Harvest Time

Matthew 9:35-38

This message is deeply relevant to the present moment we are all experiencing with this pandemic. Things are being shaken. Many people are feeling anxious. The economy is unstable. We know that people are struggling for their very lives in hospital rooms all over the globe. Amidst this global distress people are groaning for solid ground. They are realizing that life is fragile; that no amount of wealth can protect them; that no government can save them; that the health care system is limited. Jesus sees and feels deep compassion during all this, and is calling people to come under the shelter of His presence. He wants to be like a shepherd to us: caring, feeding, protecting, guiding. He wants us to lie down at night with total peace knowing that He is watching over us. I believe this message will be a comfort to anxious hearts. For those listening who may not yet know Christ, this message is an invitation to run into the arms of the Good Shepherd. You don’t need to carry your burden alone. You were not designed to live independently of God. Just like sheep need a shepherd, all living creatures need God. 

Redemptive Shakings

This was not an easy message to preach. At the start of the week, amidst a flood of news regarding the pandemic, I starting praying, “Lord, what are you saying about all this?” It seemed like a simple enough question but I’m not sure I was ready for the answer. I spent most of the week steeping in the Book of Isaiah chapters 24-39 and the Lord began to unveil to me the purpose behind His shakings. Nothing in this world happens randomly. The Lord Almighty is sovereign over all things and this present pandemic is being permitted by Him for a purpose. Not just Isaiah, but all the prophets, interpreted unpleasant happenings from a heavenly perspective and showed that God was at work. Often, the judgments of the Lord are aimed at His own beloved people in order to humble them and cause them to return. When the common grace of God, the kindness of God and the clear message of the prophets is not enough to turn people around, God resorts to terrifying shakings. As I began to study these chapters it was easy to make parallels to the present moment, as the state of the Church has become sick and lame in this generation. Especially in America, the state of things is deplorable. Most people who aren’t Christian are hardened against the message of the Gospel. Those identifying as Christian are collectively guilty of pride, breaking of marriage covenants, pornography, idolatry, stinginess, disregard of the poor (orphans and widows), neglect of prayer, slander, bitterness and much more. It can surely be said of this generation, “there is no fear of God before their eyes”. This message, taken from Isaiah, is a reminder that God is calling His people to humble themselves and turn from sin. It’s a reminder to us to get low and plead for mercy. Judgment begins in the House of God (1Peter 5). I realize this message isn’t easy to listen to. It is birthed out of much love and tears and many days of prayer and fasting. I believe that those who receive the message will be transformed by it. Those who reject it, sadly, will become even more hardened against the Truth. I’m praying it would bear fruit in every heart! -Scott 

Be Still and Know

Psalm 46 

In this season, we are in a series on the book of Ephesians and through the first chapter. However, in light of the present global pandemic (Coronavirus) I decided to pause on the Ephesians series to begin a new series to address the current strange moment. The new series is called “When the Earth Gives Way” which is taken from Psalm 46. Besides explaining our recent decision to suspend Sunday services the message is a simple exposition of this very relevant psalm. In times of uncertainty we do not need to be afraid. God is with us and He is working all things together for good. When it feels like the earth is giving way under us, the admonition from above is—“be still and know that I am God”. This message is aimed at helping anyone who is feeling anxious.

Ephesians: Pray Big

Ephesians 1:15-23

This message explores the big prayer of the Apostle Paul for those who are God’s own. The great problem Christians are up against, despite having the Spirit within them, is dullness. Even though we might have had a wonderful encounter with Jesus a few days ago, the things of eternity may not seem real today. This dullness is a constant struggle for the believer. Paul’s prayer strikes at the very root of this problem. He prays that the Spirit would open the eyes of the heart and reveal the knowledge of God. He prays, specifically, that we would know the hope of our calling, the riches of our inheritance and the immeasurable greatness of His power. This prayer of Paul not only gives us inspiration to pray big but it also gives us permission. 

Ephesians: Intercessory Prayer

Ephesians 1:15-16

Paul said that he did not cease to pray for the believers in Ephesus. This practice of earnest continual prayer marked the early Christians and especially the prophets before them. Many examples from history are given to paint a picture of what intercessory prayer is all about. Scott explains that it’s a different sort of prayer. It’s not the prayer of rest. It’s not merely coffee, contemplation and communion. It’s war. It’s a toil not of human effort but of supernatural power. Paul talked of “struggling with all His energy which so powerfully works within him”. This message is a strong call to be devoted to the serious practice of laboring in prayer for others. It’s a call to return to what the old saints called “travail” and the “burden of the Lord”. It’s this kind of praying alone that has paved the way for mighty moves of God throughout the world. 

Ephesians: Assurance

Ephesians 1:14 

In America, most people believe that heaven awaits them after death. This includes not only Christians and Catholics but Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and all sorts of other religious folks. Even people who don’t hold to a specific religion have a loose idea that there is a God and that they will be welcomed into heaven after death. Jesus, however, warned that many will be surprised and shocked on judgment day when they find the door is closed. They will hear the words, “I never knew you”. Jesus is famous for his statement in John 3 that “unless we are born again we cannot enter the kingdom of God”. So how do we know we are truly saved? One of the crowning promises in the Bible is that the Christian will receive assurance that after death he or she will forever be with Christ in glory. What are the distinguishing marks of this assurance? How do we know that our assurance is genuine and not mere wishful thinking? This message explores these important questions and offers guidance to those who are uncertain about their standing before God. 

Ephesians: How We Are Saved

Ephesians 1:13 

How does a person go from lost to saved, from not knowing Jesus to knowing Him, from being dead in sin to being alive in Christ? What are the elements of this sacred process of entering into the kingdom of God? What must happen to obtain salvation? These are the questions explored in this small verse in Ephesians. Scott shows that the gospel must be preached and heard; there must be a response of faith; the Spirit must cause new birth. From start to finish it is God doing the work. The last part of the message is an exhortation to the church about the importance of preaching the gospel because no one will be saved unless the gospel is preached (Romans 10). Strong reasons are given to preach the gospel even if most reject it and the effort to communicate has negative effects socially most of the time. 

Ephesians: Inheritance

Ephesians 1:11,12

Even the most amazing earthly inheritance we could imagine pales in comparison to the inheritance we obtain in Christ. Because we are God’s chosen beloved children we will receive an inheritance that will never fade and that will last forever. We have been made rich through our adoption! This message also touches on predestination and the doctrine of election. It again explores the question—why are some saved and others not? The last part of the sermon unfolds the ultimate purpose of our existence, namely, that we would glorify God. Scott shows that the revelation of what God has done for us has a way of making us want to worship with everything in us. We loathe the idea of mediocrity or shoddy worship or partial giving or mere minimum requirement. Our hearts burn to please Him and to give our utmost to Him. 

Standalone Sermons: Controlling Relationships

Special guest, Dr. Michael Caparelli, has served as a lead pastor in Rhode Island for over 10 years. He has recently branched out to begin a new ministry called UnMuted, giving victims of trauma their voices back. This particular message was about controlling relationships. The classic story of Pharaoh’s relationship with the people of Israel (Exodus 5) was used as an illustration of how control works. The aim of the message was to bring light and freedom to anyone suffering from a toxic relationship and the courage to break the cycle of control. 

Ephesians: Lavished

Ephesians 1:7-10

Because all of us have experienced broken love in varying degrees, it can be a struggle to fully grasp that God lavishes, loves, and even likes us. This message explores the heart of God before creation and how he devised a grand plan with excitement and joy to bless us. As God’s chosen and dearly beloved people, we are a part of this plan to unite all things together in Christ in the coming ages. May we be overwhelmed by the depth of the Father’s love for us!