Isaiah 58: 1-14; True Fasting

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

'Shout it aloud, do not hold back.' That is the mentality we should have when it comes to expressing our faith. We should hold nothing back. Our love for the Lord should be so great that we cannot keep quiet about it. That is a form of true worship: to tell the world about the love of God and the salvation he brings to the world. Shout it aloud, do not hold back! God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 57: 14-21; Comfort for the Contrite

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is comfort for those who follow God. It comes in a variety of ways, and we have all experienced it at one time or another. God comforts those who come to him. He does so because he loves us, because it breaks God's heart to see his children in such pain and turmoil. And so God comes to us in our times of need. He comes to give us the comfort, the hope, that we all need as we go through life. Allow God to comfort you. Do not try to do things by yourself. Rather, accept the love and care God is more than willing to give, and allow those things to help you through whatever trial you are in. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 56: 9- 57: 13; God’s Accusation Against the Wicked

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

And so is a life without a relationship with God. I don't much care for this description. What I mean is I will not be signing up for anything like this anytime soon. We all know what a life with God is like, and we know what a life without God is like. In our scripture passage for this Sunday's worship service is the verse, 'Choose for yourself this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.' I love that verse, and I think it is very appropriate for this passage as well. Choose God, or the world. We know where both roads lead. We need to make the right choice. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for November 6, 2011

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday comes from Matthew 25: 1-13, in which Jesus gives the parable of the 10 Bridesmaids. The sermon is titled 'Fair Weather Faith' and will focus on our need, our call, to be in faith for the long haul. I hope to see you all on Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 56: 1-8; Salvation for Others

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Salvation is close at hand." Jesus very close to all of us. Of course, Jesus has already been here and made his salvation available to the world. But that does not mean Jesus' work is finished, and it does not mean he is far away. Jesus is here, right next to us, every step of our journey of faith. Salvation is close at hand, Isaiah says. It might as well say 'Jesus is close at hand,' not just as a source of salvation, but as a source of comfort and hope as well. Extend your hand and Jesus' and he will bless your life. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 55: 1-13; Invitation to the Thirsty

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Before we come to Jesus we are empty inside. We are not sure what it is, but we know there is something missing inside of us. There is a hole in us that cannot seem to be filled by anything, or anyone, else. And then we come to Jesus and he gives us water, water that truly satisfies. We come to Jesus and he gives us food, food that truly fills. We come to Jesus and we get everything we need, everything we have always been missing in our lives. This is also true for those of us who already believe. As we walk on our journey of faith we get tired, we get thirsty, we get hungry. And when we do we can come to Jesus and receive all the nourishment we need; we get the water, and the food we need to keep moving forward on our journey of faith. Come to Jesus all you who are tired, thirsty, and hungry and Jesus will fill that need beyond anything you could ever imagine. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 54: 1-17; The Future Glory of Zion

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is not escapism to have hope for tomorrow. There are those who say that having hope is simply an act of not living this life. I say that to have hope is to have great faith in God. For in hoping that things will turn around is to believe wholeheartedly in the power and love of God. God create the world and has power of it. And someday God will redeem the world in such a way that there will be no suffering. This is not escapism. This is faith. Faith in the power and love of God. God, who is love and loves us, and who has power over the world will one day deliver us from our suffering. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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