New Life Community Church, Atwater, CA

New Series: Joseph– Braving the ups and downs of Life #5 How Joseph saved the world! Genesis 41

Just when he thought all hope was gone, Joseph goes from prisoner to prince!  Although his status changes, the story is yet far from over. It is so easy as we slog through challenging times to become embittered, depressed, or checked out, but then we can miss it when God moves to open a door. We, like Joseph, must not allow our circumstances to define us, but rather trust in who God says we are.

Joseph– Braving the ups and downs of Life #4 Forgotten, Not Forsaken Genesis 40

Stuck! Things are just not working out. Any glimmer of hope seems to get worn down or snuffed out. One begins to question if there is any light at the end of the tunnel? Joseph’s prison experience must have shouted, “This is all there is and all there ever will be!” So the question today is: How can we maintain hope in the midst of “the ongoing and unresolved”?

New Series: Joseph– Braving the ups and downs of Life #3 “Never Alone” Genesis 39

Insecure. No matter how much we yearn for control, we do not have ultimate power over our circumstances. Many of our best attempts to deal with this uncertainty only make matters worse.  Amidst the ups and downs of Joseph’s story we see the one constant, which is also our only hope regardless of if we are riding high or free-falling in life.

New Series: Joseph– Braving the ups and downs of Life #2 Genesis 37

NThe story of Joseph begins with dysfunctional family dynamics that set the stage for hurt feelings & deep divisions resulting in the devastation of the family torn apart & many lives turned upside down. Far from perfect role models, Jacob’s family (and Joseph himself) get off to a rocky start. Is there hope when feelings are hurt?  What can we do when bitterness takes root in us?

New Series: Joseph– Braving the ups and downs of Life #1 Genesis 50:15-21

The Bible characters revealed in the Book of Genesis are not super-heroes conquering stress-free lives. Rather, the characters are surprisingly flawed and deal with challenges that are very relatable. Joseph, the last of the main characters in the Book of Genesis, is no different.  His life is a roller coaster of ups and downs, of twists and turns, filled with brilliant successes but also devastating losses. Let’s explore together this story of past faithfulness to discover the help required to brave the ups and downs of life.

Going for Gold #2 Getting Past the Past Philippians 3:13-14

The Olympic games have entertained and inspired many of us these past weeks; be it the pageantry of the world’s best coming together, the drama of competition, or just the amazing level of skill/talent/dedication on display. But what if the challenges had been too great, or the obstacles too difficult? On numerous occasions the Apostle Paul used lessons from the field of athletics to convey spiritual truths to be applied to our lives. Today we consider His invitation to overcome the hurts of our past to pursue God’s best for us today.

Walking the Talk: Examining Your Faith Matthew 7:21-27

Today we will explore Matthew 7:21-27, reflecting on the importance of examining our walk with Christ. Discover how building our lives on His teachings leads to a strong, unshakable foundation.

New Series: “Going for Gold” #1 “Living to Win” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

On numerous occasions the Apostle Paul used lessons from the field of athletics to convey spiritual truths to be applied to our lives. As the world pauses to celebrate the best in the world of sports in the coming weeks, we’ll pause to discover how we too are invited to raise our game, to understand what is the prize worth striving for and to go for gold in life!

Summer-time Series: “The Bible Doesn’t Say That!” (part 7 of 7) The Higher Ways Isaiah 55:8-9

The Bible is filled with amazing truths to help guide our lives. We also often hear phrases that we think are from the Bible, but in fact are not and they may or may not pass the “truth-test”. Today we conclude the series & look at the phrase “God moves in mysterious ways”. Again, this saying is not in the Bible, but is it true?

Summer-time Series: “The Bible Doesn’t Say That!” (part 6 of 7) Are All Things Possible? Matthew 19:23-26

The Bible is filled with amazing truths to help guide our lives. We also often hear phrases that we think are from the Bible, but in fact are not and they may or may not pass the “truth-test”. Today we look at the phrase “All things are possible for those who believe”. While it is close to what the Bible says, without the context surrounding the phrase, it can lead to a serious misunderstanding. It is important to know where to look when we are confronted by an impossible situation.