 How do we pay the debt we owe for our sin? Jesus and only Jesus is enough to save us. Nothing we can ever do will make us right with a holy God. Jesus did what we can never do for ourselves. He cancelled the debt we owe for our sin by dying on the cross in our place. We are given new life to live for the glory of God and the good of others because of what Jesus has done in his life, death, and resurrection. Colossians 2:6-15 Video of Service  Who is in charge of your life? Colossians teaches clearly that Jesus is to be the Lord of our lives. Jesus is the Lord over creation. Everything that exists is from Him, Through Him, and to be glorifying Him. The Lord over creation stepped into creation and became the Lord over redemption. Jesus, God in the flesh, saves us and deserves to be the Lord over our lives. Colossians 1:15-20 Video of Service  God created the earth and everything in it. God declared that his creation was good. Man rebelled against God and a cycle of corruption, evil, and violence ensued. God was grieved at the ruin that had been brought to his good creation. God blots out all the inhabitants of the earth and starts anew with Noah, his family, and selected animals. In this account we see that God is just while also being gracious in saving Noah and his family to continue his kingdom on earth. Video of Service  When everything seems to be out of control, who is in control? The story of Esther is a great picture of God sovereignly working in the seemingly insignificant details of the world to bring out His good ends. In this book we see that God is sovereign, yet man is responsible. When everything seems to be out of control, God is in control. Video of Service  Today we heard a message from Dave Paxton, who led our retreat for parents and grandparents this weekend. In this message, Dave spoke to the fathers, telling them how to be true heroes to their children. Video of Service  In this message, Mike Eaves gives us five simple truths from the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 1:1-3 Video of Service In our testimony service, we hear how God has worked in the lives of two of our members - LaDawn Oman and Rachel Cress. Video of Service  Are you tempted to envy the wicked? Are you at a point where life doesn't make sense? We see in Psalm 73 that even Asaph, a spiritual leader, reached a point where he was tempted to think that obeying God was meaningless. But God was merciful to Asaph in his struggles and transformed him. When we are hurting or struggling, we learn from Asaph's experience - go to God for comfort and counsel. Psalm 73 Video of Service  This was the last service from Pastor Darrell. He will be moving on to wherever God leads. One of the most thrilling and significant transformations in the Bible is the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. In essence, Saul had to lose his religion in order to gain Christ. His conversion reminds us that the road to becoming fully alive in Jesus often involves a painful deconstruction of our faith. Sometimes we have to lose our religion in order to find the truth. In Darrell's last message as Senior Pastor of Mountain View, he encourages the church to keep trusting Jesus no matter how difficult the road ahead might get. Acts 9 Video of Service  The older I get, the more people I meet caged by bitterness, even Christians. You can't miss their venomous speech in some social media circles. How hard it is for us to remember that no matter how bad a former president, pastor, spouse or boss acted towards us, God still used that person for good in our lives. In our final study of 1 Samuel, we find the inspired author surprising us with an honorable conclusion to Saul's legacy. The King who ruled with such a poor record is remembered with rich devotion. It is another example of God's grace in the Old Testament. 1 Samuel 31, 2 Samuel 1:1-10 Video of Service  The distance from despair to delight, sorrow to celebration cannot be measured in miles but it is a real road with a real beginning and end. We see David walk this road throughout 1 Samuel but especially in chapter 30 as his worst fears come to pass only to be evaporated by God's intervening kindness. Darkness leads to dawn for David as we read about the finishing touches put on a royal foundation ready to support a new King with a God saturated heart. 1 Samuel 30 Video of Service  Dutch philosopher and Christian scholar Erasmus once said, "Bidden or unbidden, God is always present." Whether we ask Him or ignore Him, God is always at work around us. He refuses to be a spectator to history. One of the best illustrations of this is found in 1 Samuel 29 where David's deceit and despair have put him into a big mess. As we begin to wrap up our series in 1 Samuel, we find God putting the final touches on David's ascent to the throne of Israel. 1 Samuel 29 Video of Service  The law of gravity, discovered by Newton, states that things tend to be pulled downward. Simply put, “What goes up, must come down.” The law of thermodynamics says "All things are breaking down." There is another all encompassing law found throughout the pages of Scripture. It goes like this: We reap what we sow. Or in the modern vernacular: “What goes around comes around.” In today’s study from 1 Samuel 28, we find Saul reaping what he has sown. Having lived a life of disregard for God and His word, he is now reaping the tragic results. 1 Samuel 28 Video of Service  The Bible often tells us troubling things about the people God chooses to be His instruments of change. When we see the heroes of the faith up close, we become less awed by their character and more inspired by God's. In 1 Samuel 27, the inspired writer shows us just how prone God's people are to wander, prone to leave the God they love as David seeks refuge from Saul among the Philistines. The more we get to know the future king of Israel, the more astonished we are at his weaknesses and sins. In today's message, we consider how despair can drive the strongest believer into making poor decisions. 1 Samuel 27 Video of Service  In today's service, we hear from two of our members - Elaine and Wes Pierce - about how Jesus changed their lives. Their stories of God's grace remind us that Jesus came to save sinners who could not save themselves - no matter how "good" we may be. Video of Service  George Reeves was an American actor best known for his role as Superman in the 1950's television series, Adventures of Superman. He often made guest appearances at public events, but his fame wasn't without risks. Kids kicked him in the shins or threw rocks to see if he was the "real" Superman or a "pretend". One public appearance was especially dangerous when a young fan brought his dad's handgun to see if bullets would bounce off his chest. After convincing the boy they could but the bullets would ricochet and might hit him or others, the danger was averted. Young fans wanted to know - is he real or pretend? As Christians we too need assurance that our hero is invincible. There are times when we too need to know if the Jesus we follow is real or pretend. In todays' passage from 1 Samuel, David discovers again that no matter the circumstances, God will always come to his aid. 1 Samuel 26 Video of Message  Did you know it was socially unacceptable for women to travel with men who were not their husbands in ancient times? Did you know that it was also rare for women to have an income producing job? So why did Jesus include women in his entourage? Jesus included women because he loved them and needed them. He was showing the world that women have just as important a role to play in God's kingdom as men. One of the best illustrations of this from the OT is 1 Samuel 25 where Abigail rescues the future King of Israel from himself and God's judgement. 1 Samuel 25 Video of Service  She stands 305 feet tall and weighs 250,000 pounds. Covered in a thin layer of copper, she welcomes all who come into New York Harbor with these words, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." The Statue of Liberty is more than a statue. It is more than concrete and copper construction. It is an icon, a symbol that represents something much larger than itself. The same is true for the American Flag or the Vietnam Memorial. In Matthew 28, we have another example of an image representing something much greater than itself. Every scene of the passion narrative from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday has profound significance but the resurrection scene is the climax. And one of the best symbols of the resurrection of Jesus is an angel sitting on his tombstone. Matthew 28:1-10 Video of Service  One of the most gifted thinkers of the last century was pastor and author A. W. Tozer. His sincere love of God poured out in his books, such as, The Knowledge of the Holy, where Tozer makes this statement: “What comes into our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us…" If that is true, then we want to make sure our thoughts of God are thoughts from God. In other words, we want to make sure that what we believe about God is in fact from God. As we step away from 1 Samuel to celebrate Resurrection Sunday, we find both Old and New Testament writers showing us how to think of God as He really is and not what this world often teaches us to believe about Him. Matthew 21:1-17 Video of Service  What do you call it when a fellow staff pastor leaves your church and takes several of your members with him to start another? In most cases, it's called a church split! Here at Mountain View however, it's called Sojourn. Jeff Winters is our special guest speaker today. Jeff served as our Associate Pastor for many years before partnering with us to launch Sojourn in West Haven. We are privileged to sit under Jeff's teaching today as he guides us through Psalm 1, giving us a unique look at the two different paths of life we must choose to walk while living on earth. Psalm 1 Video of Service  I read recently about a church sign that posted this one- liner: "Anger is just one letter short of being… danger." Uncontrolled, unrighteous anger is a dangerous emotion. In our study of 1 Samuel today, we read of a man struggling with rage and the person who saved him from that rage. Surprisingly, the man enraged is not Saul but David. And the person who rescues David is a lady named Abigail. Like a bright light shining against the dark backdrops of David's anger and her husband's foolishness, Abigail personifies the grace of God saving David from a horrific act that would have haunted him the rest of his life. David's anger tells us two things about our relationship with Jesus today. 1 Samuel 25:1-31 Video of Service  Some people are willing to do anything and everything to be successful and later suffer the consequences. In gaining the world they forfeit their soul. Others, like David of the Bible, are unwilling to do anything to be successful and enjoy the consequences. Being a person of integrity is not easy in today’s world (has it ever?) but it is worth the journey. We continue our study of the lives of Saul and David today from 1 Samuel 24. Video of Service In today's service, we hear from two of our members about how Jesus changed their lives. Their stories of God's grace remind us that Jesus came to save sinners who could not save themselves. Video of Service  What does strong leadership look like in today's world? Can a leader be both strong and humble? Can they have close friends? In today's continuing study from 1 Samuel 23, we find leadership qualities in David that apply to all of us whether we hold a formal title or not. Video of Service  What should our response to the coronavirus pandemic be? In today’s message Pastor Charles applies several passages of Scripture to how we should think and act during this difficult time. Video of Service |
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