How I React to the Resurrection Reveals Whom Christ is to Me (John 20:11-31)

How I React to the Resurrection Reveals Whom Christ is to Me (John 20:11-31)

You are standing next to the hospital bed looking at your loved one who is at death’s door.Your mind is reeling.All of your hopes and dreams have been wrapped up in this dear one that you now are watching fade away.At the last moment, your loved one revives and gets better.How do you feel?How do you react?All those who loved Jesus watched Him die and be buried.But, it is Easter morning and everything is now different.Jesus is alive!Are you excited or confused?Are you elated or frightened?Each of these participants represents how people react to the Resurrection.

The Reality of the Resurrection (John 19:38-20:10)

Good Friday was not good for Jesus.  He died on the cross at Calvary on Good Friday.  They laid Him in a borrowed tomb.  How do we know that the tomb is empty?  How do we know that He really died?  How do we know that the Resurrection is real?  The facts of the Lord’s death and resurrection can be easily established and proven.  This message focuses on the reality of the Resurrection.

The Ultimate Sacrifice - Death on a Cross! (John 19:16-37)

Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday in a Triumphal entrance.  On Sunday the crowd dropped palm leaves in front of Him and cried out, “Hosanna!” and on Friday, the same crowd cried out, “Crucify Him!”  On Friday, Pilate delivered Jesus over to be crucified.  What did that mean?  What did that entail?  How did Jesus suffer during the day and what ultimately happened to Him?  How does this affect us or impact us? This message answers all those questions and reveals for us the love that Jesus had for us that caused Him to die on the cross and pay the penalties for all of our sins.

Jesus is Coming! Where Will He Find You? (Matthew 21:1-11)

Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday in a Triumphal entrance.  On Sunday the crowd dropped palm leaves in front of Him and cried out, “Hosanna!” and on Friday, the same crowd cried out, “Crucify Him!”  Every one of us finds ourselves in a position of either crying, “Hosanna!” or “Crucify Him!”.  Where do you find yourself?  This message identifies which group we might be a part of.

Facing Life’s Ultimate Journey (Genesis 23:1-20

Grief is something that every person will face sometime in their life.  It could be the death of a pet, a relationship, or even someone you love.  If you are not adequately prepared, grief will defeat you and hold you in its terrible grip.  Abraham faced grief as he lost Sarah.  We have an opportunity to watch him deal with his grief and, as a result, have an example of what we need to do to move through the grief process.

Who Do You Say Jesus Is? (Matthew 16:13-16)

There is a time that you will come to a “crossroads” experience in your life.  It may be your salvational experience where you came to that place where you either had to make a decision to ask Christ to be Savior or reject Him.  It could be later on when you have come to that place where you either are moving forward in your Christian life and growth or you decide to stay where you are.  But, regardless of where that crossroad is, it is still there.  The disciples come to a crossroad experience when the Lord asked them “who the people say that the Son of Man is?” and also, “but who do you say that I am?”  Each crossroads calls for a decision from us.  What will you say when you get to that crossroad?

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What Happens When We Deny Jesus? (John 18:12-270

Peter has followed Jesus after His arrest from the Garden of Gethsemane to Annas’ house who was the former High Priest of Israel.  Peter finds himself thrust in an unbelievably awkward situation where he is confronted with his association with Jesus.  Bowing to the pressure, Peter not only denies know Jesus but he does so three times.  How often are we like Peter when we are placed in the same type situations?  The message today goes to the very heart of the believer’s tendency to deny Christ when the heat is on.

How Does Jesus' Arrest Affect Us? (John 18:1-11)

The Lord has gone onto the garden with the disciples.  Knowing everything that is going to happen, He still goes to the garden where Judas knows that He will be.  The Lord could have gone anywhere and the events of the arrest and the mockery of the trials that follow would never have happened.  Yet the Lord shows us how to completely be committed in our walk with God.  He is the perfect examples in all facets of life and we should follow the example He sets for us.

Jesus Prayed for Us! (John 17:20-26)

This message continues the “High Priestly Prayer” of Jesus.  The first two elements of the Lord’s prayer focused on His ability to carry out the mission that the Father had given to Him.  It also included the strength for the disciples to carry out the mission that God had given to them as well.  This message covers the last part of Jesus’ prayer where He prays for us to be able to live for Him and carry out His mission for us also. Have you ever wondered what Jesus really wants for you as one of His children?  This message points out the three things that were more important on the Lord’s heart for us.

What Would God Pray For? (John 17:1-19)

Have you ever wondered what God would pray for?  If you could stop for a moment and listen to God as He pours His heart out, what would He say or pray for?  This message lets us peak in to the Lord as He pours His heart out to God the Father just before His crucifixion.  We have the opportunity to hear His heart and passion for the world that He had created.

What Do We Need to Keep Us Going? (John 16:16-33)

We will all face difficult times at some point in our lives.  The closeness of our relationship will determine how well we will deal with those difficulties.  Sixty-five years ago five missionaries set out to contact a tribe in the Amazon that had been left alone.  Five days later all the missionaries had been killed in their contact with the tribe.  Their five wives pressed on and eventually led many of that tribe to Christ.  The disciples were facing overwhelming difficulty as they came to grips with the Lord’s imminent departure.  The Lord gave them the essentials to keep going on even though things seemed impossible.  The Lord’s counsel works for us as well today.

We are Blessed with the Holy Spirit (John 16:4-17)

When the Lord told the disciples that He was leaving, they probably felt a sense of panic.  What would they do?  How could they function day by day?  The Lord had been with them constantly for the past three years, developing them, grooming them, growing them, and preparing them for life and ministry.  The Lord wasn’t about to leave them alone in their mission.  And, when we feel all alone in our journey of life, the Lord hasn’t left us alone either.  The Lord has given the Holy Spirit to us so that we can complete the job that He gave us.

God Always Keeps His Word! (Genesis 21:1-7)

Five of the greatest words in the English language are: “God always keeps His Word!”  What a wonderful promise and fact.  One of the things that we have to remember is that God’s timetable and our timetable is not always the same.  This message looks at God’s fulfillment of his promise to Abraham and Sarah to bless them with a son.  It didn’t happen right away.  It was 25 years after God had made the promise.  How do we handle things when God’s timing doesn’t match up with our timing?  God always keeps His word.

Living for the Lord will bring Persecution! (John 15:18-16:4)

Jesus told the disciples... “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”  If we live for the Lord we are going to rub the world the wrong way and there will be consequences as a result.  Are we ready for the persecution?  Are we prepared for what we may have to face?  The Lord wanted the disciples to be prepared as well as wanting us to be prepared as well.

A New Start - Philippians 3:12-16

2020 is over and 2021 has just started. A year ago, we had no idea what the past year would be like. Maybe you lost a job, your income, your home or even a family member. It will be great to move on but how do we do that? Philippians 3:12-16 gives us a unique insight into moving along.

"A Baby Makes All the Difference" (Matthew 1:18-25)

Biblical history records some amazing and spectacular births...

 There was the birth of Isaac to parents who should have been great-grandparents. There was the birth of Samuel to Hannah, who previously had been unable to have a child and suffered great ridicule from others in her household.  There was the birth of John the Baptist to Elizabeth who was past the child-bearing age.  But the most amazing birth was the birth of Jesus to a virgin.  Interestingly enough, the closer we get to the Lord’s return, the more people refuse to believe in His “virgin” birth.  Unbelief is not a new issue.  It has been around for years and years.  Joseph was confronted with the “virgin” birth and his response serves as a great example to each of us.

 This is another message in the Christmas series.  Even though we are just a couple of days removed from Christmas, I still want to wish you a Merry Christmas.

When God Doesn't Make Sense - Luke 1:26-38

In this portion of Luke, we find God’s solutions or answers to situations that seem to fit “When God doesn’t make sense” or seem impossible. We face impossible situations all throughout our life. It may be a health or financial problem, or perhaps, a conflict with a person that seems to be unresolvable. It is our “When God doesn’t make sense” circumstances that give God the opportunity to show us that He can do the impossible any time, any day, in any way He chooses.

“When God doesn’t make sense” situations are like magnets for God’s intervention in the life of believers. All throughout the Bible we see God’s answers to “When God doesn’t make sense” events. Today’s portion reveals the angel Gabriel’s visit with Mary with one of those “When God doesn’t make sense” situations.  Merry Christmas!

The Uniqueness of God's Time and Christmas - Galatians 4:4-7 - Pastor Mark Martin

When you stop and think about it... The reality is that God never does anything too early or too late, He is always right on time according to His purpose and will. It was a dark time for the world. The nation of Israel was oppressed and occupied by the Roman Empire. The people of Israel had not heard from God since the days of the prophet Malachi for a period of 400 years of silence. At exactly the right moment, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem all of us who lived under God’s condemnation. Today’s message talks about God timing, purpose, and manner in which God sent His Son at exactly the right moment in eternity.

If I am a Believer, I am a Friend of Jesus (John 15:12-16)

What does it mean to be a friend? If you are looking for a friend, what do you look for? Jesus addresses these questions as He talks about His friends in today’s passage. There are certain key elements that are a part of a relationship with the Lord. Are they a part of our lives? Today’s message looks at these elements and applies them to our daily lives.

Taking a Stand (2 Timothy 4:1-4) - Pastor Mark Martin

It was the best of times and it was the worst of times.  The Church in America seems to be more prosperous than ever and yet our culture is more wicked and evil than ever before as well.  The church is like the proverbial “frog in the kettle” where culture has slowly moved away from Biblical morality and the church has been silent and, in many instances, allowed the world to influence her rather than influencing the world.  The Apostle Paul challenges us, in these days of continuing moral decline, to take a stand for Biblical Values.  The message today takes up that challenge.