rich in helping us to arrive at meaning and functionality in life.
Primary text(s): Ecclesiastes 9:10, Ecclesiastes 7:3, Ecclesiastes 12:9-14
by Dion Frasier
Preaching
Two or three or four is better than one! Foolishly, we sometimes think doing life alone is better than doing life in community. The futility of this thinking has led many to dismiss that power of a group. Solomon said two is better than one. In our quest for meaning, it is important to involve the presence of God and others as the process of self-discovery is much better as a group project.
Primary text(s): Ecclesiastes 4:1-16
by Dion Frasier
Preaching
Solomon wrote there is a time and season for everything under the sun. None of us are excused from experiencing activities of life including pain, loss, death, fatigue and disappointment. But how does the one who believes in God handle these seasons?
Primary text(s): Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Ecclesiastes 3:12-14
Video courtesy Igniter Media.
by Dion Frasier
Preaching
Have you ever asked the question, "What is my purpose in life?" This is a question that haunts and angers many because seemingly they never arrive at an answer. Solomon lived a life of excess (money, power, sex) and at the end of it all he exclaimed, "Meaningless". As we kick off this new series, we will explore popular culture's definition of meaning and see how it compares to God's definition.
Primary text(s): Ecclesiastes 1:2
by Dion Frasier
Preaching
The plight of churches of Christ throughout the American Restoration Movement has been one marred with debate, division and discord over the interpretation of some biblical passages. Most of the discord flows from good intentions to be accurate in interpretation, but also an unwillingness to wrestle with the tension often offered in scripture. What do we do when that which we want to be clear, isn?t as clear as we suppose?
Primary text(s): Acts 17:10-12; Luke 6:27-28; Judges 11:31-34; John 5:37-40
by Dion Frasier
Preaching
The most consistent practice of the people of God from the beginning until now is the practice of prayer. As we explore the prayer offered by Solomon at the dedication of the temple, we will look at what it means to become a community shaped through prayer.
Primary text(s): 2 Chronicles 7:11-16; Deuteronomy 4:7; James 5:13-16; Acts 17:27-28; 2 Chronicles 6:14-15; 2 Chronicles 6:18-21; 2 Chronicles 6:24-27; 2 Chronicles 7:12-14
by Dion Frasier
Preaching
Prior to the invention of the printing press by Guttenberg, there were few copies of the Bible available. As such, church communities relied on the art of listening in communal worship and gatherings. Today, there are billions of copies of the bible available, yet we still struggle with listening. Whether we are praying or reading scripture, we need to be a listening community. During this worship experience, we will read through Psalm 119. There will be limited commentary on the text. We will engage in the simple act of reading and listening.
Primary text(s): Psalm 119:1-176; 2 Timothy 3:14-17
by Dion Frasier
Preaching
Primary text(s): Acts 10:34-43, Genesis 3:1-4, Revelation 12:10-11, 1 Corinthians 15:20-26
Primary text(s): 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
by Dion Frasier
Preaching
Primary text(s): James 1:1-8, 2 Corinthians 1:3-10, Revelation 2:8-11
Watch the Ryan Woods video
by Dion Frasier
Preaching
Primary text(s): Matthew 17:14-20, Hebrews 11:6, Hebrews 12:2-3, Genesis 19:23-26, Ephesians 3:20-21
by Dion Frasier
Preaching
Primary text(s): Ezra 6:16-22, Numbers 6:22-27, Luke 6:27-37
by Dion Frasier
Preaching
Primary text(s): Nehemiah 9:1-8, Genesis 12:1-3, Deuteronomy 7:11-14, Matthew 5:3-12
Adult Education
Primary text(s): Ezra 6:13-22, Nehemiah 6:1-9
by Dion Frasier
Preaching
Primary text(s): Nehemiah 1:1-11; Jeremiah 7:21-26; Jeremiah 11:6-16; Ezra 9:6-15
