Growing up, many of us had a hero we looked up to. It might have been Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. As powerful as our heroes are, they all have a flaw or a weakness. For Superman it was Kryptonite. As we continue to study the life of Samson we see that he was a flawed hero. Samson was called to lead Israel but had a number of failed starts. He continued to fall into a life of sin. Samson was powerfully weak. The New Testament teaches us of another powerfully weak leader. His name is Jesus. Jesus was powerfully weak and humbly went to the cross for our sins. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches on Judges 15-16.
Join us as we continue the story of Samson this week with a look at some secrets within the narrative of his life. Guest speaker, Hylke Hylkema will help us see that God can use even our sinful choices to accomplish His grand purposes. We'll also learn that like Samson, we are in need of Jesus, the Ultimate Deliverer.
Today as we continue our Judges sermon series, we'll see that Samson's miraculous birth brings a glimmer of hope to Israel just when they needed it the most. Does something in your life seem hopeless right now? Listen in and see that it's okay to ask God for help. When we trust His timeline and remain open to His plan, we position ourselves for His work in our lives.
When I was 24 years old, I moved to Las Vegas to serve at a local church. One thing I learned about Vegas is they are famous for their buffet meals. You can go to any local casino and find good food, but some of them have a great buffet. We took many friends and families to the best buffet in town and learned the ropes of how to eat a buffet. (Yes, there is a way!) Fast-forward to today. I have learned that some people treat their faith like they treat a buffet - they choose a little of this and a little of that. Today we look at Judges 10-12 and see a man who has great faith but horrible theology. Listen in as we learn from a lesser known judge named Jephthah!
In the sixth week of our Judges sermon series we're taking a look at the story of Abimelek found Judges 9. As we read through this story, you might find yourself wondering, "Where is God in all of this?" Although it might seem like God is absent, the truth is He never forgets His people. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches that even though there is punishment for our wickedness, we have a Savior who bore that punishment for us and offers us forgiveness.
Many people don’t know the story of Gideon in the Old Testament, but those who are familiar with this Israelite Judge usually remember him for his prayer fleece. That is not all Gideon is known for. Gideon led God’s people into battle to free them from Midianite oppression. What was meant to be a huge battle for the Lord turned into a platform for Gideon to live out his desires of being known. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson shares a first-person narrative on the life of Gideon. He teaches us that you can’t be too small for God to use you, but you can be too big.
Courage is a quality that many desire. When we look at the story of Deborah, one of Israel's leaders, we see that courage can be developed. Deborah holds two positions in Israel: prophet and judge. A prophet is one who speaks for the Lord, meaning she was a mouthpiece for God. She was also a judge; therefore, she was Israel's leader. As we study the book of Judges remember that she was the only judge who ruled without a sword. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches us about developing courage with Deborah from Judges 4-5.
We pick up the Judges sermon series again this week with a message about the first three judges listed in Judges 3. Listen in as guest speaker, Doug Meye, teaches about the Cycle of Defeat and how we can overcome it.
Today is a special morning for Coastline. We’re taking a break from our regular sermon series to put our God-Sized vision back in front of us. With the recent events in our world it is easy to forget about the call of all followers of Jesus. The aim of Vision Sunday is to realign Coastline with the vision of our church. If today is your first morning at Coastline this might be the best day in the life of this church to have this as your first day. Our vision is to reach people who feel far from God, experience life change, and build community. What you are going to hear this morning is a big dream, that requires us trusting in a big God, and working together in unity. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson shares the vision of Coastline.
The pressure it takes to create a pearl is extreme. A small grain of sand enters through the outer shell of an oyster, and that sand is turned into a beautiful pearl. What type of pressure has been exerted on you, in your life, that has shaped some pearls? Maybe you think about your high school sports career and how you were shaped in that process. Having children might have shaped you. Being drafted into the service might have shaped you. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson speaks on Judges 2. We see God’s people weep before the Lord, fail to train up the next generation, and their need for personal dedication to the Lord. We learn about need for discipleship and investing in the next generation.