This week's sermon:

This we continue our Life Expectancy Series as we begin to tackle topics now that we have laid our foundations. So this week we continue our topic, What about work?!

This week we look at a story Jesus told about the three servants who were entrusted with their master's riches. This might be one of the most misapplied stories Jesus every told because we listen through the ears of 21st century American values and understanding of success. Reflection on this story allows us to answer three questions: "Where do we work?"; "Who do we work for?";  and "What are we working for?" 

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What about work?! Since the beginning of the year we have been laying a foundation that prepares us to reflect on the "rest of life. This week we turn our attention to "work." The average person will spend between 25-30% of their lives working. Yet in a 2 year old study salary.com says that about 75% of those working are dissatisfied and unfulfilled. So, what about work? What is work? How do we think about work? Most importantly what does the Bible say about work? Is it punishment for sin? This week we start our discussion as we begin at the Beginning in Genesis 1 and 2.

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The dictionary defines "lifestyle" as a particular way of living. "Lifestyle" is the way a person lives or a group of people live – the habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, etc., that together constitute the mode of living of an individual or group. So the question is what lifestyle will I embrace that is consistent with my vision? Disciplines me for this vision? and Advances my aspirations? What will be my life-long lifestyle? These are the questions we are discussing this week.

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If I possess a vision for my life (last week) what must I do to live my vision? This week Mark discusses how a singular vision of God's Dominion and Jesus' lordship unifies all of life – our work, our play, our friendships, our families. 

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Do I possess a singular vision that will ground me, define me, inspire me, and release me? If so… what is it? This is the question Mark discusses this week as we continue the series LIFE Expectancy. 

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Prayer is the recognition that God has invited us to a "lifelong meeting" with Him. But we will only accept this invitation if we understand what are God's motivations for interacting with us. This week Vince discusses how prayer – our lifelong meeting - is rooted in a trust that God desires to fulfill His promises in our lives.

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Is it important for you to know God– God the Father? God the Son? God the Holy Spirit? Is so, then how will we learn? This week Mark discusses how we grow closer to God by reflecting on the Bible because if you want to know the living God then you will need to learn the living Word – the Bible.

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This week Mark kicks off our new series, LIFE EXPECTANCY, with some introductory thoughts and observations. Along the way we are encouraged to REFLECT on a series of questions about our starting points for this year and to (RE)DISCOVER Jesus' promised presence  in our lives. 

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer observed: "Celebrating Advent means being able to wait. Waiting is an art that our impatient age has forgotten. It wants to break open the ripe fruit when it has hardly finished planting the shoot. But whoever does not know the austere blessedness of waiting—that is, of hopefully doing without—will never experience the full blessing of fulfillment. Those who do not know how it feels to struggle anxiously with the deepest questions of life, of their life, and to patiently look forward with anticipation until the truth is revealed, cannot even dream of the splendor of the moment in which clarity is illuminated."

This week Vince discusses how "waiting is not simply "my waiting" -- waiting is relational because it means we share another's clock and another's pace. Waiting on God means that we share His clock and His pace... join us as we reflect on what this means for our lives.

Researchers tell us that the average person will spend 2 years of his or her life waiting in line, 2 years playing telephone tag, and 10 months  waiting in traffic.  That is over 7 and a half years of waiting, at best doing nothing, or at worst experiencing great aggravation! The bottom line is that even in our fast-paced world, with postmodern conveniences, we are all waiting for something. However, as strange as it sounds, during the Advent season, we discover a purpose to our waiting. Let's visit about this!

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Researchers tell us that the average person will spend 2 years of his or her life waiting in line, 2 years playing telephone tag, and 10 months  waiting in traffic.  That is over 7 and a half years of waiting, at best doing nothing, or at worst experiencing great aggravation! The bottom line is that even in our fast-paced world, with postmodern conveniences, we are all waiting for something. However, as strange as it sounds, during the Advent season, we discover a purpose to our waiting. Let's visit about this!

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This week's sermon: This week we look at analogy Paul uses to illustrate how Jesus' life, death, and resurrection can continue to transform lives even after His death and resurrection. In the process we learn a promise that God intends every follower of Jesus to understand and be engaged by: while God accepts us as we are He loves us to much to allow us to remain as we are. New life, opportunity, and possibility is around the corner for all us. Here we learn that when Jesus enter lives victims become an endangered species because God intends us to be "more than conquerors" though Jesus!

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This week's sermon: Ever wish that you could be a "fly on the wall" eavesdropping on a meeting, your kids, the Oval Office, or a historic event? This week we get a chance to be the proverbial "fly on the wall" in God's court as we learn God's plans and purposes and how they are echoed by Paul in his letter to Rome (Romans 5.1-11). 

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This week's sermon: This week Vince discusses the true keys to happiness as he looks at Jesus' introduction to the Sermon on the Mount:

Blessed are the poor, 
   Blessed are the weak,
      Blessed are the ones who mourn
         Blessed are those who long for justice...

Vince says, "I used to think they were called, "The Beatitudes", because they were attitudes that you should have... like in "BE these attitudes." But that’s not what it’s about. The term beatitude comes from the Latin noun, "beātitūdō", which means “happiness".

Take a listen as Vince answers the questions: Who should be happy? Who is in a position that will result in joy?

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The Lego Sermon: This week Lorissa leads our Family Sunday with a discussion of what it means to be a community together that values and needs everyone regardless of age. While the message may be short (!) the message is timeless for all of us!

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Dancing Joy: Jesus, A Jailor, and You! This week we take a break from Romans. Jim Foreman leads our counseling ministry. His message this week is an exuberant reflection on grace, freedom, and joy... and by the way, if you think a 70 year old saint cannot rap or do slam poetry... take a listen!

RUINED by love not circumstances: how does God show His love for us? Is this love capable of sustaining us during difficult times? Can we experience God's love even when we suffer? This week Vince speaks to these questions that many of us find ourselves asking...

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RUINED by "The Good Life": Everyone want to live the "good life". Is this possible for the follower of Jesus? Is this available for the follower of Jesus? Vince explores the answer to these questions as we look at Romans 5.1-2.

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RUINED by grace: This week we look at Romans 5.1-11. Here we see what God has done and what we "have" as a result. Not only does this highlight the distinctive that makes Christian faith unique among all religions but it has huge consequences for those who follow Jesus. For starters, it means that we do not have a spiritual life that is constantly looking over our shoulders with fear or paranoia that God is mad at us, judging us, or kicking us to the curb. Have a listen!

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This week we return to Romans: A Letter From A Life Ruined By Jesus. Any community depends on relationships that generously accept one another. A Christian community depends on this AND the awareness of God's presence. On what basis does God accept us? What should we base our acceptance of others upon? These are just a few of the items that were discussed today... 

Do to a technical glitch this week's message did not record through our sound board however we have this backup version which "works" but does not have the fidelity of our normal recordings.

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