You can ask any person over the age of fifteen if they know someone who has taken their own life and my guess is they would respond with a sorrowful: “yes.” Suicide leaves unanswered questions, familial gaps, and painful futures for many people. Suicide is no respecter of age or gender. The Bible speaks the truth on this difficult subject. In fact, the Bible tells of seven people who took their own life. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches from John 3:16, John 10:10 and other Scriptures about how God is the author of life.
Guest speaker, Mike Lovato, continues our You Asked For It sermon series with a sermon about money from the perspective of contentment and generosity. Listen in as Mike teaches that contentment in the foundation on which generosity is built, and calls us to pursue a commitment to contentment.
This Sunday we’re kicking off a nine-week summer sermon series called, You Asked For It. The Bible teaches us that God shaped each person. God created us. Think about every person you have had contact with in life - the guy speeding on the freeway, the lady in the airport, the kid in the store. Each of those people are created by God. Let me take it one step further, not just created, but created on purpose. God doesn't accidentally make people. God has a purposeful plan in creating each and everyone of us. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches on the importance of seeing people how God created them.
What's something you want your kids to know and love and do when you're not around? Perhaps it's a shared hobby, or maybe it's practicing virtues like gratitude, kindness, and honesty. God's word teaches us that we have a responsibility to teach the next generation to trust the Lord. It's not a cultural tradition; it's a divine obligation. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson gives a Father's Day lesson from Psalm 78:1-8 that is applicable to everyone.
Around Christmas time I was walking with my kids and we noticed a light on in a car. I hesitantly knocked on the door to inform the owner; he was ecstatic. When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone to help someone? Maybe you saw someone on the side of the road and pulled over to help them change a flat. Maybe you saw your neighbor struggling to carry something in the house. Grab your Bible and open it up to Jonah 4. Jonah was a prophet in Israel. God spoke to him and told him to go preach against a pagan nation. Jonah refused and went the other direction. He found himself in the middle of the sea stuck in a raging storm. Jonah chose death over obedience. Jonah was swallowed by a large fish and spit up near Nineveh. Jonah finally obeyed the Lord and Nineveh repented. It was a miracle of God to see such a large nation respond like this. As we finish the book of Jonah we’re going to read about a God who cares.
After spending three days in the belly of a large fish, Jonah makes the journey to Nineveh and preaches the word of the Lord. The people hear the message and repent of their sin. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson shares about how a great spiritual awakening took place in Ninevah because of Jonah's obedience. We'll learn that the Lord longs for all to know Him.
This week we continue our Jonah sermon series with a look at Jonah 2, where we find Jonah in the belly of a big fish. While inside the fish, Jonah cries out to God and repents of his sin. Watch and listen as Ryan LaFata teaches us that God saves those who cry out to Him.
Obeying God can be one of the most rewarding and scary acts of a person’s life. Think about a time in your life where you made a big decision knowing that God was guiding you every step of the way. It could have been a cross-country move for a job., attending a Bible study, or asking your future spouse on a date. For four weeks we’re studying the life of the Old Testament prophet Jonah. Many of us are familiar with Jonah, but if you’ve never heard of him you'll enjoy this amazing story of the love of God. Jonah was a prophet in Israel. God called him to go to a wicked city to tell everyone about God’s love. Jonah refused and went the other direction. He was thrown off a boat, swallowed by a whale and spit up close to the city where he originally was supposed to go. God uses Jonah to change thousands of lives. Listen in as Pastor Neal teaches from Jonah 1 about how God’s greatness will known around the world.
When was the last time you volunteered for something and then realized you might have gotten in over your head? It could have been to be the team mom, a scout troop leader, or serving an HOA board. Today we are in the final week of our sermon series called, Questions from God. For four weeks we’ve focused on passages in the Old Testament where God asks questions of mankind. We’ve studied questions pertaining to spiritual location, seeing a job through, and the greatness of God. Today, Pastor Neal Benson looks at a man who volunteers for a role that no one else seems to want. A man who was willing to leave his comfort to serve the Lord. Isaiah will teach us that not all volunteer roles are glorified positions.
Mother's day brings different emotions for everyone. Some women love this day. For others it’s a reminder of a broken relationship with their mom. Some are reminded that their mom is no longer with them. Some women are longing to be mothers. Others are thrilled to celebrate all day long. Listen in as Neal and Charity Benson share about how God is the one we need for every phase of our life.