For the final Sunday of 2023, we are going to pause for a refresher on Coastline's core values. The mission of Coastline is helping people find and follow Jesus, and our core values keep us focused on that mission. These values form the identity of Coastline and help us make decisions as we move forward the mission of our church. All seven of these values are extracted from Scripture and rooted in the love of God. Listen in as various staff members and elders each speak briefly about one of the values. Let's review them together and learn how we can apply them individually and corporately at Coastline. 

Today we’ve gathered to celebrate Christmas Eve. Instead of gathering in a mall to ask Santa for presents, we’ve gathered to worship the King of Kings who left heaven to come to earth. Today we’re talking about the birth of Jesus. He is the reason we celebrate Christmas, and the reason for the hope, joy, and peace we experience. As we focus our attention on Isaiah 9, listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches about how Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

According to data from Adobe Analytics, consumers spent a record $9.8 billion online on Black Friday. That’s up 7.5% from last year! All this spending confirms that Christmas is the season for gift giving. This practice stems from the truth that Jesus came to earth to give us the greatest gift ever - the gift new life. As we continue our Christmas Series, we'll look at how we are called to bring the light of the world to others around us! Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches that we are called to go and bring Jesus' light to others. 

This Christmas season at Coastline, we’re examining different Old and New Testaments passages that proclaim Jesus is the light of the world. Today we’re going to look at one of the most glossed over passages in the entire Bible - Matthew 1. In Matthew 1 we find the lineage of Jesus. This genealogy teaches us that Jesus is a blessing to all people and a light for all people. As we talk about the light of Jesus going into all the world, let's remember that the Gospel is for everyone! Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches on Matthew 1:1-17. 

John 12 serves as a connection between the first 11 chapters and the last 9 chapters of the gospel. Chapters 1-11 of John focus on the miracles of Jesus. Then in John 12, the focus shifts to worship and believing. Jesus is teaching in Jerusalem during the busiest time of the year. Numerous people have traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. While in Jerusalem Jesus teaches about believing in God. In today’s passage, we’re going to see increased curiosity in Jesus. He gives the crowd an encouragement to believe while they still have the light; yet there are those who still struggle to believe. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson shares that this passage reminds us that our beliefs drive our actions.

John 1-11 focuses on the life, ministry, and miracles of Jesus. In those chapters we’ve seen Jesus call the disciples, Jesus feed thousands of people, and Jesus heal the blind and raise the dead, and the Jewish leaders are not happy. John 12 serves as a transitional chapter from the miracles of Jesus to the final week of Jesus’ life on earth. In chapter 12, John focuses our attention on the coming King. We see Jesus anointed by Mary and praised by the crowd. It’s evident that the good news of Jesus is spreading far and wide. Listen in as Pastor Neal teaches us how your understanding of Jesus drives your worship of Jesus. 

In the second half of John 11, we read about the response of the Jews to Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, the religious leaders’ reaction, and Jesus’ withdrawal to a place near the wilderness. This Sunday, we heard about the history of Israel between the Old and New Testaments, the origin of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Sanhedrin, and how events hundreds of years before Christ’s birth affected the plot to kill Jesus. Listen in as guest speaker, Teller Emmer, explains that this passage shows us that God uses ungodly people to enact His plan, and Jesus works in his own timing. 

In John 11, Lazarus is raised from the dead. There are several significant aspects of this story. The first is the bravery of Jesus to go back to the region where He was almost stoned to death. The second is Jesus’ demonstration of great love and compassion by entering into the broken situations of others. In this instance, He not only entered in, but he participated and wept alongside Mary and Martha. Finally, Jewish culture believed that a person’s spirit was “locked out” of their body after four days. So, for Jesus to bring Lazarus back from the dead was a true act of God. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson shares a first-person narrative of John 11:1-44.