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)

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)