All Rise

If we view our faith and relationship with Jesus, it helps us to see where we are. The places we need to grow closer to God and how we can expand or challenge our faith. Tune into this week 1 message of our 'All Rise' series to hear about how deeply God wants a personal and flourishing relationship with you.

It’s not about the right hand of your ability or strength, but the left hand of weakness offered to God in availability...

God does his work in the world through ordinary people, just obeying him in ordinary ways…faithfully serving as a mother; faithfully sharing Christ with a friend; faithfully caring for your neighbors or serving in our kids’ ministry.

Men and women are created equally by God and called to partnership with Him and each other. As we look further into the book of Judges we see the story of Deborah which shows us a leader of Israel that brought wise counsel and judgement.

What would life be like, in any situation, if you knew God was with you? God is in control and on our side. When we were at our worst and hopeless because of our sin God turned it for his plan and our side. So we know he can do the same in the dark times in our lives too.

Gideon is not your typical hero. When we first met him last week he was hiding out on his farm threshing wheat in a wine press. But God calls him “my mighty warrior” because he doesn’t see him for what he currently is but what He can do through him with His power. He does the same with us.

Traps can cause problems for a few generations. But grace, love, compassion, mercy—with God’s help—can have an impact for a millennia. These values learned from God can break cycles, stopping them dead in their tracks.

We all have that one 'junk drawer' in our house that is a catch all. We also have another junk drawer that we are probably unaware of when it comes to beliefs in spiritual things. Where people pick and choose their virtues from here and spiritual ideas from over here and sprinkle in this one thing that I heard about on social media and they mix it together to form their religion which looks nothing like the way of Jesus.

Jesus finishes what Samson started. Jesus is the Leader we do NOT deserve. Both were announced and miraculous births but Jesus was never led by his impulses but by the Father's will.

Samson was a broken hero, just as you and I are broken people. But Samson points to a better hero. His life as a fallen and imperfect judge points to the perfect Judge who was to come in Jesus.