New Life Church - Fayetteville

God gives us a command in Exodus 20 to honor the sabbath. A day designed for us to rest and replenish with our father. There is a critical importance to rest in a culture that glorifies constant busyness. We often say it’s “burning the candle at both ends.” God designed humans to work six days and rest one day, rest is not weakness but a divine mandate. This commandment is not to limit us but to restore us with God. It’s not often a scheduling issue we have with honoring this day, but a heart issue. Jesus promises that those who come to Him, He will give rest. But we must come to Him. We must sabbath. And in order to do so well, on our sabbath we must stop our work, enjoy rest, practice delight and remember God.

Pastor Seth unpacks how lying opposes God’s character and always has a cost. Ephesians 4:21-2521 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

Exodus 20:7, part of the Ten Commandments, states: "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain". Pastor Marcus shares on the importance of speaking the Lord's name in victory, instead of vein. Pastor Marcus speaks on the many ways that the Lord's name can be misused in our world today.

This week, Pastor James Dearmond shared with us commandment #10: "You shall not covet.” A deeper spiritual examination of our heart attitude and discontentment. Coveting is not just about wanting material possessions, but represents a spiritual struggle with feeling satisfied. This sermon emphasizes three key attitudes: recognizing that what God has given is enough, accepting who God has made you to be, and understanding that God Himself is enough. We can overcome the societal pressures of constant comparison, social media-driven desires, and the perpetual pursuit of "more" by focusing on gratitude, our identity in Christ, and spiritual contentment and peace that Jesus gives freely.

This sermon, centered around the 8th Commandment — “You shall not steal” — explores the deeper heart issue behind stealing: a lack of contentment and trust in God. Pastor Seth illustrates how even small compromises in integrity (like stealing soda with a water cup or logging fake hours) reflect a deeper mistrust in God’s provision, timing, and character. It challenges believers to embrace contentment with what God has given, trust that He knows and provides what we truly need, and live with integrity in even the smallest areas. Through biblical principles and relatable stories, the sermon emphasizes that God honors those who are faithful with little and encourages us to live as sons and daughters of a faithful Father—not as spiritual orphans trying to provide for themselves.

As we cover the commandments this summer, commandment #6 tells us “Do not murder” delving deeply into the biblical understanding of human life's sanctity. Jesus lets us know that murder is more than just physical killing, but also includes relational and emotional destruction through anger, bitterness, and dehumanization. Committing murder can be a heart condition, not just a physical act. Pastor Seth emphasizes that all human life is valuable because it is created in God's image, and he challenges us to examine our hearts, practice forgiveness, and seek reconciliation rather than harboring anger or writing people off. And we can stop labeling people according to their sin, but defining them by their potential in Christ.

Pastor Seth explores the first of the Ten Commandments: "You shall have no other gods before me." God desires to be first in every aspect of our lives, not as a restrictive rule, but as a loving guide to protect and bless His children. The little g "gods" can be anything that takes priority over God - from careers and hobbies to relationships and personal interests. Examine and ensure that God remains at the center of your own life. Our obedience comes out of experiencing and understanding His true love for you!

The story of Esau in Genesis 25:29-34 explores the dangers of settling for mediocrity in our spiritual life. Pastor Nick emphasizes how easily we can drift away from our spiritual purpose by prioritizing temporary, immediate gratifications over long-term, eternal significance. Esau's impulsive trade of his birthright for a bowl of stew shows us how as Christians we can compromise our spiritual inheritance by choosing convenience, selfishness, and short-term comfort over God's greater plans.

Using the parable from Matthew 21 about a landowner's vineyard, Pastor Mason dives into the importance of producing Spiritual Fruit in our lives. The Fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) are produced in us but not for us, rather it is all for God’s glory! We should be careful not to grow spiritually complacent and entitled, but remain consistently connected to the true vine (Jesus) and from there we can bear fruit! The Kingdom of God is intended for those bearing fruit, and God wants us to produce fruit in our lives!

This Mother’s Day message celebrates and honors all women, especially mothers, while also compassionately acknowledging those who may find the day difficult due to grief, loss, or unmet desires. Pastor Seth emphasized that God is a God who hears, sees, and feels, and He meets us right where we are. Three women from Scripture were used to show different aspects of God’s heart: Hannah teaches us that God hears us Hagar teaches us that God sees us. Mary & Martha teach us that God feels what we feel. God is present in every season of life—joy, sorrow, uncertainty, and transition. God sees you, God hears you, God feels what you feel, and He loves you deeply.

Psalm 23 is a vivid picture of Jesus as our Good Shepherd. This psalm of David reflects the deep care, provision, and guidance God offers to His people through every circumstance. Pastor Seth emphasized that Jesus is not just a leader but one who intimately knows and cares for YOU. This relationship between the Shepherd and His sheep reflects the deep love Jesus has for us, but we have to make it personal. Psalm 23 tells us that He is MY shepherd. Using this personal language, we see the characteristics of The Good Shepherd: He cares for me, He corrects and directs me, He protects me, He pursues me! We cannot be our own shepherd, we must be sheep.

The Pain of Discontentment. Pastor Seth explores the biblical concept of finding joy and peace through our relationship with Jesus Christ, regardless of life's circumstances. In Philippians 4, Paul tells us that true contentment is not found in material possessions, human approval, or changing external conditions, but solely in a deep, personal connection with God. This is not a hall pass for us to be lazy, but we can experience the joy in resting in God’s presence. Pastor Seth’s challenge to us is to reframe our thinking, contentment is found in Jesus alone. We can either live for the approval of man or live from the approval of God!

In this Easter Sunday sermon, Pastor Seth focuses on the transformative power of Jesus Christ's resurrection. The resurrection represents God's love, grace, and mercy. By examining three post-resurrection encounters (with Mary Magdalene, Thomas, and Peter), we see that Jesus meets people exactly where they are - in their brokenness, doubt, and discouragement. Through Christ's resurrection, individuals can find hope, freedom from past sins, and a renewed relationship with God.

Seth Tomboli, Greg Pair, Paulette Sherrer, and Mason Andrews speak on Good Friday about the events leading up to the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.

This Palm Sunday sermon explores the significant moment of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, showing us God's providential plan of salvation. A lot of the Gospel accounts were focused on these final days of Jesus' life and ministry. We know this week leading up to Easter as “Holy Week.” Luke 19:28-43 highlights how Jesus' entry on a donkey fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy and symbolizes his peaceful yet powerful mission to save humanity. God's redemption plan was intentional, not accidental! There is importance in being vocal about our faith, and our hearts should be burdened to see lost people found. This is why we as a church exist to live on mission!

Everyone loves bringing others around the thing they are most passionate about. So the concept of "being a bringer" through the lens of John 1, emphasizing how Christians can live on mission by following Jesus, bringing people to Jesus, and bringing Jesus to people. Believers should be intentional about sharing their faith. Everyone is searching for something, but the reality is that only Jesus can fulfill. Being a witness in everyday life may not seem easy, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be “bringers” with those around us and Live On Mission!

Just like we clean out our closets and get rid of old clothes that don't fit anymore, we need to "clean out our souls" too. When we become followers of Jesus, we should change how we act and think. Take off what doesn't fit anymore, like the old sinful habits and behaviors that don't align with your new identity in Christ. Dwell daily on Jesus, not distractions. Choose to focus on Christ and clothe yourself with His character. And let His peace be your pattern. Ensure your actions match your words as a Christian. Colossians 3 encourages us to "change our clothes" by getting rid of things like anger and selfishness, and instead putting on kindness, forgiveness, and love, all by setting our mind on what is above, Christ Jesus.

This sermon focuses on the story of Jacob wrestling with God in Genesis 32. Pastor Mason emphasizes that it's okay to wrestle with God. In fact, he initiates the wrestling match, not Jacob. Jacob lived relying on himself more than God because of the lies and deception that filled his life. But just like Jacob, God needs us alone and empty before we can wrestle with the thing we’ve been running from! The purpose of this match is not so we can win, but so we can submit. Jacob comes to a place where he is no longer holding on to fight, but fighting for God not to leave him. Wrestling with God is not a bad thing, it helps us realize God’s will and gets us to a place of pure dependence on Him.

There is an importance in compassion, obedience, and personal engagement when it comes to serving others. The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 from John 6:1-15, shows this well! Pastor Darren shared 3 keys for us about serving: Serving starts with a heart of compassion, Serving is responding in obedience, Serving is touching one soul at a time. God can use our limited resources and experiences, including past pain, as starting points for ministry. This sermon encourages us to move from being observers to active participants in serving one another. It’s time to move from the "cheap seats" to the courtside, ready to get in the game!

Each one of you has been given spiritual gifts! Serving in the church and using one's spiritual gifts is a benefit to others. Every role in church service, no matter how small, contributes to ministry and the work God is doing in this area! God's grace is meant to flow through believers to others, not just to them. In previous weeks we have seen Jesus's servant leadership and hospitality. Serving others is a form of worship and stewardship of God's grace, and today we encouraged all to find a place to serve!https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cYOr4hlKB4wiMcUkF1krb31OeP3FYHsd2wBIR1b48bk/preview?tab=t.0