August 30, 2009 PMDavid DawsonAt this point in the book of Acts we see Paul in prison in Judea. It must have been a frustrating time as he was held in prison because of political games despite his clear innocence. Yet Paul finds a way to redeem the time. He lives for the gospel even though he is in chains. Can we learn to glorify God in the place where He has us?Audio
August 30, 2009 AMDave MarttunenExult. Not a common word. It can mean wallow, like a pig in mud, you can sense the pleasure of the beast as it wallows in the mess). It can mean triumph, like a team that scores the wining play and runs exuberantly around the field. And it can mean revel like a wedding reception that celebrates the joy of the marriage. Exult is definitely an experience. It requires the engagement of what we know alongside what we feel and how we express it. Three times Paul tells us that our justification leads us to exult; in hope, in tribulation and in God. Romans 5 is the 9th episode in our summer series entitled, Rooted. Today we will learn how our faith in God’s declaration (our justification) not only reassembles our relationship to Him but creates enthusiastic joy in life experience.Audio
August 23, 2009 AMDave MarttunenThere is a great difference between a dream and a promise. The first is often little more than declared want, a wish, a maybe that is painted bright and lifts the spirit to see the potential of something that possibly could be. Dreams can be little more than a wisp of chance that evaporate quickly in the bright hot sun of reality. Promises however have a different construct. A promise is written in the character of the person who makes it. Weak character makes weak promises. Strong character makes strong promises. The strongest of all promises are made by the strongest of all character. Today we will see how our faith is built on the promise that God makes. The promises of God cannot fail because they are made in the character of God which cannot disappoint.Audio
August 23, 2009 AMDave MarttunenThere is a great difference between a dream and a promise. The first is often little more than declared want, a wish, a maybe that is painted bright and lifts the spirit to see the potential of something that possibly could be. Dreams can be little more than a wisp of chance that evaporate quickly in the bright hot sun of reality. Promises however have a different construct. A promise is written in the character of the person who makes it. Weak character makes weak promises. Strong character makes strong promises. The strongest of all promises are made by the strongest of all character. Today we will see how our faith is built on the promise that God makes. The promises of God cannot fail because they are made in the character of God which cannot disappoint.Audio
August 16, 2009 PMDavid DawsonAt the conclusion of Paul's missionary journeys, he set his path to Jerusalem, feeling compelled by the Spirit to testify there. What is most remarkable is that the Spirit who compelled him also warned him of hardship and imprisonment. Paul's example causes me to reflect on my willingness to follow God in the face of difficulty and challengs.Audio
August 16, 2009 AMDave MarttunenGod stories. All of us love them because they let us hear the account of how God is at work in someone we know. The Bible uses the stories of everyday people to give us a strong worldview; not only 'how and why' things work (or don't work) but also how God is at work in our world. Sometimes God is at work out in front, clear and easy to see. Other times God is at work behind the scenes and we must refocus to see Him. Today, we will hear in Abraham's life how faith in God (believing, trusting, or relying) fits into any person's spirituality.Audio
August 9, 2009 PMDave MarttunenTonight Pastor Dave will mine these chapters as we chart our future as a congregation. David the king had many advantages as the civil war ended and new loyalties formed under his leadership. It was a messy,
joyous, and challenging time. What happens to us when the war is won and the new paradigm of leadership is in place? David’s actions and miscalculations give us opportunity to learn and think about how we will leverage our history, integrate our own mistakes and choose the opportunities at hand for God’s glory.Audio
August 9, 2009 AMDave MarttunenLuther said that the last part of Romans 3 was the very centre of the whole Bible. It is unquestionably a pivot point from which we can see how everything in the Bible is focused on Jesus. In a few packed sentences Paul summarizes how the message of the Bible hangs on the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross of Christ, his planned death, is the place of faith and hope for every Christian. It is in the cross that we see the character of God (his holiness as demonstrated in the law), the wrath of God (his justice), and the mercy of God (his love in action) all meet and meld. Today Pastor Dave
continues his series in Romans titled Rooted with a message from Romans 3 titled “Cover-up”Audio
August 2, 2009 AMDave MarttunenSomeone once said that change in mature organizations is like teaching the elephant to dance. It is not easily done. Changing our minds about the way the world works (worldview), and about our God views (theology), is much like teaching the elephant to dance. We form our views based on our experience and also our ideas. We adopt our ideas through our culture, our family, our experience, and our education (formal and informal). As Paul is teaching us through the Holy Spirit, he is challenging our worldview and helping us to form a distinctly Christian view. Can trying to be good blind us to the source of good being? This is part 5 of "Rooted: A series in Romans".Audio
