When you hear the word tithe what comes to mind? Is it joy? Is it honor for God? In this message Pastor Fikre Prince talks about the instutution of the Tithe and what God's heart was for it at it's inseption. Heaviness, cynasism, and frustration should not be associated with giviing towards God, but honor and celebration should be.

Text: Deuteronomy 14:22–29

Sermon Summary:

Big Idea: God is always teaching his people to put him first.

Key Question: How does the tithe teach us to put God first?

1. The tithe teaches us priority. (v. 22)

2. The tithe teaches us perspective. (vv. 23-26)

3. The tithe teaches us provision. (vv. 27-29)

Do you identify as a GM guy or Ford lady? An Apple girl, or a Samsung Bro? Sometimes our identity can become overshadowed by our posessions and we develop a sense of worth based on what we have. In this sermon, Pastor Fikre Prince shares that there is a very real danger in the way many of us live, and our response and engagement with THINGS.

Text: Luke 12:13-21

Sermon Summary:

Big Idea: Generosity protects us from being owned by the things we own.

Key Question: How do we guard against being owned by our stuff?

1. See the danger. (vv. 13-15)

2. Check your motives. (vv. 16-19)

3. Turn from greed. (vv. 20-21)

What is the most important part of a gift given? Is it the actual item, or is it something deeper? In this message Pastor Fikre Prince looks at the expereince of Jesus with his disples in the temple and a lesson he shares with them about the most important aspect of honoring God through generosity.

Text: Mark 12:41-44

Sermon Summary:

Big Idea: Generosity is marked by sacrifice, not selfish gain.

Key Question: What marks true generosity?

1. It's seen by God. (vv. 41–42)

2. It's measured by sacrifice. (v. 43)

3. It's motivated by faith. (v. 44)

Who is the most generous person you know? Why are they so generous? We ahve all been touched by the generosity of others and at times that generosity stands out as exceptional and changes our lives forever. When we think of the effects of generosity, we see how we can be a blessing to the world by modeling the most generous giver of all.

Text: John 3:16
BI: Because God is Generous, we should be generous.
Question: How is God generous?

1. God gave because of His love for us
2. God gave His very best for us
3. God gave so that we could live

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)