This past Sunday was CHRISTMAS SUNDAY! We had amazing music, interesting video drama and a Christmas message on one of the most unexpected elements of the story–the magi. They were late for Christmas, started a journey when they didn’t know where they were going, they were polytheistic astrologers, and still they found Jesus. The lesson from the Magi? It’s never … Read More
Can’t Jesus and Santa Just Get Along?
I remember thinking it was odd when my parents and I moved from a more culturally and theologically liberal, mainline Protestant church to a more conservative, Pentecostal one. I met people who thought Santa was appalling. They wouldn’t say his name. Some of them would say things like, “You know his name has all the same letters as ‘Satan’.”Others went … Read More
The Unexpected Christmas–Joseph
The Christmas story is filled with all kinds of unexpected turns. It begins in Matthew with what happened to Joseph in the birth of Jesus. He wasn’t asked, wasn’t consulted. The woman he loved was suddenly pregnant with a child that he knew wasn’t his. That’s Joseph’s story. Broken dreams, shattered plans. Sometimes your story might go in a similar … Read More
December at First Assembly Community Ministries!
WOW! A lot is happening at First Assembly this December! That’s because this is a natural window in our culture for reaching out to people with the good news of Jesus Christ! Between the music, the powerful Christmas story and fun festivities, December is a great time of celebration and reaching new people in our community. Because there is so … Read More
Heart Matters–Love
Well, this series had a lot to consider. What’s in our heart matters. Perhaps the most important thing to find in our hearts is love like God loves. God loves first. God loves in a way that sacrifices. God’s love changes the way we see everything and everyone. That’s what this message is about, and it’s all based on John … Read More
December 2014 Series: The Unexpected Christmas
December is here again, and with it we will be focusing on the “unexpected” nature of the holiday and the coming of Christ. Beyond the fact that Christmas often involved receiving gifts that are surprises, there are a number of characters in the Christmas narratives that also receive unexpected things at Christ’s coming. Jesus himself is unexpected! It all starts … Read More
Free*–The Enemy Who Steals Freedom
The devil is working against you and me. He wants to do everything he can to steal our freedom and bind us up. Check out this message for an understanding of how the enemy works against and how to tear down spiritual strongholds. The New Testament can’t be read without taking seriously this element of spiritual powers that are out … Read More
UNITED: Jesus’ Prayer for Us
This past Sunday’s message focused on John 17:20-23 and Ephesians 4:1-6. Jesus spent time in his final season of prayer before his betrayal praying for the unity of his people and pointed to the power that comes when his followers are unified. Take some time to listen to the message in the video below and thinking about how you might … Read More
Real Men Real Women–Matthew
Last Sunday was the last message of this series, and it focused on Matthew, the tax-collecting follower of Jesus who threw a party with his friends and Jesus and his disciples. Check out the message below that presents a very practical way to bring unbelieving friends into an encounter with the followers of Jesus–the Matthew Party! You can learn more … Read More
COME
Check out this message on Jesus’ increasingly demanding calls to “Come”. Sometimes it’s easy to miss the scope and demand of Jesus’ invitation to come after him. To learn more about First Assembly Community Ministries in Lafayette, Indiana, click here or like us on Facebook by clicking here.