Israel was held captive in Egypt for 430 years. When God removed His people from Egypt, He needed to get the Egypt out of His people, so He gave them the Ten Commandments as a way to set them apart from the rest of the world as His holy people. The second commandment is written to teach us how to not reduce God. It's not concerned with worshipping false gods; it’s concerned with worshipping the One true God falsely. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches from Exodus 20:4-6 on how our thoughts about God determine our worship of God.
Today we’re kicking off a brand new sermon series on the Ten Commandments. You may or may not know that the Ten Commandments are found in two places in the Bible. Exodus 20 tells how they were originally given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Then in Deuteronomy 5, Moses repeats them for the Israelites before they enter the Promise Land. Many people view the Ten Commandments as something negative. We think if we break just one we’re going straight to hell. God gave us these commands as a way to protect us. They weren’t given to enslave us but to enrich us. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches from Exodus 20:1-3 on how we put God first because of who He is and what He has done.
Looking back, the last year served as a magnifying glass and helped many people re-evaluate the focus of their life and how they spend their time. Think about your life . How did it change? The thesis statement for today is: Your calendar, the apps on your phone, and your bank statement reveal what is most important to you. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches us about how our time and resources show what we value most.
The letter to the church in Philippi has strengthened believers for centuries by encouraging godly people living in crooked times. It also encourages the Church to find contentment in Christ in all areas of life. That means leaving jealousy, covetousness, and greed behind. Philippians sets a model for us to be generous with our resources and focus on Kingdom advancement. As Paul concludes the letter we are drawn back to its introduction and being a people full of grace. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches from Philippians 4:10-23 on being the church that God uses.
Paul begins to close his letter to the Philippians with some very practical exhortations. He encourages those who are at odds to iron out their differences and make up, and he encourages those who may be fretting and worried to give up their anxiety. Both the call to live at peace with others and the call to have inner peace are rooted in one thing - taking an unchanging grip on the unchanging life of Jesus Christ within us. Listen in as guest speaker, Joey Ross, teaches that only in God's presence is true peace is made possible.
As we read the book of Philippians we see that Paul hasn’t attained the highest spiritual position possible, but he continues to follow hard after Jesus. He reminds us that the Christian life requires the exertion of running hard after godliness. Paul exhorts believers to keep their focus heavenward. He encourages them to seek the Lord for clarification in their spiritual walk. Paul constantly pointed people to Jesus, but more importantly, he knew how to live a godly life on earth while focusing on his citizenship in heaven. His example encourages us to allow God to renew our thinking here on earth. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches from Philippians 3:15-21 on keeping our focus heavenward.
Paul’s life is interesting because he chose to persecute, and even kill Christians. He had a very religious past, but when he met Jesus his life radically changed (see Acts 9). Paul starts Philippians 3 with what seems like the ending of the letter, but he is actually continuing his thoughts on being joyful. Paul used this opportunity to teach the church about false teachers. He longed for the church to know the truth of God. This meant leaving the good things of their life behind so they could grow in their faith. In these verses Paul teaches about the downfall of works-based righteousness versus the benefits of faith-based righteousness and following Christ. Listen in as Pastor Neal teaches on Philippians 3:1-14. We’re going to see that knowing Christ is the one thing that is worth everything
In honor of Mother's Day, during today's sermon Pastor Neal interviews three moms from Coastline about the joys and struggles of motherhood and how their faith helps them through it all. Watch and listen as Eunice, Michelle, and Dorothy share wisdom they've learned through their motherhood journeys.
If we were to summarize the theme of Philippians 1 it would be: Christ first, and the theme of Philippians 2 would be: others next. Paul realized that the generation in which he was living was a crooked and warped generation. He knew that if the local church obeyed the truth of God and lived it out in their community it would naturally result in opportunities to serve others. Paul longed for the early church to be a light in a dark world. Knowing this he encouraged them to have a relentless commitment to become like Christ, to reflect a joy that reflects Christ, and to live out a sacrificial love for others.
Serving others does not come naturally to everyone. While Paul was in prison, he didn't focus on his release. Instead, he focused on uniting the church. Paul longed to see the local church take up the example of Jesus and choose to serve one another. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches from Philippians 2:1-11 on how to have the mindset of Jesus.