November 24, 2019 | Kyle Brenon | Luke 22:54-62, John 21:15-17

How often do we grade ourselves as Christians by how “good" we are? Too often, we act like we believe we are walking a tightrope to ensure God still wants to keep us around, and when we take a wrong step, we feel as though we let God down. Do you ever feel that? That you have messed up so badly this time that there is no going back? Ever hear that voice in the back of your head saying, "You REALLY blew it this time and there’s no way God is going to be able to use you now." I have heard that voice too, and it does NOT belong to our Shepherd!

This week we continue in our sermon series, “Things Jesus Never Said,” as we look at Peter's betrayal and restoration, thankful that Jesus never said, “You really blew it this time, didn’t you?"

Luke 22:54-62
"Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.”

John 21:15-17
“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

November 17, 2019 | Kyle Brenon | Proverbs 16:1-3; Psalm 37:1-6

This week, we continue in week six of our sermon series, “Things Jesus Never Said.” Throughout this series, we have been looking at some of the things we have come to believe about God and how He relates to us that are simply not true—things we pick up as we go along that work their way into our understanding of the gospel and how it affects everything we do. 

Today, we look at the role of prayer in the life of a believer. Is prayer something we see as necessary? Is it essential to our everyday lives, or just when things go bad? Do we make our plans, work hard to execute them, and then ask for the Lord to be at work? Or do we pray first… seeking wisdom and understanding before we act; “Committing our ways to the LORD; trusting in Him” and then responding accordingly? 

Is prayer the final step in our plan or is it the glue that holds the whole plan together? All too often, when crisis hits, we hear people say, “I guess all we can do now, is to pray", as if there ever was something more effective in the first place!

 Proverbs 16:1-3
“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.”

Psalm 37:1-6
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! 2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. 3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” 

November 10, 2019 | Kyle Brenon | Mark 10:17-23

This week we continue with week 5 of our sermon series, “Things Jesus Never Said.” It's nothing new for man to twist scripture in order to meet his own purpose and to add or take away from the gospel in order to make it more palatable to a heart unwilling to surrender. Sometimes we twist the gospel and the words of Jesus because we have convinced ourselves that the things we want must be the things He wants for us! Have you ever heard anyone claim, that if you give your life to Christ all your wildest dreams will come true? That it is His will for YOU to be prosperous, to be wealthy and for all your troubles to go away?! What a sad self-seeking promise that is. Jesus never said, “Follow me, and I will give you whatever you want,” but He DID say something quite shocking to at least one rich ruler… "go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

Mark 10:17-23
"And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before (Jesus) and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”

November 3, 2019 | Kyle Brenon | Romans 3:21-26

This week we continue with Week 4 of our sermon series, “Things Jesus Never Said.” As we have seen throughout this series, we have a tendency to pick up ideas and thoughts about God and His word as we go along. Some of these things can be helpful, that is, if they are true! Unfortunately, though many of them are not true, some in fact are downright dangerous! It could be a saying we have heard that sticks with us (as we have seen in our past 2 weeks) or simply an idea we have grabbed hold of and built a belief around without even realizing it (as we will see this week). Often it is our actions and the way we approach trials that will reveal some of these “Hitchhikers.” This week we look at some of the reasons why in our pursuit of righteousness, we often act as though Jesus told us to “go therefore and try harder” rather than telling us to “deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him.”

Romans 3:21-26

 "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."