January 25, 2009 PMDavid DawsonIf we are going to become a community of love, we need the virtue of gentleness. Gentleness soothes the grinding gears of conflict. While we may never be able to eliminate conflict, we can approach conflict in a less abrasive way. Again we need to look at the example of Christ who shows us the power of a gentle heart.Audio
January 25, 2009 AMDave MarttunenWe quickly learn that we cannot develop friends unless we are friendly. Our attitude quickly shows others whether or not we are open to meeting and making new friends. The principle holds true to groups as powerfully as it does for individuals. If you don’t want friends, you won’t have any. More than attitude, there are some responsibilities and behaviors that we are given as Kingdom builders in our community. Attitude and action are key elements of our work as Christ’s disciples in Victoria.Audio
January 18, 2009 PMDavid DawsonAs we focus on Better Together in the morning, we will do Together Better in the evening.
Our evening sermon series will be exploring a number of community virtues, godly practices that enhance and build relationships. This first message in the series will focus on humility. Humility is a foundational virtue upon which we build our relationship with God. It is also an essential ingredient in our earthly relationships. Come explore the importance of humility and discover practical ways to cultivate this virtue.Audio
January 18, 2009 AMDave MarttunenFind it hard to believe that love can be reduced to obedience? How is it possible that the Bible bluntly states that love is demonstrated in obedience? “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me” John 14:21, and “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love” John 15:10. Doing what God says produces the results that we say we want and that we were designed to possess. Today Pastor Dave will teach from the Bible in the Series, ‘Better Together’ that Love is a Choice.Audio
January 11, 2009 AMDave MarttunenWhen special or important, people come to dinner we prepare. We prepare ourselves and we prepare our home. Instructions might be given to remind the family of etiquette or proper manners. We might, if necessary, remind the family of what titles to use or not to use, and what topics to avoid, if any, in conversation. Overall, our preparations change us and set us up for outcomes that we would otherwise forfeit. If we are given an invitation to join an important person, that too requires preparation, and it requires a response. If we fail to respond we would be deprived of the
event. And if we refuse to conform to the requirements of the event (like a dress code) we risk being excluded at the door. How would we prepare ourselves, those dependent on us, and our setting, if we knew that God was going to join us at a pre-arranged time because He had an announcement to make about our relationship with Him? Not only did this happen historically in the Exodus of Israel, it is a pattern that God uses for his Church today.Audio / Questions
January 4, 2009 AMDave MarttunenBeing average, seems well, mediocre - less than it could be or should be. But what if average is really good? What is average spiritually means living up to what God wants? Audio / Questions
