David: A Man Who Needs a Hero
Welcome to this first message on the life of David, but we have to warn you that if you grew up just hearing about his stories in Sunday School, then…
Welcome to this first message on the life of David, but we have to warn you that if you grew up just hearing about his stories in Sunday School, then…
We need to put on Christ. Holiday apparel will come and go. But the beautiful qualities of gentleness and purity will show to be the most enduring beauty. www.northcoastchurch.org
There are two things that can get us down in life: our own sin and the actions of others. This chapter is going to give us a detailed account of…
All of us realize that we live in a broken world that is not getting any better, yet few of us are doing something ahead of time to prepare for…
Lessons from the life of King David. Here’s a blueprint for how to survive when we walk through the lowest parts of our lives. www.northcoastchurch.com.
Do you follow God or run ahead of Him? You may have heard the story of Deborah and Barak, but have you ever stopped and thought about their impact? Where…
What lessons do we learn from the families in Genesis? Most consequences don’t come with an expiration date. Love your wife, love your kids, but put God first. Live a…
If we aren’t battling our sinful desires…they’ve won. Christianity will always have a bad reputation, unless we prove otherwise by our lives. It all comes down to how we live.…
There are three test areas to evaluate if we’re personally doing church right – are we growing in knowledge, love, and service? How do the following verses reinforce the importance…
When it comes to values, we tend to adopt what’s modeled to us while growing up. While it’s important to understand your values, it’s equally important to think through what…
This weekend Chris kicked off our new series “Holiday Survival Guide.” Below are several practical steps you can use to help you stay healthy in the relationships you have with…
We, the church, are the bridge God created to impart grace to the world. We must appropriate the grace God has given us. We don’t go to church, we are…
If we do not battle our sinful desires, Satan wins. Victorious Christian living will silence our critics, point people to God and bring others into the family. We all fight…
Joseph’s brothers had to come to terms with the sins of their past when they were forced to go to Egypt for food. Filled with remorse over their brother’s mistreatment,…
Because of Jesus, we have been washed completely clean, set apart for God’s purposes, and declared just before God. All of these blessings come at the huge price of Jesus’…
The unusual passage in Genesis 6 teaches that the culture was defined by its fallen heroes, sexual perversion, widespread corruption and violent headlines, just like today. God’s grace was given a…
The American Dream can be a curse when we are driven by greed, futile pursuits, and broken relationships. There are four keys to avoiding the “American Nightmare.” We must value…
Why do we lie? Perhaps it is to make ourselves look better. Perhaps we lie for personal gain or to avoid negative consequences. Why shouldn’t we lie? God hates it,…
God is our boss and our work is our calling. Pursue greatness while avoiding pride, ego, and selfishness. Embrace last as your first choice. Be committed to: Outserve your team.…
Work like God assigned you a job because He did. Work like you are on a mission because you are. Work like it is your worship to God because it…
The little letter of 2 John was critical in preserving the integrity of God’s message. John encourages and warns the church at the same time to know the truth, walk…
Minor prophet books were shorter, but definitely just as important as the major prophet books like Isaiah and Jeremiah. The problem with prophets…then and now is that you can always…
Marriage isn’t easy or fair. Love is a choice, not an emotion. Master the marriage cycle: joy, disillusionment, misery, understanding, mature love. Submission is putting the needs and interests of…
We can’t know the will of God, without knowing the Word of God. We can’t be in the will of God, without obeying the Word of God. Satan sees our…
God our Father often uses a description of an earthly father to bring His teaching home. Dad’s kids (Israel) weren’t obedient, accepting correction, trusting God or even in a relationship…
Many people perceive God as unfair and unpleasable. God delights in mercy, grace and forgiveness. Micah in encourages us to use our power in a fair and just way, to…
The book of Hosea teaches many lessons for the family. Hosea’s bride (symbol for Israel) forgot that God defines what marriage looks like, we do not. The children forgot that…
Obadiah warned Edom of pride, indifference, personal gain and boasting. He encourages us to develop humility, compassion and generosity.
Paul teaches there are three types of people: those who don’t know God, those who do and those who know God but act like they don’t. Two key indicators of…
Raising children in a corrupt society has its challenges. Hold on tight: commit to the tough process, provide clear direction, encourage more than discourage and release them when it’s time…
Singleness and marriage are both gifts from God. Intimacy is indispensable to marriage. When we deny sexual intimacy, we are cheating the marriage.
We find unlikely women in Christ’s family tree: Tamar (the deceiver), Rahab (the prostitute), Ruth (the pagan Moabitess) and Bathsheba (the adulteress). Each woman was redeemed by her faith in…
We learn much about life from watching impoverished widow Ruth come to the fields of her kinsman Boaz. First of all, God has answers that we don’t know about. Faithfulness…
In the opening of Ruth’s story, we hear of the tragic loss of her husband and brother-in-law. We can learn from this passage that the wrong direction always equals the…
An idol is usually a good thing that becomes a god thing. We worship what we love and pursue most with our hearts and our actions. God says it is…
Invest with the right team. Pray now or pay later. Past obedience guarantees future usefulness. Real discipleship affects our wealth, comfort, power and fame. For the disciple, this world is…
The story of the complaining Israelites in the wilderness teach us many lessons. God gives us salvation and freedom, but often, God’s people are impatient and complain. God disciplines us…
Ungodly companions offer bad advice, encourage us to make unwise decisions and lower our ethical standards. Who advises me? To whom do I look for approval of my choices? What…
Elijah’s crash after fighting the prophets of Baal is natural. Disappointment comes from difficult people, physical and emotional exhaustion, isolation, unrealistic goals and after an adrenaline rush. So how do…
Our heavenly body, according to Paul, is built for heaven, not for earth. It is perfect, powerful and spiritual. Our life here on earth is like a “job interview” for…
Jesus did not live a conventional life. He chided the religious leaders and ate with tax collectors and sinners. Christ came to do transplants, not cosmetic surgery. This is good…
When we face life’s floods, our way through is obedience to God. Obedience puts God in the front, shows where our faith is. Blessings are not always measured by success…
We learn from the misunderstanding between the twelve tribes of Israel that conflicts must be handled appropriately. We should be proactive about the things of God. Clarify the issues before…
Mary and Martha both loved Jesus. But Martha worked hard for Jesus’ approval, fearing failure and rejection. Am I working against God, apart from God or with God?
The tighter we hold onto life, the harder it will be to let go. The believer sees death as a graduation, not the end!
Refusing to deal with the past robs us of our future. We must face and accept the truth and receive grace instead of guilt. Our “skeletons” from the past can…
Strength and courage come from the choices we make more than the feelings we have. Joshua received God’s blessing because He obeyed in he face of insurmountable odds.
The stories of Eli, Samuel and David reveal that spiritual men can have unspiritual children. Four myths of child-rearing include: going to church produces spirituality, kids need to make their…
Saul did not completely obey God, and in his pride and impatience lost his kingdom. Israel demanded a king so that they could be like all the other nations that…
Eli, Samuel and David were godly men who were terrible fathers. Myths that growing up in a spiritual leader’s home will produce godly offspring include going to church produces spirituality,…
Jonah cries a desperate prayer in the belly of the whale and surrenders completely to God. Our prayer requests should come with fervent praise and thanks to God. We cannot…
Like Jonah, we often struggle with our enemies, trying to understand their pain and struggles, trying to show compassion. Even though God gives Jonah clear instructions, Jonah runs from God,…
We must recognize that love trumps knowledge. Freedom has two boundaries: God’s commands and love for others. Paul teaches us that there are three kinds of weaker brothers: the true…