Sacrifice is inherent to the life of a believer--not only because we have been redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but also because we are called to surrender our lives to Him in response.  Ephesians 5 tells us to be "imitators of Christ", and nowhere will that be more evidenced than by walking in love.  This isn't just about being kind and gracious.  It becomes powerfully real when it is proven by sacrifice:  Removing sin and impurity that damages us and others, strengthening others in their faith through a Godly example, and speaking the Truth in love even when it's challenging.  These actions are driven by a genuine love to see others know and love Jesus, and live in hope in Him.  Video of this service is available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj-FOMT_ui8

Because salvation is completely based on the amazing sacrifice Christ made, there is a risk that believers will take it for granted and become somewhat ungrateful and fall back in our praise. Hebrews calls us to continually offer a sacrifice of praise...and it does require sacrifice on our part. It begins with being humbled, which Pastor Rhoads personally details from a recent trip to Utah. Experiencing first-hand the principle of God's "righteous right hand" and being awed by His creation brought home the need to praise God for His faithful sufficiency, and the need to sacrifice our fear and self-consciousness. Video of this service is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKLI68J2Buc

The author of Hebrews addressed the problem of Jews who had been delivered from their sin but were falling back into their old ways. Any believer can be inclined to just go with the flow, becoming dull of hearing God's Word and then careless spiritually. When we allow our hearts to be hardened and insensitive, it makes us sluggish and even embarrassed to mature in our walk. So it is vital to be diligent to live according to what the Lord tells us. Video of this service is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtlQ9pWmyuI

It's easy to compartmentalize prayer into requests for help and what we need, or interceding for someone. But there is much more--the gift of being able to abide in God's presence. For the Jewish audience in Hebrews, that was an unfamiliar concept, because the Holy of Holies had only been accessible to the High Priest once a year on the Day of Atonement. But Jesus changed that, opening up the veil to the throne of grace, to anyone who trusts in Him. He then invites His children to come in confidently and boldly. As we consistently abide in His presence, humbly overwhelmed by His glory and grateful for HIs mercy, He will shield and strengthen us.

It is an awesome fact that God has offered every person eternal salvation through Jesus Christ. When we trust in Him, our sins are completely forgiven and cleansed. From that moment on, we are made holy, indwelt by His Holy Spirit, and given us a holy calling to be a holy sacrifice to our Lord. So holiness is the believer's daily standard, and we need a fresh resolve to be zealous about pursuing purity in every area of our lives. This can be done through consecration, a specific action to be pure and prepare ourselves to serve the Lord. Video of this service is available, but due to internet difficulties, only part of the service is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV5PbcdjWg0

The Lord has made Himself known through creation, through His actions and especially through Jesus Christ. So as we ask Him to "shake" us out of fear and spiritual apathy, the first place to be stirred to action is to know Him more fully, and be filled with wisdom and understanding. During a time of widespread confusion and lack of logic, Proverbs says that wisdom cries out to be heard and used to correct what is wrong. For those seeking Truth, God's Word is the foundation for all wisdom, and His commands should be applied to every area of our lives. So we need a renewed hunger to know all of it, not only to strengthen us, but to tell others about the Lord. Video of this service is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBVaRgX4oq8

As we live in these Last Days, the Spirit is calling believers to hear His voice, and be stirred to be bold for Him. But for that to happen, we must first be shaken. The temptation will be to be shaken by how the world is raging against Jesus Christ, similar to what the disciples experienced in Acts 4. But God is in control and Christ has already won victory over the world, so believers need to find fresh confidence in the His power, and present ourselves to Him as bondservants. Because the Lord is ready to "extend His hand" to heal and save, we should ask for His Spirit to shake us and stir us to act. Video of this service is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqGZf0FOf-M

Just as insecurity can do internal damage, it can also be a weapon that harms our relationships--with the Lord and others. King Saul continuously made bad decisions but passed the blame, hurting the nation and even his own family, Looking at the second half of his life brings out five important spiritual principles about obedience. When we trust the Lord fully and do what He says, we will be humbled and see the wisdom of His correction and leading. This will mitigate against selfish thinking and fear, and will prevent us from causing injury in our relationships. Ultimately, we need to be dependent on the Lord, instead of walking in independence. Video of this service is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-x7t5r3s9Y

With the uncertainty, stress and fear in the world, it is easy to think that there is nothing more important than life here on earth. But a believer in Jesus Christ has eternity secured in heaven, which means this is not our home. Our citizenship is in heaven, so in Colossians 3, the apostle Paul urges us to keep seeking what is from above. This means to direct our minds toward Who and what we love, and to prioritize the things of God. Using an analogy of driving at night, there are 6 options for how we can respond in light of this, as the dusk descends on history. Rather than choosing poor substitutes of the world, we're called to set our eyes on our real home. Video of this service is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubGoMCXoUYk

In our battle with insecurity, there are times when our self-focus and weakness become internal weapons that damage our life and relationships. King Saul fell into this trap. Rather than finding confidence and strength in the promise of God to bless him as a leader, Saul hid from the responsibility and made a series of bad decisions. His impatience and impulsiveness revealed that he was working in his own strength and "wisdom", instead of fully relying on the Lord. This fostered a "victim mentality" that ultimately ruined his kingdom. The Lord calls us to something far greater--a life secure in His perfect provision, timing and leading. Video of this service is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtSMXBEstEU