Trusting in the Lord

Message by Christoph Zurcher

Scripture: Isaiah 26:3-4; Philippians 4:4 & 7

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Using God’s promise to Abram and Sarai in Genesis as an example, Christoph shows us the importance of trusting completely in Him.

All Over the World the Spirit is Moving

Message by Guest Speaker Dale Pugh, Mi

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Dale Pugh and his wife, Kathy

Dale Pugh and Christoph Zurcher will be going to Japan October 6th through the 17th to do evangelistic work, Tsunami relief work and meet with leaders. Please remember to pray daily for them, the missionaries on the ground there and their families back home. You can link to his blog here.

Notes from today’s message:

God is moving on His timetable (Isaiah 49:3)

When we see Him move it appears to be suddenly (Acts 2:1-2)

Questions to ask ourselves:

• Where is our faith and what are we expecting?
• What is our expectation for this church?
• What is our expectation for our family?

 God has plans for us  (Jeremiah 29:11) 

Old and New Wineskins

Message by Christoph Zurcher

Scripture: Luke 5:33-39

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A service designed to engage children and adults alike.

He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

In What Do I Believe?

Guest Speaker, Christoph Zurcher.

Scripture: Isaiah 26:4

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(The YouTube video played at the beginning of the message can be found here.)

Due to technical difficulties, these opening remarks of Christoph are not included in above audio file:

“Have you ever found yourselves in a situation where you trusted your GPS to take you to your destination and you ended up somewhere else because your GPS device got confused? You did everything right, you followed all the instructions but you still didn’t get where you needed to go! Frustration sets in. That’s why my daughter suggested that I should name my GPS so I could yell at it!….”

God’s Covenant with Christ Jesus

Message by Matt Donovan, an Elder at GracePoint

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(The original YouTube video played at the beginning of the message is here starting at the 5:08 mark.)

John 17:1-5 – Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should[a] give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Isaiah 53:10-12 – Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul,^[a]and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Where Is Jesus Today?

Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

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Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11 and Luke 2:10-11

The apostle Paul makes it clear in Philippians 2:5-11, that the counterpart to the humble incarnation of Christ is His glorious exaltation as Lord preeminent. As the second member of the Trinity, Jesus Christ ruled from eternity past as God exalted in Glory. He then humbly entered into history as a man to identify with us. Throughout His life on the earth, Jesus repeatedly said that following his death, burial and resurrection, he would ascend back to heaven where he had come from.

The Christmas Story? A too familiar story!
Luke 2:10-11, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Where Is Jesus Today?

lsaiah’s vision foreshadow’s John’s vision
(Isaiah 6:1-59 Revelation 19:11-16)
“By ascending, Jesus took the risk of being forgotten.” – Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew

Jesus has returned to where He had come from.
(Acts 1:10-11)

Jesus is in heaven with all of God’s people who have died before us.
(Ephesians 4:8; Hebrews 12:1)

Jesus is sitting on a throne at the Right Hand of God where He rules as sovereign Lord and King.
(Psalm 110; Hebrews 8:1)

Jesus is interceding as our Mediator!
(1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25; Ephesians 2:6)

Jesus is with us as we bring the good news to others.
(Matthew 28:18-20)

Jesus is in heaven preparing a place for you.
(John 14:2-3)

Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart!
(Revelation 3:20-21)

What Does The Death of Christ Mean?

Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

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Scripture: Isaiah 53:1-12; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

In  this  section  of  Paul’s  letter  to  the  Thessalonians  we  find  great promise and comfort concerning the return of Christ and hope of our future  glory.    These  Christians  believed  Christ  could  come  at  any moment.   But  they were especially worried  that  their believing  loved ones who had died, might be cheated out of eternity?   Paul assures them of God’s two fold promise to both resurrect the dead and “catch away”  those  who  alive  in  Christ.    He  bases  his  assurance  on  two essential truths–Jesus’ death and His resurrection.

1.  Jesus’  suffering  and  death  was  God’s  purpose for His life!
John  12:27-28  “Now My  soul  is  troubled, and what  shall  I  say? ‘Father,  save Me  from  this  hour’?  But  for  this  purpose  I  came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.”

2.    Jesus’  death  was  a  gross  act  of  injustice. He was murdered!
Act 4:27   “For  truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together.”
Isaiah 53:10 “Yet  it  pleased  the  LORD  to  bruise Him; He  has  put Him  to  grief”.

3.  His death became our sin substitute.  Jesus died for us!
Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—everyone—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

4.  Jesus  died  as  an  example  of  how  we  should live before God.
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Waiting for Jesus: What Will Jesus Do Upon His Return?

Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

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Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-4

“For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)

Scripture repeatedly states that Jesus will return to earth suddenly and visibly in his glorified, resurrected body.

This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go. (Acts 1:11)

Jesus will judge everyone who has ever lived.

But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, (Romans 2:5)

Jesus will punish non-Christians in hell… And he will reward Christians in heaven…

…when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)

Jesus will lift the curse and all its affects.

“Consider the work of God; For who can make straight what He has made crooked?” (Ecclesiastes 7:13)

Jesus will restore perfect peace and harmony.

And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

How should we live until Jesus returns?

Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence— (Isaiah 64:1)