Have you ever felt unwanted or alone? Have you expereinced the sting of rejection? Mnay of us have known this hurt and the bible shares what is on the other side of that sting. It is the loving choice of adoption. In this message Pastor fIkre Prince shares that God so lovingly sent his son to bring us in to his protection and provision by means of adoption, and since we have been shown this great love we should extend it to others.

Text: Ephesians 1:3-6

Sermon Summary:

Big Idea: In Christ, we are adopted sons and daughters of God.

Key Question: What does adoption show the world about who God is? Adoption displays...

1. God’s fatherly love. (vv. 3, 4a, 5)

2. God’s restorative power. (v. 4)

3. God’s glorious grace. (v. 6)

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," is what the old adage says but what does it mean? What is Beauty and how should people ingage with that which is considered "beautiful." In this final message of the In Christ series, Pastor Fikre Prince shares a framework for understanding the origins of beauty, the importance of beauty, and our role in bringing about beauty into the the world.

Text: Ephesians 2:4-10

Sermon Summary:

Big Idea: In Christ, we enjoy and create to reflect God’s Beauty.

Key Question: What does it mean to value Beauty as the people of God?

1. God is the source of beauty. (Psalm 19:1)
2. We are created to enjoy and create. (Ephesians 2:10)
3. Beauty points to Jesus. (Hebrews 1:3)

How do you know if something is good or not? For the most part you need something to refernce it against. You test drive a car, you check reviews online, but how do you know what is good when it comes to eternal matters? In this sermon, Pastor Fikre Prince shares that as God is the standard for God he deisres that you just expereince him to see what true goodness is.

Text: Psalm 34:8-10, Titus 3:4-6

Sermon Summary:

Big Idea: In Christ, we receive and respond to God's goodness.

Key Question: What does it mean to value goodness as the people of God?

1. Taste it. (v. 8a)

2. Trust it. (v. 8b)

3. Seek it. (vv. 9-10)

"What is Truth?" that is a question that has been asked by people for centuries. It is a tense point in many of our lives in that it really is a question of value. How much do I value objective truth in light of my expereinces? Pastor Nick Bogardus shares in this message that God has very clear directives as to how we as believers should value truth, and how it should inform our lives.

Text: Isaiah 45:18-19; John 14:6;

Sermon Summary:

Big Idea: In Christ, we see and live by the truth God has revealed.

Key Question: What does it look like to value truth as the people of God?

1. We love God’s truth. (John 8:31-32; Psalm 19:7-11)

2. We proclaim God’s truth. (Proverbs 12:17; Ephesians 4:15)

Who are you? Why are you here? Where are you going? You have been asked these questions many times in your life, but do you have an eternal answer for them. In this message Pastor Fikre Prince shares that Jesus gives hs followers an answer to these questions that transends family, community, and career.

Text: Matthew 28:16 – 20

Sermon Summary:

Big Idea: In Christ, mission is the expression of our identity towards the world.

Key Question: How does being in Christ change the way we live on mission in the world?

1. We go with his authority. (vv. 16-18)

2. We pursue his purpose. (vv. 19-20a)

3. We carry his presence. (v. 20b)

How do you make your faith in Christ practical to daily living? In what ways would the world know that you belong to Jesus? In this sermon Pastor Nick Bogardus shares that our living for Christ is also shown by the way that we live in community with one another.

Text: Acts 4:32–37

Sermon Summary:

Big Idea: In Christ, community is the expression of our identity toward one another.

Key Question: What values do a gospel community hold when Jesus—not self—is at the center?

1. We share one heart and soul. (v. 32a)

2. We give with open hands. (vv. 32b-35)

3. We strengthen one another. (vv. 36-37)

Who are you? When you consider the ssence of who you are what do you think of? There are no questions of greater importance than understanding who you are. In this series, we hope to guide you to an understanding of what it truely means to have your life IN CHRIST.

Text: 1 Peter 2:9-10

Sermon Summary:

Big Idea: In Christ we find our true identity and mission.

Key Question: What does it mean to be God’s people in a world that has forgotten who it belongs to?

1. Know who you are. (v. 9a)

2. Know why you are here. (v. 9b)

3. Know what God did. (v. 10)

What happens when the storms of life hit? When everything goes left, where do you turn? In this message Pastor Fikre Prince shares that we should not only turn to Jesus in our times of trouble but we should seek to dwell with Christ in the good times.

Text: Psalm 91:1-8

Sermon Summary:

Big Idea: Trusting in the Lord places us under his protection.

Key Question: Why should we trust fully in the Lord?

1. God secures with his presence. (vv. 1–2)

2. God shields with his faithfulness. (vv. 3–4)

3. God saves with his justice. (vv. 5–8)