Restoration Community Church

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church begins a new series looking at the church of Jesus Christ. This week he addresses the definition of the church. What is it? Is it merely the building we have our worship services in? Is it an event we attend? Or is it something more?

Passages: 1 Corinthians 3:10-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Hebrews 10:23-25

Mike Matthews, associate pastor of Evangel Community Church, fills the pulpit. Mike shares the secret of contentment. In the words of Elizabeth Elliot, "the secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances."

Passage: Philippians 4:10-13

Dennis Allan, co-pastor of Garden City Church, fills the pulpit. Dennis walked us through what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. He compares the stories of Jesus in the synagogue in Capernaum with his hometown of Nazareth.

Passage: Mark 6:1-6

Shaq Hager, co-pastor of Garden City Church, fills the pulpit. Shaq walked us through the psalm of lament (Ps 44) which occurs right after a military defeat. Shaq encouraged us that while we may not know what God is doing in our present circumstances, the past points to his enduring faithfulness which gives us hope for his continued work in the future.

Passage: Psalm 44

Mike Matthews, Associate Pastor at Evangel Community Church in New Castle, fills the pulpit. He shared from his own experience of disability to provide insight into our suffering. Faithfulness in times of suffering is for the glory of God or our own character development in Christ.

Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:7-10

Dave Bindewald fills the pulpit, providing a compelling look at the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus did come to save sins, but the restorative light of God goes far beyond merely the problem of sin.

Passages: Luke 4:16-22; Mark 1:40-45; Genesis 3:15

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church continues our walk through the narrative portions of Scripture. This week is part 2 of the flood narrative (Gen. 9). In this segment we look at the parallels between the first few verses of chapter 9 and the creation mandate (Genesis 1:28-30), the sign of the covenant with God (the rainbow), and some family drama.

Passages: Genesis 9:1-29; Genesis 1:28-30; Romans 8:19-21; Genesis 10:15-19; Deuteronomy 7:1

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church continues our walk through the narrative portions of Scripture. This week is part 1 of the flood narrative (Gen. 6-9). He looks at why God destroyed humanity in the flood, why Noah and his family were spared, and some other contemporary literature with the flood account.

Passages: Genesis 6:1-12; 7:11-12; 8:1

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church continues our walk through the narrative portions of Scripture. This week he looks at the conflict between Cain and Abel. In this story we see the continued descent of humanity, and an example of one of the seven deadly sins (wrath) manifest in Cain. While we may not have stooped to Cain's level, where do we see our own culpability for sin and brokenness in the world.

Passages: Genesis 4:1-16, 25-26; 1 Peter 5:8; Hebrew 12:24

Pastor Chris Ansell of Restoration Community Church continues our walk through the narrative portions of Scripture. This week he looks at the fall, the time when Adam and Eve followed their own desires instead of God's direction and sin entered the world.

Passages: Genesis 3:1-24