ROOTED IN CHRIST

Last week, in my message, I laid the foundation for the commitment Jesus Christ asked for from those who wanted to follow Him. I am following that message up with four more messages that take a look at a discipleship process that every individual can use for self evaluation and our church can use to evaluate our ministries as it relates to helping people become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

This first message of the four, Rooted in Christ, deals with the first stage of spiritual growth, pictured as a tree that needs to develop a strong root system. It is geared for new believers, those living like new believers, and yet encourages mature Christians to remember the importance of these foundational steps.

By the way, where it says Video: A Week in the Life of a Neglected Bible, you can view this at sermonspice.com Just search for this video and see a free preview of it.

Since you are reading this, you are not able to see what went on. I began the message dressed in First Century attire and acting the part of the synogogue ruler, Crispus, who was baptized by the Apostle Paul. Then, I went to change while Steve, our associate pastor, read passages from Colossians. I then returned, dressed a little more casually than normal, sitting on a bar stool. I wanted to bring across a little less formal atmosphere for these discipleship messages.

ROOTED IN CHRIST

Please turn in your Bible to Colossians 1. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 1019 or 1045.

Good morning. Greg is running a little late, so he asked me to begin the message time. Hope you don’t mind. My name is Crispus. In case you don’t know who I am, let me tell you a little about myself. I lived over 2,000 years ago; and I am very humbled and privileged to know that I made it into THE BOOK – The Bible! And I’m not just mentioned once in the Bible, like many people, but twice! Don’t believe me? Let me prove it to you.

I Corinthians 1:14: “I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius.”
Ah Ha! There it is! This Bible thing is so cool. When I was alive, we had just part of the Bible, what you call the Old Testament. It was great and everything, but you are so blessed to have the whole entire Bible. You get the chance to read the very Word of God anytime you desire. I bet you can never get enough of it. The New Testament is great because it gives you the specifics of the time in which I lived. It tells you about Jesus’ birth, life and death. If I were alive today, I would read this book every day, as though my life depended on it. Well, actually, your life does depend on the truths found in the Bible, doesn’t it?

You may have noticed that the verse mentioned about me in I Corinthians was connected with the issue of baptism. I have heard, that in the past 2,000 years, this idea of baptism has gone through quite a few changes. There are a lot of different ideas out there about it. For a few minutes, I just want to share my personal testimony with you.
You saw the passage about my baptism. I will get back to that. Let me take you, first, to the most important decision and experience in my life. It is mentioned in the other verse of Scripture, where you can find me.

Acts 18:8: “Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord…”
As this verse mentions, I was a ruler in the synagogue. I was a leader. I was highly religious. I knew the Old Testament! I went to church every day. I had tremendous influence. I had life figured out. But like many in America, in 2008, I was religious, but not a Christian, a follower of Christ. I was religious, but had no real relationship with God. I was worshipping God on my own terms. The major problem was, that up until the Apostle Paul walked in my door, I had rejected the message God sent me: the message about Jesus.
You have so many religions around today, its unbelievable. But, you know what I notice about them? There is one noticeable difference between what I would call true Christianity and every other world religion. The difference concerns what you believe about Jesus. It is the single fact that turned my life around 2,000 years ago.

A few verses before I am mentioned in Acts, you see the message that Paul delivered to me. It is in Acts 18:4,5:
“And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade…testifying…that the Christ was Jesus.”

Christ means Messiah; Savior. For many years, we were looking for what the Old Testament described as the Messiah. He would come to save His people from their sins. Understand something. We knew this Jesus guy. He was a carpenter’s son from Nazareth. The joke was, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” That town was notorious for being a place of “good for nothings”. So, over a 3 year period of time, this Jesus was claiming to be the Son of God. He was really claiming to be God Himself, who became man. That is why people, especially us religious types, wanted to stone Him to death. We knew, from the Bible, there was only one God; and He was claiming to be God in the flesh, the promised Messiah from the Old Testament.

This was the message that Paul delivered to me. And like most people who finally believe the simple message about Jesus, it just happened this one day. All of my defenses came down, and I simply believed the truth. Jesus was who he said he was. He was God, who became man in order to die for my sins. He rose again the third day, and offers me the free gift of eternal life. And that day, I decided to become a follower of Jesus Christ. And let me just encourage you, no matter how religious you are or how much you say you love God – if you have never trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation and have given your life to Him – do it today!

Perhaps you noticed in acts 18:8 that it says that I believed in the Lord. Then, it says that many believed in the Lord and were baptized. Have you been baptized? I realize that in 2008 America, there are many misunderstandings about baptism. Some people, I hear, teach that you have to be baptized to be saved. But, I can tell you, having been there when this baptism thing first started, that they were two completely separate things.

Just for one example, you see it as two separate actions in:
Acts 8:12 – “But when they believed [the]…good news about…Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”

If they were the same thing, then Jesus would have baptized, but we read in:
John 4:1,2: “Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples).”

Jesus did not baptize. We already read in I Corinthians 1 that Paul rarely baptized, and yet his life mission was to see people saved. Baptism follows salvation. Granted, the decision to be saved and baptism usually happened right after one another 2,000 years ago. You see, we understood what baptism was all about back then. Once we trusted in Christ, we knew that our faith had to be declared by identifying with Jesus Christ through baptism.
His disciples baptized because it was what Jesus had commanded in:
Matthew 28:19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

We didn’t have to wait to understand baptism. We knew that once we publicly declared our faith by being baptized, we were risking everything. We might lose the support of our family and friends, who would see our baptism as turning our backs on the religion they raised us in. We might lose our jobs, having employers that hated the Christ we were identifying with. And we also knew that is was possible, because of our identification with Jesus Christ, that we might lose our lives. We did it because Jesus had saved us. We did it out of obedience to His command. And I am not ashamed that I did.

So, why haven’t you been baptized yet? Is it because you are afraid of going under the water? Is it because you were baptized as a baby and don’t want to offend your family? Is it because you have physical limitations? Or, is what I have heard from American pastors to be the number one reason people don’t want to get baptized? Because you are afraid to get up in front of other people. I know what you mean. I was terrified myself. But, you know what made the difference for me? And I really do think it was easier for us to overcome this fear 2,000 years ago. When I thought of the love of God for me, that He would send Jesus Christ to save me from my sins; and when I saw how people had treated Jesus and yet He loved them anyway – I decided that the fear I had of water and of public speaking was nothing compared to what Jesus Christ did for me. Please consider this important step.
It was nice to meet all of you and thanks for listening to my testimony.

Steve Strong: I am reading from Colossians 1, beginning in verse 3. Not only do these verses introduce what Greg will be talking about this morning, but they also reflect the heart Greg and I have for each of you in the area of spiritual growth and discipleship.

Colossians 1:3-6 – “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing – as it also does among you, since the day you hear it and understood the grace of God in truth.”

Colossians 1:9-23 – “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

Colossians 1:27-29 – “To them God chose to make known how great among te Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning, everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

Colossians 2:1-10– “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have no seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in who are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”

Greg: Over these next four weeks, I want to talk to you about something very personal, and yet it is something that we must talk about as an entire church. Therefore, instead of preaching at you from behind a pulpit, I am talking with you in our living room – a very large living room! I want you not just to hear my words, but hear my heart. I asked Steve to read this passage of Scripture to you because, within it, in the prayers and desires of Paul for the people he ministered to, lies the same prayers and desires Steve and I have for all of you when it comes to spiritual growth.

Last week, we explored what Jesus did when He called people to Himself. It was not His desire that people would repeat a prayer after someone so that they could stay out of Hell and then live their lives as they saw fit. Jesus was here to make disciples. He was here to call followers. He said: Follow Me. I think His expectations are the same today of anyone who claims to be a Christian. Are you a follower of Christ? You prayed a prayer? Great. Are you a follower of Christ? You are a member of Baptist church – wonderful. Are you a follower of Christ? Once you can say: Yes, I am a follower of Christ. Sinful, failing often, struggling, but a follower, nonetheless. Then, we can talk about how to grow in that discipleship and how we as a church can help.

At the very beginning here, I must be clear about something. Discipleship is about becoming a more fully devoted follower of Christ. It is not about a list of rules. It is not about do’s and don’ts. However, in order to be a more fully devoted follower of Christ, He asks us to do certain things and not do certain things. The things we are going to emphasize are the things that God emphasizes in His Word. Many individuals and churches emphasize a list of rules that God does not. We want to concentrate on what He tells us about becoming a more fully devoted follower.

As you may know, we have chosen a church theme taken from:
II Peter 3:18 – “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

For the glory of God, we desire to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Growing in grace is not about legalistic rules. It is about pursuing the truths and application of God’s truths in the midst of His underserving favor (grace). We have tried to give some concepts of what it means to grow in grace, and I would like to remind you of those now:

GROW IN GRACE

1. Serve God for who He is and what He has done, not because you want to gain his acceptance through good works.

2. Live for God out of love and thankfulness, rather than guilt and duty.

3. Believe in biblical absolutes, but reject attempts to legislate the Christian life through human rules.

4. Accept people at their current level of spiritual development and encourage them to grow in an atmosphere of grace.

5. Commit to honesty and transparency, which models love and acceptance.

6. Place the emphasis on inner motivations rather than outward behaviors.

7. Refuse to deny or minimize the pain that comes into your life as a result of your sin or the sins of others. Allow the pain to draw you to God.

8. Learn to forgive others as Jesus did, and point people, who do not know Him, to the God of grace.

9. Understand the biblical commands as describing the life befitting a Christian already accepted by God, not as laws that bring you more merit with God.

10. View your pain, in any form or area of life, as a way for God’s power to be shown in your life and for God to grow you.

We now want to take this a few steps further. We want to introduce you to one process, one way of looking at our spiritual growth.

As Steve was reading from Colossians, I wonder if you caught some key themes in those verses:
· Your faith in Christ (1:4)
· The gospel is bearing fruit, growing among you (1:6)
· You understood the grace of God in truth (1:6)
· Be filled with the knowledge of His will (1:9)
· So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord (1:10)
· In Christ, we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (1:14)
· Continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting (1:23)
· Christ in you, the hope of glory (1:27)
· Teaching everyone, that we present everyone mature in Christ (1:28)
· To reach the riches of full assurance (2:2)
· See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, and not according to Christ (2:8)

These verses emphasize growth – spiritual growth. There is being assured of your salvation, understanding the truth, not being swayed by false teaching, continuing to grow in faith, becoming mature in Christ, walking with Christ and bearing fruit for Christ.

There are tons of spiritual growth analogies given in the Scriptures. But, the one Steve and I have chosen to challenge and encourage you with is the picture of a growing tree. And the very first thing that must be emphasized is the root system. I don’t know much at all about trees, but I’m pretty sure of this one. The root system is key to any tree that wants to last and wants to grow. It is the first major emphasis in the Christian’s life – being rooted in Christ.
And the theme verses we are using to describe stages of growth in discipleship gives us the picture of a growing tree. Come back to:

Colossians 2:6,7 – “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

We are using the phrases from these verses, in the midst of this entire passage in Colossians that speaks to spiritual growth, to describe a process. It is not a perfect process, but it is a process. This will allow each of us to do some evaluating. And it will allow our church to order our ministries around a discipleship process. We believe God has called every person and church to the Great Commission commandment in Matthew 28:19,20. And the basic command in those verses is: Make Disciples. That is what we must be about. So, a process of discipleship in the church is our focus for these weeks.

In verses 6,7 of Colossians 2, He makes it clear that the people He is talking to have already been saved. The discipleship process has begun. He is encouraging them to walk with Jesus Christ, their master, throughout life. And as they take steps of faith with Christ, the picture of trees are used for spiritual growth. And being rooted in Christ is the first stage of this growth. The seed has been planted, it has taken root in our hearts and we have come to Christ. Now, our first priority, as a Christian, is to be firmly and deeply rooted in Christ.

We would like to suggest, before we close this morning, of a few simple ways to be rooted in Him. And we would like to use the idea from our church theme verse in II Peter 3:18 – Growing in grace and knowledge to consider the first steps of growth. If you have been a Christian for a long time and already have these qualities, then you can concentrate on how to continue in these as a mature believer and how to pass them on to someone else.

Please turn in your Bible to Psalm 1. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 467 or 481.

Let’s begin with an attitude. The new believer and growing believer are filled with joy about Christ has done for them and they are excited to talk to others about it.
Let’s look at one story that illustrates this:

Matthew 9:27-31 – “And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David.’ When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then he touched their eyes, saying, ‘according to your faith be it done to you.’ And their eyes were opened…they went away and spread his fame through all that district.”

These men had a need. They were blind; but they also came to believe that there was one man who could heal them. They knew they deserved to be blind and much worse for their sins. But, they asked for mercy from the Son of David, demonstrating that they believed He was the promised coming Messiah. Their belief in who He was and what He could do led Jesus to say that because of their faith, they were healed.

In a spiritual sense, all of us who have come to Christ, were blind and now we see. It is a miracle of the heart, that God the Holy Spirit performs on all those who trust in Him for salvation. But, what I want you to notice the most from this incident is the natural response of what these formerly blind men did. As soon as they were healed, they didn’t go watch movies, enjoying their new eyesight. They went away and spread his (Jesus Christ’s) fame throughout the entire area.

This is a natural characteristic of a new believer, who understands what a change Jesus Christ has made and the fact that they have gone from death to life and from a spiritual blindness to being able to see clearly. That person will tell other people. He just can’t help it. Have you been around a new believer who gets this? He wants other people to know. He will talk about Christ even if it means receiving strange looks or critical remarks or worse.

If you have never been excited about what Jesus has done for you, enough to tell someone else, you need to evaluate your heart attitude. If you know for sure that you have this personal relationship with Jesus, then perhaps, you need to try and fill your mind and heart with the truths of who you are in Christ. Let me give you just a sampling from the book: Bondage Breaker by Neil Anderson. Say these out loud with me:

IN CHRIST:
· I am God’s child (John 1:12)
· I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15)
· I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
· I have been bought with a price – I belong to God (I Corinthians 12:27)
· I am a saint (Ephesians 1:1)
· I have been adopted as God’s child (Ephesians 1:5)
· I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18)
· I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins (Colossians 1:14)
· I am complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10)
· I am free from condemnation (Romans 8:1,2)
· I am assured that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28)
· I am free from any condemning charges against me (Romans 8:31-34)
· I cannot be separated from the love of God (Romans 8:35-39)
· I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God
(II Corinthians 1:21,22)
· I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected (Philippians 1:6)
· I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20)
· I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind
(II Timothy 1:7)
· I can find grace and mercy in time of need (Hebrews 4:16)

Meditate on those truths and see if you can’t get excited about what God has done for you – to the point that you want to share it with others you love. This is a natural sign of someone who is growing in Christ. It is harder for those of us who were saved at an early age or who have been saved for many, many years. But, there is no excuse for not having the joy that comes with being saved from our sins and the desire to talk about it!

In this very first stage of spiritual growth, being rooted in Christ, there is some growing in knowledge to do. Knowledge is not good if it puffs up and stays in our brains. But, knowledge applied to life is what makes a good, growing disciple of Christ. The first part of growing in knowledge here is:
· Learning basic truths

There are some very basic truths the Bible tells us we need to know in the first stages of growing in Christ. But, we should not think too simple here. Listen to:

Hebrews 6:1-3 – “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.”

Those don’t necessarily sound like elementary, basic truths, but they are. And if you are willing to admit that you don’t know everything about what is listed here, then you have some growing in knowledge to do. The other key issue in this stage of being rooted in Christ, when it comes to growing in knowledge is:
· Having assurance of salvation

I John 5:13 – “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Yes, it is possible to know for sure you have salvation. But, unfortunately, many people who are weak in their faith, fail and sin, and then are not quite sure if they are saved or not. The growing disciple of Christ will learn what it means to be assured of salvation, and that will be a key foundation as they continue to grow.

Now, let’s think about growing in grace in this stage. Although these are some things to do, they are not to be done in a ritualistic, legalistic way. They are to be done in the grace of God:
· Reading the Bible

Psalm 1:1-3 – “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

We are not to spend our time being influenced by the world’s philosophy and those who have bought into it. Instead, what are we to delight in? The law of the LORD – that is, the Bible.And did you notice what happens to the one who meditates on the truths of God’s Word? He is pictured as a tree, that is planted and brings forth fruit! That is what we want for our lives – it begins with being rooted in Christ through His Word.

If you read the Bible, does that guarantee that you are a fully devoted follower of Christ? Of course not! But I can guarantee you this. If you don’t read the Bible, you cannot be a fully devoted follower of Christ. Why not? Because this is not about a duty or another thing on a list of dos – I have to read my Bible; but this is about relationship. Think of your Bible as God’s love letter to you, His instruction guide for your life, and His primary way of communicating with you today.

Video: Week in the Life of a neglected Bible

It is of course, not just the single guy, who might go a full week without reading His bible, except for taking it to church. But, we all know how the media, friends, personal hobbies and fun, children, can take the place of spending time listening to and learning from God in His Word. It can happen to all of us. And don’t think of this as another rule to keep: I have to read my Bible.

See it as it is: the opportunity to grow in the most important relationship you will ever have. This is about your personal relationship with God, and the letter He has written to you, by which you will not only get to know Him better, but also know what He desires for your life.

There are all kinds of great resources and devotional materials out there. But, I must tell you, that I believe the best thing a new believer can do, the best thing any growing believer can do is to simply read the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to use it to change us. Just read it.

Out on the welcome center table, there have been Bible reading schedules if you would like to follow one. On my blog, gregshalftime.gbcwestlake.org, there is the same schedule on the right side of the page. I also will be commenting on my own perception and application of those readings a couple times a week. This is a place to start. If you simply cannot take the 15-20 minutes it would take to read through the Bible in one year, then just start with reading for 5 minutes and move up from there.

Another aspect of growing in grace is:
· Prayer

It is through the Bible that God speaks to us, and it is through prayer that we talk to God. Many people from a variety of religious backgrounds learned the Lord’s Prayer growing up:

Matthew 6:9-13 – “Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Let’s keep this very simple. In this example prayer that Jesus gave His followers, there are a few main areas that can guide us in prayer. One simple acrostic you can use, in order to pray about the things God has asked of us is the word ACTS. Many of you have seen this and used it, but I offer it as a resource for those of you who may need something to guide you in your prayer time:

Adoration – spend some time praising God for who He is – His qualities and characteristics
Confession – Spend some time agreeing with God about your sins and failures
Thanksgiving – spend some time thanking God for all He has done
Supplication – Ask God for what you want Him to do in your life and in the lives of others

If you just use this simple acrostic, you will find that time passes quickly and before you know it, you have spent many minutes just talking to God. And please keep in mind, that at its foundation, that is what prayer is: talking to God. Anyone can do it. You can do it. And if you claim to be a follower of Christ, it is crucial to talk to God if you are going to grow in grace.

The final area we want to touch in growing in grace is that of:
· Baptism

Crispus covered that pretty well, so the only thing I will say is this: Since baptism is a command of God and a sign of submission and identification to Christ, it is important that every person who claims to be a follower of Christ is baptized. Yes, even if you are scared of water, were baptized as a baby or are terrified of people seeing and hearing you give your testimony. You can do it – with God’s help. And if you have interest in that, all you have to do is tell me, and I will walk you through the process.

With each of these stages of spiritual growth, we also want to consider one church ministry emphasis that can be utilized in helping people grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. For Grace Baptist Church, our ministry emphasis for this area is our: Sunday morning worship service. This service is the main entry point for people who are new to Grace, including those who are non-believers and new believers.

Our services have non-believers in them, but we do not gear everything we do toward them. Our services have people who have been saved for many many years and are spiritually mature in Christ. They will benefit from our services but we do not gear our services for those who already know all the Bible stories and the details of deep doctrine. Our services have all kinds of different people attending. We have children who are 8 or 9 up through adults who are pushing their 90’s. We have people who have not yet come to faith in Christ and those who have been walking closely with Him for 50 years.

Therefore, I gear my messages, and we want to gear our services for those who are fairly new to the faith so that all of us can benefit. I try to speak in a way that can be easily understood and we emphasis application of biblical truth. We try not to assume that you already know everything about the Bible and Christianity, so we focus on the simple truths that are beneficial to everyone. Even if you are mature in Christ, you have the opportunity in the morning service to worship God in many ways and continue to grow in Him.

Is there a step you need to take from this stage of spiritual growth? Would you like some help? Let us know how we can pray for you and encourage you in your growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.