Sermons by Phil Pike

Stand in Awe of God

Date: February 12, 2012

Have you ever noticed how Sunday mornings can be the most frantic time of the week? After rushing to get the kids ready, cleaning up the spilled orange juice, leaving the house late (again) and racing across town just in time for the service to start… the first few songs go by and you realize you haven’t given any thought to God at all. In this fast-paced world it’s easy to allow our worship to become just another event, but God warns us that He despises heartless worship! Today’s message is a reminder of the awesome God we serve, and that we must never allow our worship of Him to be treated casually.

Living Life for the Sake of Others

Date: February 5, 2012

In a world filled with non-stop advertising telling us how to improve OUR finances, OUR career, OUR possessions, OUR lifestyle, etc., it requires constant diligence to remind ourselves that as followers of Christ, this life is NOT about us! The truth is, the more we gather for ourselves, the more enslaved we become. Real life and freedom can only be found when we give our lives away. So how do we rise above this temptation to live for ourselves and answer the call of Christ to live for the sake of others?

Trusting God in the Hard Seasons of Life

Date: January 29, 2012

We all go through many different seasons in life. Some seasons bring laughter and comfort, while other seasons bring sorrow and pain. It is natural for us to pray and ask God to get us out of the difficult seasons as quickly as possible… but when we do, we fail to realize this vital principle: Whenever we choose to change God’s timing, we’re choosing to depart from God’s plan. Does God have you in a season of life right now that you wish He would hurry up and get you out of? If so, we pray that this message will be a great encouragement to you!

Choose Carefully What You Chase After in Life

Date: January 22, 2012

What do you think the richest, most popular, most successful man in history might say about life when he reached the end? The fact is, we don’t have to wonder… we can know exactly what he said by reading the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon had it all. He spared himself no pleasure and denied himself nothing his eyes saw. Yet he reached the end and summed it up by saying that he hated life, and all his pursuits were meaningless. Are the things you’re chasing after going to matter in eternity, or will they run through your fingers like sand?

Does Life Feel Like an Endless Cycle?

Date: January 15, 2012

Someone once said, “I climbed the ladder of success, only to find when I reached the top that it was leaning against the wrong wall.” How sad it would be to live your entire life chasing things that didn’t matter in the end. The truth is, we’re all pursuing something. How can we be sure the things we’re pursuing will matter in eternity, or whether they will slip through our fingers like sand when life is over? Join us as we explore these questions, and many more, to make sure we’re living the life God intended!

Will You Finish What You Start This Year?

Date: January 1, 2012

It’s easier to start something than it is to finish it… It’s easier to get married than to stay married. It’s easier to have children than to raise children. It’s easier to start school than to finish school. And most dangerous of all, it’s easier to receive Jesus as Savior than it is to follow Him all the days of your life as Lord. One thing is sure… this year you will be tempted to quit something you shouldn’t quit. Will you be prepared to use Christ as your example to press through those times as He pressed through for you?

The Hope that Christmas Brings

Date: December 18, 2011

The coming of Jesus into the world has had an unmistakable, undeniable impact on history… but has His coming affected you personally in any way? It is only because He came that life can have true meaning and purpose beyond the routine of the daily grind. Because He came, we can have lasting peace even in a world of turmoil. Because He came, we can receive complete forgiveness of our sins and have a personal relationship with God. No greater Gift has ever been given. Have you allowed this Gift to change your life?

What Child is This?

Date: December 11, 2011

Millions of people celebrate Christmas as just another holiday, with no acknowledgement of the very One Christmas is about. They see Christmas cards with a little baby on the front, but never stop long enough to ask, “What child is this?” But the truth is, this child cannot be ignored. His birth was unlike the birth of any other baby in history. His life has impacted the entire world like no other, and it forces all of us, sooner or later, to answer the question, “What child is this?”… and more importantly, “What decision have I made about Him?”

Being Thankful in All Circumstances

Date: November 27, 2011

We have been blessed with so much and have been given so much by God that we have come to expect it. We don’t really see our blessings as “blessings” anymore… we see them as the “normal” standard of life. Therefore, when anything in our life is taken away, we grumble and feel like we’re truly suffering, and we sometimes even get angry at God. If there is anything in your life that you are struggling to give thanks for, today’s message will help reset the benchmark on what true thanksgiving really is.

Are You Living Life With the End in View?

Date: November 6, 2011

Life is busy. In the rush of work, school, raising children, paying bills, making plans… when is the last time you thought about heaven? It is so easy for us to get swamped under the demands and pursuits of this life, that all our attention and energy becomes focused entirely on earthly things. As followers of Christ, we must intentionally allow the reality of eternity to impact the way we live our lives today. Rather than getting wrapped up in the things of this world, we must have the wisdom to live life with the end in view!

We Can’t Choose Who to Love

Date: October 30, 2011

Throughout history, people have always tried to relax the demands of God on their lives. Jesus said, “Forgive others,” and Peter asked, “How many times?” Jesus said, “Love your neighbor,” and the lawyer quickly replied, “Who is my neighbor?”… just to make sure he didn’t go to the trouble of loving anyone he absolutely didn’t have to. But because of the Gospel, we cannot choose who we want to love and who we don’t. We are all equal sinners in God’s eyes, and because of this, we can never again look down on anyone else.

You Are a Letter That Others Are Reading

Date: October 23, 2011

Too often we think that sharing the Gospel means nervously giving a cold, rehearsed presentation to people who don’t know Christ. However, the message we are called to share is not a script that we memorize… the message is our lives! The Bible calls us to be “living letters” that others can read. As we live consistently for Christ each day, those around us will see how the Gospel has transformed us, and then our words will have credibility as we speak about our Savior. Today’s message gives some practical advice for doing just that.