On that first Christmas night so many years ago the angels promised the shepherds that Jesus’ birth meant "peace to all upon whom God’s favor rests”. But what does that mean? What, in this war torn world does “peace” really mean? And who exactly is it that God’s favor rests upon? These are some of the questions we will dig into in the message today. Join us!
Have you ever pondered what was the motivation for the Wise Men to actually follow that bright star they saw in the sky? It was no small journey to go and worship the King of Kings. Although our traditional nativity sets tell a different story, the Wise Men didn’t actually arrive on the night of Jesus birth - that’s just when they started following the star. They didn’t actually arrive to worship Christ until he was about two years old. I know many of us travel long distances at Christmas time, but a two year journey! What could so motivate these men to make this trek? I suspect, as we read about them in Matthew 2, we will discover that deep down we are all seeking the same thing - joy.
An amazing aspect of the Christmas story is that Jesus birth was long foretold by the Hebrew prophets of old. Thousands of years Jesus birth, life and even his manner of death and resurrection was an aspect of prophecy. Truly, amazing! Join us today as we discuss the awe-inducing truth that to understand these proclamations of the future to merely be prophesy is to misunderstand them - for they were much more than just telling us what would come to be. These prophesy were promises to give people living in a messy world hope. A hope of a God who loves them and who redeems them. A hope that has meaning for us even today.
Join us for a guest sermon from Rev. Chris Cummings.
God has often called his people to big and challenging tasks. Yet he promises to all who faithfully follow, he will remain ever present. Ours is a God who speaks plainly; following Jesus means giving up our lives (to Him) in order to save them (by Him). Today’s sermon is a bit of straight talk about the life of our church. All are welcome to listen in, but this is a discussion primarily aimed at our online and on campus congregations who consider First Baptist Port Angeles to be their home church. If you’re a guest with us, or just checking us out, please feel free to join us, you’ll learn a lot about how it is we strive to serve Jesus faithfully.
Have you ever run across someone who is blind to their own stumbling blocks? It is often the case that what trips us up are things right in front of us, things we just don’t see. In Matthew 6 Jesus points out to us one of the most common stumbling blocks common to man. Can you guess what it may be? Join us and find out if you’re right.
Jesus’ teaches his followers that we are to 'love our enemies' and to ‘pray for those who persecute us’. As followers of Jesus, who take scripture seriously, how are we to live out such an exhortation in times of war? Join us as Pastor Tim takes a closer look at this command of Christ within the context of the war currently waging between Israel and Hamas.
See also this video of a Kindergarten Graduation in Gaza from the Middle East Media Research Institute.
As any athlete can affirm, even at the highest level of sport it is imperative that there is regular review of the ‘fundamentals’. Today we discuss one of the fundamental elements of church, our purpose. Living a Christ centered life is foundational to who we are as believers, so why does our faith slip into a “me-focused” practice? This is more than merely an important question, it is essential.
As a satirical counterpoint to today’s message, see this humorous video, “It’s All About Me,” which Pastor Tim references in the sermon.
Guest minister, Rev. Bruce Cook, shows us how God enables his faithful people to endure in times of trouble by looking at the life of Joseph.
God has often used the young to carry forward His great purposes in the world. Yet our culture regularly diminishes and disbelieves in our youth. How might God use his church to change this?
John 3:16 tells us that "God so love the WORLD that he gave his only begotten Son…” But do we really live as if we believe this is true? Or have we divided ourselves into “us” and “them”. How does God address this cultural illness and what is the cure? Join us, and learn what Scripture has to say on the subject.
Western culture teaches us that not only should we always trust our feelings, but that our feelings define reality. But is this true, or is it possible that sometimes our emotions can lead us astray? And just what does scripture have to say on the subject?
Both the left and right of our political powers agree that something is wrong with how Western Culture is handling our anxiety crisis. Scripture reveals that working through the stresses of life within the hope of faith is the best way forward. Join us today as we discuss how God designed us to walk with us through even the most challenging aspects of life.
“God matters most, but people matter to God”. This quote by Professor Michael Defazio sums up the main purpose of this final chapter of Romans. To read this chapter merely as a list of names is more than just a misreading of the final chapter, it is to miss the point of the whole letter. Throughout Romans Paul has called for unity within the church, founded upon God’s love. Romans 16 proves to us that Paul practices what he preaches.
In chapters 15 and 16 Paul brings his letter to the Romans to its completion. He urges the church to be unified so that together we can praise and serve the King of Kings. The unity Jesus calls for is one that crosses cultural and ethnic barriers, it is one that demands forgiveness, repentance, and grace. It requires relinquishing “rights” so as to pursue peace. It is not a journey for the faint of heart, and indeed, can only be accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit, which Christ as our example.
Paul challenges the Roman church to address several issues specific to its effective ministry and representation of the Gospel. One commentator has described this section of scripture as “How to (not) hurt the church”. Join us as we learn more about being the people of God that Christ empowers us to become.
Paul courageously addresses a fractured church, struggling with both internal strife as well as opposition from the state authorities. In chapter 12 Paul presented an unpopular proclamation: as far as it is up to you, live in peace with everyone. In chapter 13 he will push that even further, including obedience to the ruling authorities of government. The reason for this humble position? Because we, as followers of Christ, are to be known by our love - love within the church, love expressed to those outside the church, and even love for our enemies.
We begin today our study on the “How to” section of Romans. Paul has spent the previous 11 chapters discussing the heady theology of the Gospel, but it is here in chapter 12 that he breaks down the pragmatics of what it all means. How do we, in fact, live as the Body of Christ? Spoiler alert: As with every human relationship, the key components are cooperation and forgiveness. Join us as we discover how it is that we are to live as Christ’s representatives here on earth.
Have you ever found yourself searching so earnestly for something that you failed to see when it was right in front of you? Paul tells us that is exactly what we do when we seek to win God’s acceptance by living the “perfect” life. Ultimately we end up failing to see his grace has been in front of us the whole time. Come and join us as we together we receive the hope and love of Christ he has freely offered to all.
NOTE: Due to a YouTube glitch, the date on the sermon shows as July 16, but this page links to the July 23 sermon.
Paul presents a challenging message to the Christian community in Rome. He highlights the importance of hearing afresh the Word of God in well known scripture passages. The person of Jesus, along with the miracles of his death and resurrection, brought forward a new hope for the world and a new understanding to even the most familiar passages of the Old Testament. All of scripture must now be read in light of Jesus and His Truth.
