Ambassador Presbyterian

True Gospel Connection

Passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13

We’ve all had the experience on the phone when the voice on the other end begins to sound garbled and fades in and out, and we have to ask, “Are you still there?” A connection problem on the phone can easily hamper communication, cause misunderstandings, or literally leave us feeling cut off from the person on the other side. One of the more common concerns I hear from people about the church and about their own lives is that there is a connection problem. They just don’t feel connected to others in the body of Christ. When asked what they mean by this, the answers can vary all over the place, and what one person describes as being connected may be totally different than another person’s description. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul is writing to a group of believers from which he had been literally disconnected by distance and time. At the end of the second chapter, Paul opens up his heart and shares his deep longing and affection for the believers there, and in doing so, he demonstrates for us in his own life the nature and qualities of connection in the body of Christ that can help us to see what we should both seek to experience and strive to express in our own relationships. Join us Sunday as we hear what God has to say to us about true gospel connection.

The Word of God at Work

Passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 As Christians and members of the body of Christ, we pray that God would be at work in our lives and in the life of his church. We pray for God to do his saving, sanctifying and strengthening work in us and through us. And yet, we can easily neglect or even forget the primary way he does that work: through the hearing and receiving of his Word. We are right to place a high priority in the church on the preaching and teaching of God's Word, but do we place as much emphasis on how we hear and receive it? Are we praying not just for the Word preached, but the Word received such that it bears much fruit in our own hearts and lives. One of primary reasons Paul was thankful for the Thessalonian church was their growth in faith, love and hope, the cause of which he reminds them is that they received the gospel for what it truly was, the Word of God at work in them. Join us this Sunday as we come to hear what God has to say about the work of his Word, and pray for him to open our ears and hearts to hear and receive what he has for us.

The Marks of Faithful Gospel Ministry

Passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

We are all quick to defend ourselves from criticism and attack, especially when it is rooted in falsehoods and malice. But often our goal is to defend our reputation, our rightness, our record. Paul finding himself and his ministry under attack after leaving Thessalonica, writes back to defend himself. But he doesn't do so to prove his greatness as an apostle, but to show them Jesus and the power of the gospel at work in and through his ministry in the lives of the Thessalonians. In doing so, he helps us to see the true marks of a faithful gospel ministry. Join us Sunday as we continue our series in 1 Thessalonians and celebrate our union with Christ and one another in the Lord's Supper.

Gospel Influencers

Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1:5b-10 \

In today's world, those with enough followers on social media are often labeled as "influencers" and paid to steer their followers towards a certain product or point of view by virtue of their endorsement. Jesus is the greatest influencer in all of history, and those who follow him become gospel influencers themselves by virtue of the powerful change and testimony of their lives. But that influence is not towards products or perspectives that promise a better life, but towards a person, indeed the Person, who promises life itself: the true and living God. In his letter, Paul gives thanks for the gospel influence of the Thessalonian church. Join us Sunday as we continue in our study of 1st Thessalonians and seek as individuals and as a church to better understand and live as gospel influencers in our community and culture today.

The Power of the Gospel

Why the Sacraments of the Church?

Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

In marriage, a husband and wife mark the promises they make to one another with visible symbols. The ring signifies their union to one another and identifies that union to others. Each year, they may remember, celebrate and reaffirm that union with an anniversary date or meal. God gave his church two important outward symbols of his covenant of grace to redeem his people through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus. The sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper signify Christ and the benefits of his grace, mark our interest in and union with him, and set us apart from the world as belonging to him. But they are more than just symbols, they are means by which God continues to minister his grace and strengthen his body, the church. Join us this Sunday we continue in our series on the church and consider the question "Why the Sacraments?"

Why Join the Church?

Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

We live in a low commitment culture where people are generally hesitant to officially join or commit to anything. Sometimes this is out of a growing distrust of institutions or authority, but often it is out of a fear that we might miss out on something better. We like to keep our options open. The same can be true in the church. Why should we be members of a particular church? Isn't the church bigger and more diverse than just one particular group? Isn't "membership" in the universal body of Christ what counts? Does the Bible even have anything to say about becoming a committed member of a local church? These are valid questions and are particularly relevant in a society increasingly committed to low-commitment. Join us Sunday as we continue in our series of message on the church and see what God's word says about "why join the church."

Why Gather as the Church?

Passage: Acts 2:42-47

If you've ever been to a large athletic event, a rally for some cause, or just seen a large crowd gathering and wondered "what's up," you know that gathering in person with others is much different than just watching something on a screen or reading about something in an article. The effect of being physically present changes all kinds of things. Covid only magnified that. God created his church to be a gathered people, and the nature and function of the church as his body necessitates that we come together as members of one body, as brothers and sisters in one family. Yet, many today would question the need or priority of the church coming together at a particular time and place. This Sunday we'll continue in our series "Why the Church?" to see what God's word says about why we should gather as the church. Come gather with us!!!

What is the Church?

Passage: Ephesians 2:11-22

According to recent research, we are currently experiencing in America a huge shift away from church involvement, a “great dechurching” across the spectrum of Christianity. Most of us know or have family or friends who for some reason or other have left the church. We live in an age and a culture that increasingly questions the significance and relevance of the church, and the events of recent years, along with advances in technology, have even led some believers to question basic assumptions about the church. Over the next several weeks we will seek to address a few of those questions from God’s word in hopes of encouraging our confidence in and commitment to the body of Christ into which God has called us, as well as help us better reach out in grace and love to those who may wonder, “Why the Church?”

Suffering Reversed, Fortunes Restored

In some ways it is fitting that we transition into the season of Advent with our final message from the book of Job. Chapter 42 of Job not only gives us a happy ending where Job's suffering is reversed and his fortune restored, but it gives us a glorious picture of the gospel and the reconciliation and restoration that Jesus came to earth to bring through his own suffering, death and resurrection. The conclusion of Job gives us a living parable of the hope that is to be found in Jesus, who perfectly satisfies God's justice and secures God's mercy for sinners like you and me.  Join us Sunday as we conclude our study of Job in anticipation of the advent of One greater than Job, our Lord Jesus.