The Great I Am

"The Great I Am" - Dr. Daniel's sermon on Jesus feeding the 5,000 in the Gospel of John. Do you ever feel stressed? What do you do when you are absolutely overwhelmed? How do you deal with stress-filled moments of your life when it feels as if you have no control of anything in your life? Worried about your employment, worried about your finances, worried about you family, worried about the fu

ture? Four lessons taken from this well-known story: 1. Sit down and relax. Jesus had everyone sit down. When you we sit down, there are good things that happen. 2. Acknowledge that God has a plan for you. John says that Jesus knew what he would do. We serve a God of the present. God told Moses, "I AM THAT I AM". 3. Make a beginning with what you have. 5 loaves and 2 fish aren't enough on their own to feed 5,000, but when God blessed and multiplied them, it was more than enough. Start with what you have, even if it's not much. Let God bless and use what you do have. 4. Gather up "leftovers" for the next time. Pick up the pieces -- learn the lesson(s) from the experience, and take it with you in the next phase of your faith journey. Remember, the great I AM. If you live in the past it will be very hard...for His name is not I WAS. If you live in the future it will be very hard...for His name is not I WILL BE. But if you live in the present it's not hard...for His name is I AM. The great I AM. The same God who multiplied the fish and loaves is with you today! Relax. Trust. God has a plan for you! Think, reflect and pray about some areas in your life that you can put these principles to work this week.

Gene Kelsey, Director of Christian Education

The Open Doors: Sharing a Life That Really Matters

Last Sunday Dr. Daniel concluded "The Open Doors: Sharing a Life That Really Matters" sermon series with "The Open Door of Service". Before sharing his thoughts, he first demonstrated it by washing the feet of three people. He then offered a quote: "The time has come for us to replace the image of success with the image of service." 1. Servanthood is a way of thinking. There was a dispute amo

ng Jesus' disciples about who was the greatest (in terms of position, promotion and power) while Jesus was agonizing his coming death -- two contrasting sets of values. Life is not about me; it's about serving God by serving others. The one who rules must be the one who serves. 2. Servanthood is a way of feeling. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Servant leadership touches the heart. 3. Servanthood is a way of acting. How is God calling you to serve?

Gene Kelsey, Director of Christian Education

The Open Door of Prayer

Incredible sermon today from Dr. Daniel, as he continued the sermon series, "God's Open Doors: Sharing a Life That Really Matters"! Today was "The Open Door of Prayer". 1. To pray is to care for others! What can I do about, or in response to, world events, such as the fires in Colorado? If we truly love people, we will desire more for them than what we can give them ourselves. We'll pray for them!

 Power is not in the one who prays, but in the One Who hears it! 2. To pray is to cooperate with Christ, Who intercedes on our behalf with God! To pray brings God into the midst of our lives and our challenges. It's God's desire to bring us into saving grace! 3. To pray is to surrender our lives to God! It opens the soul in a way that causes us to reconcile with God -- to open our hands and hearts to God's promises. With Jesus, we pray, "not my will, but thine." Thank you, Dr. Daniel, for being a man of God and person of deep faith, bringing God's message to God's people!!

Gene Kelsey, Director of Christian Education