New Life Community Church, Atwater, CA

”40 Days with Jesus (Getting ready for Easter)” Sermon- #2 “Becoming a ‘Low Man’” Mark 9:30

As Jesus continues his trek toward Jerusalem (and the Cross), His disciples continue to struggle with what it means to follow in His steps. Today we’ll explore the biggest hurdle to the life God intends for us, and find it is ourselves.

”40 Days with Jesus (Getting ready for Easter)” Matthew 16:21-27 Sermon- #1 ”The Path You Choose”

Today we begin a new “Lenten” series called 40 Days with Jesus to help prepare us for Easter. In the gospels we read of Jesus making His way toward Jerusalem (and the Cross) and preparing his disciples for what awaits. Each encounter that we will explore will reveal a significant Lenten theme, and how we too can experience more of Jesus as we draw nearer to Easter. Today, we’ll begin with the choices we make and how they
effect our walk with Christ.

”The Believers’ Guide to a Happier Life” (part 8) Romans 8:26-28 Sermon-”Let the Healing Begin”

As we conclude the Believers’ Guide to a Happier Life series today, we’ll wrestle with one of the most difficult barriers to a happy present: pain from the past. Life is filled with loss, yet our walk with Jesus is to bring healing even for hurts that cut deeply and wounds that have not been healed.  If you feel that hurts have derailed you, we are glad you are here today as we explore how to get back on track. 

2 Corinthians 9:6-11 Sermon-”That’s Hilarious! (the joy of giving)”

The desire for the “happier life” is often limited by what we feel we are missing or what we fear we won’t have. We are so thankful for what God has provided. We say we trust Him because He is always faithful. Yet there remains an uneasiness that I won’t have enough. This makes financial giving hard, and yet the Bible invites us to give “cheerfully”. How can we actually do this and what happens when we do?

”The Believers’ Guide to a Happier Life” (part 6) Philippians 4:10-13 Sermon-”Enough Already!”

We desire the “happier life”, but there seems to always be something missing. No matter how much one might have (or how little), the ‘mirage of more’ always steals away our sense of contentment. Today’s Super Bowl broadcast will showcase some clever advertisements and all of them will try to convince you that you’ll be happier if you buy their product, but will you? Bombarded, how can we find the proper balance through it to a path of happiness?

”The Believers’ Guide to a Happier Life” (part 5) Ephesians 4:26-28 & 31-32 Sermon-”Free at Last!”

For many, our path to a ’happier life’ is littered
with traps from the past. It’s easy to get angry,
and then to become bitter if we allow the past to
stick with us. Today we explore how the Bible
guides us beyond clinging to resentments and into
a transformed life through the amazing grace of
God.

”The Believers’ Guide to a Happier Life” (part 4) Matthew 11:28-29 Sermon-”Running on Empty?”

“Exhausted”, “weary”, “worn out”, “empty”- such are the words that often describe our day-to-day lives. Whether we are physically fatigued or emotionally exhausted (or some combination of both) many constantly feel they are always behind without enough time (or energy) to ever catch up.  Life is intended to be more than weariness.

Perhaps more “rest” is the key to “restoration”, and that is what Jesus offers.

”The Believers’ Guide to a Happier Life” (part 3) Luke 10:25-27 Sermon-”No Man is an Island”

One of the tragic effects of the pandemic of recent years was the heightened sense of isolation.

But the pandemic didn’t create loneliness (for it has been the cultural trend for much of this last generation) and the pandemics conclusion does not by itself fix the problem. There is a deep part of our humanness that requires interaction with others and yet we are prone to pull away. The path to being happier may be found within the community that the Body of Christ is intended to be for us.

”The Believers’ Guide to a Happier Life” (part 2) Philippians 3:10-14 Sermon-”No Regrets”

We love starting a New Year and the fresh start it offers. Unfortunately, we often feel that struggles of the past just follow us into the “New”.  The Bible teaches us to keep our heads up and our eyes forward, but also what to do with the past that sticks with us.

”The Believers’ Guide to a Happier Life” (part 1) Matthew 6:25-34 Sermon-”Breaking the Worry Cycle”

Starting the New Year is filled with hope, but also a good bit of uncertainty of what lies ahead. Anxiousness and worry flourish in uncertain times, and as they grow, our lives do not flourish. A happier life awaits us if we could somehow worry less, but how?