“Upon the rock of the Lord Jesus,
we will build our church”
Matthew 16:18
The Answer
The resurrection of Jesus accomplished a lot of different things, one of which was it split history into A.D. and B.C. However, one of the first thing it did was it validated Jesus’ identity. It proved that he was who he claimed to be. Throughout history lots of people claimed to be God. Jesus proved that he was God by letting them put him to death on the cross and then by coming come back to life three days later where he was seen alive by his disciples and over 500 people over the next 40 days.
Jesus also proved, by the resurrection, that there is life after death. That death is not the end of the story. Through his death, burial, and resurrection he gave us a model of how to handle the suffering and pain in life.
1 Peter 2:21: For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered[a] for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
Through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, he modeled what we should do in the worst days of our life. If we follow this model, when we go through the tragedies, the terrible pain filled circumstances, the days of doubt and depression and despair, he will lead us to a place of victory.
Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection happened over three days.
Friday was the day of pain and suffering and agony.
Saturday was the day of loss and grief and confusion and misery.
Sunday was the day of joy, celebration and victory.
In life we’re going to go through all three of those days over and over and over again. Some of you right now are in the day of pain. Some of you right now are in the day of confusion and doubt. You may not have the slightest idea what you’re supposed to do next with. Hopefully you’ll get to the day of joy.
When you go through this cycle of life you will need to answer three fundamental questions. What do I do in my days of pain? How do I get through my days of doubt and confusion? How do I get to my days of victory?
1. What do you do in your days of pain? – Reach out to friends and reach out to God.
2. How do I get through the doubt and confusion? -Remember the promises of God.
3. How do I get to my days of victory? – Rely on the power of Jesus
(Come Easter Sunday to get the entirety of this message)
A Love Worth Giving
This month we will celebrate Valentine’s Day. The origins of the modern Valentine’s Day are mostly legend. Legend has it St. Valentine was a priest who died defending marriage under a Roman emperor opposed to the practice. It is said that one night while performing and illegal marriage ceremony soldiers came and arrested him. He was thrown in jail and sentenced to death.
One day, he received a visit from the daughter of one of the prison guards. Her father allowed her to visit him in his cell and they often sat and talked for hours. She believed
he did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and performing weddings. On the day Valentine was to die, he left her a note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed it, “Love from your Valentine.” That note started the custom of exchanging love notes on Valentine’s Day. It was written on the day he died, February 14, 269 A.D.—a day that was set aside in honor of a man who gave his life for God and for love. Now, every year on this day, people remember Saint Valentine, but most importantly, they think about love.
he did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and performing weddings. On the day Valentine was to die, he left her a note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed it, “Love from your Valentine.” That note started the custom of exchanging love notes on Valentine’s Day. It was written on the day he died, February 14, 269 A.D.—a day that was set aside in honor of a man who gave his life for God and for love. Now, every year on this day, people remember Saint Valentine, but most importantly, they think about love.
My question for you today is—how do we develop and nurture a love worth giving on Valentine’s Day and every day? Here are three things Jesus taught from John 12:9-17.
1. We have to Receive His Love – Verse 9: I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.
Jesus loves us completely, unwaveringly, and unconditionally. Nothing we do can ever separate us from the love he has for us. You can’t earn it. You can’t buy it. You can’t do anything that will cause him to love you more or to love you less. He loves you! Receiving the love of Jesus and living in his love everyday, is the first and most essential step in having a love worth giving.
2. Respond To His Love – Verses 14-15: You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.
It’s one thing to say, “Jesus loves me.” It’s whole other thing to say, “I love Jesus.” Can you say that? Is your love for him reflected in how you live your life? We will never beable to love the people God has put in our lives, if we don’t start by loving God himself. Jesus said that the first and greatest command is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength (Mark 12:29-30).
3. Recycle His Love – Verse 17: This is my command: Love each other.
Once we’ve receive the love of Jesus into our lives and respond to his love, then we’re ready to recycle that love—to share that love with the rest of the world. Jesus was very specific, though, about how we should love people – V. 12: This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.
As we seek to grow in our capacity to love—to have a love truly worth giving—let’s continue to look to the heart of Jesus and learn to love like him.
Debbie and I want to wish all of you a very blessed and happy Valentine’s Day!
(You can hear the entirety of this message preached by Pastor Ralph on February 14, 2016)
Choosing Your Future
It’s hard to believe that 2016 is already here. With a new year comes the pressure to make New Year’s resolutions. The problem with New Year’s resolutions is we usually make them about trivial matter, and not about the most important issues of life. We try to accomplish these resolutions by will power alone. The end result for most of us is by the end of February we run out of willpower. Willpower will get us started, but it usually doesn’t last.
To make lasting changes in life you need more than willpower, you need God’s help. I want us to briefly look at four important resolutions that you can make in your life that will be life-shaping resolutions. If you will make these four resolutions and depend on God to help you, your life will radically improve. Not just this next year but the rest of your life. The rest of your life will become the best of your life. These four resolutions will transform you. They will make your life so much better if you’ll focus on these. They come to us from the life of Moses.
What happens to you in life is not nearly as important as the choices you make. We can’t control what’s going to happen to us in 2016. But we can control how we respond to what happens to us. We make our choices and then our choices make us. Our character is the sum total of your choices. So while you don’t control all the circumstances in your life, you do control your choices. And these are far more important than circumstances.
In Hebrews 11:23-27, we have five verses on the life of Moses that explain the choices he made. The first verse is about the choice his parents made when he was a baby. Then the next four verses are about the choices that Moses made as an adult. If you will make these same choices you will benefit dramatically for the rest of your life.
In this passage there are four verbs. It says by faith Moses refused, Moses chose, Moses regarded, and Moses persevered. When you understand the meaning of these four verbs and their implication for your life today, thousands of years later, it’ll change your life.
Let’s look at these four-life changing choices – resolutions that will improve your life more than anything else if you’ll do what Moses did.
1. Refuse to be Defined By Others – Verse 24
2. Choose short-term pain for long-term gain – Verse 25
3. Choose God’s values, not the world’s – Verse 26
4. Choose to live by faith rather than by fear – Verse 27
We all know that keeping resolutions is a whole lot harder than making them. So if you want to be succeed at keeping these life-shaping resolutions I have two suggestions:
1. Get support – Find a person or a group that encourage you, pray for you and hold you accountable.
2. Ask and expect God to help.
Debbie and I want to wish all of you a very blessed and prosperous new year!
(You can hear the entirety of the message preached by Pastor Ralph on December 27th by going to sermons on our website)
Christmas 2015
To many today, Christmas is just a holiday – a stressful one at that.
It’s a time for buying gifts that didn’t need to be bought out of a budget that couldn’t afford them.
It’s a time for squeezing parties and extra events into a schedule that was already too full.
It’s a time in which many feel rushed and over committed when what they really need is to slow down and enjoy the season.
Christmas should be a time of peace, not of fear and unrest. We fear we may overlook someone on our gift list, or maybe they won’t like what we bought them, or perhaps they will think our gift too cheap. For some, Christmas brings the added tension of bringing together fractured families. Instead of peace, they dread the inevitable conflicts. Yet, Christmas should be a time of peace.
Christmas should be a time of hope. Think about this, Christmas is poised at the end of one year and the beginning of the next – at the crossroads of the past and the future. A previous year, with its blessings and its trials, is gone. A new year looms ahead, full of uncertainty. Yet, here is Christmas – the celebration of a birth that took place over 2000 years ago – a perennial bright spot on our calendars – because God has give us hope. Christmas should be a time of hope.
Christmas should be a time of love centered around the greatest love story ever told – the story of God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Christmas is the story of God’s greatest gift given to meet our greatest need – because God is Love. Christmas should be a time of love.
The Christmas story – a tale retold year after year, yet it never loses its majesty; it never ceases to fill our hearts with wonder. I want you to see three facts – three certainties – that if you will let them find room in your heart today, they will fill this Christmas with peace, hope, and love.
Your Christmas will be forever changed when you realize these three simple truths:
1. God is in control
Our lives offer no surprises, doubts, uncertainties, or fears to God. He is in control. Just as He knew what was happening in Nazareth, he knows what is happening in your home. And He knows just what to say to bring peace into your house this Christmas.
2. God Can
The Christmas story is a story of how God fulfilled His promise to bring hope to a hurting world. It reminds us that God can meet our needs, heal our hurts, and solve our problems. God can fill your Christmas with hope.
3. God Cares
The Christmas story is about how God saw us in our sins – the guilt, the bondage, the corruption, the addictions – all the ways we fall short of God’s standard of perfection, and sent His son anyway.
Instead of despising us, God loved us. Although our sins condemned us, God chose to save us. It was God’s love that compelled Him to send His Son to be born – and, eventually, to die for our sins.
It is our hope that you will remember these thoughts and have a Christmas that is filled with peace, hope and love.
4 Thanksgiving Perspectives
Although Thanksgiving is a secular holiday, it creates a wonderful opportunity to talk to our loved ones about the meaning of gratitude from a biblical perspective. While our secular holiday tends to focus on celebrating lists of things we’re thankful for, the biblical perspective on gratitude is much richer in meaning.
Here are 4 “thanksgiving” perspectives all Christians should have:
1. Christian gratitude is directed to God exclusively.
In a secular sense, the phrase “I’m so grateful that…” is simply the expression of a positive feeling without an acknowledgment of where the blessing originates.
For a Christian, God should always be acknowledged as the source of all we have.
James 1:17: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.
2. Christian gratitude is independent of circumstances.
It’s really easy and quite natural to be grateful when everything is going great. But a grateful response to positive circumstances is only half of the story. Christians are expected to respond with gratitude to everything that happens.
1 Thessalonians 5:18: In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
3. Christian gratitude is a worldview, not a matter of etiquette.
Saying “thank you” has become such a routine reaction in our culture that it’s often an expression of etiquette rather than genuine gratitude. Unfortunately, this can extend to our prayer lives if our gratitude amounts to little more than a polite prayer list of acknowledgments for things going well.
Colossians 3:17: And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
4. Christian gratitude is a response to God’s grace.
In a Thanksgiving sermon from several years ago, Pastor John Piper spoke of the relationship between grace and gratitude in 2 Corinthians 4:15. The Apostle Paul wrote:
“It is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.”
Piper pointed out that you don’t feel much gratitude when you receive a paycheck because you gave your work in exchange. Gratitude generally rises in proportion to how undeserved a gift is. This verse explicitly connects the knowledge of grace – our undeserved gift from God – with the natural outcome of gratitude.
As Piper says beautifully, “Gratitude flourishes in the sphere of grace.”
This Thanksgiving, pray that God would overwhelm you with a profound sense of His grace. Your gratitude will flourish in response.
Remembering Our Roots
America became a free country on July 4, 1776, however, what many may not know – or forget – is that America is also a nation under God founded on Christian principles. This Independence Day, whether you celebrate with family, parades, barbeques, or fireworks, let’s not forget that we are a nation whose foundation is in God.
Our forefathers would hardly recognize our nation today. Over the years the spirit of the world has chipped away at the foundation of our nation. Recent events in our nation have demonstrated just how far we have fallen from the original intent our forefathers had for our nation.
However, it is not too late to change things. It starts with Christians like you and me remembering that we are a nation founded upon the principles of our Christian faith. Let’s remember:
- 54 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were Christians, 27 held theology degrees. Many went on to form Bible societies.
- Samuel Adams, who signed the historic document and writer of the Rights of the Colonists (November 1772), once said, “Just and true liberty, equal and impartial liberty, in matters spiritual and temporal is a thing that all men are clearly entitled to by the eternal and immutable laws of God and nature, as well as by the laws of nations and all well-grounded and municipal laws, which must have their foundation in the former.”
- Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration, also believed “God who gave us life gave us liberty.”
- Two of the Continental Congress’ first actions were to hire military chaplains and to purchase 20,000 Bibles to remedy a national shortage.
- George Washington, the first president of the United States, during his farewell address said, “And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
The conviction that God cannot, and should not be moved from the social and governmental construct of America continues to echo in the voice of the USA’s more recent leaders:
- According to the late Ronald W. Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, “Without God there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the conscience….without God there is a coarsening of the society; without God democracy will not and cannot long endure….If we ever forget that we are one Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under.”
This Independence Day, let’s remember our roots and honor forefathers and everyone who has sacrificed to uphold the principles of our great country by praying for our nation. We have a command to pray in:
1 Timothy 2:1-4: Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Whatever your plans for this 4th of July, enjoy and be blessed!
Pastor Ralph
The Fatherhood Revolution!
We are in the middle of a revolution, a revolution of fatherhood, and a revolution to bring the power of godly leadership and manhood back into the hands of godly fathers.
It’s the cry of our day – men who will stand up and be men in their own homes, men whose focus is not the corporate ladder or the golf course, men whose hearts are turned toward their families.
There is a real deficit in fatherhood in our land. According to one study, the average father spends less than one minute a day of meaningful, uninterrupted time with each of his children. Another study concluded that more than 26 percent of the children in America are living in single-parent homes – the majority with their mothers.
Statistics like this make one thing obvious: The success of a man has been rated by everything except taking on the real responsibility of fatherhood. Some of the most successful businessmen have suffered tragic failure in their families.
Families everywhere are crying out for desperately needed guidance and direction from the dads. In the absence of that input, mothers have been burdened with much of the role of fatherhood. Often, the mom is the only parent who gives any meaningful spiritual input into the family.
Obviously, real fatherhood is much more than just providing financially for the family. Webster’s dictionary tells us fatherhood is “godhood in the paternal aspect.”
The Bible describes the father as one who is to the family what God is to the Body of Christ. Some of the things God is to believers include provider, teacher, guide, comforter, counselor and strengthener. A father is to represent these roles to his family as he imitates and is empowered by the fatherhood of God.
To do this successfully, a real father should look for every opportunity to instill in his children the qualities and values that will help sustain them and direct them to God. He should train them according to the Word of God.
Men of Victory, lets make a commitment to join the Fatherhood Revolution. I applaud those of you that have and pray for those who are challenged in this area to have the courage to start this change today.
God Bless,
Pastor Ralph
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day began in its present form with a special service in May 1907 at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Gafton, West Virginia. A Methodist Laywoman, Anna Jarvis, organized the service to honor her mother who died on May 9, 1905. By 1908 Anna Jarvis was advocating that all mothers be honored on the 2nd Sunday in May.
There is no more influential or powerful role on earth than a mother’s. As significant as political, military, educational, or religious public figures may be, none can compare to the impact made by mothers. Their words are never fully forgotten, and the memory of their presence lasts a lifetime. Abraham Lincoln was right, “No one is poor who had a godly mother.”
Mothers who try to raise their children in a Biblical way fight every obstacle under the sun. The reason for this is because Satan hates mothers! And there is only one reason that Satan hates mothers so much… God Almighty loves and blesses the special nature and character of every precious mother. He endows her with a faith that is unknown in practically any other walk in life! Motherhood is one of the highest and noblest expressions of faith known to man.
Mother’s Day is all about honoring and paying tribute to those precious women who have invested so much in raising their children. We want you to know that we appreciate all you do. May God bless all the mom’s on Mother’s Day!
Who Is Jesus To You?
I don’t know what goes through your mind when you hear the name, “Jesus”. What image comes into your head? Do you think about a painting you’ve seen? Do you see Him as a man on a hillside teaching His followers? Do you see Him on a cross suffering? How do you see Him?
As we celebrate Easter, there is a side of Jesus I want to remind us all of. In our culture today there is an emphasis on the compassionate side of Jesus; and rightly so because He is our compassionate and merciful Savior. But I think we have lost sight of the fact that Easter is really a celebration of His power. In fact, the resurrection of Jesus is the standard of power in the New Testament.
Through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the greatest miracle and the greatest display of power we could ever experience is made available to us. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we can also be born again; we who were dead in our trespasses and sin, He has made alive (Ephesians 2:1). Jesus’ resurrection makes available to all of us God’s power to resurrect a dead sinner to newness of life.
Calvary expresses the love of God while the resurrection expresses the power of God. Resurrection power is available to all of us because what Jesus did for us. The greatest expression of our gratitude is to take the message of the resurrection and share it in power with others. Lets make that our mission this year.
Debbie, I and our Victory staff wish you all a very happy and blessed Easter!
The Church as a Community
I want to share a concept that God has been speaking to my heart about. It centers around the Greek word Koinonia which is translated in the New Testament as communion, association, fellowship, sharing, common, contribution, and partnership. However, none of these words adequately captures what the early Christians meant when they spoke of the Koinonia they had with one another and Christ. Koinonia expressed a relationship of great intimacy and depth.
For one to have fellowship with another Christian in the early Church meant much more than what it means today to many contemporary Christians (i.e., Christians having donuts and coffee together after the Sunday service). Genuine fellowship demonstrates that bond which binds Christians to each other, to Christ and to God. Fellowship is all-inclusive, deep, personal and intimate. The meaning of ‘fellowship’ or ‘communion’ in the New Testament relates to sharing one common life within the body of Christ – spiritual, social, intellectual, economic. No area of life can be excluded.
The Church is not simply a society; it is fellowship in God and with God. Every description of the Church is simply another way of expressing the depth of this fellowship.
Many times, Christians only view the Church as a place where they can get their private spiritual needs met. The Church, however, is foremost to be an environment of love where brethren care about each other. It is a family in communion. Individualism and self-centered independence are not characteristics of God’s Church; they are characteristics of the world outside of Christ. It is love, for God and the people of God that makes the Church community. Loving one another in Community (Church) truly happens when we start to love people whom we know personally. The nature of the Church makes it clear that some kind of relational environment should be the common Christian experience.
I believe that God has called us to Victory so we can experience community together. We are not just a church of individuals; we are a community of believers, a family. We need each other and we need to do life together. Will you commit with me to make Victory more than a church, but a community where all will feel welcomed and loved?
One of the ways you can get connected is to join a community group close to your home and get to know others in your community. This is how we can be a part of Building God’s Community, in today’s world.
