The promise of the Second Coming guides us to Christian living so that we are ready when Jesus does return. Our human nature tends toward laziness in our faith. The thought that Christ could return at any time reminds us to be faithful. Christ is coming again, this time not to suffer but to reign and restore faithfulness to God’s people. Jesus is coming. Are you personally ready to receive your Lord and Savior? What changes do you need to make to welcome Christ into your life?

The reality of Christian living calls us to look for Christ’s return and to live as if it could happen at any moment. The signs of Christ’s return have been adequately fulfilled for generations. Christ could come again any time. Whether, Christ may come again or we may meet our Maker in death. We live safely in the Lord’s arms as we maintain a relationship of faith with Jesus Christ through our worship. Be Alert and stay safe.

As we learn to live by faith, God will be revealed as we trust in the Lord’s power and purpose. Even as we face difficult seasons and storms, the Lord Jesus will reveal a greatness that brings us through the storms of life. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit teaches us with gentleness so that we are pay attention to the rich blessings of living by faith. Christ calls us to pay attention to God’s activity in our lives and give thanks.

We gather today to remember those whom we love.  We celebrate their life and their faith. We remember the saints who gave witness Jesus Christ in the way they lived their life by faith. We remember that Jesus promised that if we live by faith we will receive eternal life. We hope to begin a simple movement of living for the Lord God Almighty and to serve Christ through our worship, mission, and ministry. We believe that promises that the Holy Spirit will inspire us on our faith journey. We believe in the promises of God to keep us faithful.

Our church’s vision provides divine opportunities to answer God’s call to worship, serve, and share our faith. As we celebrate God’s continual work empowered by the Holy Spirit, let us be open to the divine opportunities to serve Christ our Lord through the vision of our faith fellowship.  We can be instruments of Christ to spiritually witness with God’s love to our neighbors in the world.

I trust that the Spirit of God to move through our city in due time. Like Paul, I’d like to move ahead of the Spirit but know that in God’s time we will witness an increase daily in the number being saved. The Spirit is alive and working in Janesville through friends, situations, and prayer.

Being a Christian is an amazing adventure. We experience days of great joy and gladness as we see God’s blessings in our lives. Witnessing to the transforming love and power of Jesus Christ can be an amazing adventure, with peaks and valleys. Jesus Christ will empower the faithful to witness boldly to the power of Almighty God. The Holy Spirit with grant us courage for the adventure. 

Peter tells how he experienced God’s grace. He tells them to share his story of grace with others, especially to James the brother of Jesus, the leader of the Church in Jerusalem.

So what’s your story? When did you become aware of God’s grace and forgiveness? Who have you told? And more importantly, who can you tell of God’s grace and the freedom you have in Christ Jesus.

Jesus radically reached out to others. He invited everyone to encounter the Living God in a new way. Jesus told the parables to illustrate the open  invitation to God's grace. Jesus invites us to come not because we deserve to be here, but we receive God’s grace. .

Imagine how the early Christians experience their faith as they shared the journey with Saul. Annias encountered Christ and risked his life to meet with Saul. Annias served as an instrument of Christ and with boldness, he shared shared God’s love and the power of the Holy Spirit so Saul could proclaim Jesus as the Son of God. The Lord God calls all kinds of people to receive grace. We trade our old perspectives for a new relationship with Christ who welcomes us with unconditional love. Amen.

When we are open to the movement of the Holy Spirit, God will use us as instruments and instructors. We come as disciples to learn from Scripture, so that we can get up and go share the Good News of Jesus with others. When we listen to the Spirit of God, we can change our world one person at a time for the glory of our Lord.

We come to remember. We remember that Christ died for our sins. Christ rose to offer us hope for living. Remember when and how the Lord Jesus has offered you grace, forgiveness, and hope. Remember the miraculous ways God has been revealed to you. Then I encourage you to have courage and share this story of God’s glory with others.

We all want to be debt free in this life. I encourage you to take an inventory of your life. In one column list the debts you owe to our Loving Lord. Then balance in the credit column the ways you demonstrate God’s love by living for Christ. Allow the Holy Spirit to mold and shape your life so that you dispense Christian love to your neighbors through your personal mission and ministry and your support of the labor of love in Christ’s kingdom.

Our spiritual sacrifice requires us to submit to Christ with our mind, body, and soul to further the work of Christ Kingdom. I invite you to offer a sacrifice of praise with your gifts to Christ: time, talents, and treasure in response to the full measure of God's grace offered to you. In perfect submission of our personal interest, we will accomplish Christ's mission and ministry in Janesville. Together we can make a spiritual sacrifice that teaches, gives, leads, and cheerfully offers compassion to others.

The Christian faith begins when we are convinced our sin separates us from God our Creator. The Christian faith grows when we accept the death of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. The Christian faith matures when we allow the Spirit of Christ to guide our thoughts and service. Our Christian faith sets our mind on reflecting Christ-likeness to our world. We belong to Christ our Lord, when we live in the Spiritual life.

We gather today to worship our liberator, Jesus Christ who rescues us from our sin. We celebrate the spiritual freedom to live as God's children seeking to serve our Lord with gladness.  We pray, meditate, and enter in to the Christian fellowship to align our desires with God's will.  The Lord will grant us peace, when our deepest joy serves our Lord.  God's law is a gift of love to bring us peace, internal peace from inner conflict.

God is a gracious and loving master, who does not demand obedience or punish us for disobedience.  The Lord our God paid the price for our freedom through dying on the cross. You have a choice to serve God with gladness or be enslaved by the sins of our past. Christians welcome Christ as our Master of our life. We are enslaved to serve a loving God. Amen.

Jesus calls us to the mountain top of our faith. He requests each and every disciple to receive the great commission. Because all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus Christ,  our Lord sends us to go out and make disciples of all nations.  Be overt. Openly share that you love Jesus and know the love of God. Jesus will direct our ministry to bring glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As a disciple of Christ, believe that Jesus calls you to an overt operation of love. Amen.

The Apostle Paul defend his faith in Athens. He gently took their understanding of an Unknown God and led them in the presence of a Loving God. He instructed them in the truth of the Gospel. He presented the power of God not the religion of human invention. Paul proclaimed the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. He began with God the Creator and described the mystery of the incarnation. He offered assurance of eternity for those who repent and believe.Jesus desires for us to be ready for that day with a clear conscience cleaned through the waters of baptism. Amen.

When we are living for God we place our trust in God who created the heavens and the earth and all that is in it. We find our riches in Christ and store up heavenly treasures. We are rich toward God when we have faith and hope in Christ for all eternity. Jesus invites us to genuinely love one another by sharing our life and resources to glorify God. 

As we come to the table today, we remember that Christ gave himself so that live for God. We are born anew by the living word of God. . Amen.

The ideal Christian life is concious and aware of our need for Jesus to mold and shape us more into the life of Howard and Michele. As faithful disciples, we devote ourselves to the teachings of Christ and join in the fellowship of others. We pray for the needs of the world, begining with our own need to be shaped with Christian character. With confidnece, we humbly acknowledge our sin and rejoice that the Lord can use us to love others. Amen

Jesus calls us to care for our neighbors regardless of their race, creed, or social economic status.  The Good Samaritan demonstrated his love for God and neighbor.

The empty tomb is a mystery. In faith we come to connect to Jesus whom we love. We leave in joy to spread the good news. Jesus commands us to testify to the forgiveness of sins.

We live in a  world void of peace. Our relationship with Jesus Christ brings internal peace that we can share.

We are invited to the Lord's Table. At this table we remember the Love of God revealed in Christ's death. Jesus sends us out to remember that we are forgiven. We invite others to our table when we forgive them.

We celebrate Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We remember that Christ invites all people to dine with him. We are sent out to invite others into a relationship with Jesus.

We are Prodigal children of a loving Father. We are called to be stewards of God's resources. We find our way home when we care for all that God has entrusted to us.

The Christian faith requires that we put our faith into action. Christians do ministry. Christians serve others in the name of Christ. Even the least of these, God's children.

Jesus told the parable of the soils. We all think we are good soil. Good soil is nurtured by faith.

The friends of the Paralytic stopped at nothing to bring their friend to Jesus. Do you have friends that will bring you to Jesus? Will you be a friend who will bring others to Jesus?

Each and every one of us has a God given purpose for 2010.  It might be a year of forming and shaping our lives to be use in God?s service. It might be a year of trying something new in mission or ministry.  It might be a time to learn in a Bible Study.  For all of us, 2010 will be a time to access God?s guidance with boldness and confidence.

As we go through life, we experience situations and relationships which are failures.  We make decisions, enact plans, and speak words that harm rather than reflect God?s love.  I find great comfort in knowing that in our fallible humanness God is faithful. 

I wish God would speak directly and clearly with signs like dew on a fleece.  I tend to hear God in words of Scripture that come to my mind.  We can live by faith when we trust God in our weakness to lead us.

Jesus encountered the disciples as they gathered wondering about Mary?s experience.  They gather behind locked doors out of fear when Jesus entered and offered them peace, a peace that comes from forgiveness. Again, Jesus sends the disciples to proclaim the glorious message of peace, eternal peace. We gladly gather this morning light remembering at dawn, the Lord our God gives peace through the forgiveness of our sins.  We gladly receive the message of old and invite the newness of today?s peace. Amen.

Our current Session includes ten men and women, Pastor and Elders with a willing heart to serve.  They are gifted to accomplish their task of ministry.  I hope the retreat will encourage them to have the confidence in God?s ability to use them for ministry.  I pray that you will encourage us and use your own God given abilities to build the Kingdom of God.  You can be a servant leader when empowered by the Holy Spirit.  Amen

The Lord provides us with food and drink to nourish our lives.  We remember that Christ came to lead us like a shepherd leads the flock out to pasture and still waters.  We come to eat from the hands of our Savior who blesses us with elders, Shepherd Leaders to lead us in the way of Christ.  Amen

We gather in worship to draw near to God.  In the book of James, the 4^th chapter, 8^th verse states,

?Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.?

God regularly reminds us that we are loved. When we meet Jesus we see God and the Holy Spirit guides our way. I encourage you to find the stillness of the day to spend time alone with God.

The experience of mourning comes when we experience great loss.  The Christian experience can bring comfort and peace to our mourning.  We mourn because we have loved.  God will enter our mourning and help us rediscover joy.

Jesus encourages us to be peacemakers.  There are simple ways to bring peace to our world, beginning with family and friends.

We receive the reward of Christ's kingdom, when we live as the Lord intended us.  The internet story of Carl reminds us that many do not know Christ and live in the world.  Yet, God can use us to share a great love that touches lives.

The Biblical story of Elijah brings us to see the importance of mentors. Elijah nurtures Elisha until the time when the younger becomes a prophet of the Lord.

Elisha blesses the widow with an overflowing cup of oil.  We too have been blessed by God.   We can share that blessing with others.

We come to the Lord's Table invited by Jesus Christ.  We explore the meaning of communion with all the saints in every time and place.

Sermons printed are not always the sermon delivered, but I hope that God will use these words to encourage, challenge, and nurture your faith.

Grace and Peace,

Bruce

In Monopoly, the ?Get out of Jail Free? card cancels the debt we can not pay. Jesus came into the world to get us out of jail.  Jesus cancels our debt of sin and restores us in the presence of God.  Jesus cancels the debt of death and offers us eternal life. Jesus walks beside us and visits us in our prison whether our prison is physical, emotional, or spiritual.  Jesus visits us where we are and walks with us out into fresh air.  Let us be disciples of Christ who welcome and continue the journey. Amen

Our task, if we accept Christ as Lord and Savior is to equipping the sainst, other believers in being more Christ like.  The equipping is not reserved for pastors and leaders, but for the church to work together in growing in Christian maturity, together.

Jesus and his message was rejected in his home town.  He moved on and then called the 12 disciples.  Jesus sent the disciples out as apostles with authority to teach, preach, and heal.  We, the modern disciples of Christ, are sent out with authority to teach, preach, and heal others with God's grace and forgiveness.

Reflecting on Michael Card's song, "The Basin and the Towel" Jesus gives the disciples a symbol for community.  We are to care for the simplest needs of our friends.

Jesus appeared to a parade of people; from the women to the disciples to many faithful witnesses.  Jesus continues to walk before us and calls us to continue celebrating His Resurrection.  We share our witness to a parade of people in our lives.

Consider your options for how you live your life.  Jesus consider the options and choose to die that we might have sin.  Jesus consider you important enough to die for your sins.

The official returns home and he prayed that Jesus was right, that his son would live.  I think he wrestled with his doubts and frustrations.  I invite you to reflect on your encounters with Christ.  Remember the times in your life, when God shed light on your darkness. This is the power of faith which Jesus invites us to share with others. 

We sometimes pretend to be great Christians.  We don't worship a pretend god, and our God does not seek pretend followers.  When we imitate Christ, we express our love for God and neighbor.

What I adore on the basketball floor,

is WRESTLING mats door to door!

As a wrestler and coach, I've find Jacob wrestling at the Jabbok a fascinating text.  Israel means: "One who struggles with God."  One who struggles with God will be changed.  Unforunately, many struggle with God and ignore God's decrees, leaving God to limp away.

Jesus tells the parable of the sower.  The Word of God is sown in our lives and we grow in faith.

Sarah declared Isaac to be a joy when she produced God's promised son with Abraham.  God still brings miracles of joy to our life, let us find God's joyful gift each day.

Throughout history, the Lord our God leads us through uncertian times.  God called Abram and Sarai to leave their comfortable and familiar setting to go out into the unknown.  Jesus called Matthew to be a disciple when he could not possibly understand what that meant.  Today, we live in uncertain times and God walks with us and calls us to trust the Lord Jesus Christ for all things.

In our grief at the death of someone whom we love, we too focus on the absence of the person.  We feel alone.  We feel abandoned.  When we feel alone, Jesus comes to us.  In the resurrection, Jesus, knows our grief and walks through our sorrow and gives us life.  Jesus Christ came into the world that we will never be alone

Jesus sees beyond the facade walls we create to penetrate our deepest need for healing.  Jesus builds bridges over barriers so that we can be in relationship with all of God's children.