Pastor Kim Glenn Brother Del Rittgers Rev. Bob Huffaker Rev. Brian Wangler Withness God displayed His incredible powers when He created the world. “Let there be…” “and there was!” Almost like a magic show. But when God made humans, He slowed way down. That’s because He wants to spend time with us. And He built that desire for “withness” into our makeup. What do we do with this instinct we have to be with other people? And how does it make us more like God? Making Change In October5 Minutes After You Die Whenever you talk about money and the church, you run the risk of missing the main point: 5 minutes after you die, only one thing matters (and it’s not how much money you give to the church). Check out this message to find out what that one thing is and what you can do about it. The Mine Myth From the time we were small children we began learning about the word “mine.” In fact, we learned pretty quickly how to identify the stuff that’s ours and the stuff that’s not. Unfortunately, most of us have it wrong…and it’s a mistake that’s messing us up BIG TIME. Check out this message and find out the damage that comes from the “Mine Myth.” Seeds Money is a sensitive subject. Add in church and people can get downright touchy! And yet, God cares about our finances. God has given each of us a certain pile of cantaloupes—the fruit of His blessing in our lives—and he asks us to trust Him when it comes to managing that fruit. So what is His plan, and how can we trust Him with that fruit? ImageBeing Perfect Everybody lives by the phrase “nobody’s perfect.” We’re just a bunch of mixed up humans trying to do our best, and we can’t be expected to be perfect. Except for one thing—Jesus said we should be. Does that mean He really expects perfection out of everything we say, think, and do? How do we achieve Christian perfection. Perfection Everybody lives by the phrase “nobody’s perfect.” We’re just a bunch of mixed up humans trying to do our best, and we can’t be expected to be perfect. Except for one thing—Jesus said we should be. Does that mean He really expects perfection out of everything we say, think, and do? How do we achieve Christian perfection. Cracked God created men and women in His image—His perfect image. And yet, we don’t see very many perfect people around. Somewhere along the way we all got a little cracked and no longer look like that perfect reflection. Where do those cracks come from? Is there anything we can do to get rid of them? The Heartbeat of Jesus The first sound any baby hears is the heartbeat of its mother. For the rest of our lives, when we lay our heads on a loved one’s chest, that soft thub-dub gives us a sense of comfort, of security, and of love. But what if we laid our heads on Jesus’ chest? What would the heart of Jesus beat out to us? How's Your Jesus Style? Our personal style says so much about us. It’s part of how we express our personalities, our character. The same is true for our Jesus style. It’s how we express our relationship with the Son of Man. So what does your style say about you? What Are You Wearing? Clothing has become an important part of our world. What you wear says a lot about who you are—and we’ve come a long way from fig leaves to Ferragamo. But with all this emphasis on style, are we missing out on the most important thing in our wardrobe? When It Rains It Pours A lot of people in the Illinois Valley are trying to "swim" their way out of the flood damage from this past week. When we get in these situations so often it seems like one bad thing after another--when it rains it pours. We feel so helpless and just want to understand why these things happen and what we can do about it. Believe it or not, an umbrella would help... Have You Got the Joy? We wrap up our 6-week series on joy with four final pointers on making this eternal fulfillment a reality in our everyday lives. At Your Service A church is a very special kind of team. There are no benchwarmers, no fourth-stringers. Everyone is actively engaged on the field. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to be. But in reality, service and personal ministry freaks us out more than most things. Maybe we don’t realize how important ministry is to our own joy potential… That's What Friends Are For As humans, we are relational creatures. From an early age, we look for companionship, people to play with, talk with, hang out with. Friends can build us up, but they can also lead us astray. What can we do with the people in our life to maximize the kind of life we’re meant to lead? The Pursuit of HappinessJohn and Kendra Smiley Author and radio personalities John and Kendra Smiley (Live Life Intentionally) share how we can impact our lives through choices. Juggling Everybody loves the circus—unless it’s our own life we’re talking about! With all the stresses of life in the 21st century, it’s hard not to feel like we’re trying to be the ringmaster of our own 3 ring circus. How can we manage that stress so we still have a clear shot at a joy-filled life. Take the Plunge! Join our Vacation Bible School kids as they “Take the Plunge!” and share what it’s like to “Make a Splash with Jesus!” Feelings, Nothing More than Feelings You wouldn’t decide not to be a parent anymore because you didn’t feel like it. You wouldn’t want our soldiers to all walk away from their posts because they didn’t feel like fighting today. But how many decisions do we make daily based on how we feel? Feelings are great, but they can really mess us up. If we really want a chance at a joy-filled life, we need to get a handle on our feelings with some emotional boundaries The Pursuit of Happiness Everyone’s looking for happiness—that blessed state of mind when everything in life is clicking. Unfortunately it never seems to last very long. But what if there was something better and longer-lasting than just happiness? Get Fit For LifeRonda Hollars: Tabitha’s Hands Harvest Community welcomes Tabitha’s Hands director Ronda Hollars as she shares her call to compassionate ministry. Stay Fit...For Life Losing a few pounds is not that hard. Keeping it off is practically impossible. That frustrating fact is no different when it comes to our spiritual health—we get on a roll with our devotions and prayer life, then something comes up and we lose our momentum. What if a lifetime of spiritual health was as simple as getting dressed each morning? Work Off What Drags You Down Every choice we make in our lives has a consequence. Like Jacob Marley, our sins forge a chain link by link and yard by yard. Even though we may not be able to see it, it weighs down our hearts and limits our possibilities. But Jesus has a weight-loss plan to get rid of those dead pounds Incredible Health Let’s face it—we live in an image-conscious world. Everyone wants to lose a few pounds so they can fit into those size X jeans. But looking good doesn’t mean we’re healthy. In fact, real health involves the body, the mind, and the spirit. What kind of “workouts” can we do to make sure we have incredible health in every area of our lives? Commencement Human beings are designed to graduate. Most of us go through at least 3 major graduations when we end one season of schooling and begin another. We also go through seasons in our adult life when we “graduate” from one season to the next: single to married, a couple to a family, working to retired. But this nature isn’t limited to just our academic or even our personal life. We can “commence” new seasons in our spiritual life as well. 40-Day Spiritual AdventureDo You Feel Fine? Is the Rapture real? Will there really be a Great Tribulation? What about the lake of burning sulfur? The Beast? The streets of gold? What do we really know about the end of the world as we know it? And do you feel fine? Qualities and Responsibilities Nothing is quite as challenging as parenting. It is arguably the hardest job in creation, and yet we continue to choose this nearly-impossible career--willingly! If only there were some tips to make this job a little easier... What I Know Nothing is harder for people than getting through tough times. We are desperate to know why these terrible things happen to us. We want some kind of closure or comfort to get us past those moments. Well, those answers are there...for people in the know. Community Foot-Wash Everyone knows how Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. But did you ever think about what that was really like? Twenty-four dirty, gritty, sweaty, smelly feet. And then He told them in the future we should wash each others’ feet. What exactly does that mean in the real world? (Are you up for washing feet?) Who Touched Me? As people, we all deal with suffering. And we all deal with it differently. Sometimes we ask for help, but other times we want to be a little more discrete. Is there something specific we need to do to find the healing we're all looking for? Growing Naturally Every living thing grows—plants, animals, people. In fact, when we stop growing, we stop living. So how do we make sure we’re growing emotionally and spiritually, not just physically? How do we keep our heart from dying too soon? Life is Choices Everything in life is a choice. Little things like deciding what pants to put on in the morning or what to pack for lunch, to major life-changes like whether to change jobs or what to do with your struggling marriage. But there is one choice that’s even bigger—a true life-and-death decision everyone needs to make. Upgrade Your LifeTrading Up Trading baseball cards, trading lunches, trading stickers...as people we like to trade. But we're really nervous about giving things up. What if what we're losing is better than what we're getting? Is there anything really worth giving up? Trying vs. Training When Rocky Balboa went back into the ring at 60, there were a lot of things he couldn't do as well as he used to. But he didn't let that stop him. He didn't just try to win--he trained to win. What can we learn from Rocky when it comes to our life with Jesus? Practicing Not Being God Ever get irritate when things don’t work out the way you want them to? Frustrated when other people’s choices make your life more difficult? Wish you didn’t feel like it was your job to make everything in your life work? Sounds like you need a little practice at humility. Being Broken Life is like the kids' game "Don't Break the Ice"--things keep hammering away at you until you finally crack and fall to pieces. If only there was a way to keep ourselves together without all that pressure... Check out this message and find out God's plan for people in pieces. Real RelationshipsUs and Them Did you know God has a plan for every relationship--even between the Church and the world! But what does God expect of "us" and what does He expect of "them"...whichever us and them you are. Handling the Hand-Off Zone No relationship is as volatile as the one between parents and kids. In a lot of ways, this relationship resembles a relay team where parents are trying to hand off so much to their children--all while trying to run and stay in the lane. Check out what suggestions God has for successfully handle this hand-off zone. The Two-Headed Monster Marriage is one of the most blessed relationships you can be in...and one of the most frustrating. Sometimes it's like living life as a two-headed monster. What's God's plan for this unique union? The Platinum Rule Have you ever felt like the world would be perfect if you just didn't have to deal with people? Relationships are hard, no doubt about it. But they're also important. God put a priority on how well we get along with the people in our life. What exactly does He have to say? January Sermon SeriesMirrors or Windows A lot of celebrities are encouraging us to help others. Bono, Oprah--they all want us to make a difference for someone else. But these aren't the first people to talk about helping others. What's different about Jesus' method of serving the world? Crossing the Beach with Clean
Wet Feet Have you ever been to the beach? When you're all done swimming, you go to the water and dip your feet in to clean them off. All that grit is finally out from between your toes and you're ready to go home...except there's a huge, dirty, sandy beach between you and the car. It's a lot like what happens when we give our live to Jesus. He takes away our gritty sins and makes us nice and clean. But when we turn around, there's still a lot of sin around us. How do we deal with temptation without getting all dirty again? Why Get Wet? What's baptism all about? Should I get baptized? What if I was baptized when I was younger? Find out everything you need to know about "getting dunked." Christmas Survival TipsReconsidering Joy Ever think about Mary and how hard her life must have been? Ever wonder how she managed to keep smiling through it all? Take a closer look at her life with clips from the movie “The Nativity Story” and find 8 tips for holding onto joy. Schedule Some Peace Peace on Earth? Are you kidding? Untangling Christmas lights, addressing 4,286 Christmas cards, baking 38 dozen cookies...this time of year is anything but peaceful! Is there any real hope for peace during the chaos of Christmas? The First Item on the List The Christmas season is finally here! The excitement, the anticipation…the depression. No other holiday brings on the blues like this one. And yet, if we really understood the meaning of Christmas, there would be absolutely no reason for sadness. Find out the guaranteed cure for the Christmas blues. Church LingoWhat's So Amazing About Grace? Grace. It's one of the most important words in Christianity-and one of the most misinterpreted. There's a lot more to this magical word than what you say before you eat. In fact, it's got a lot more to do with the 1976 movie "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble." Find the connection and you'll find out what's so amazing about grace. Something to Talk About How do you feel when you hear the word "evangelism"? If you're like most Christians, you're stomach is churning with fear! In reality, evangelism is not at all what we think it is! Missional-ize What comes to mind when you hear the word "mission"? People in a third-world country carrying Bibles? A group of fighter pilots taking off? Or maybe you think of tapes that self-destruct in 5 minutes. Find out how this word speaks to all of those things--and applies to your real life! Worship Enjoy a new look at that word "worship" from Olivet Nazarene University junior, Joe Mullikin. Monsters Among UsBeware the Monster Under the
Bed Check out the last installment in our "Monsters Among Us" series and learn all about lust. Attack of the Green-Eyed Monster You ever get mad at your neighbor just because he's got a better car than you? Ever crack a secret smile when you find out someone scratched the paint? If so, you know about jealousy. This tricky beast does a number on our relationships, but is it really other people we're upset with? And how can we deal with it? You may be surprised with the answers! Invasion of the Everything-Snatchers Not many of consider ourselves greedy. We don't have enough money to be greedy with, right? But as it turns out, greed isn't based on how much money we have--it's based on how we manage what we have. How can we stop being hoarders of what we've got and start seeing what we really do have to give? Revenge of the Mad Scientist:
Anger Anger is a nasty creature. Hey, it turned David Banner into the Incredible Hulk! But it also turns our hearts into dark caverns of negativity and criticism. How can we free ourselves from the control of anger? It's as easy as 1-2-3-4! The Memory that Wouldn't Die
- Guilt Are you plagued by a nagging sense of responsibility? Are you burdened by the knowledge that you’ve wronged someone else? Are you sacrificing relationships because you just can’t handle to face them? Oh, no! It’s “The Memory that Wouldn’t Die!” Guilt is a powerful monster. Unchecked, it can lie in secret and eat away at all your relationships. We need to find a healthy way to deal with our guilt and move on with our lives. Find the secret weapon for defeating guilt. Basketweaving 101Stones of Commitment What we need is a little less talk, and a lot more action. Now that we've figured out what's wrong in our kids' lives, what are we going to do about it? Sink or Float School kids getting drunk, pre-teens having sex, high schoolers getting high--it seems our youth are sinking in their own culture. If we don't do something, they will literally drown. Find 7 steps you can take to get your kids afloat. Choosing the Right Reeds To make a strong basket, you need to choose the right reeds. What choices do we need to make when we\'re trying to make strong kids? Basket Weaving 101 Our kids are living in a culture full of dangers. What can we do as concerned adults to help them find a safe path through life? So What's Your Story? We all have our own life story. How can your story make a difference in someone else's life? Choose Your Own Adventure Our choices determine what course our lives take. How can we choose the best adventure? Dedicated Obsession Have you ever met anyone with a passion? Maybe they were totally devoted to a music group? Or absolutely nuts about a sports team? Sometimes it turns into a complete obsession! Can you imagine having that kind of dedication...for God? Sounds crazy, but you may find your family is a lot better with an obsession for God! Fill It To The Rim The 80's coffee ad told us to "fill it to the rim with Brim." What if we took that idea and applied it to our spiritual lives? What does it mean to follow Jesus "to the brim"? Azel Concert In God We Trust It's on our money, it's even our country's motto, but it's so hard to do. Trusting God is a challenge for almost everyone. How can we be confident in His solutions, especially when life gets so out of control? Even the Israelites, God's chosen people, struggled to trust Him...but maybe we can learn something from their struggles. The DaVinci CodeDeconstructing The Church No organization has been the center of as much controversy as the Church. Find out where this criticism came from and how accurate it is. What's the Church really about? There's Something About Mary
Magdalene Who was Mary Magdalene? Adulteress? Apostle? Wife and mother? Discover what you can learn from the life of this intriguing woman. There's definitely something special about Mary! What Difference Does It Make? The Da Vinci Code has caused so much controversy and debate. At the end of the day, does it really matter whether the Bible is reliable or if Jesus was legit? Yes, it does matter! Listen and find out how all of these issues make a huge difference in our lives.
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