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Gratitude - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Join us this morning for a message on the importance of gratitude in the Christian life as Duane Cory invites us to gain greater awareness of God’s presence and God’s goodness in our lives (ft. Duane Cory, Founding Pastor of Deer Creek Church).

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Romans: The Power of the Gospel - Romans 1:8-15

We are going through the book of Romans together as a church. The Apostle Paul, who wrote Romans, has some challenging things to share with the churches in Rome in the chapters to come. But, he says: “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine” (Romans 1:11-12). What does it look like to mutually encourage one another? Sometimes it can be just as hard to give encouragement as it is to receive encouragement from others. And Paul seems to be able to do both because of what he calls a spiritual gift. Hopefully this morning, God’s Word can show us how His grace and how the gospel allows us to be both good givers and receivers of the encouragement that flows out of all that God has graciously given us.

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Romans: The Power of the Gospel - Romans 1:5-7

The book of Romans is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to churches scattered throughout Rome. But more specifically, he says that he wrote this letter to saints through whom the light of Christ wants to shine. God has used the book of Romans to change the lives of saints and sinners like you and me throughout history since it was written. It has enough depth to challenge us to a lifetime of deep growth in faith and yet is so simple that even the newest Christian can be transformed by what is in it. Last week, Romans 1:1-4 told us who CHRIST is and who Paul is in Christ. This morning the next 4 verses will tell us who WE are IN CHRIST. Who we are called to be and what we are called to do as saints who are set apart and sent out to let the light of Christ shine through us.

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Romans: The Power of the Gospel Isaiah Knight Romans: The Power of the Gospel Isaiah Knight

Romans: The Power of the Gospel - Romans 1:1-6

We are starting a new sermon series going through the book of Romans together as a church! Whether you are exploring faith, just starting out as a Christian or wanting to grow deeper in your walk with God, Romans is known for its rich, deep, glorious, and challenging truths about what it means to live life out of the power of the gospel. There is something for everyone in this amazing, life-changing book! Come discover the riches of God's grace in Christ!

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Resolutions or Rubbish? - Philippians 3

How many of you make New Year’s resolutions? Studies have found now that very few people who make resolutions actually intend to keep them. Instead, we use New Year’s Resolutions simply to signal a new start rather than to be a catalyst for real change in our life. It seems the saying is true: “A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.” But, in all seriousness….what is it about New Year’s Day that makes us feel like we have a fresh start? A line in the sand of change? What is it that makes me feel like on December 31st, I have to be the same person I have always been but on January 1st, real change is finally possible? No matter what our resolve to change looks like, the Bible gives us an important perspective on resolve and change and our behavior. In fact, if we understand the Bible’s perspective on change, it can make changing an act of joy and delight, rather than filled with guilt, shame and pressure.

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Christmas at Elevate Hope 2022

The truth about Christmas is that we can so easily miss it as it passes us by because our eyes are fixed on so many other things. It’s not that we easily miss the day. No matter what you believe about Christmas or how much you pay attention to it, it really does completely invade our calendars and our lives once a year. There is no missing the actual day. But often things like presents, family, parties, lights, decorations, baking, preparations, credit card bills and traditions, sometimes all of those things begin to become the only lens through which we view Christmas. And Christmas comes and goes and we miss what we need most about Christmas. And the amazing thing is that the Bible tells us that those who were right next to the events of that first Christmas over 2000 years ago almost missed it too. They really barely noticed it. But when they finally did notice it, it brought them so much joy it could barely be contained. What they almost missed is the same thing that you and I are in danger of missing each Christmas. With our fast paced lives that baby king, that fragile savior in that manger, is still just as ignorable as He was on that first Christmas if we let it. So let’s take a look back at that first Christmas night and see what it has to say about our own Christmas two thousand and twenty some years later.

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Missing Home Part 4

The Christmas story is one filled with joy and wonder. Over and over in the opening chapters of Matthew and Luke, Scripture says: “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at His birth.” Angels tell shepherds, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Mary exclaims, “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” When the wise men saw the star they “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” And it truly is a time of joy and wonder when we allow ourselves to stop and consider all that God has done. But embedded in the Christmas narrative is a dark and troubling moment that is easy to overlook amid all the joy: Herod murdering all the male children of Bethlehem. It’s hard to imagine among all the rejoicing something so tragic, and so evil as this. Joy seems to take a backseat to tears and weeping. So let’s look at this part of the story this morning and what it might be saying to us in our final week before Christmas. Because the troubling parts of the story have just as much to say to us as the encouraging parts.

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Missing Home Part 3

We are in the third week of our advent series, “Missing Home” because many of us miss home during the holidays. But also because with all the frantic busyness of the holidays, it’s easy to miss what Christmas is trying to tell us. One of those things that we can miss is just how unbelievable some of the elements in the Christmas story are. Wise men being led by a heavenly object toward where the Savior lay. Angels and prophecies. But perhaps especially, the virgin birth of Christ. According to a 2017 study, a narrow majority of Americans still believe in the virgin birth but that number has been rapidly declining every year for decades. And some Christians will get mad about that saying, “Christmas is ruined!” or “We need to take back Christmas!” But we need to realize that Mary and Joseph didn’t believe it either! They needed a dream and an angel to tell them what was happening. Because a virgin birth IS unbelievable. Many of the elements of that very first Christmas ARE unbelievable. Even for those who hoped in its coming.

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Missing Home Part 2

If you are accustomed to hearing the Christmas story you are used to it starting out something like this: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.” But what we often forget is that there are 17 verses that come before that familiar start to the the account of Christ’s birth. Granted they aren’t very exciting for us. But Jewish readers and rabbis at the time regarded the first 17 verses of the Christmas account as a miracle on the same level as the parting of the Red Sea. We are in our Advent series leading up to Christmas called “Missing Home,” because many of us miss home during the holidays if we are away. But also because with the rush and busyness of the holidays, it’s easy to miss what Christmas says about our true home; it’s easy to miss what Christmas tries to slow us down to hear in the month to come. And it’s easy to miss all of the hope and fulfillment that are hidden in the first 17 verses of Matthew’s account of the Christmas narrative. So, let’s read it together and see how the Christmas story really begins.

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Missing Home Part 1

There is another season that we can choose to enter into that comes between Thanksgiving and Christmas: the season of Advent. The word Advent means coming or arrival. And in modern times Christians typically focus the coming weeks of Advent on remembering and celebrating the anticipated coming of Christ as a baby in a manger, the long awaited savior born in Bethlehem. However, Advent was also a term that originally described waiting not just for the coming of Christ’s birth, but also describing our waiting for the coming of Christ’s final return. And we don’t want to miss that aspect of our waiting. That even now, with the hope we have of Christmas, we still await a final and better hope. We await our eternal home which we have been promised where there is no more fear, anxiety, sorrow, pain and exhaustion. We are calling our Advent series this year “Missing Home.” Because this is a time that we often long for home if we are away, but also because it’s easy among all the holiday clatter to miss what this season has to tell us about our true home. The heavenly home we are waiting for made possible by Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection over 2000 years ago. This morning as the first Sunday of Advent we are going to take the morning to look ahead to the hope and the home we are still waiting for in Christ’s return before looking back in the weeks to come to the hope that has already come in the manger.

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Hope In The Storm - Mark 4:31-45

See the stricken boat as it is tossed upon the sea. Hear the fearful cries that wake the man from Galilee. He stands before the raging, speaks peace and harmony. Winds and waves obey, He is the man who calmed the sea.

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To Be Local - Psalm 87

God has welcomed us by grace, and because of this grace we have the privilege of welcoming others to be local and native in the city of God. Becoming a citizen of God’s kingdom means receiving His unbelievable love, embracing the diverse membership of this city, and joyfully drinking of the life-giving water God gives to us. Join us this Sunday as we look at the promises in store for those who belong to the city of God in Psalm 87. (ft. David Rapp, Church Planting Resident at Deer Creek Church).

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Baptism and Membership Sunday 2022

This Sunday, we want to celebrate a milestone in the life of Elevate Hope! God has given to His church the sacraments of the Lord’s Table and of Baptism, and has given us membership in the church as a local expression of being united to Christ as His body. This Sunday, we are having a special Baptism and Membership Celebration Service, where we will be baptizing several new believers and children, receiving communing members from their latest Communicants Class, and receiving our second round of adult members! Celebrate with us during this exciting time in the life of our church!

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Building Healthier Relationships Part 6 - The Imperfect Parent - Deuteronomy 6

Maybe you are a brand new parent. A soon-to-be parent. A parent whose kids are now grown and on their own. Or maybe you aren’t a parent at all. But the Bible has a lot to say to parents and children; after all, God is called our Father and we are called His children. Out of all 10 of His commandments, God singles out the parent and child relationship as the one that has the promise and potential to bring long life. Join us this Sunday for the last part of our series, “Building Healthier Relationships,” as we look at what the Bible says about parenting our children in godly and healthy ways.

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Building Healthier Relationships Part 5 - Building Healthy Friendships - 1 Samuel 17

Isolation is becoming endemic within our culture with disastrous results, even inside churches. Many adults don’t have a lot of deep and lasting friendships because as adults, no one really tells us how to make and keep friends. And yet we need them. Join us this Sunday for Part 5 of our series, “Building Healthier Relationships,” as we look at what the Bible says about friendship and the importance of life together with others.

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The Test of Love - 1 John 4

Throughout his first letter, John gives three tests of genuine faith that characterize the basics of the Christian life: 1) The test of belief - do we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was born in the flesh, fully God and fully man? 2) The test of obedience - do we seek to obey God’s commandments and practice righteousness? 3) The test of love - do we seek to love one another? In this morning’s passage, we will focus specifically on the test of love. In this passage, John speaks of “loving one another” three separate times. The kind of love John is talking about isn’t a ‘convenient’ love, but rather an ‘agape’ love - unselfish, sacrificial, ‘get your hands dirty’ kinda love. However, this kind of love doesn’t come naturally for us - so join us as we look at why this standard of love is difficult for us, and how John models this kind of love for us to enact in our lives. (ft. Chad Donohoe, Pastor of Community Life at Deer Creek Church).

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