Chuck Foreman – Teaching / Missions Pastor
We have the opportunity for a new life because of the resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus overcame death and lives! He alone has the power to change us and make us new!
By the power of the Risen One, we can all rise into newness!
Do you believe this?
Chuck Foreman – Teaching / Missions Pastor
Most of us have had plans and dreams for our lives—an agenda for how we’d like our life to be, however realistic or unrealistic it might be. If we believe in God, we hope he agrees with our personal agenda and would even like to have his blessing on it. It’s difficult for us to imagine that he would not be concerned about the same things we are. And so we pursue our plans and dreams expecting him to be right there in the middle of it all. If all goes as planned, we claim it’s because of his blessing and favor upon us. If our personal agenda takes a nose dive and goes straight south, we feel abandoned by God. It leaves us empty and bewildered and perhaps even bitter. (more…)
Chuck Foreman – Teaching Pastor
Jesus is the Risen King. He has established a new kind of Kingdom, a Kingdom of love,
which transforms lives, and changes and restores our broken world.
He’s looking for Kingdom Players who will both pray the prayer he taught us to pray,
and do the work for which he designed us,
that his Kingdom may come to earth, and his will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
This is the message of Easter—the Resurrection.
Referring to his own death, Jesus said, “…unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24) Jesus knew that his death wasn’t the end; it was the beginning of new life for everyone who believed in the meaning of his death. But there was something else, something even more profound that caused his followers to multiply rather than scatter in despair. It was the proof everyone is always looking for, but usually dismiss as impossible. It was the answer to the question, Who is Jesus? It was the unique event in all of history—the resurrection.
We’re all fans of Easter. I mean, it’s the biggest event on the Christian calendar, right along with Christmas. We like it. We like Jesus’ role in Easter too. But do we like Jesus the way we like the Phoenix Suns or Cardinals? The Doobie Brothers sang, “Jesus is Just Alright with Me.” They were fans. But is that what Jesus wants from us—to be “Jesus fans?” What happens when our team’s not winning, or Jesus doesn’t come through for us like we want him to? What then? Perhaps we need to define the relationship.
Are we fickle fans or faithful followers? I’ve decided that I don’t want to be a fan.
This past Sunday we began our Define the Relationship series with this video from author Peter Rollins.
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