This is one of the most incredible stories in the Bible.  This is the story of two very different men, who both had visions from God.  It's a story filled with danger, intrigue, surprise, and adventure.  It's the story of a villain, who became one of the most well known Christ followers in history.  What can we learn from these two men as we look forward to a new year?

Do you ever feel like your life is out of control - like you just can't take it anymore?  As you look back on the year, has it been a peaceful one, or has it been a year filled with stress and anxiety?   We all face stress.  The question is:  how will you handle it?

Many people struggle with loneliness, but it's hard to admit when we are lonely.  But feeling lonely doesn't make you a failure.  It isn't silly.  It's something we all face at some point.  The good news is:  if you are lonely, there is help!

God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary things.  Mary, the mother of Jesus, was just a regular girl.  The disciples were all normal, regular, unimpressive people, but God used them to change the world.   What do we need to do for God to use us for His will?  What is the cost?

Do you consider yourself and ungrateful person?  Most people don't.  We are usually blind to our own ingratitude.  It's not that we don't want to be grateful, we just forget.  The difference between being grateful and being ungrateful is a lot more than just two letters!  In this message, Pastor Patrick Lander encourages us to live a life of gratitude!

Nothing is impossible for God.  Even if sickness or disease strike our lives, when it seems impossible.  What do you pray when you need healing? What words do you say?  Is there a "correct" way to pray for healing?  Featuring two stories from First Assembly friends, this message will inspire and remind you that God is a God of healing!

Everybody needs help at some point. You need help from other people, even if you don't want to admit it.  You need help from God.  Asking for help is not a sign of weakness!  Often, asking for help is a sign of wisdom! 

Pastor Rod Loy concludes the series with more inspiring stories of places that seemed impossible.

Some things are impossible for people.  We don't have the ability and will never have the ability.  But for God?  Nothing is Impossible.  With God, all things are possible.

 Jesus said we were to go out into all the world and preach the Gospel.  It seems like an impossible task.  But is the impossible possible?

Everyone knows the phrase "pride comes before a fall," and it is true.  When we gain some success, it is so easy to forget what God did for us.  In this message, Rod Loy talks about some key principles we all need to follow when things are going well.

An unlikely hero, a seriously overweight king, and a story that seems like it is right out of a spy thriller.   We can learn some important things from this unusual story.  God can and wil use the most unlikely people!

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 specializes in the impossible!

It's an unbelieveable Bible story with a powerful lesson about a common problem in our lives. 

Have you ever done something stupid? Pastor Rod Loy shares the story of a group of Israelites who just don't seem to learn from their mistakes and how the story relates to us today.

Have you ever made a discovery that was so good you were tempted to keep it to yourself? Pastor Rod Loy shares the story of three outcast who became unlikely heroes when they stumbled upon great news--and decided to share it with other.

Pastor Brian Dollar teaches us to plant the seeds of Outward Focus in our families. Learn how to become a family who is obedient, generous and who sacrifices.

What you plant in your family is what will grow. Learn how to avoid planting the wrong seeds and how to plant beneficial ones instead.

How do you avoid passing negative things down to the next generation? How do you avoid reproducing the seeds that were planted in you?

Maybe your family model wasn’t healthy. Maybe that unhealthy, dysfunctional family model has been passed down for generations. You desperately want to end the cycle, but aren’t sure how. Rod Loy outlines steps toward change.

Unplanted seed is useless and worthless.  For it to be effective, it has to be planted.  To grow your family, you have to plant the right seeds pointed toward the right harvest.  It's not enough to know what to do.  You have to actually do it!

Raising a healthy family, building a healthy marriage and maintaining healthy relationships takes time, effort, hard work, intentionality, a lot of love, a lot of help, and a lot of prayer.  What are you planting in your family today?

Average Pete, a hotheaded guy who made bad decisions, was transformed by Christ into a "super" version of himself.  This former fisherman became a great leader of the faith.  God sees the "super" in you, too - you don't have to be average!

How can we disagree without our disagreement dissolving into a church fight?  People can lose sight of what really matters and get a church off mission.  The true test of our faith is this - how will we conduct ourselves and will we resolve those issues?

Some of us spend every day in prison.  Not a literal prison, but we are held captive by depression, addictions, fear.  It is a dark cell that makes some days a struggle just to move through life.  But God can set us free from our prisons!  This message is by Pastor Randy Jumper, our missions and young adult pastor.

God used a preacher with a prejudice and a Gentile seeker, searching for God, to change the church world at that time, and for all time.

A testimony is meant to be told.  If God has done something wonderful for you, there is power in sharing your testimony!  Your miracle will lead to others believing.  Your story will inspire faith and hope in others!

We sometimes want God to save us from the consequences of our mistakes.  But, thank God that He doesn't rescue us from every consequence.  They are great teachers!  God loves you enough to let you learn from your mistakes.

Bible characters sometimes seem like superheroes: larger than life, always on top.  But they weren't.  They made mistakes, and said stupid things.  If God can use ordinary, flawed men and women to make a difference, God can use you!

How to spot "friends" who are working against God's plan for your life.

Is life performance based? Or, is there a different standard?

How do we treat people that society ignores?

Are you crippled?  We're talking about people who have endured crippling experiences in their lives.   Maybe it was rejection, or abuse, or divorce.  Whatever it is, you are not alone.  God has not forgotten you!

It's probably the most unpopular financial concept in our society:  delay.  We want everything now, but in this message, Rod Loy lays out the benefits of waiting.

The second important word to remember when dealing with money is Pay:  pay cash, pay off your credit cards.  Heavy credit card debt is the root of a lot of marital problems, and definitely a major source of stress.  In this message, Rod Loy talks about why it is important to avoid being a slave to debt.

If we want God to bless our finances, we need to obey His instructions.

Everyone wants to go to heaven, but we have some interesting ideas about how to get there.  Sometimes we think if we do enough good deeds, or if we work hard enough to be a good person, we'll get there.  But is that what it takes?

In this series, we've talked about the kinds of friends we need in our lives.  In this message, we learn more about the most important friend of all: Jesus!

Like Meshach in the Bible, we all need friends in the fire, in the hardest times in our lives.

In this message, Pastor Rod talks about loneliness, and if you are only going to have one friend - this is the friend you need!

You need a friend like Jonathan, who knows that God is not intimidated by impossible odds!

Sometimes, we all need a friend who can look at our situation and tell us the truth we really need to hear.

We all need a friend like Moses in our lives, a friend that can forgive us and help restore us.

We all need an older person in our lives to learn from, and a younger person to teach and carry on wisdom and faith.

We need friends who are passionate, creative, and determined about getting us closer to Jesus!

We all need a friend like Silas, someone who will stick with us in the tough times, when we are under pressure.

Barnabas was a disciple in the Book of Acts who was a great encourager to other believers.  We all need encouragers in our lives.  And, we all should be encouragers for other people.

We are not supposed to be alone.  We were designed and created for connection.  We not only need other people in our lives, we need the right people in our lives.  Who are those right people, and what type of friends are important in your journey to be a lifelong follower of Christ?

What makes a healthy church?  What are some things that can keep a church from becoming inward focused and dysfunctional.  Using the early church in the Book of Acts as a guide, Rod Loy examines the healthy church.

Don't make any New Year's resolutions until after you've heard this message - Pastor Rod will challenge you to look at resolutions in a whole new way!