What does your life communicate to the world about your faith? We all communicate something. let your faith shine. Let your words point to Jesus Christ. As the saying goes, “Your life is the only Bible some people will read. You may be the only Jesus some people see…”
Today I spotlight an important way in how to share the message of salvation. I call it the “Fill in the Blank” style of evangelism. With all of the unhappiness in today’s world, clearly something is missing. There is a blank. In today’s world I hear a lot of doubt, confusion, discontentment. We have an opportunity to fill in the blank with Jesus Christ as the way forward.
Many questions remain as our world/community of faith waits for a change regarding our slowdown as a society/community because of corona virus. We don’t know when restrictions will be eased /attitudes change. But this I know: God is a great God, his love and protection, his purposes will not be stopped. In the Thursday bible study we’re continuing in Isaiah. The end of Is. 49:6 summarizes the Lord’s purpose: “that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” The message of salvation is unchanging. As we walk through Acts, the heartbeat that keeps followers of Jesus moving forward, is to bring the good news of Jesus to the ends of the earth.
Months ago when we began this wonderful book highlighting the birth of the church and the mission of expanding the gospel of Christ, I nicknamed the series, “The AXE of the Holy Spirit,” the H.S. takes an axe to how to purposefully soldier forward, leading people to go to places they’ve never gone before in ways they’ve never done before. Sounds perfect for our church, as we actively engage more with our community. Acts 16:16-40 part 2 ~ Some dark but necessary topics (including suicide) ~ Pastor Chad Hammond3/23/2021
As we end 2020 with more questions than we started the year, I love the scripture for today: Amazing Grace, Amazing Truth… The Gospel of John is one of the last testimonies of Jesus Christ included in the Bible ~ likely written the last decade of the 1st Century, decades after the death of Jesus. As an old man, John, a disciple of Jesus, looks back at his time with Jesus and reveals his insights for the greater meaning of Jesus. In the opening verses of John, in poetic form, the disciple John testifies to the eternal nature of Jesus, how Jesus is like a light shining in the darkness, how Jesus was truly a man in every sense of the word. Now, in these beautiful two-sides-of-the-same-coin matching words, we are given the first insight of what makes Jesus tick: “… He came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Grace and Truth! Two complimentary ideas that perfectly describe what Jesus is about.
Christmas Eve at the Sumas Advent Christian Church has always been a wonderful tradition as the community gathers to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This year, with COVID19 restrictions, the service is made available online. You are invited to join us for the singing of traditional Christmas Carols, Bible readings, the inspiration story of a giant of faith who died exactly 100 years ago, and a message by Pastor Carl Crouse from John 1:14: The Depth of the Glory of God. NOTE: The video was unexpectedly stopped, so the last few minutes of the candlelight and a prayer are in a second video.
There’s an ancient question intended to confirm your skepticism if you are a doubter of the Christian faith, or for people of faith the question highlights the sovereignty of God who is beyond anything we can imagine. The old question: Can God create a rock to big for him to move? /////////////////////////// To the skeptic, this is a cute little question that proves God cannot be everything: it is a logical impossibility, either way he has limits, can he create that rock that is so big he can’t move it, but if he does create the rock he can’t move then there is something he can’t do….
I received a note yesterday from a woman named Gini. She responded to a 10 year old sermon on the website, “People Can Change.” Gini’s note is a reminder of why we are a church: “I came across this article while searching for a word from God this morning. My mom is dying in a nursing home and my family is fighting amongst themselves. Brothers who loved each other now hate each other and their wives. God led me to this! My life has changed since knowing Jesus and now I pray for change in my family. There is hope and I have faith! God is faithful.”
|
Carl Crouse, Pastor
At SACC we believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Every Sunday the worship service includes a message from the Bible. My words are an attempt to understand and apply the Bible to our daily living. I post weekly sermons and other biblical messages on this page. May you find meaning and hope as you read through each message and seek to hear God's voice. Leave a comment to ask questions or inspire others with your insights. Categories
All
Archives
April 2021
|