Sunday, January 30, 2022

My Utmost for His Highest: One Thing Only (Randy)

Continuing our series based on My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, this week's lesson is called, "One Thing Only: Reflecting Jesus in our Lives.”  We know beauty when we see it: a beautiful piece of art, a stunning sunset, time with friends.  Yet life distracts us from paying much attention to most beautiful things, and especially from the ultimate beauty, our Lord Jesus Christ.  How can we focus on God’s glory, and how does God transforms us into his likeness when we do?

Sunday, January 23, 2022

My Utmost For His Highest: Calling, Service, Joy (Chris)

Continuing our series based on My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, this week's lesson is "Calling, Service, and Joy."  According to Chambers, each of us is CALLED by God.  The essence of that calling is living in a way that draws us closer to God's nature.  As we get closer to God, love and devotion then lead us to SERVE God and others.  Moreover, the way in which we serve ideally should reflect our nature in the form of our unique God-given abilities and attributes.  When these two forces are aligned, being called to God and serving God bring great JOY to our lives.  Joy is elusive in this world.  How do we find the Joy in Christian Discipleship?

Sunday, January 16, 2022

My Utmost For His Highest: A Faith Received (Randy)

In this lesson, we delve deeper into our new series based on one of the best-selling devotional books of all time: "My Utmost for His Highest," by British teacher Oswald Chambers.  We explore his entry from January 10th where Cambers challenges us to think about our faith in stark terms. Have we truly received the gift of the Holy Spirit from God, or are we just going through the motions of religion? It’s a serious question that merits personal reflection, but it’s also a liberating one once we recognize what we have in Christ.  Joins us as we explore “A Faith Received.” 

Sunday, January 9, 2022

My Utmost For His Highest: Following Jesus (Chris)

For the rest of the winter and spring, we will be exploring life as a Disciple of Christ using themes selected from one of the best-selling devotional books of all time: "My Utmost for His Highest" by British teacher Oswald Chambers.
 
The initial topic will be "Following Jesus."  Building on our last series about spiritual transformation, we will explore the difference between living a life of seeking God and living a life driven by God.
 
Fully engaging with God means abandoning our pretensions of self-assurance and self-reliance.  The reward is peace and power beyond our worldly imaginings.  Below are the two readings from Chambers on which the lesson is based. 

Sunday, December 12, 2021

Practical Grace: Advent Conclusion (Randy)

We conclude our series on Practical Grace with a lesson called “Preparing for Home.”  The Advent season calls us to prepare our hearts for Jesus to be born anew within them, and our homes for him to live with us. When we do, Jesus enters in and, as the 19th Century preacher and author Phillips Brooks wrote in his carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem, “God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heav’n.”  Those blessings are a gift of grace from our savior.  A gift that transforms our hearts and enables us to live abundant lives. Join us as we reflect on this gift of grace this Advent season.

Sunday, December 5, 2021

Practical Grace: True Identity (Chris)

This series has explored a vital question: how do we supernaturally transform from being tossed and turned by the world to being anchored strongly in the security of faith in God through Jesus Christ?  This week's lesson returns to where we started: 1 Corinthians 13.  The Apostle Paul helps us to see that our central issue is IDENTITY.  Spiritual transformation in our hearts and our lives occurs when we see ourselves as God does and not through our own limited awareness.  This amazing gift -- won for us on the Cross and delivered through the Holy Spirit -- changes everything about us and how we live.  Please join us for a message of truly Good News. 


Sunday, November 21, 2021

Practical Grace: Living Grace - The Fruit of Love (Randy)

This week’s lesson is called “Living Grace” and focuses on Paul’s famous passage in Galatians 5 where he discusses the Fruit of the Spirit.  What is the nature of the Fruit of the Spirit, and how do we get it?  How does the fruit manifest itself in our lives?  How do we know we are growing in Christ?  Watch and find out!