New City Church

Is the presence of God a priority for you? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our MOSES series with a message about valuing God’s presence.Exodus 33:15-16Then Moses said to the Lord, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”God’s presence is the theme that runs from beginning to the end of the Bible. The word for God’s presence (panim) can also be translated as God’s face. This face to face relationship with God is exactly what we were made for!1) The presence of God is our IDENTITY.Moses correctly sees that even if God gives them the land he promised, and gives them victory in battle, it will not be the same as if God goes with his people. The distinguishing mark of God’s people is not who we profess to be, nor our proximity to the things of God, but the abiding presence of God. 2) The presence of God is our SECURITY.God didn’t give the children of Israel a map to the promised land. He gave them his presence to guide them. Our one responsibility is to stay close to God's presence. He moves, we move. He stays, we stay.Psalm 73:25-26Whom have I in heaven but you?  And earth has nothing I desire besides you.My flesh and my heart may fail,  but God is the strength of my heart  and my portion forever.The presence of God shifts our perspective from envy and grasping to peace and contentment. With God as our portion, our hearts are satisfied.3) The presence of God is our DESTINY.The whole Bible is one long story of exile and return. From the garden to the garden city. From the presence of God to the renewed presence of God. Our destiny is to enjoy the presence of the Lord forever.There is only one way to gain access to the presence of the Lord. Jesus paid the price for our passage home. He was alienated from his Father so we could be brought near again!

Are you dealing with your character or just getting more discreet? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our MOSES series with a message about the cost of character.Numbers 20:11-12Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”Moses’ life serves as an encouragement and warning to all of us. His successes and failures can teach us about how we can faithfully live out God’s purposes for our lives. What does this story teach us?1) Your CHARACTER counts.If we look at the story of Moses’ life, we can see anger is a persistent and unresolved issue. Character flaws will remain in our lives when we choose to hide them instead of addressing them. There is no healing in hiding.Moses' crazy, rock-striking anger comes because he values his own leadership and the people’s respect more than obedience to God. He reacts in a way that diminishes God in front of the people, and God declares a judgment over Moses that he will not personally enter the promised land. 2) Your CALLING is not your healing.The scariest part of the story is that even though Moses was wrong to strike the rock, God still caused the water to flow. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your gifting and calling is the same as God’s approval. Gifting can provide validation, but it won’t produce transformation.3) CHRIST is the pattern for our lives.Anger can reveal so much about what we love. God’s plan and purpose is to grow us up to love what He loves, in the way the He loves. It’s easier to act like a Christian than to react like a Christian.Pastor Mark BattersonGod does not call you to greatness; He calls you to Christlikeness. He calls you to the humility and meekness and love and righteousness of Jesus. And He has promised to help you!Philippians 2:13For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Why do counterfeits capture our hearts? This weekend, Pastor Joaquin continued our MOSES series with a message about counterfeit gods, why we build them, and how God calls us back to Himself.Exodus 32:4And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” Israel’s greatest problem didn’t begin with a golden calf; it began long before that. Before they ever built an idol, they drifted from God’s presence. In the waiting, their hearts were exposed, and they took the very evidence of God’s faithfulness and turned it into a substitute for God Himself.1) Reject God’s presence, and you’ll replace it with something else.James 2:19You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!God desires more than our belief; He desires our relationship. Before Israel ever built a golden calf, they first chose distance over God’s invitation to draw near. When we stop pursuing God’s presence, our hearts don’t stay empty; they begin searching for substitutes. 2) Waiting reveals what you worship.Exodus 32:1 “When the people saw that Moses delayed…”Waiting reveals us. It exposes what is really in our hearts. The people of God grew impatient, which opened the door for their idolatry. Every idol begins as an attempt to solve a problem we think God hasn’t solved fast enough. God isn't late; He's right on time. The question is whether we'll trust him enough to wait.3) We all worship something.Exodus 32:4 “And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf…”The very gold God had provided as evidence of His faithfulness became the material they used to build a substitute. God’s gifts were never meant to replace His presence; they were meant to point us back to Him. Every gift He places in our hands has an assignment: to build His Kingdom, not our own.4) Return to the God you replaced.Romans 1:25 “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie…”The answer to idolatry isn’t simply tearing down the idol, because apart from Christ we’ll just build another one. Our hearts were created to worship, and if Jesus isn’t on the throne, something else will be. The good news of the gospel is that when we replaced God, He didn’t replace us. Through Jesus, He faithfully pursued us and still invites us to return to the One who alone can satisfy our hearts.Counterfeits lose their power when you’ve spent time with the real thing. This week, don’t settle for a substitute. Draw near to the God who is still inviting you into relationship with Him!

Where do justice and mercy meet? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our MOSES series with a message about the Law of God.Exodus 20:1-3Then God gave the people all these instructions: I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. You must not have any other god but me.This is the moment when God gives Israel the law, and yet the people are terrified. If the Law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul (Psalm 19:7), why do we hide from it?1) You can’t understand the law of God without knowing the person of God.The first words from God are not about what Israel must do, but about who God is and what he has already done for them. To truly understand God’s law, we have to first understand God’s heart.2) God’s laws are rooted in his unchanging nature.Before sin was ever called sin by the Law, it was still sin and it was still deadly. God’s laws are descriptions of reality. He draws lines around sin because he knows that it leads to death!3) The Law is meant to point us to Christ.The Law is not able to save. It is designed to clarify our deep need for saving.Galatians 3:24Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.When we feel conviction or guilt because of the law, it is the pain that is designed to get our attention and cause us to address the problem.4) The Holy Spirit is the presence of God to his people today.When Israel sees God’s presence at Mt. Sinai, they are terrified because they realize that God’s presence will not keep company with sin. And yet the miracle of the New Testament is the gift of God’s presence to every believer. How?5) Jesus came to fulfill the law.When Jesus preached his Sermon On the Mount, he clarified the heart of God’s Law. In doing so, he made it perfectly clear how high God’s standard truly is.Matthew 5:17Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.There are two ways to fulfill a law: obey it perfectly, or pay the penalty for breaking it. Jesus did both! He lived a sinless life that met God’s standard, and then he paid the penalty for all of us lawbreakers who deserved punishment. The cross is the place where God’s justice and mercy met, and the reason we can now live with daily access to the presence and promises of God!

How has God prepared you to be a blessing? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our MOSES series with a message about servant-leadership.Exodus 18:1Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Moses and his people, the Israelites. He heard especially about how the Lord had rescued them from Egypt.After the miracle of the Red Sea, after the waters of Marah and Elim, after the battle with the Amalekites, Moses is taking a crash-course on leadership. Jethro comes to give him a lesson that will save his life.1) Kindred spirits nurture rejoicing. Familiar spirits nurture resentments. Pay attention to how people tell their story. If God‘s goodness and redemption don’t take center stage, be careful. Like Jethro, good friends and family nurture a spirit of gratitude and hope.2) Sin complicates your life in all the worst ways. God’s blessings complicate your life in all the best ways.When God blesses your life, it will always require a leveling up. Moses is experiencing a whole new set of challenges that require greater wisdom and greater character. 3) Other people can see beyond what you say.Moses gives a report on what is happening, but the next day, Jethro sees what Moses didn’t say, and he challenges Moses to change. Who have you invited into your life to SEE beyond what you SAY? 4) Gifting won't take you any farther than your character can sustain.Jethro tells Moses to select capable leaders who are honest. One of the worst things that can happen to a person is to have gifting that outpaces their character. 1 Timothy 4:16Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.Skill and integrity go hand in hand. Don’t do so much working that you stop watching your own life and character. 5) The Spirit gives gifts to everyone. Love activates those gifts.Everyone has been given gifts to build up the body of Christ. The only two reasons those gifts aren’t in operation is because people are disqualified by sin or because they are withholding because of a lack of love. How has God graced you to be a blessing to those around you? Consider a few things:YOUR PASSION. What professional skills have you developed? What excites you about the church’s mission? YOUR PEOPLE. Who do you know that you would enjoy serving with? Often this is a great first step to find your fit. Who are you interested in serving? YOUR PAST. Where did you first experience the grace of God? What challenges has God helped you overcome? What past pain has equipped you to encourage someone today?YOUR PACE. What time does this season of life allow for you to wisely commit? What does a healthy balance look like with your family, work and other commitments?God is able to use everyone to encourage and build up the body of Christ. Remember, it’s not the instrument that matters most, but whose hand it is in!

What are you fighting under? This weekend Pastor Joaquin Pardo continued our MOSES: Live No Lies series with a message about how God’s people fight spiritual battles.Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands grew weary, so Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.Exodus 17:11-13Israel had already been delivered from Egypt, but their journey still included opposition. They were no longer fighting for freedom, they were fighting from freedom.The same is true for us. Jesus has already won the decisive victory over sin and death, but every believer still faces spiritual opposition.1) You have to fight.Joshua didn’t get to choose whether Amalek showed up. His decision was whether he would engage in the battle. Similarly, we don't choose whether spiritual warfare is real. We cannot experience victory while refusing to fight. We must stop allowing fear, shame, temptation, bitterness, and compromise to bully us into accepting a life God never intended for us. We must decide in our hearts that the enemy does not get another inch.2) Fight faithfully. Fight prayerfully.Joshua fought in the valley, but the battle's outcome was connected to what Moses was doing on the mountain. The sword mattered, but the sword was not the source of victory. Connecting the Lord to the battle was. We do the same today through prayer. Prayer does not make God powerful. Prayer reminds us who is powerful. You cannot win spiritual battles using only physical strategies. Practical obedience matters, but spiritual battles require spiritual dependence.3) Your fight is my fight.When Moses grew tired, Aaron and Hur noticed and moved toward him. They did not wait for Moses to ask for help. They lifted the hands he could no longer lift himself. Victory in the Kingdom of God is never meant to be experienced alone. The church should be filled with people who notice the hurting, the weary, the lonely, and the discouraged and then move into action.4) Fight with The Lord as your banner.When the battle was over, Joshua didn’t take the credit. Moses didn’t take the credit. Aaron and Hur didn’t take the credit. Moses built an altar and called it Jehovah-Nissi —The Lord Is My Banner.A banner gave soldiers identity, direction, courage, and hope in the confusion of battle. When they became afraid or disoriented, they looked toward the banner and remembered that they were not fighting alone.Our Banner is Jesus. Our Banner was lifted up on a cross. He bled, died, rose again, and now reigns in victory. The battle may still be real tomorrow, but don’t spend your life staring at Amalek.Lift your eyes to your Banner. The Lord is our Banner.

Who is your source? This weekend Pastor Devin Gough continued our MOSES series with a message about trusting God for provision.Exodus 16:17-18So the people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot of manna, some only a little. But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.After God led the people to the wilderness, he provided food for them daily. Why daily? Because Israel wanted security, but God wanted relationship.1) God will empty what you used to depend on.God brought them to the wilderness to grow them. Growth happens in seasons of discomfort, as you learn the difference between your RESOURCES and your SOURCE.2) God will give you just as much as you need.God could have given Israel a forty-year supply, but instead he taught them to look each morning for his provision.Dependence is not a weakness, it is discipleship.If God had given them more than a daily supply, they would have trusted in their storehouse, not their Provider.3) God cares more about your formation than your provision.Israel needed to learn a new way because the Egypt living in them was worse than the Egypt they had been living in. The goal wasn’t food, the goal was formation. The real miracle in the desert wasn’t the bread, it was God staying faithful to a people who weren’t faithful to him! The miracle of God’s love and mercy is still a daily reality for all of us in Christ!

What do you do when your back is against the sea? This weekend, Pastor Joaquin continued our MOSES: Live No Lies series by examining one of the most famous miracles in Scripture: the crossing of the Red Sea. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.Exodus 14:21- 22After 400 years of slavery, God’s people were finally free. Yet, instead of taking the shortest route to the Promised Land, God led them toward what appeared to be a dead end. With the Red Sea in front of them and Pharaoh’s army behind them, Israel found themselves trapped, afraid, and questioning God’s plan.1) Trust his route.When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.”Exodus 13:17 God did not lead Israel by the shortest route because He knew they were not ready for what was ahead. The route that looked better to God’s people wasn’t actually better for God’s people.Sometimes what feels like a delay is actually God’s protection. What feels like a detour may actually be God’s grace. God sees what we cannot see, knows what we do not know, and leads His children according to what they need, not simply what they want.2) When we forget, we fear.“They did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.”Psalm 106:7 Psalm 106 reveals something surprising about the Red Sea story. The real issue wasn’t Israel’s fear; it was their forgetfulness. They forgot God’s power, God’s provision, God’s promises, and God’s steadfast love. Their forgetfulness opened the door for fear. Yet even after they complained, doubted, and rebelled, God remained faithful.The miracle of the Red Sea is not ultimately about Israel’s faith. It’s about God’s faithfulness despite their forgetfulness.3) Faith moves forward.When the Israelites found themselves trapped, God gave Moses a surprising response:The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.”Exodus 14:15 There are moments in life when prayer must lead to obedience.“There are times when prayer is not enough—when prayer itself is out of season. When we have prayed over a matter to a certain degree, it then becomes sinful to tarry any longer; our plain duty is to carry our desires into action.”Charles SpurgeonThe miracle belonged to God but the movement belonged to his people. Faith doesn’t just believe God can make a way. Faith moves forward when He makes that way.

What happens when pain gets so loud that it affects your ability to hear God? This weekend, Pastor Joaquin continued our MOSES series with a message reminding us that even when pain is present, God is still speaking, still faithful, and still moving towards broken and hurting people. Exodus 6:9Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. Israel had reached a breaking point. Their suffering intensified, their hope faded, and the Bible says they could not listen “because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.”1) Pain can affect your ability to hear God’s promises.Pain has a way of distorting perspective, shrinking faith, and making God feel distant. But the good news is that God does not abandon people simply because they are struggling to hear Him clearly. Even in weakness, discouragement, and exhaustion, God continues pursuing His people.2) God speaks in the middle of suffering.While Israel focused on bricks, bondage, and survival, God was already speaking liberation, redemption, and promises over their future. God did not begin by explaining everything; He began by revealing Himself: “I am the LORD.” Their suffering was loud, but God was still in control, still faithful, and still working even when they could not see it clearly.3) Jesus is God’s loudest Word.All throughout Scripture, God reveals Himself through His Word. And when God wanted to speak most clearly to humanity, He sent Jesus. The Word became flesh. Jesus is the greater Deliverer who stepped into our bondage to bring us freedom by grace. He did not come merely to inspire broken people, but to rescue enslaved people who could never save themselves. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus breaks the power of sin and brings people into true freedom and new life!Disappointment, anxiety, exhaustion, grief, or sin may have made it difficult to hear God clearly.But the good news of the gospel is this: God still speaks. God still pursues. And through Jesus Christ, freedom is still possible.

Have you ever failed on your first day of obedience? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our MOSES series with a message about being faithful even when it feels fruitless.Exodus 5:1-2Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’” Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”The first day of Moses’ mission to rescue God’s people begins with a resounding thud. Instead of setting the Israelites free, Pharaoh makes their work even harder. What do you need to remember when your first day of obedience is a failure?1) Failure isn’t final, but it might be a part of the plan.God needed to wrestle Moses from all things a leader loves to hear from his people. And God needed the people to see that their own efforts, even their own leaders, could not save them.It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.A.W. TozerIt might seem unkind, but only because we don’t always understand God’s wisdom, even in our wounds.2) Sometimes obedience creates opposition before open doors. Obedience doesn’t always yield the result we were imagining. We are confused when our obedience “doesn’t work,” But our obedience is not doing the work, God is. We obey because we trust that he is working even when we can’t see it.3) Complaining is contagious.Behaviors spread through networks of family, friends and coworkers like a virus. When you complain you are infecting the people around you with a distorted view of God, a small view of his purposes and plan. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.When we are grateful, we are eyes-open to God’s gifts and God’s will. When we grumble, we don’t just become bitter, we become blind to God’s plan.4) Thorns are better than thrones.When Moses complains to God about his suffering, God reminds him that he had shown himself to Moses in a way his ancestors never knew. Just like the Apostle Paul boasted about the thorn in his flesh more than his vision of the throne of God, Moses could see purpose even in this moment of failure.Hebrews 5:8-9Although Jesus was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him.Jesus was tested in every way we are, and he learned perfect obedience. When he went to the cross, the first day of his obedience looked like utter failure. It wasn’t until the third day that he was victorious, delivering his people from sin and death and into the promise of eternal life!

Where do you turn when you feel anxious? This Mother’s Day weekend Jessi Andres brought a message about God’s care and sufficiency.Psalm 23:1The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.David wrote this song after facing battles, betrayals, loneliness and longing. It was all part of God’s preparation and purpose for David, just like it is for us.1) Every calling exposes our character. We need to GROW, not GO.Motherhood, like every calling, demands the best of us and the most of us. In these moments, we find out the truth about who or what we turn to for meaning and comfort. "An idol is whatever you look at and say in your heart of hearts, ‘If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.”Timothy KellerEven the best loves in our lives become liabilities when we put them before God. David learned to trust God before anyone or anything else.2) Fear makes us foolish. Trust makes us wise.From the beginning, the strategy of the enemy of our souls has been to introduce FEAR into our relationship with God: fear that God isn’t as good as he says he is, fear that he is holding something back. Eve and Adam believed the LIE about God, and the FEAR it created caused their FOOLISH behavior. The trick was to convince Adam and Eve that they were being courageous by disobeying God instead of trusting him.1 John 4:18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.Fear is not driven out by perfect circumstances or perfect performance or a perfect family or a perfect home, but by trust that God loves us perfectly.3) When the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.I SHALL NOT WANT is a declaration that is more than optimism. We are not glass half-empty people. We aren’t even glass half-full people. We are MY CUP OVERFLOWS people.Lamentations 3:21-24Yet hope returns when I remember this one thing: The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. The Lord is all I have, and so in Him I put my hope. To be committed to prayer and scripture, confession and community, generosity and rest - this is the way that we remind ourselves and each other that God can supply our every need. Are you living in that trust today?“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”Mother Theresa

Are you trying to bear up the burden of proof? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our MOSES series with a message about identity.Exodus 3:14God replied to Moses, “I AM who I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”Moses has a confusing upbringing, born from an oppressed people, but raised in privilege. In a moment of recklessness, he kills a man who is mistreating his fellow Hebrews, and he is forced to flee Egypt.1) Your behavior follows your sense of identity.Our actions can be traced back to our sense of who we are, for better and for worse. Our lives are an outworking of our beliefs about ourselves.2) What makes you awkward in one season might make you relevant in the next.Moses was not like any other Hebrew, which was isolating. He was trained in the most advanced society of the day, and he was uniquely prepared to lead a nation. From the place of your deepest wound will come your most significant gift to others.Moses spent forty years learning from the best of Egypt, then he spent the next forty years learning humility and faithfulness in the desert.3) An encounter with God raises questions before it offers answers.When God appeared to Moses, it was unsettling, and it provoked even more questions about his identity and adequacy. Finding WHO GOD IS is the surest way to understand WHO YOU ARE.Moses asks God, “Who am I?” The answer Moses gets is about who God is.4) You are the person that God says you are.God tells us who we are, but the miracle is that he commits to prove it for us. Our identity in Christ is a work of God’s grace from start to finish!2 Corinthians 5:17This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Are you a critic or do you call out the beauty from others? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our MOSES series with a message about the birth of Moses.Exodus 2:2The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was beautiful and kept him hidden for three months.In the middle of great suffering and fear, a child of promise was born. God’s work doesn’t happen in a sterile environment, removed from the ugly uncertainties of the real world. How did the love of Moses’ mother open the door for God’s saving work?1) Love sees and speaks to the beauty in others.At a time when criticism and cynicism has been elevated to virtue, we should develop the skill of speaking to and nurturing what is good in others.Colossians 3:13Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.It’s not hard to point out where people are wrong. It is hard to patiently, wisely and lovingly make room for others to grow.2) Love risks when others won’t.Moses’ mother couldn’t control her situation. But she was thoughtful and strategic, and in the end she trusted God with what she valued the most.3) When you love, God picks up the tab.Because she risked enough to love Moses, God made sure her needs were met. 2 Corinthians 9:8And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.Moses was born from a people who were enslaved, and he was elevated to become Prince of Egypt. Jesus was the Prince of Heaven, and he laid aside his title to become a servant so that we could become sons and daughters of our King!

Don’t forget what God has done! This weekend Pastor Steve Andres began a new series called MOSES. What is the setting for the story of Moses?Genesis 1:8Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done.The background for the story of Moses is forgetfulness and fear. What does this story remind us about how to remain faithful in the face of adversity?1) Spiritual decline happens gradually, then suddenly.Forgetting, like falling asleep, is a process that happens gradually, but then suddenly and without notice. God’s word is clear that we are to be intentional about keeping the memory of God’s faithfulness alive.Psalm 78:4We will not hide these truths from our children;  we will tell the next generationabout the glorious deeds of the Lord,  about his power and his mighty wonders.Our job is to be diligent in declaring the faithfulness and power of God, or, like in Egypt, it will be lost to later generations.2) If God has led you to it, He will lead you through it.Trust in God’s purpose and plan will help us stay steady in difficulty or disappointment. God brought his people to Egypt for a purpose, and he would bring them out in his time.3) We may not have control, but we still have a choice.As Egypt’s oppression became more severe, the Hebrew midwives chose to peacefully resist. Maturity is accepting and adapting to the areas where I don’t have control, but choosing to honor God with whatever decisions I do own.4) If it isn’t fixed, God isn’t finished.The Israelites were enduring great suffering, but God wasn’t finished working. Their situation was a setup for God’s glory and miraculous delivery of his promises. Romans 5:6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.Jesus was a deliverer greater than Moses, one who would set us free from bondage to sin and death, and lead us into God’s promise of eternal life!

This weekend Pastor Joaquin Pardo continued our WAITING ON A MIRACLE series with a Palm Sunday message about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.Matthew 21:4-5“This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,‘Behold, your king is coming to you,humble, and mounted on a donkey,on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”The crowd was celebrating, shouting “Hosanna,” and welcoming Jesus like a King. But what they didn’t realize was that their expectation was about to collide with the reality of who Jesus really was.1) A King You Don't UnderstandMatthew 21:2-3“…saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them...’”Jesus gives His disciples an instruction with no explanation. Just obedience. Following Jesus will lead you into moments that don’t make sense. What feels confusing to you is only confusing because you don’t know what God knows. It’s important to remember — you won’t obey once you understand; you’ll understand once you obey.2) A King You Can Trust Matthew 21:4“This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet...” While the disciples were confused, God was fulfilling prophecy spoken hundreds of years ago. This moment wasn’t random; it was written.Jeremiah 1:12"…for I am watching over my word to perform it.”God watches over His Word to perform it. What He says stands. It doesn’t fail. Obedience is your assignment, and fulfillment is God’s responsibility.3) A King You Must ReceiveThe crowd shouted "Hosanna" meaning "save us now." But the tension here is that they praised the right King for the wrong reasons. They wanted a King to change their situation. Jesus came to change their condition. By the end of the week, the same crowd shouting “Hosanna” would cry “Crucify Him!” They didn’t reject Jesus because He wasn’t King; they rejected Him because He wasn’t the King they wanted. All this took place during Passover, when families selected a lamb for sacrifice, at the exact same time Jesus was entering the city. The King was revealed, and the Lamb was presented. The King they were crowning was the Lamb that would be slain.Jesus may not be the King you want but He is exactly the King you need!

Sometimes God is doing more than fixing a problem, he’s forming a person! This weekend Pastor Devin Gough continued our WAITING ON A MIRACLE series with a message about Jesus’ healing of a blind man.Mark 8:23-25Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?” The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.” Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened.Sometimes breakthrough is incremental. Sometimes God works in steps. What can we learn from this unique story of healing?1) Jesus will lead you outside before he heals you.Bethsaida had a reputation for spiritual resistance. Before working in you, God may lead you away from environments and associations that have aided your dysfunction.2) Partial progress is still proof that God is working.The blind man was honest. Things were better, but still blurry. In many seasons of our lives we need to be honest that what God has begun is still in process. 3) Jesus doesn’t stop until your vision is clear.When the man’s vision wasn’t completely healed, Jesus didn’t shame him. Instead, he touched him again.Thank God that he isn’t frustrated by our process! He is faithful to finish what he has begun in us!

Have you put on Christ? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our WAITING ON A MIRACLE SERIES with a message about the resurrection of Lazarus.John 11:43-44Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”Jesus loved this family, and yet they still experienced loss. Jesus loved this family, and yet he waited to act. The story leads us to four questions:1) Can you believe his Word before you see the work?Jesus said that his disciples would see his glory. But in between that promise and the miracle, there was a gap that needed to be filled with trust.2) What stone is Jesus asking you to move?Before the miracle, Jesus told others to move the stone. It was a difficult task, but it set the stage for God to do the impossible.3) What are you wearing?When Lazarus came out of the tomb, Jesus commanded others to remove his grave clothes. Once we experience resurrection life, we begin the work of removing old habits and ways.Romans 13:14Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.Becoming like Jesus requires a commitment to spiritual habits that shape us as we practice them in community.4) What will you do with Jesus?This miracle caused a reaction from everyone around Jesus. Some believed, and some plotted to kill him.

What would you do if Jesus looked at you and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” This weekend Pastor Joaquin continued our WAITING ON A MIRACLE series with a message about Faith. Mark 10:51-52And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. Jesus asked a simple question, but it holds incredible tension. In Mark 10, we meet a blind beggar named Bartimaeus whose faith caught Jesus' attention.1) Faith has a voice.Bartimaeus had never seen Jesus with his eyes, but he had heard the stories. What he heard built faith in his heart, and that faith found its way to his mouth. When faith fills your heart, it refuses to stay silent. Faith prays, asks, and calls on the name of Jesus.2) Faith silences the crowd.When Bartimaeus cried out, the crowd tried to shut him down. But desperation drove him to cry out all the more. Often the “crowd” in our lives isn’t just people—it’s fear, shame, doubt, or disappointment. When we truly know who Jesus is, we stop worrying about being an inconvenience and cry out for mercy.3) Faith gets a response. Mark 10:49And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” The Bible says that when Bartimaeus cried out, Jesus stopped. On His way to Jerusalem, surrounded by crowds, the cry of one desperate man was enough to make Jesus stop. Jesus then used the same crowd that tried to silence Bartimaeus to call him forward.4) Faith knows how to answer.Mark 10:36“What do you want me to do for you?” (To the disciples) Mark:10:51“What do you want me to do for you?” (To the blind beggar)Earlier in the chapter, Jesus asked His disciples the same question: “What do you want me to do for you?” They asked for glory and status. Bartimaeus asked for mercy and healing. Faith understands its condition and knows its greatest need.At the end of the story, Bartimaeus didn’t just receive his sight; the Bible says he followed Jesus on the way. When Jesus changes us, He doesn’t just give us new vision but He gives us a new direction.

Are you working hard but getting nowhere? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our WAITING ON A MIRACLE series with a message about God’s redeeming presence.John 6:18-20Soon a gale swept down upon the boat, and the sea grew very rough. The disciples had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” This story takes place immediately after Jesus had multiplied bread on the mountain. Even the miracle of God’s provision didn’t stop the storm from coming. What can we learn from this story?1) Trusting God means operating on his schedule.When Jesus kept his disciples waiting, they decided to cross the water on their own. Many people find themselves in a storm because they weren’t willing to operate in God’s way or on his timetable.2) It’s better to wait for Jesus than to row harder.Trying to live our lives or serve the Lord in our own strength is like rowing against the wind. How do we know whether we are working in our own power? Check your prayer life.Prayer is the difference between the best that I can do and the best that God can do.No one is great at prayer, but God helps anyone who sets their heart on praying and seeking him.3) The I AM is the redeemer of lost time.The disciples had lost hours rowing in the storm, but when Jesus got in the boat, they arrived at their destination. This might be the greatest miracle of the story!When we call on Jesus, he begins to redeem the time, relationships, opportunities and resources that have been lost in our storms!

Who is your source? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our WAITING ON A MIRACLE series with a message about God’s faithful provision.John 6:10-11“Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.This miracle is the only one recorded in all four Gospels, and leads to Jesus’ powerful claim, “I AM the bread of life.” What is this miracle pointing us to?1) The right posture.Before Jesus multiplied the bread and the fish, he told them to sit down. This is a posture with no striving, only trusting. When Israel was in the wilderness, people had to trust God for daily provision.2) The right practice.Jesus gave thanks then shared the bread. This is the pattern and practice that he set for his followers: gratitude and generosity. Money is a means, never the meaning.What do you want to be celebrated for at the end of your life? If you don’t answer that, your appetites will eat up your resources.3) The right purpose.The miraculous provision of the bread pointed to something even more significant: Jesus is the bread that satisfies. If we have him, we have a treasure that truly satisfies.Any other treasure will demand your life in exchange for it – late hours, time away from family, sweat and work. Jesus is the one treasure who gives HIS life in exchange for you!

What are you allowing to push Jesus away? This weekend Pastor Joaquin Pardo continued our WAITING ON A MIRACLE series with a message about a man who had a legion of demons. Mark 5:9-12 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.”In this passage, we see that when Jesus steps into darkness, He doesn’t leave things the way He finds them. He brings order. He confronts opposition. He tears down strongholds. But He also exposes what we may be valuing more than Him1) He brings chaos into order.Before Jesus ever reached the demoniac, He calmed a violent storm. Mark intentionally connects the chaos of the sea with the chaos in this man’s life. The same God who brought order to the waters in Genesis speaks “Peace, be still” over both external and internal storms. Wherever Jesus has authority, chaos cannot remain in control.2) Opposition before breakthrough.The storm in Mark 4 wasn’t random; it was resistance. Breakthrough is often preceded by opposition. Deliverance is often preceded by disruption. If we misinterpret resistance as rejection, we may turn around when we are actually on the brink of a miracle.3) Strongholds that bind.Legion represented occupation but not every stronghold looks like demonic possession. Often, it’s a pattern, a mindset, or a small crack the enemy tries to use. He doesn’t need a big opening; just a little space. But we are not powerless. Scripture calls us to take every thought captive, submit to God, and resist the devil (2 Corinthians 10:3–5; James 4:7). We give the enemy no room because greater is He who is in us (1 John 4:4).4) The stronghold that protects.Psalm 27:1The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Not all strongholds are evil. The enemy builds prisons but God becomes our protection. We don’t just need deliverance from something; we need refuge in Someone. When Jesus becomes our stronghold, fear loses its grip.5) When pigs costs you Jesus. Mark 5:17And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.The miracle was beautiful but it was expensive. After the man was healed, the townspeople were afraid. Not of the man, but of the loss. Their pigs, their security, comfort, and stability were gone. And instead of celebrating the miracle, they begged Jesus to leave. The question we must ask ourselves is: What are our pigs? What feels too costly to surrender? When Jesus invades our darkness, He sets us free but He also exposes what we’ve been valuing more than Him. And nothing we treasure is worth asking Jesus to leave.

Are you willing to help someone get to Jesus? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our WAITING ON A MIRACLE series with a message about friendship. Mark 2:3-4Four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.The same people who were in the room with Jesus had become an obstacle to the paralyzed man. Were it not for his four friends, he would have stayed stuck.1) People are usually the problem.The enemy of our souls wants to magnify the faults and failings of others, to get us so twisted up with hurt and offense that our hearts are hardened.2) People are still God’s plan.To solve this people problem, God sends more people. These four friends were willing to carry the paralyzed man in his weakness, even though it was difficult.Romans 15:1We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, not simply pleasing ourselves.Real love is persistent. When we love others we will contend for them, even when it is inconvenient or costly.3) Your faith can be a catalyst for someone else’s healing.The Bible says that when Jesus saw “their faith” he was moved. It wasn’t the faith of the man in need, but the faith of his friends that was the catalyst for this amazing miracle.Jesus is the friend who searches for us until we are found, who laid down his life for us so that we would be healed and forgiven!

Are you waiting for God to move, or is God waiting for you to get moving? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres kicked off our spring series, Waiting On A Miracle.John 2:10 Then the master of ceremonies called the groom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”The first miracle in the ministry of Jesus took place at one of the most common events happening around the world then and today. 1) Your mundane is the setting for his miracle.Jesus will meet us in the everyday spaces of our lives. Jesus’ whole ministry took him places no one expected him to go, with people no one expected him to be with. 2) Your expectation is the invitation.Why was Jesus at this wedding? The answer is simple: he was invited (John 2:2). Are you inviting him into your home, your workplace, your marriage and finances?3) Your involvement is the catalyst for his power.Mary says to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5) Mary knows that Jesus isn’t going to get involved until the servants get involved with faith and obedience.Jesus’ ministry begins and ends with wine. Years later, suffering on the cross, Jesus is offered bitter wine to drink. Jesus tasted this bitter cup of judgment so we could taste the sweetness of God’s grace!

This weekend Pastor Joaquin Pardo concluded our RENEW series with a message about a legacy that lasts. 2 Peter 1:15And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.”Peter’s life shows us that passion for what’s next doesn’t happen overnight; it's formed step by step.1) Obey the first step. When Jesus met Peter, Peter had no zeal. He wasn’t passionate about ministry or the kingdom of God. As a matter of fact it was the complete opposite. Jesus found Peter tired, discouraged and on the verge of giving up. And still Peter obeyed. Luke 5:5..."But at your word I will let down the nets.”The result was a miraculous catch. You never know what's on the other side of your obedience.2) Step out in faith. There comes a moment in every believer’s life when following Jesus requires more than staying comfortable. There comes a moment when you have to step out in faith. For Peter, the clearest picture of this happens in the middle of a storm. Matthew 14: 28“Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”For a moment, Peter does the impossible: he walks on water. And yes, fear eventually causes him to sink. But Peter still did something the others in the boat never dared to do: he stepped out. Legacy doesn’t belong to those who never feel fear. It belongs to those who step out despite it.3) Fix your focus.Matthew 16:15..."but who do you say that I am?" When Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter responds with the confession that defines everything: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This revelation becomes the foundation Jesus builds His church on.But moments later, Peter struggles when Jesus speaks about suffering. Jesus corrects him with these words: Matthew 16:23...“You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” A legacy that lasts is built by people who fix their focus not on temporary pain, but on eternal purpose.4) Don't go back.After Jesus was betrayed and crucified, Peter was overwhelmed with fear and failure. Peter ran back to what was familiar. Back to the boat. Back to fishing. Back to the life he once knew.But when Jesus meets Peter on the shore, He makes one thing clear: you don’t need to go backward to survive. Everything you need is with me. What Jesus called Peter to was never about fish or boats; it was always about people.5) Live filled with The Holy Spirit. Peter’s boldness didn’t come from willpower or confidence, it came from the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit fills him in Acts 2, everything changes. The man who once denied Jesus now is no longer driven by fear. He’s living for something beyond himself. A legacy that lasts is built by men and women who are filled with the Holy Spirit and live with passion for what God is still going to do!

Get with the program! This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our RENEW series with a message about our PROGRAM FOR GROWTH.2 Peter 1:5-7For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. Peter began his letter by reminding us that God’s power has given us everything we need for a godly life. How do we put that power into operation in our lives?1) The Christian identity is not ACHIEVED, it is RECEIVED.We are not better or stronger, we have simply received a new identity by grace alone. That means we shift from deciding who we are to discovering who God has purposed us to be in Christ.2) You are given the POWER, but you choose the PROGRAM.God has given us power to be like him in our character and behavior, but Peter reminds us that we must MAKE EVERY EFFORT to cooperate with his program for growth. How? By adding each of the qualities he lists above.3) God is working IN you, now you work it OUT.If we fail to follow the program, we short-circuit our growth and lose sight of the aim of God’s saving work in our lives. Galatians 5:1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.When we choose to lean into this program, we see the results of God’s power at work, not only to rescue us, but to transform us!

Why did you stop? This weekend Pastor Joaquin Pardo closed the year out with a message reminding us not to quit too early. 2 Kings 13:18-19And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.” The tragedy of this passage isn’t disobedience, it’s partial obedience. The king striked three times but he stopped too soon. And often, the difference between partial victory and complete breakthrough isn’t that we didn’t try. It’s that we aren't willing to try again.1) You’re not done yet.Elisha was on his deathbed. He was weak, tired, and nearing the end, yet God still sends him someone in need of his help. Our usefulness to God has never been tied to our energy, age, weaknesses or specific season, but to our obedience. If you’re still breathing, there is still a purpose for your life. You’re still on assignment!2) Aim at the target.Elisha told the king to open the eastern window, the direction of the enemy. Victory requires direction. We don’t overcome what we refuse to face, and we won’t see change if we keep aiming at the wrong things. Prayer and fasting help us face God first, so we can face our fears with clarity and power. Be specific. Be bold. Aim your prayers at what God has put on your heart.3) Use ALL of your arrows.Partial obedience is still disobedience.The king struck the ground three times and stopped. Elisha was angry because he could see something the king ignored — the arrows still left in his hands. God had already supplied more, but the king didn’t use all that was given to him. Partial obedience led to partial victory.In the same way, God has entrusted each of us with arrows, passions, gifts, resources, opportunities, relationships, and desires meant to be used for His glory.As we step into the new year, may we be a church that doesn’t stop early, pull back in doubt, or settle for partial breakthrough. Instead, use everything God has given you to pursue all He has promised.Keep striking. God isn’t done yet.

Showing up is the most important part! This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME series with a message about the Magi.Matthew 2:1-2After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”The picture that the Bible paints of the birth of Jesus included a cast of unexpected characters. The nativity scene has a meaning that is worth considering.1) There are no exceptions to God’s exceptional love.Who belongs here at the birth of the Messiah? God invites the most unlikely characters to celebrate his gift of love and life. 2) There is no star that isn’t speaking.The star in the night sky spoke to the Magi in a language they understood. Every good gift that God gives to us is meant to draw our hearts to love and adore the Giver of that gift.3) There is no seed that won’t one day bear fruit.500 years before the birth of Christ, Daniel was named the chief of Babylon’s wise men. The Magi could well have been expecting a king because of the seeds Daniel planted centuries earlier.4) There is no sacrifice that is insignificant.The gifts that the Magi brought were more than expressions of gratitude. They made it possible for the family to escape Herod’s grasp and later return to Nazareth. 2 Corinthians 9:11You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.You have been invited to worship in the presence of Jesus! Merry Christmas!

Luke 1:28-29The angel said to Mary, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was. 1) Christmas is an answer to the cry of every human heart.Mary thought deeply about what the angelic announcement meant. Even though she had questions, she continued to trust God’s plan.2) Christmas is God’s light breaking in our darkness.There is a simple but significant shift that takes place when God’s goodness and power become the foundation of our decision-making, priorities, hopes and longings. Isaiah 9:2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.Is there any darkness where God’s light won’t reach? Is there any life that his love can’t reach?3) Christmas is a gift to be received.At Christmas God drew near to a people who were beaten down, to a family that was in crisis, to a woman who was powerless. If he did that, the Gospel says, would he not come to you or me, or even the people we dislike and dismiss? Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?

Are you expecting? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME series with a message about Simeon.Luke 2:34-35Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.”Simeon is a picture of hopeful expectation, waiting to see God’s rescue and light for all people. What can we learn from his example?1) When you are expecting, it shows.When a woman is expecting, everything about her life and behavior begins to change. The greater the expectation, the more obvious the signs. 2) When you are expecting, it can get uncomfortable.Simeon’s prophetic words about Christ are not all easy to swallow. This child’s claim to authority would expose the hearts of many.3) When you are expecting, something better is coming.All of the discomfort and pain of waiting gives way to the joy of hope’s fulfillment. Romans 8:22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.The groaning that God’s people experience is not a groaning that leads to death, but that will inevitably give way to life and joy!

What does Christmas mean to you? This weekend Pastor Devin Gough kicked off the Christmas season at New City with a message and every family received a custom Advent Kit!Luke 1:12-13When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but what about the Christmas moments that we don’t want to post? The Bible says that Zechariah and Elizabeth were both righteous and disappointed. Their hope to have a child had long since been extinguished.1) God revives hope in the silence.God appeared to Zechariah in the ordinary course of his duties. After so many years of silence, hope was still not lost. The prayers that you have retired still remain on God’s desk!2) God revives hope in the impossible.Be careful not to measure your hope against your circumstances. What you consider to be a limitation might just be God’s launching pad!3) God revives hope for something greater.The angel connects Zechariah’s personal miracle to God’s redemptive plan for the whole world. God is able to bless you in your need, and to make you a blessing!Do you need God to revive your hope this season? The gift of God in this season is the unexpected, undeserved hope that Jesus still brings to everyone who trusts Him!

We do available, God does amazing! This weekend Pastor Steve Andres concluded our DARE TO DREAM series and our church committed to walk in faith and generosity.Acts 3:4-6Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”The very first miracle after the upper-room outpouring was to bless a man who could never have reached the upper room. If Peter and John had never left the building, the lame man would never have received his healing!1) The dream is not for a church building, but for changed lives.The man in the story was close to a magnificent church building, but he remained unchanged. Our dream is not to host church activities, but for multitudes to experience the life-changing grace of God in Christ.2) God gives his people vision for something better.Peter and John were equipped to see something better for the lame man than just begging for help. They knew that Jesus could heal the man, because they had seen him do it with others.3) Your obedience is an answer to someone else’s prayers.In one moment of obedience, Peter and John became the answer to countless days and nights of prayer and searching. God is already preparing us to be an answer to someone else’s prayers.When we are thinking days and dollars, God is thinking nations and generations. That is why we give with faith and generosity, trusting that this is only the beginning of a blessing that will last for generations!

Where does God’s grace shine brightest in your life? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our DARE TO DREAM series with a message about the power of community.Acts 2:46-47They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.The experience of the early church is a pattern for the church today. What can we learn from the events of Acts 2?1) Gospel blessing is for your household and for the nations.Because we live from an abundance mentality, Christians don’t have to choose between blessing our own people and blessing others.2) Generosity is the prize, not the price. There is no membership fee to the kingdom of God. The ability to be generous is part of the blessing that we receive freely from God.3) Blessed is not a status, it is a story. Every one of us is ordinary. Religion is what I am trying to do for God. The Gospel is the story of what God has done for me in Christ.4) Broken becomes beautiful in the hands of Jesus.The places in our lives where we have experienced brokenness are the places where the grace and love of Jesus are most visible.5) Bread that isn’t broken can’t be shared.From the place of your deepest wound will often come your greatest gift to those around you. God blesses us, and He transforms our brokenness to be a gift given to others, for their blessing and for God’s glory!

Your situation is a setup for God’s purposes! This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our DARE TO DREAM series with a message about the early church.Acts 2:17-18‘In the last days,’ God says,‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.Your sons and daughters will prophesy.Your young men will see visions,and your old men will dream dreams.In those days I will pour out my Spiriteven on my servants—men and women alike—and they will prophesy.The small community of Christ-followers were characterized by a radical humility, a radical generosity and a radical hope. What do the events of Acts 2 teach us?1) Unity comes before suddenly.It’s easier to get in one place than to get in one accord. Before experiencing the outpouring of God’s presence, they were united in heart and mind.2) How does God move? Gradually, then suddenly.After the remarkable outpouring of God’s presence, Peter tells the people that this miracle has been promised for generations. We need our hearts trained to be faithful in the gradually, while we wait for the suddenly.3) All people means all people.God’s promise is to make his presence available to everyone who would come. The church's mission is to announce this incredible news to those who are far and those who are near.When sinners are careless and stupid, and sinking into hell unconcerned, it is time the church should bestir themselves. It is as much the duty of the church to awake, as it is for the firemen to awake when a fire breaks out in the night in a great city.Charles FinneyWhen Jesus was on the cross, he cried out but was shown no mercy. Because he paid the penalty for our sin, now “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!"

Happy Birthday New City! This weekend Pastor Steve Andres kicked off a new series called DARE TO DREAM as we celebrated the seventh anniversary of New City Church.Acts 2:10-13"We all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” The people stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other. But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”The birthday of the church was a miraculous moment that inaugurated the greatest movement for good in human history. Still, some who were present were asking, “What can this mean?"1) There is a meaning to the miracle.More than just noise and commotion, the events of the day of Pentecost were a return of God’s presence. It was God breathing life into humankind as he did at the beginning. 2) There is a mess that comes with the miracle.We choose messy over easy when it comes to people. The Holy Spirit is the gift of God’s presence to influence toward Christ-likeness.Ephesians 5:18Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.The first believers were mistaken for having too much to drink because they were smarter, bolder and more loving than they were before! 3) There is a mission for the miracle.Jesus is not finished with the work he began. The church’s mission is to live the life of Jesus for the sake of the world that God loves!

Do you have faith that won’t quit? This weekend Pastor Joaquin Pardo shared a message about persevering through faith.Mark 5:36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’1) Desperation is the catalyst to humility. Humility is the catalyst to faith.In this passage we see two desperate people: A respected leader and a rejected woman. One lived high. The other lived low. But both ended up in the same place, at the feet of Jesus. That’s the beauty of desperation. It levels the playing field. Because desperation humbles us and humility opens the door for faith.2) Faith that won’t quit. The woman with the issue of blood wasn't just desperate, but determined. The woman didn’t just believe Jesus could heal her; she acted on it. A faith that won’t quit always puts action behind what it says it believes.3) Do not fear, only believe.When Jairus heard, “Your daughter is dead,” fear could have paralyzed him. But Jesus said, “Do not fear, only believe.” He ignored what others said and reminded Jairus that the final word belongs to Him. Faith doesn’t stop when bad news comes. It ignores the voices that tell you to quit, refuses to stop believing, and keeps pressing on because Jesus can still make dead things live again!

Growth isn’t about me, it’s about we! This weekend Pastor Devin Gough shared a message about the blessing of remaining connected to the body of Christ.Ephesians 4:16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.Growth doesn’t happen in isolation, it happens through connection. How can we do our part in the body of Christ?1) Grow by being joined.Hebrews 10:24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.The church is not an organization, it is a living organism. Each part helps the other grow.2) Grow by serving in your place.1 Corinthians 12:27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.Every part of the body of Christ has a place. When one part is disconnected, the whole body hurts!3) Grow by building in love.Colossians 3:14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.Love is the cement that holds each brick of God’s house together. God’s rescuing love for each one of us is the reason we can remain united as one body!

Experiencing true grace produces deep change! This weekend Pastor Steve Andres concluded our NAAMAN series with a message called SIGNS OF LIFE.2 Kings 5:15Naaman stood before Elisha and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.”Naaman is showing signs of new life as he responds to the work God is doing in him. What do we see in his story of transformation?1) Pain is the symptom, pride is the sickness.Every step forward that Naaman takes toward his healing is a step of humility. Why does this matter?James 4:6God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Naaman’s affliction is the very thing that saves him by creating humility and hunger for change.2) Self-pity is self-sabotage.Naaman’s pain magnifies his already self-centered way of living. The self-pity that results almost causes him to miss his miracle!3) A new heart creates a new way.The evidence of a new heart is clear by how differently Naaman is operating. This conquering warrior who took whatever he wanted is now humbly asking for dirt to carry with him. Ezekiel 36:26-27And I will give you a new heart—I will give you new and right desires—and put a new spirit within you. I will take out your stony hearts of sin and give you new hearts of love. And I will put my Spirit within you so that you will obey my laws.Naaman did not deserve his healing, but God showed him grace, and that grace changed his heart! It is this same grace that we experience in Christ which produces transformation in all who receive Him!

Simple can be scary! This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our NAAMAN series with a message about trust and gratitude.2 Kings 5:15-16Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.” The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.When Naaman arrives at the house of Elisha, he expects a reception befitting his status and wealth. Instead, he is given simple instructions to bathe in the Jordan River, and he is enraged. Why?1) Anger is an indicator of something deeper.Anger is a secondary emotion. When something we value is threatened, we experience anger. For Naaman, this was his sense of control, his ability to manipulate the situation. 2) Fear fights for control.It is not that it is TOO SIMPLE to receive the grace of God, it is TOO SCARY. When we are afraid, we can’t operate in love, generosity or compassion. How would you live if you were certain that you were perfectly safe?3) Trust and gratitude go hand in hand.Naaman is healed when he dips in the Jordan, so he offers a gift to the prophet Elisha. In Naaman’s worldview, religion was about maintaining a healthy reciprocal relationship with the gods. But Elisha sees through this. If Elisha had received the gift from Naaman, it would have signaled to Naaman that the God of Israel was like all the other gods: petty, temperamental and able to be bribed. How would you be different if you truly believed that God didn’t need you, but that he simply loved you?“If you want to be a Christian, all you need is nothing, and very few people have that.”Timothy KellerReligion requires that I do “some great thing,” but Christianity is about some great thing that has been done for me!