New Life Pismo Sermons

As we talk about sanctification and being formed into the image of Christ, the temptation can rise up to drift into legalism; the idea that somehow my works sanctify me. Our own sanctification is too heavy a burden to bear. There's a reason why Jesus says, "My yoke is easy and my burden in light."

There is more to the Christian faith than being saved and waiting for heaven. God wants you to experience holiness right now. When we decide to follow him we start the process of becoming holy as he is holy. Message from Pastor Gina Nicola

The ending of Mark is unique and gives us an opportunity to learn how the Bible was formed and made it to us today. One thing is clear, Jesus is alive and he's given is a calling and mission in this world!

We don't always like to think of Jesus in his humanity. We like to focus on his divine nature...however, without the burial of Jesus, we can't experience his resurrection. Without the burial, there's no hope for new life. Jesus' burial shows us that it's possible for dead things to come alive! When we lay those things at the altar we can see God breathe life into them...and into us!

Jesus is crucified. Darkness fills the land. Is hope lost? Just the opposite. Just as darkness and chaos was there at creation...we hold our breath in anticipation for NEW CREATION. Jesus' death ensures that we won't be separated from our God. The veil is torn. Our place in new creation is secure!

Before Jesus is crucified, he's mocked relentlessly by 3 different groups of people. Through their example, we learn that we become mockers when we don't understand, when Jesus doesn't fit into our mold, or when he threatens our comfort and stability. 

What does it mean to be saved? The story of Barabbas gives such a clear picture of the exchange that takes place between us and Jesus that leads to salvation. 

When we decide to follow Jesus we become NEW creations. However, we often drift from this good path and our lives become misaligned. Lent is a season of realignment as we come to God to adjust our hearts and minds back into alignment with his heart and his work of making all things new. 

Pastor David shares on the importance of baptism and our beliefs on the sacrament. You'll also get to hear testimonies of those who were baptized at our 9am service. 

Through an unjust trial happening under the cloak of darkness, Jesus' fate hangs in the balance. Will he be willing to die? Will Peter remain faithful, as he adamantly promised? Through this portion of Scripture we see Jesus' heart and understand that following Jesus will cost us something. 

When Jesus is betrayed and arrested, he remains calm because he has spent time in prayer in the garden. However, many of the disciples react differently...perhaps because they were asleep instead of praying. When the hour of darkness reigns, they turn to violence, fear, and fleeing. The truth is that Jesus doesn't need to be defended. May we also follow his example of trust in our hours of darkness. 

When Jesus wanted us to understand the Gospel he didn’t give a sermon or a podcast or a treatise...He provided a meal. The already previous God has gone before and made the preparations. He wants to show you the depth of his love through the gift of his sacrifice. We do this in remembrance of him. 

Anna was ready to see what God was doing because she had spent a lifetime in His presence. Her life reminds us, We are what we do consistently.

Receiving from the world often leaves us full of unfulfilled expectations. However, the gift of joy we receive at Advent exceeds what we imagine or deserve. This is revealed through the announcement given to the shepherds. God comes near. We are chosen. God wants to be found. This is Good News that will be a great joy to all people!

Nothing robs us of our peace more than having to wait...in both big and small things. The testimony of Zechariah and Elizabeth in the book of Luke shows us, if we learn to embrace silence and stay the course, we'll begin to see God's goodness, even in seasons of waiting...and perhaps even see this as a gift. 

Pastor Philip CauseyIn a world obsessed with status and spectacle, Jesus reveals a kingdom where motives matter more than money, and humility outweighs hype. Like the scribes, we may be enticed to chase prestige and power. We may even be able to enhance our own image to fool people, but we can’t fool God. For those entrusted with leadership, God holds a high standard. They must be a humble servant to all just as Jesus was. And when we willingly surrender every area of our life to Him we bring Jesus a greater offering than all the riches this world can offer. 

In another attempt at a "gotcha" moment, the Sadducees pose a theological question of Jesus. They want to discuss the details of the afterlife, even though they, themselves, don't believe in the resurrection of the dead. Jesus, of course, takes their question deeper and gets to the heart of the matter. 

When the religious leaders had made it up in their mind that they wanted to get rid of Jesus, they began laying traps for Him to be caught up in. One polarizing subject of the day was taxes; they wanted Jesus to take a side. Jesus, rather, took the conversation to the heart of the matter. Who is Lord? Who does EVERYTHING belong to? Today's message is given through Pastor Gina Nicola

Jesus doesn’t gain authority, rather He reveals His Authority. Jesus' authority is tied to his identity as Messiah, the anointed, the son of God (Mark 2). His authority is his essence, and He is demonstrating God's sovereign rule over all things. This has both spiritual (against darkness) and political (against the powers and kingdoms of this world) implications. Jesus doesn’t have to prove his authority, his words and actions and life are authoritative. Jesus doesn’t have authority because he does the things, rather He does the things because He’s God in flesh.

When Jesus curses the fig tree he's not being petty, he's trying to warn people of the dangers of appearing fruitful without actually bearing the fruit of the kingdom. He teaches the same message when he clears the temple; warning people not to appear religious, while allowing corruption to keep others out of the kingdom. 

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, the people cried out, "Hosanna" (God save us). Salvation had indeed come in the one riding that donkey, however, many of them had very different expectations for what salvation would look like. What expectations of Jesus are you carrying? How will you see Jesus? The promise of Jesus is still available today. He still saves and sanctifies! 

When Jesus' disciples start arguing over who will be the greatest and have the highest honor among them, Jesus answers in a way that surprises them. The world cares about power and lords their authority over one another...but among you, IT WILL BE DIFFERENT. We aren't going to operate like the kings and kingdoms of this world. The way of THE Kingdom is the Cross and sacrifice, not power or control. There is a king. His name is Jesus and we are citizens of a different Kingdom. Will we choose the way of the cross daily? 

When Jesus encounters a man who seemingly has everything, it leads to a great conversation about surrender. Sometimes we are called to surrender good things in order to embrace God's best things. There is a grief in letting go, but Jesus is inviting us to ask the question: What is more sustainable for my life...my resources or God's resources? 

When Jesus encourages the little children to come to him and he blesses them, this was very counter-cultural in his day. Children were seen as one of the lowest of society, unable to "pull their weight" and surely not worth Jesus' time. However, Jesus shows that in His kingdom, things will be different. No one will be looked on as less than or unworthy of Jesus' blessing. That's true for you today! He wants to bless you!

So we now recognize ourselves as a sent people...so why don't we go? Do we lack desire, discipline, or direction? It can be overwhelming to get started in following the great commission. A great place to start is to simply use what you have. Your talents, gifts, and passions in places you already find yourself and simply serve those around you. 

To be human is to suffer. HOW we suffer is a great witness to the world of God's nearness and his redemptive power to bring good and healing and righteousness through the most difficult seasons of life. 

When Jesus calls us to be His witnesses, He doesn't send us out alone. In fact, when we try to go it alone, there's temptation to go with an agenda, and it usually leads to burn out. We've been given the power of the Holy Spirit to equip us for this mission. We've also been given each other, the family of God to sharpen us and be the environment where the gifts of the Spirit are actualized. 

Statistics show that most Christians believe sharing the Gospel is an important part of our faith, yet so few actually participate in it on a regular basis. Why? As we go, we transport the Gospel with us wherever we find ourselves. May we listen more than we speak...both vertically (with God) and horizontally (with others) so that we might leave hope, goodness, and mercy wherever we go. 

Pastor Philip challenges us to walk in our identity as a sent people...which begins, first and foremost, with a deep consecration. We cannot change others if we have not been first changed ourselves. May we go at the pace of Jesus, walking in rhythm with the Spirit so we may be able to see and love others clearly. 

Like much of Jesus does in His upside-down kingdom, He redefines what greatness is. While we have been discipled in the world and what it says is "great" we must leave that behind in our pursuit of the kind of greatness Jesus describes. The kind that serves others and does so without need for recognition. 

Jesus wasn't the Messiah that many expected because their view and sights were too small. We miss out on so much when we try to define Jesus by our own terms and agendas. Like, Jesus, following Him and his ways means picking up our cross. Denying ourselves and our agendas is the foundation of following Jesus. 

Those that were asking for a "sign" were those who really didn't want to believe in Jesus in the first place. May we have ears that actually hear and eyes that actually see all that Jesus was and how He's still working today!

The Pharisees & teachers of the religious law got a bad rap from Jesus because they were imposing man-made rules and customs on the people of God, rather than turning their hearts over to Him. Let's not be like them, but let's give attention to our hearts and remember that what "defiles" us starts in our heart and not external forces. 

Like the God of the Old Testament, Jesus is the One who passes by and walks on water. Jesus does stuff only God can do, encouraging us to ask the question, who really is Jesus? Not only does He pass by, He comes near and he has the power to bring good stuff out of stormy stuff. 

We may not see it at first glance,  but Jesus' feeding of the 5,000 was a revolution... a revolution of compassion. The crowds in the hill country had come to Jesus, hoping he would lead them into a political revolt and willing to make Him king by force. Following Jesus would definitely lead to a revolution. However, instead of distributing weapons, He distributes bread, a symbol of life. In addition, He invites us to join Him in this revolt against sin and death and continue distributing this life-giving bread to those around us. 

We don't want to be seated...we want to be sent, 2 by 2 in community to proclaim the Kingdom!

Are we seeing Jesus clearly or has our vision of who he really is been clouded by our expectations, familiarity, or past experiences? We don't want to be like those in Jesus' hometown who missed who Jesus truly was because they were unwilling to change their perceptions. We also don't want to let our past or other's memory keep us from God's promise in the future. You are a new creation!Pastor Philip CauseyNote: we experienced many technical issues before service; thus the audio is not of our normal quality. Sorry! Hope you still enjoy God's Word to us!

The miracles recorded in the book of Mark point to the person of Jesus...they aren't a prescriptive "how to" receive miracles in our own circumstances. We miss the point when we pursue what Jesus can do for us, rather than seek Jesus himself. 

Our God is the God who goes into the mess and rescues people and sets them free. This story happened and it happens all the time.

There is transformative power in the story of Easter! Even when it feels like the pieces aren’t adding up, we can trust that God is working for redemption, renewal, and fullness of life! Join us this Easter as we celebrate the risen King who has come to make all things new.  Allow hope to bloom this Easter! 

What spills out when we get bumped? Palm Sunday gives us insight into the tension between encountering Jesus as a part of The Crowd and Following Jesus daily. The difference between seeking Jesus with our agenda or surrendering ourselves to his Lordship. The importance of integrating our exterior life with our interior life. May we recognize our need for a savior, without any agenda, as we wave our palm branches and shout, "Hosanna!"

Oftentimes we feel like we have no control over our thought life and the toxic and destructive thoughts that linger beneath the surface. While we may not have control over every thought that pops in our head, the Bible tells us we can take thoughts captive and CHOOSE what ideas and thoughts we dwell on. 

Anxiety is our built-in "check engine" light, alerting us to trouble or danger. However, many times it goes into overdrive and begins to consume and overwhelm us. How can we trust God when anxiety threatens to control us? Join Pastor David as he discusses what the Lord has to say about anxiety and how we can find victory in this area of our lives. 

We all live with a certain level of grief beneath the surface of what we show others. Pastor Gina shares how God wants to comfort us in our distress and help us navigate grief. Unresolved grief can lead to many other areas of pain and unhealth, so learning how to share and let God into our grief is key to living the full life he wants for us. 

Why do we get so angry? Usually our anger is a symptom of something that's simmering a little deeper than the surface: hurt, injustice, fear, frustration. Not all anger is equal...as Ephesians tells us we CAN be angry and still stay away from sin. But how? Join us as we learn to surrender our anger so it can be used as fuel for trust, wisdom, and even righteousness. New Life Website

We find it counterintuitive to draw near to God, remove our masks and stop pretending that everything is OK. It is easier to ignore our interior life and just move on. Or we might let our emotions and our sin control us rather than trying to understand them. But God wants us to integrate what's beneath the surface into His grace and process and own it all. He wants us to invite Him in to search all of us.