Jesus, at the Tomb, with a Candlestick

On Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live. Pastor Stuart shared an Easter message that looked into the mysteries of the resurrection. This Easter we discovered the strength and grace of Mary Magdalene as she was the first to witness Jesus’ resurrection and her faithfulness to share her experience with the risen Jesus with those who don’t yet believe. We also learn that beauty and new life can arise out of strange and even difficult circumstances.

Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

“Mary!” Jesus said.

She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.
John 20:11-18 (NLT)

Final Lessons on the Way to the Cross: Secure in a Broken World

On Sunday, April 10, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live. Pastor Stuart concludes our series on Final Lessons on the Way to the Cross. This week we are reminded that we are secure in the Father’s love, in Christ’s knowing, and in our future since Jesus has overcome the world.

In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:26-33 (ESV)

Final Lessons on the Way to the Cross: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Us

On Sunday, April 3, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live. Pastor Stuart continues our series on Final Lessons on the Way to the Cross. This week we are reminded that we are empowered to be Christ’s ministers in the world by the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church. We must daily practice relying on the Spirit’s guiding presence.

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
John 16:7-11 (NIV)

Final Lessons on the Way to the Cross: Our Relationship with the World

On Sunday, March 27, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live. Pastor Stuart continues our series on Final Lessons on the Way to the Cross. This week we are encouraged to love one another, remembering that following the ways of Jesus (walking in love) can and will lead to misunderstanding and persecution.

This is my command: Love each other. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.
John 15:17-21 (NIV)

Final Lessons on the Way to the Cross: Living in Love

On Sunday, March 20, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live. Pastor Stuart continues our series on Final Lessons on the Way to the Cross. This week we are reminded of what it means to live in love by becoming a great lover, living in complete joy, and growing through love.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit —fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:9-17 (NIV)

Final Lessons on the Way to the Cross: What It Means and How to Abide in Christ

On Sunday, March 13, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live. Pastor Stuart continues our series on Final Lessons on the Way to the Cross. This week we are encouraged to abide in Christ from John 15:5-8. Pastor Stuart explores the relationally of abiding in Christ through trust, prayer, bearing fruit, and glorifying God.

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
John 15:5-8 (NASB)

Lessons on the Way to the Cross: Enduring Peace

On Sunday, March 6, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live. Pastor Stuart continues last week’s message on Sabbath rest, focusing on the resulting peace from taking time to be with the Lord and family. This Sunday we are encouraged to examine our relationship to peace. What steals it? What influence does the world’s peace have on us? What steps do we need to take to reestablish Jesus’ peace in our lives?

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:25-27 (NIV)

Kingdom Lessons from the Sabbath

On Sunday, February 27, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live. Pastor Stuart continues our series in the Gospel of Luke, encouraging us to set aside the Sabbath for relationships, pausing, and building trust with the Lord and those closest to us.

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Luke 6:1-5 (NIV)

Developing a New Hunger for the Lord

On Sunday, February 20, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live. Pastor Stuart continues our series in Luke 5, encouraging us to explore habits that lead to better relationships, realizing that some of our old ways of relating need to be retired, because they are not useful any longer. The Lord also uses relationships to highlight areas of growth and reveal new things God wants to develop in us.

They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”
Luke 5:33-39 (NIV)

Sinner in the Hands of a Gracious God

On Sunday, February 13, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live. Pastor Stuart continues our series in Luke 5, reminding us that Jesus sees us and calls us to follow him. The reason he came was to bring healing to the sick and a new life for those who are lost.

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 5:27-32 (NIV)

What is Jesus Calling Us To? – Forgiven and Forgiving

On Sunday, February 6, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live. Pastor Stuart continued the story of Jesus’ healing of the paralytic man, focusing on forgiveness. Jesus finds himself in a conflict over his statement about forgiveness and takes the opportunity to declare his authority as the Son of Man with the proof of healing along with forgiving the paralyzed man. Jesus offers himself to us as the one who forgives, heals, and is our example to do the same in our world today.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
Luke 5:20-26 (NIV)

What is Jesus Calling Us to this Year? – Seeing Our Faith

On Sunday, January 30, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live and Zoom. Pastor Stuart highlighted the faith of a paralyzed man’s friends. They heard the news about Jesus, came together, and stepped out in faith by placing their friend in front of Jesus to be healed. Pastor Stuart shared that today we can join our faith to the faith of our family and friends and then step out together in the way that the Lord is leading us, trusting that the Lord will meet us there and carry us through.

One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
Luke 5:17-20 (NIV)

What is Jesus Calling Us to this Year? – Come to Me

On Sunday, January 23, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live and Zoom. Pastor Stuart shared an encouragement to spend regular time with the Lord. He used Jesus’ example or withdrawing often, reducing distractions, and creating a rhythm of intimacy.

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Luke 5:15-16 (NIV)

What is Jesus Calling Us to this Year? – Compassion

On Sunday, January 16, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live and Zoom. Pastor Stuart explored three kingdom lessons regarding compassion. 1) Recognize the Savior is here and is our source of compassion. 2) The leper’s desperation is a model for us to keep an open heart to come to Jesus as our Savior and Healer. 3) Compassion must lead when we desire to help others who are hurting.

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
Luke 5:12-15 (NIV)

What is Jesus Calling Us to this Year?

On Sunday, January 9, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live and Zoom. Pastor Stuart led us in an exercise to evaluate what we feel Jesus is calling us to this year. We looked at Jesus calling the disciples in Luke 5:1-11, NIV. To make the task more manageable, we looked at God’s calling in incremental stages.

• The little asks

• The unusual tasks

• A courageous calling

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Luke 5:1-11 (NIV)

Reflecting Back and Praying Forward

On Sunday, January 2, 2022, Pastor Stuart Nice shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live and Zoom. Pastor Stuart leads us in an exercise to evaluate what has come before, create a focus toward what we would like to accomplish, and then step out into the Lord’s promises for what lies ahead.

Yet, my brothers, I do not consider myself to have “arrived”, spiritually, nor do I consider myself already perfect. But I keep going on, grasping ever more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasped me. My brothers, I do not consider myself to have fully grasped it even now. But I do concentrate on this: I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead I go straight for the goal—my reward the honour of being called by God in Christ.
Philippians 3:12-14, J.B. Phillips New Testament

Come and See

On Sunday, December 19, 2021, Gio Serrato shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live and Zoom. Gio encourages us to examine what we are seeking when we come to the Lord. Jesus uses our seeking to create an invitation for others to seek the Lord and get to know Jesus for themselves. When we spend time with Jesus, he will faithfully reveal himself, his love for us, and how we can best express our love for him.

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come and you will see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour… 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

John 1:35-39, 45-51

Possibilities, Prophecies, and Partners in Faith

On Sunday, December 12, 2021, Pastor Stuart shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live and Zoom. Pastor Stuart encourages us through the story of Mary and Elizabeth to trust in the possibilities of God, be with people so in order to build one another up in faith, and speak forth the encouragements given by the Holy Spirit toward those closest to you.

And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

Luke 1:36-45, 56 (NASB)

Embracing the Difficult Assignments

On Sunday, December 5, 2021, Pastor Stuart shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live and Zoom. Pastor Stuart shared an encouragement that we will at times receive difficult assignments from the Lord, much like Mary did. We can gather strength from the fact that we are highly favored by the Lord and that our strength comes from the Holy Spirit when we fully give ourselves to the Lord.

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. …For nothing will be impossible with God.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Luke 1:34-35, 37-38 (NIV)

Trusting Jesus in the Darkness

On Sunday, November 28, 2021, Pastor Stuart shared a message in person and online via YouTube Live and Zoom. Pastor Stuart shared an encouragement that even though times can seem dark, Jesus is our light. With that in mind, we must have open hearts to recognize Jesus and receive the gift of his grace, becoming God’s children.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
John 1:9-12 (NIV)