Pastor Nathan Gagne compares begins the "Anthems" series in which he will compare current chart toppers to Psalms with the song "It Ain't Me" by Selena Gomez & Kygo. The song talks about break ups & how the one person in the relationship will no longer be around for their ex-partner to depend on. Pastor Nate reads from Psalm 23's famous lines, "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me." Pastor Nate reiterates that God will never leave or forsake us like others, even those who are committed to us in some of the strongest bonds humans can make, sometimes do.
Shamrock Sunday
UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock shares his story pre-wrestling & UFC fame. Ken reiterates that although you can come from a difficult background, one in which you've never looked for God, He can find you wherever you are.
Father's Day
Pastor Chris Pike talks about his experience as a dad; relating the three most important factors in a dad to the three parts of God. A good dad is a good father like God the Father, a good husband like Jesus is to the church, and a good provider like the Holy Spirit Who grants us blessings and provides for our needs.
From a Friendly Church to a Church of Friendships
Pastor Nathan Gagne reads from John 4 in which Jesus commands us to love one another. In this stand alone message, he stresses the importance of not merely being a "friendly" church, but of being a church full of friends who love each other. The trick is not simply to be friends, but to always be accepting of more friendship possibilities. As the mighty Redwoods stay aloft due to their interlocking root systems, so should church-goers intertwine to help hold each other up in the faith and in life in general.
I Am: Week 7
In the final installment of the I Am series, Pastor Nathan Gagne revisits John 11 in which Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Jesus proves His power is greater than the religious customs or cultural superstitions of the time by choosing to return long after Lazarus had died; knowing that no one would believe He could perform a miracle so great. Pastor Nate reiterates the importance of persistence in prayer as Jesus' delay is not His decision. He may be attempting to grow your faith in the prayers which seemingly go unanswered just as He was for Lazarus' sisters Mary and Martha in delaying His arrival at their brother's sickbed.
I Am: Week 6
Pastor Nathan Gagne examines the statement Jesus made right before His betrayal & subsequent death, that He is the true vine; meaning that any pruning of areas in our lives will be worth it to bear the fruit of His spirit.
I Am: Week 5
Jesus describes Himself as the way, the truth & the life, reiterating that no one comes to the Father but through Him. In this installment of the "I Am" series, pastor Nathan Gagne illustrates this point by describing the fact that Jesus isn't simply a way to God, a piece of truth or a way of life but that He is the embodiment of all.
I Am: Week 4
Pastor Nathan Gagne reiterates the words of Jesus, in regard to Himself, "I Am the Good Shepherd". The good shepherd knows His flock, cares for His flock during attacks from predators & cares for them when they are sick or injured. Jesus compares the contemporary religious leaders to hired hands who would flee at the first sign of danger as they are only tending the sheep for a pay check & do not truly care about them.
I Am: Week 3
In the third week of the I Am series, Pastor Nate examine Jesus' statement in John 10; "I Am the door". Jesus relates Himself to the shepherd whom all the true sheep will follow. not coming to the call of strangers or thieves. Through this statement, He is revealing a truth about the religious leaders of the time; who doubted & discredited Him at every turn. Jesus makes this statement to help us understand that He is the only way to heaven, but just as the sheep commons of His time, all are welcome to enter.
I Am: Week 2
Pastor Andrew Zemianek identifies a passage in John 8 where Jesus identifies Himself as the Light of the World. Pastor Andrew goes on to define three characteristics of Jesus as light; how light reveals, how light purifies & how light leads. If we allow Him to, Jesus reveals the things in our lives which we should ask Him to change, He then purifies us of these things & finally He leads us to a better way of life.
I Am: Week 1
In the series, "I Am", Pastor Nathan Gagne examines the 'I Am' statements of Jesus. First, he examines the miracle of feeding the 5,000 and how they subsequently left following the miracle. Following God only for the benefits He gives shows not only a lack of faith, but makes one susceptible to walking away when they don't receive what they pray for. Following God will not always be easy, however, He will always love and never forsake any who seek to follow. As Simon Peter says in John 6 when asked by Jesus if the 12 would leave along with the 5,000; "To whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life."
Easter is Good News
Pastor Nathan Gagne talks about God's redemption of our lives through His sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Because of this sacrifice, we have been forgiven and have no need to fear God's punishment. So although Jesus died, in doing so He not only took our sins but defeated death when He rose again.
Care About an Empty Chair
The empty chairs within the two services signify one more person who could hear the good news of Jesus. It is important to make sure there is room to invite people, but we should not take this as an opportunity to get comfortable. We should always take stock of those empty chairs and continue to share our testimonies to try to fill them.
Harvest
In this stand alone message, Pastor Nathan Gagne shares John 4:35 & gives 3 accompanying biblical examples of those who were ready for the harvest when God sent His appointed people to them. As opposed to meditating over what you perceive as failures regarding sharing your testimony or inviting others to explore Jesus, don't be discouraged & keep moving on to invite others. As John 4:35 says, the fields are ready for harvest; chances are, there are many others who would be open to exploring Jesus.
Spring Training: Week 3
In the conclusion of the Spring Training series, Pastor Nate discusses the analogy between finding a godly man and a 5-tool player in baseball. It is important to evaluate your relationship or potential relationship options along biblical lines; do they attend church? Do they serve? Do they give?
Spring Training: Week 2
In week two of Spring Training, Pastor Nate talks about the different qualities important when selecting a diamond, how to treat a diamond and that the most important thing in any relationship is to continually serve God.
Spring Training: Week 1
Our culture says that anything goes in dating relationships. In the series Spring Training, Pastor Nathan Gagne talks about what the bible says about relationships at all stages; whether dating or marriage, and having the type of intimacy that fits the current stage of your relationship. In this first week, he talks about being single or being in a pre-marriage relationship and what that looks like from a biblical perspective.
How Do We Hear God's Voice?
In the Groundhog Day series, Pastor Nathan Gagne spoke about how to keep yourself from repeating the same mistakes. In this stand alone message, Pastor Chris Pike expands upon that idea utilizing the book "Frequency: Tune In. Hear God." by Robert Morris. God wants to speak to us, but often times we're unable to hear Him due to the fact that we're drowning Him out with our own noise and all the negative feedback around us.
Groundhog Day - Week 4
Fixing your eyes on the Lord is the only way to break the strongholds keeping you from truly living. Being responsive to God's prompting and taking time to talk with Him through prayer is paramount to stopping the cycle of mistakes and beginning a new life walking in God's promises.
Groundhog Day - Week 3
Removing physical temptations as well as removing yourself from tempting situations can help you to align with rather than stray from God's plans for your life.