Christmas Service 2011

Message by Matt Donovan, Dave Piehl, Jim Marner and Craig Diestelkamp

Click to play the message or right click to save to your computer.

The Power of Public Confession

Thirteenth message in a series on Nehemiah by Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

Scripture: Nehemiah 9

Click to play the message or right click to save to your computer.

In Nehemiah 9, Ezra the scribe has taught the people the Word of the Lord.  After a careful reading of God’s word, the people realized they needed to tum back toward God. Hearing the Word has led to a deep conviction of sin and the people realize they must practice the very important step of confession so that the work of repentance is sealed in their hearts. Confession of sin that leads to true repentance is one of the greatest gifts that God has given to us.

• Confession of sin has always been a part of Israel’s worship in the Day of Atonement.

Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send  it  away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. (Leviticus 16:21 NKJV)

• Israel understood the value of a corporate identity.

 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. (Nehemiah 9:1-2 NKJV)

•  Public confession is an act of worship that involves both faith in God and confession of sin.

• We worship when we confess Christ for who He is and what He does.
• And we worship when we proclaim our faith in the gospel by confessing our sin.

•  The Power of Public Confession

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10 NKJV)

Almighty God, we acknowledge and confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed.  We have not loved You with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. Deepen within us our sorrow for the wrong we have done, and the good we have left undone. Lord, You are full of compassion and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy; there is always forgiveness with You! Restore to us the joy of Your salvation; bind up that which is broken, give light to our minds, strength to our wills, and rest to our souls. Speak to each of us, and let Your word abide with us until it has wrought in us Your holy will. Amen.

Where Do You Turn in Trouble?

Message by Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

Scripture: Psalm 27:4-6

To play the message press the arrow above or right click here to save it to your computer.

In the wilderness of trouble that David faced, he was pressed to make one of two choices: Either find God in the midst of His trouble and experience the power and depth of intimacy and peace through His presence; Or stubbornly refuse to allow God to reach to the brokenness of his heart, and find his own God-replacements. David’s two choices are still the only ones we have today. The wilderness of trouble is where David learned how much he needed God.

Trouble teaches us how to give our hearts to God in lament
A lament is a passionate expression of grief or deep pain. It refers to the expression of mourning or sorrow in the midst of great loss. David’s laments were many times complaints offered to God. David wasn’t complaining to grumble. He was complaining to understand.

Trouble is meant to show us the safety and protection of God’s House
Psalm 27:5a – For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me;

Trouble teaches us only God is the sure foundation of our life
Psalm 27:5b – He shall set me high upon a rock.

The wilderness of trouble teaches us to worship
Psalm 27:6 – And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

At first glance the wilderness does not appear to be a place of worship. It feels more like a place of hunger, thirst pain, disappointment frustration, anger, guilt, etc. Here is the key. Our worship begins by giving voice to God of all those emotions that we are carrying through the wilderness.

Power in Beginning Again

Guest Speaker, Pastor Jonathan Mudenyo

(or right click here to save to your computer)

Jonathan Mudenyo & wife Rose

Jonathan Mudenyo pastors New Hope Church in Webuye, Kenya and is also the overseer of the School of Ministries that serves to train pastors and leaders in that part of Kenya.

Scripture: Luke 5:1-10

^“One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’
Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.”

In this story out of Luke we see Jesus tell Peter to begin again. Even though the fishermen returned to the same waters they had been fishing, with Jesus’ direction they were successful.

There are five power principles to learn from this passage:

1. Prayer – God speaks to us through prayer. A prayer cannot be answered until it is prayed.
2. Open heart - Be open to act on what God is telling us to do. Take  in the instructions He gives us.
3. Worship – God shows up when we worship Him.
4. Evangelism – We need to bring others to see what God is doing. We have a responsibility to share the experience with our neighbors, family and friends.
5. Rid sin from our lives - Lay aside anything that gets between us and our relationship with God.

Why Should We Worship Jesus?

Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

(or click here to download)

Matthew 2:11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

What is worship?

Worship is not a style of music. Worship is not something that is connected to time and space. Worship is not something that starts or stops. Worship is not confined to Christians.

If you do not worship God seven days a week, then you do not worship Him one day a week. (A.W. Tozer)

Worship then is living our life individually and corporately as continuous living sacrifices to the glory of a person or thing.

There is a close connection between glory and worship. Romans 11:36-12:1 Glory means weightiness, importance, value preeminence, priority, or that which is our greatest treasure, deepest longing, and fountain of hope. Glory is simply the biblical word for value.

We worship God through Jesus. Ephesians 2:18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

We worship God like Jesus John 17:24  “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

We worship God in Jesus John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

(Isaiah 6:1-2; Revelation 1:13-30)