Every January 1, millions of Americans will make their list of New Year's resolutions.  A New Year's resolution is a vow to change, improve, or grow in a specific area in the coming year.  But, life is busy and your busy schedule and packed priorities quickly edge out all those good intentions.  Why is that? Why can't we change?  Why do we keep giving up?  Why is it another year--and same old me?

For a couple of days in December every year, everything focuses on one thing: Christmas.  Offices are closed, the mail isn't delivered, stores shut down, schools are out.  What's the big deal?  In an increasingly secular society, why does everything shut down and everyone stop for Christmas?

 

You don't need anyone to teach you how to celebrate victory -- you've got that down. It comes naturally. You throw your arms in the air and run around the room. You shout. You high-five. You may even dance a little victory dance. You know what to do when you win.

But, what do you do when you don't win? What do you do when not only do you not win, but you suffer a horrible defeat? What do you do when everything seems gone - there is no hope - when you've lost it all?

It's in our darkest hours that who we are really comes to light. Rod Loy looks at the story of Paul and Silas in prison and asks the questions: "Who am I chained to?" and "What song will I sing in the dark?"

David was a little guy - a young shepherd boy.  Goliath was a big guy.  It's the classic story of big problem, little me.  But really, it's not David who had the big problem, even though everyone thought he did.  Goliath was actually the underdog.  In this message, Rod Loy looks at what happens when we face big problems.

 

 

These are challenging times to raise kids. While there are many excellent books for parents, the Bible remains the best guidebook. Rod Loy examines five principles for raising life-long followers of Jesus.

Prejudice: It's an ugly subject, and it makes people uncomfortable. In the book of Acts, the apostle Peter received a very clear message from God on this subject. Pastor Rod Loy looks at this passage and asks the question: Is there room for prejudice in the church?

It can happen when you least expect it. Everything is rocking along fine. Your business is doing well. Your relationships are solid. Your family is together. Then, it all changes. Rod Loy examines what to do when you find yourself under attack.

How do you increase your hunger and desire to grow? Rod Loy looks at what it takes to become what God wants us to be.

One of the central themes of the Bible is this - nothing is impossible for God.  God is not intimidated by our difficult circumstances.  What seems impossible for us is entirely possible for God.  He has no limitations. 

In this message, Rod Loy looks at the story of Jehoshaphat and the army of Israel.  Surrounded by enemy armies in battle, he put the choir in front of the warriors.  What was that all about?

In this special podcast, we feature our Music and Creative Arts Pastor, David Richards, as he speaks about what he learned during his fight with cancer.

 

The Bible is our guidebook for living.  In the story we look at today, we discover that there have always been people who created their own gods.  It's not a new conflict.  It's not a new way to think.  In fact, these gods are put to the test over and over, with the same result.  Rod Loy looks at the story of Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal.

What is a miracle?  Is it a grilled cheese sandwich bearing an image of the Virgin Mary?  Is it finding a good parking spot at the mall?  Is it your boss finally giving you a raise?  We look for miracles in a lot of different places.  Are they real? Do they still happen?  Rod Loy looks at the subject of miracles.

It happens every year before football season starts.  Every team talks about how this is their year to win the Super Bowl.  At the end of the season, though, only one team wins.  The battle, the game, proves who is the better team.  It's that way in life, too.  The battles we encounter make us better.  Great moments are preceded by tough moments.  Do you feel like you're in a battle right now?  This is your chance for a great moment!

When you fail, God doesn't see your failure and run away. He isn't up in heaven waiting to club you over the head.  Instead, when you fail, God initiates releationship with you.  God is not focused on the failure.  He is focused on you.  Rod Loy looks at God's response to failure.

 

 

You choose whether or not to do right.  It's not God's fault, your friend's fault, or Satan's fault.  It's your choice.  (Wow, pretty strong statement!)

Rod Loy continues this look at the story of Adam and Eve and what we can learn from their decisions.

 

Rod Loy looks at the topic of depression.

Some of us try to do life on our own.  People who aren't in a relationship with God  often struggle.  If you want to enjoy the blessings of God, you must be in a relationship with God.  Rod Loy looks at the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and how it applies to us today.

 

 

You have a plan for your life.  God has a plan for your life.  But, there is one other factor in the equation - one other plan that exists for your life.  Satan has a plan for you as well.  His plan is predictable and is really the same for all of us.  Rod Loy examines these tactics, that have worked from the beginning of time to today.

There is a myth when it comes to families:  time heals all wounds.   It would be nice if this was true, but it's not.  In fact, time often makes wounds worse.

How do you move beyond the hurts of the past and truly find healing? 

Rod Loy continues this look at the ten things that every family needs.  This week:  every family needs, fun, flexibility, and balance.  No family is perfect, but every family is different, and utilizing our different strengths makes for a stronger family.

 

 

We live in a society of disposable commitment.  It used to be that nothing was more important than a person's word.  Now, we have treated our word too lightly, whether in marriage, business, or relationships.  In this message, Rod Loy examines the importance of commitment.

If your toilet breaks, you call a plumber.  If you're sick, you call a doctor.  If your car is having problems, you call a mechanic.  So why is it when our families need help, we think we can handle it on our own?

There is no perfect family!  In this message, Rod Loy examines when families should call for help.

 

How much is enough?  It's your choice. Are you going to spend the rest of your life fighting greed and suffering the consequences, or are you going to think about your stuff in a completely different way? 

Pastor Randy Jumper looks at the difference between knowledge and wisdom, and how you can grow in both.

Complete this sentence:  If I only had a ________, I'd be happy.  No society has as much stuff as we do.  The bottom line of every advertisement is: "You can buy happiness."  Can you?  Rod Loy looks at where our increasing desire for "more" takes us.

Wouldn't you like to live like a king?  No worries, no cares, no financial pressure.  In this message, Rod Loy looks at King David, who lived like a king, but in a different way.

Jesus had a lot to say about money. Why? Because God knows that our heart follows our money.  In this message, Rod Loy  covers some practical advice for handling our finances. 

Pastor Randy Jumper addresses questions raised by the DaVinci code and talks about how Christians should respond to attacks on faith.

 

If you are a Christ-follower, can anybody tell?  Wouldn't it be awesome if it was obvious just by looking at us that we are  life-long followers of Jesus Christ? 

 

Anger is on the rise in America.  It seems everywhere we turn, whether it's our jobs, on the road, or a ballfield, we are faced with anger and even rage.  Why do we get angry?  What can we do about it? 

 

Are you lost? Even with all the roadmaps that are available to us, we sometimes lose our way, both in a physical and a spiritual sense.  It's devastating to realize you're lost.

There's good news, though:  You may be lost, but you don't have to stay that way.  You can be found.  Rod Loy examines what happens when you are lost and found.

 

 

 

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is one of the more controversial and misunderstood aspects of Christian life. Rod Loy takes a look at what the Bible has to say and answers some common questions.

 

 

 

It was one of our least favorite sayings when we were kids. "Good Things Come to Those Who Wait."  When you're a kid, that phrase seems like a parental excuse to not give you the things you want.  We don't want to wait.  We want everything now!  In Exodus 33, good things really come to the one guy, the only guy, who is willing to wait.

Have you ever done or said something that was extremely dumb?  Everyone has, and it's nothing new.  In the Book of Numbers, we encounter some people who acted stupidly.  In the second part of the story, it's unbelievable how much "dumber" they get.

 

Fear is a factor for all of us.  But, fear is primarily a matter of focus.  You get to choose.  Will you give in to fear?  Will you let it control you?

 

There are many words, that when they are said to you or about you, instantly change your life:  pregnant, cancer, terminal, divorce, guilty, addicted.  Maybe you have heard those words, or maybe you are living one of them.  In this message, Rod Loy looks at another word that can change your life.

First Assembly celebrates the completion of our first 100 church plants in our 100X100 campaign and looks ahead to the future.  Whether it's a pastor on the front line or a churchgoer in the US who sends money to support them, we're all in this together.

 

One of the first places for Christ-followers to serve others is in their home church.  Everyone has different talents and places for ministry.  In this message, Rod Loy looks at the importance of teams.

Being lost. It makes for great TV shows, but it's frustrating in real life. What do you do when you're lost in life?

How do you react to victory? Like many professional athletes, we are often at our worst when we win. We gloat, taunt, and make sure everyone knows that we deserve all the glory. Is that how it's supposed to be? How should we react when we win?

What is your enemy? For some people, it's bills, sickness, addiction, or anxiety. When things are going wrong, when someone is doing us wrong, when we are under attack and surrounded, we have an alarming tendency to become focused on the wrong thing. We are enemy focused instead of mission focused, purpose focused, growth focused, or God focused. How should we handle these enemies of life?

Have you ever been there? Have you noticed how when things start out bad, they just seem to get worse? Somehow it seems like you never deal with just onebad thing--they pile on. It seems that everywhere you turn, there are more problems. You are under attack -- surrounded by your problems. Rod Loy looks at what to do when we are under attack.

It's not popular to talk about God's judgement, but as we see in the Biblical story of Moses and the Israelites in Egypt, God had a plan for His children so that they could escape judgement. He has a plan for us, too. Rod Loy looks at God's plan in this message.

Were the events of 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina judgments from God against our country? To hear some people, those major events were God's wrath poured out on a sinful nation. But is this really the case? Rod Loy looks at what happens when God judges and how it affects us all.

The second in Pastor Rod Loy's series "Hey God, Can I Ask You a Question?"

This is the first message in the series "Hey God, Can I Ask You a Question?"

A look at Solomon's writings concerning friendships. From the series, "Lessons From The World's Wisest Man".