New Life Community Church, Atwater, CA

“By Any Means” (Exploring the Book of Numbers #6) Numbers 22

Of all the strange stories contained in the Book of Numbers, story of Balaam takes the cake!  That it features a talking donkey is just the beginning of the strangeness, but  beneath it all is a powerful message Israel needed to know and we need to hear.  How do we respond when things don’t go our way?  Frustration?  Resignation? Anger?  How about looking for what God is doing amid our discomfort, and choosing to trust his plans for us?

“Our Only Hope” Lessons from the Wilderness Numbers 21:4-9

Actions have consequences. We live in a cause and effect world, yet Grace is when God intervenes. After Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, they spent 40 years in the wilderness before finally entering the Promised Land. During this time God revealed his graceful nature to them, a pattern Jesus recasts for each of us today. There is good news for the wanderer wondering if salvation is possible, it is, Jesus is our only Hope. 

“How Do We See Things?” Lessons from the Wilderness Numbers 13

The children of Israel were on the verge of entering the Promise Land. God chose 12 leaders from the 12 tribes, even though God already knew what was in the Promise Land. He wanted the children of Israel to see something or comprehend something. There was something He wanted to do in the hearts of the people. Here we are going to find out that there are all kinds of perspectives in life. How do you see things? How do we choose God’s perspective? There is my way, and there is God’s way! 

“Words that Hurt” Lessons from the Wilderness ( Numbers 12

After Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, they spent 40 years in the wilderness before finally entering the Promised Land. The Book of Numbers tells the story of most of those 40 years spent wandering. Despite receiving God’s leading and provision during this time, factions, critical words, rumors and gossip still posed a threat to community. We must be mindful of the way words can either build up or tear down the work that God is up to. 

“The Healthy Heart Diet” Lessons from the Wilderness Numbers 11

After Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, they spent 40 years in the wilderness before finally entering the Promised Land. The Book of Numbers tells the story of most of those 40 years spent wandering. One of the stories reveals some- thing that runs deep in all of us, our propensity to complain. It seems simply a part of our human nature, but todays story points to the dangers that patterns of complaining present to our faith and our emotional health. 

“Are We There Yet?” Lessons from the Wilderness

After Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, they spent 40 years in the wilderness before finally entering the Promised Land. The Book of Numbers tells the story of most of those 40 years spent wandering. Much of the story is unfamiliar to us, some aspects seem very strange to our modern minds, yet there are many important lessons contained in its pages for a people learning to trust God in strange times. Today we’ll consider how to know God’s direction for us when everything around us is unfamiliar. 

“Pray or be prey” 1 Peter 5:8-11

Peter concludes his letter to the church with both a final warning and reason for hope. We are living in dangerous times. This world we live in is treacherous, but the spiritual world around us is even more so. Peter wraps up with a call to be alert and prepared so the enemy will not take you down. 

“Becoming Small” 1 Peter 5:1-7

We live in anxious times. Relationships in the church family and in the world around us are fraught with potential conflict. Peter invites us to a path through conflict and uncertainty toward unity and calm with one key attribute: humility. What is humility and how can it be the antidote to much of the stress we carry? 

“We Are Essential” Matthew 28:19-20

We are essential, and we have been given the same mission that Jesus had. Yes, the church has come to a halt. The methods of spreading the Gospel has changed. But the Gospel message of Jesus is still the same. Helping people get into heaven is the greatest act of mercy you can do. Are you willing to step out in faith and let Jesus guide? 

“Pandemic Re-Set” 1 Peter 4:7-11

Living through such weird times is a challenge, thriving amidst the constant changes seems impossible. We are befuddled by the conflicted information all around us, often to the point we’d rather just sit this one out, but we can’t. Because both of the following are true: you are not an accident; and our present circumstance has not taken God by surprise; we can be assured that we were created for just such a time as this! Perhaps we simply need to re-set and be the church that the world needs now.