North Way Christian Community

We all have questions for God. Why did this happen? How much longer do I have to wait? Are you there God? Even Jesus questioned His Father while nailed to the cross, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” In that moment, the weight of our sin is crushing Jesus. But He is also feeling the wrath of God. In this sermon, Pastor John Reilly speaks about the truth and purpose of God’s wrath. God’s wrath is intense hatred of sin that is born out of His holiness. His wrath is never disconnected from His character, slow because we are, and is to be feared.

How we think shapes how we live. Are your thoughts full of fear or peace? Are they critical or joyful? Do you think about your own kingdom or serving God’s Kingdom? We must renew our minds from the lies we tell ourselves and instead believe what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. Living like Jesus begins with thinking like Jesus. Our lives are changed as our minds are changed.

Feelings of nervousness, panic, fear, and uneasiness are only a few symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety exists across a broad spectrum. No matter what type you experience, it can disrupt your day-to-day life. However, we can find hope in Jesus, our redeemer. In this sermon, Pastor Dave gives us 4 key observations from Philippians 4:4-7. Anxiety is not new, and we must do better as a church, facing this issue with compassion and love. Prayer combats anxiety and God’s peace is always with us to guide our minds and hearts. The Lord is at hand.

Think about how many things in your life need a routine maintenance. None of those things get better if left unattended, they only become worse. The same can happen when it comes to our faith. In Philippians 3:12-21, Paul tells us that nothing, especially our relationship with Jesus, gets better if left unattended. In this sermon, Pastor Dave gives us three maintenance questions to ask ourselves. May we forget what lies behind and instead be open to God’s new, reconciling, and freedom in Jesus.

Creating checklists can make tasks easier such as going to the grocery store or getting chores done around the house. But what about when it comes to your faith? Do you have a checklist? Are you trying to accomplish certain things to make God love you more? In this sermon, Pastor John Reilly travels through Philippians 3 where Paul warns against making your relationship with God a series of checklists. Sometimes we focus more on our own checklists, trying to check off the right boxes, than Jesus. But Jesus came and fulfilled every checklist needed for us to be in a right relationship with God. When we “work out” the righteousness of God- the checklists we once thought earned salvation turn into opportunities to celebrate salvation.  

Can you think of a situation where you were dissatisfied and annoyed? We all have moments where we catch ourselves complaining and grumbling. Sometimes our mouths and thoughts get in the way, affecting our sanctification. As we try to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, we must do all things without grumbling and disputing. We must ask for God’s grace in our hidden faults and to keep us from the temptation to sin. Then we will shine as lights in the world.

As we continue to study the book of Philippians, we are diving into what it means to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. This week we are learning that working out our salvation means moving from limiting our faith to moments and making our faith a mindset. With moments, we can limit the impact of our faith to certain instances in our lives. But when we change our mindsets, we can allow the Gospel to transform our hearts that our faith impacts the way we approach everything. When we humbly approach our relationships by putting others first by letting go of power, pursuit, and privileges, we can show the world Jesus.

Who are you seeking to be worthy of? Who do you long to experience praise and recognition from? We all long for the approval of others such as our family, friends, and coworkers. We all long for breakthrough in our lives. But it is only in the Gospel where we can find true freedom, joy, and peace. In the Gospel, God shows how much He loves us and that we are celebrated not tolerated, forgiven not in debt, and beautiful, not broken. 

We often find ourselves chasing after the world’s definition of love. Love has been compromised between the scriptures and our culture. Compromised love is driven more by consensus than by God’s word. Compromised love also takes the path of least resistance and leads to a compromised influence. Paul encourages us in Philippians 1:9 to love more. If we want to know what love is, we must look at Jesus.

What does salvation mean to you? In the first week of our sermon series “Fear and Trembling” we begin to dive into the book of Philippians where Paul writes about salvation. He talks about it in three tenses: the past, present, and future. In this sermon, it’s compared to learning how to ride a bike. We also learn different ways to work out our salvation with fear and trembling by starting with Jesus, having the right kind of fear, and working out what’s worked in.  

**This sermon addresses emotionally difficult material including sexual violence/rape and abortion. All mankind is created in God’s own image. We have attributes that reflect the divine nature of God. All human life is valuable. But are we living from the truth that God values all human life or just with that truth? When we choose to live from the truth of the image of God, we choose to trust God and not lean unto our own understanding of the future, even if that involves pain and suffering. Living from the truth of God’s image also means that His value of life applies to all stages and issues of life as well as treating those who think or believe differently as Jesus would treat them. We can ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit to help shape our hearts with compassion and to be more like Jesus as we show up for one another.

When a new year comes around, so do our new resolutions. We create goals, plans, and make certain things a priority over others. But what about when it comes to our faith? What is your individual plan to know Jesus more this year? What if we make knowing Him our sole effort of our existence here on earth. Gathering regularly in person for church, growing closer to Jesus personally every day, grouping up with other believers regularly, giving money generously to God’s church, and going into the world as a servant, are all different steps to knowing Jesus.

All relationships can be tough to navigate at some time throughout our lives. We become frustrated and annoyed with people and began to pick things out in them that we want to change. We know what will “fix” them, but in reality, we are unable to change them. We focus on how to fix others instead of ourselves. Jesus points this out in Matthew 7:5 saying, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” If we want to navigate healthy and fulfilling relationships full of love and peace, we must focus on beam removal than speck fixing and aim our life to walk humbly with our God.

What does it look like to leave a Biblical legacy? The story of Daniel in the Bible offers a wonderful example for us. Daniel's steadfast faith led to a generational love for God being passed down through generations. Today's message from Scott Stevens looks at how to lead a God-honoring legacy through daily decisions. Let's lean in together to build lasting legacies right now through steadfast devotion to God. 

Are you battling through unmet expectations in your marriage? What if the key to a God-honoring marriage was found in understanding who the real savior and the real enemy is in your life? Today's message from Amanda Beggs unpacks the ultimate purpose of marriage and the keys to fighting well together against our real enemy. Let's lean in together as we learn how to build marriages grounded in God's faithfulness. 

What is your current attitude towards singleness? If you find yourself frustrated or disappointed, you've come to the right place. Today's message from Vince Giordano unpacks the Biblical teaching on our life's purpose, single or not. Let's lean in together to embrace a Godly view of singleness and marriage.

When we think of Christmas and Jesus’ birth, we usually focus on the big moments of the story. Sometimes we miss the smaller details that are as equally as important. God chose the small town of Bethlehem to put Jesus on this earth. This was the same spot where the Passover lambs were raised. Jesus became the Passover lamb for all of humanity. God’s only son, sinless and perfect on earth, sacrificed His life and blood as a once and for all sacrifice. Jesus’ earthly birth that we celebrate at Christmas declares an end of sacrificing, rituals, and the idea that we must work to earn favor with God. Jesus’ earthly beginning also puts an end to our soul’s deepest hungers. He is the bread of life and only He can truly satisfy.

What are you wishing for in your life right now? What do you want to end? All the grief, pain, anxiety, and suffering make us long for endings. Our longing for endings is actually our longing for a Savior. In this fallen world, we experience sin and struggle. But there is hope. God sent a savior to break the curse of sin and end it all. We are saved. God sent Jesus not only to reveal Himself but to bring us to Himself. In Him, we can find all the endings that our hearts are longing for.