Church in the Valley - Ontario Ranch Campus

Finances impact most decisions that we make. And we are doing this series to help us all climb the ladder towards peace in the area of finances that will impact the majority of our life. A ladder is used as an illustration throughout this series from a book called "The Generosity Ladder by Nelson Searcy."

Generosity - The quality of giving freely of your time, money, and energy. This Sermon will focus on the aspects of being generous financially.

Life gets hurried and heavy at times. Commutes take up massive amounts of time and then we don’t have much left for our family. Finances get tight and we feel like we don’t have money to do anything, much less find something that gives us rest. And sometimes religious activity gets to feel like a burden. The next thing you know, your legs feel like they are 200 pounds each and it is difficult to keep moving forward. There are some red letters in the Bible that speak to those who are in need of some rest.

The Red-Letter Bible has only been around since 1899 but seeing the words Jesus spoke while on earth in red, leaves a profound impact on the reader. This message will introduce the series and the new covenant talked about in Luke 22:20. Additionally, we will focus on Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection on the cross and the impact of Jesus' statement on his way to die on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

This Sermon will look at the battle to stay rooted and to stay strong. It will unpack the spiritual armor as well as give some big picture perspective about the spiritual realm. The goal is to help see there is a spiritual reality as well as begin to see the tools God gives us to fight against the enemy's tactics.

This sermon will focus on how God gives us instruction to help us relate in key relationships (marriage, parenting, and work). The natural tendency in our hearts, and reinforced in culture, is to do what we want, when we want. However, God's design is to team together and play specific roles in the key relationships God has given us.

God wants us to please Him and understand His will. Nothing can cloud clarity and experiencing God’s love than getting into sin. Sin keeps us in darkness while holiness brings the light. As we move toward holiness we can walk exactly and understand the will of God.

We now come to the point in the book of Ephesians where we can focus on what we should do with the reality of life in Christ. God is doing something special in the church and we get to be a part of this movement.

God's plan since the beginning of times was to save the world. The covenant and promise to Abraham (Genesis 12) is fulfilled through Christ. This is our purpose in the church. To take the grace, peace, hope Paul describes in Ephesians 1-2 and share that with the world.

We live in a divided world. This division exists in our hearts, our families, our neighborhoods and our church. This sermon will focus on how Christ gives us peace and an escape from the hostility that comes from division.

We all long for purpose, but without Christ and His free gift of grace, we cannot overcome our sin or sense of direction. This sermon will focus on how to experience grace and extend grace so we can fulfill God's purpose in our lives.

When we root ourselves to this world, our plans, the future, we are left choked out without an anchor and real substance. This takes away our hope because the things of this world change and pass away. However, God, through Christ has given us another option. To root ourselves back to our Maker where life and purpose can be found.

There are consequences to unforgiveness, and it is important for us to understand the consequences of unforgiveness so that we see the importance of forgiving others freely.

The forgiveness of sins is at the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ and biblical community. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." God sent his only son to die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. He forgave us when we didn't deserve it. And that should fuel God's people to be a people that forgive one another freely. We don't forgive people because they deserve it. We forgive people out of a deep gratitude for how much God has forgiven us.

Prayer is talking to God and listening to him. And he wants us to do that all the time. He wants us to spend our day coming back to him over and over again in prayer like how we invest in other relationships. And this constant prayer is a lifeline to God's people and it molds us into people who are hopeful towards the future.

This message will focus on what it looks like to be patient in suffering.

Hope is a distinguishing mark of a genuine Christ Follower. There is a confident expectation for the future that springs out of the person who has fully surrendered their life to Christ.

God has a beautiful purpose for each season.

Like Simeon, we're called to recognize Jesus as our personal fulfillment of promise. In a world of waiting, His arrival brings peace that dismisses our deepest fears.

Mary's encounter with God transforms vague thoughts into personal reality, sparking a song that pours from a heart bursting with emotion.

The focus is on The Angel's Song that they sang to the shepherds who were out in the field after Jesus' birth. We are going to see how this song encourages us to make room for Christ the King in our lives and how that guides us towards PEACE that seems like it is always slipping out of our hands.

Zechariah's Song gives an important perspective on Jesus' birth and God's plan through it.

Christian Self-Control: The obedience of our thoughts, emotions, and desires to a will that is fully submitted to Christ.

We want to be people of wisdom who are able to look at the situations we face in life and pick the right course of action. Wisdom: The ability to see life from God's angle and make sound decisions in life.

We want to look at how we can have work habits that lead to success. And the first thing that helps us to find success is understanding work the way it is talked about in Proverbs.

Words matter a lot. The good news is God can help control your tongue. Follow Christ, learn the ways of the Lord. Practice by obeying His commands, and it will grow within you.

A proverb can be described as a brief statement that offers a pithy but powerful observation. - Jim George, The Bare Bones Bible Handbook

Christians are a part of God's army in this Spiritual War. We have each other. God has given us a brotherhood or sisterhood of soldiers that are experiencing the same types of suffering from the enemy. The same types of attacks.

The enemy wants to prowl around and destroy us. But, we don't have to be easy pray. We submit to God and resist the enemy. When the enemies attacks come we can rebuke him. We employ godly strategies for our life instead of worldly.

God gives us the resources for victory in the war within. It comes down to whether we are going to feed the flesh or the spirit more.

We are going to look at how to recognize how to ready the enemy's attacks against us and respond appropriately so that we can be successful.

To gain a clear understanding of the spiritual war going on around us and how we can have victory in the battle.

Inviting our neighbors to discover Christ through his life-changing community.

Fasting is meant to be done from the HEART and we get examples from the NEW and OLD Testament for when God's people have fasted in the past. We can use those examples to spark ideas for how to fast in the future...

God takes us through a process to become more like him. This Sermon takes a look at what confession is, why it is important, and how to practice confession.

A Forge is where the blacksmith purifies and shapes His steel into something stronger and useful towards His purpose. That's a perfect analogy to the Christian life. God is the blacksmith, His people are the steel, and He purifies and shapes us through the fiery trials we face so that we become straighter and more useful to Him for His purposes. Our part is to stay in the fire and respond to His hammer. Today's message talks about the hammer. It's Study...

Jesus Christ encourages HABITUAL prayer to exercise faith in God. (Luke 18:1-8). We are going to look at a parable that Jesus told that encourages a tenacious prayer life. Parables were stories Jesus told to illustrate points. They were not easy to understand but Jesus used them to highlight some principles in his kingdom.

The Christian life is meant to be an active intentional process like we see in a forging process. Where we take intentional actions to move towards becoming like Christ and God forms us into who He has made us to be.

The name Immanuel, meaning "God with Us," signifies the ultimate fulfillment of God's presence through Jesus Christ. Through Immanuel, believers experience the fullness of God's character in a tangible, relational way, as Jesus lives out and completes the promises revealed through God's names.

El Shaddai, meaning "God Almighty" or "the All-Sufficient One," highlights God's limitless power and ability to supply all needs. Christians are encouraged to trust in the almighty nature of El Shaddai, who is more than able to meet every need and fulfill His promises.

David, a man after God’s own heart, gives two powerful examples of God’s Character in the names Jehovah Tsaba and Jehovah Rohi, showcasing how these names of God reflect divine strength and care. In the story of David and Goliath, David calls upon Jehovah Tsaba, "The Lord of Hosts," confidently trusting that the battle belongs to God, who commands heavenly armies and brings victory in overwhelming circumstances. Later, as the author of Psalm 23, David describes his personal experience with Jehovah Rohi, "The Lord is My Shepherd," portraying God as a loving guide who provides, protects, and restores. David’s life illustrates how God is both a mighty warrior who fights for His people and a compassionate shepherd who walks closely with them through every challenge.

The name "Jehovah Jireh" translates into "The Lord Will Provide." This name is found in the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, where God provides a ram as a substitute sacrifice, demonstrating His provision in a moment of ultimate need and obedience. God's provision is often linked to our trust and obedience, and while God may not always provide how or when we expect, He is always faithful to meet our needs according to His divine plan. Believers are encouraged to trust God as their provider in all circumstances, knowing that He sees and supplies beyond what we can anticipate.

El Elyon, "God Most High," is a name that highlights God's supreme sovereignty and ultimate authority over all creation. This name signifies that nothing happens outside of God's control and that He reigns above every power, circumstance, and human authority. God brings peace and confidence, especially when life feels chaotic or uncertain. Believers can rest in the assurance that the Most High God is actively involved in their lives, orchestrating all things for His glory and their good.

God reveals many of his names to us so that we might gain a new perspective on who He is. One name by itself cannot fully represent God's majesty and power. One name cannot fully tell us all we need to know about this person that we call "God." Often when God revealed a new aspect of his character to his people, he often did so by revealing a new name.

We are A Shining City on a Hill. Everyone sees, everyone is watching. Praise your Father in heaven. There is no God like our God.

Ebed-Melech risked it all to obey God in a deadly siege - his faith won God's promise. In your storms, live by faith, not fear - God will deliver you too.

Jethro's wise counsel, born from love and trust, blessed Moses and Israel - God uses our experience to guide others when we earn the right to speak through faithful care.

The Canaanite Woman's relentless faith in Jesus - despite apparent rejection - teaches us to persist in prayer, trusting His goodness over our misconceptions.

Bezalel's story reveals how God pours gifts into us, sharpens them through effort, and uses them to serve others - just as He did for Israel's worship.

How a sinner sought and found the Savor