Invite Jesus into the place where you are broken! He has the answer! He is the answer! Jesus speaks life into brokenness! He is the resurrection! He has power! He does miracles! That is what He does! God has treasure for you in the midst of tragedy! God’s plans outweigh your plans! If you lose the truth about Christ you lose everything! Trust God for when you find the truth in the midst of tragedy you have everything! Stephanie Henderson, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Tag: springs
We Believe In!
This has and is a series of messages we will continue today. Church history is important because He is the same yesterday, today and forever! We need to understand the foundation of our Faith! When we begin a journey to a specific destination we must stay on a tested proven path! The Nicene Creed does not replace the Bible but it condenses the most important elements of our Faith! The Creed is a guardrail that keeps us on the right road and helps prevent detours that could get us lost! It is hard to get upset with this Creed! If you lose a football game you cannot blame the playbook! You have to execute the play! Sometimes the church has petty differences but all can agree on this Creed! The part of the Creed we are studying this morning is, “We believe in one Holy, Universal and Apostolic Church.” Just as the Creed professes one God, one Christ and one Holy Spirit so the Creed professes one Church! Sometimes the church can be a disappointment! Our expectations are very high! The hardest people to council and encourage are those who have been abused by the church! Jesus understands this! My father when I was a young lad did not attend church! My mother took us to church and he went fishing! He always took me fishing after we got back from church. My father believed the church was full of hypocrites! He recognized later in life all were sinners and we all need a Savior! My wife Pam went through surgery last week! There is no greater comfort than the people of God! His church surrounds you in love and prayer! Nothing is sweeter! Nothing is greater than taking God’s love to people and then it is returned to you in your time of need! That my friend is Heaven! Why belong to a local church? First it is God’s plan! Do not forsake your assembling together! The local church is a non-negotiable. We need the community of the local church! A medical doctor cannot mature unless he has patients! We need someone to practice love on! Yes, you can find Jesus outside the church but you can only mature inside the church! Yes, we need our private devotions but congregational worship cannot be replaced! We will not be in Heaven by ourselves! You will have to cooperate with other Saints! God’s presence is magnified when we worship together! There is only one church on planet earth! There is only one church in Heaven! In church you worship with people who do not look like you! Hey, it is your lucky day! You have to worship with republicans, democrats, immigrants both legal and illegal! America is more divided today than anytime in my lifetime! Yes, we had our Revolutionary and Civil War but today has a cultural war like none I have seen before! The Bible says that God created all of us in His Image! If you believe that the racism, sexism, rich and poor has to go! The church breaks down the stereotypes! The world tries to separate us and the church unites us! What does Apostolic mean? When my son Abram was small he could not pronounce that word and when he tried it sounded like alcoholic! We get our word apostles from apostolic. The Apostles lived with Jesus and recorded what He did and said! The twelve disciples had first hand knowledge of Jesus life! The teachings of Jesus were handed down to us! In the 1st century there were a few thousand followers. Today 1/3 of the earth’s population is Christian! Jesus revealed to us how to live! Matthew 16:15-18 Peter denied Christ then repented and Jesus told him upon this rock I will build my church! Peter became the leader of the Jerusalem church and the first Pope of Rome! We have community in one Holy, Universal Apostolic Church! Acts 2:42 What this verse says is that they continued to have church! Again we come into the church with certain expectations! Remember marriage is not always romantic! We sometimes have exaggerated idea’s about things! Remember the church is a community of imperfect people! Why give up on the church? The church is full of saved sinners! The church is full of frail people! In church we take off our masks and are transparent before God! We openly testify of God’s redemptive work in our lives! Philippians 2:12 The church is where we work out our salvation! We cannot do it in private! We have to love people we do not agree with! The world looks into the church and tries to figure it out? It’s growth and influence exceeds any corporation in history! The world needs the church example with it’s unity in Christ! The church is a colony of life in a country of death! Our Mary’s Home and other facilities in Colorado Springs are a beacon of light in a dark world! We take people in who are on the margins of our culture and give them hope! We show the world what can happen when Christ’s followers come together in unity! We cannot do these things by ourselves! We just do what Jesus does and the world wonders in awe! Miracles! In church we meet people we would not choose! The church chose you and me! You can choose your friends but not your family! We love people who are not like us! The Holy Spirit confirms us! We are under the same tent with new and different people! John Chrysostom a famous theologian who lived from 347-407 A.D. said, “The church is an angelic commonwealth where the poor man knows no shame and the rich man knows no haughtiness!” Jesus is the head of the church! Remember Paul persecuted the church and then became an Apostle of the church! Ephesians 1: 22-23 Jesus is the head of His Body the Church! The Holy Spirit shapes the church into His Image! His Holy family looks like Jesus! Thankyou. Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Why Believe?
The Apostle Paul told us five things we must remember if we are to be sincere followers of Jesus Christ. We follow Him out of conviction not out of convenience! First Jesus has always existed! He is the only sure foundation! All else will fail and pass away! Jesus will never leave you or forsake you! He was and is and is to come! Second Jesus is fully God! He took on our humanity but kept His Divinity! Fully God and fully man! Why are our prayers answered? His death was full payment for our sin and we are no longer separated from God! Third through Jesus all things were created! All things were created for Jesus! He exists for you! Invite Jesus into your life! Invite Him into your marriage, your work, your plans and your future! No future without Jesus! Jesus created marriage! He knows how to hold it together! When a couple has Jesus on the thrown of their lives and marriage great things happen! Jesus created all human life! Fourth the Holy Spirit will give you the power you need to continue in His purpose! Everyday is a new day! All things become new! The Holy Spirit has changed the game! You can win now! Jesus said no man comes to the Father but by me! Fifth you need to decide today to believe! Is He your Lord? Is Christ your Lord or someone or something else? Are you on your own throne? Christ left a perfect Heaven to suffer for you! His Kingdom will have no end! Do you want to be a part of forever? C. S. Lewis said that Christ is either a lunatic, liar or He is Lord! How many bad choices before you choose Christ? How much suffering do you want trying to make it own your own? Nobody has ever succeeded trying! Victory or failure depends on who you have on the thrown of your life! Self or Christ? I cannot choose for you but I can say when I chose Christ things began and continue to get better in my life! Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Why is Nicene Creed Important? Part 2
Earlier we discussed the importance of the Virgin birth! Only three names are mentioned in the Nicene Creed. They are Pilot, Mary and Jesus. Why? Mary and Jesus represent one Kingdom and Pilot represents another Kingdom. Two very different Kingdoms! Remember Pilot was not breaking any laws! He was the enforcer of Roman Rule using intimidation, force, fear, violence and death to enforce Roman Law! Lawful does not mean Godly! We have a higher calling! Not all laws are Christ like! Jesus was a Middle Eastern man who never spoke English. Pilot represents the law and Christ represents Grace and Truth! Not just represents but is the embodiment of Grace and Truth! The law shows us that no one except Christ can keep the law and all of humanity needs the Savior! Source: Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Why is the Virgin Birth Important?
Most of the time you will not hear about the Virgin birth except around Christmas time. This is why we as a congregation repeat the Nicene Creed every Sunday because it includes this among other important things to our Faith! This great event in human history causes to awe and wonder about how God does things? God does not owe us an explanation! God could have zoomed Jesus down to earth in a flash of light for the whole world to see instantly! Think about Mary for a moment? She was a teenager, poor, female and pregnant out of wedlock! In the Greek, Roman and Jewish world women had no status! They were considered property! Yet God chose her? Why? God shows us the womb is a Holy place! There is dignity in the womb! Life begins in the womb! God shows us the important role of women! God does not have a war on women! Satan does! Herod and the State tried to abort Jesus! A medical doctor wanted to abort Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow! His mother chose life! God has demonstrated to us that the womb is a Holy Sanctuary! Source: Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Excerpt taken from message given on August 23, 2015.
What Attracts God?
Praise! Praise! Praise! Brandon Cormier, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
The Strength of Great Wisdom! 1Cor. 1:20-25
Verse 25– “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” What is Paul talking about here? He is talking about the Cross! This is God’s genius plan! Christ! Born of a virgin? Sinless? Dies on a cruel Cross as a common criminal? Rose from the grave? Conquered death and hell? Seated at the right hand of His Father right now? If you could figure this out it would not be of God! Only the revelation of God through His Holy Spirit can reveal this to you! Spiritual discernment is required not man’s wisdom! Pilot told Jesus I will determine whether you live or die! Jesus told Pilot I lay down my life! Using man’s wisdom you will decide to enslave others! That is what all our wars have been about over history! Using God’s wisdom you will serve others! When you make decisions love people through the Cross! The world’s way is to use power to dominate them! God’s way is to serve men! I traveled down to Central America last week. I know enough Spanish just to get by! The people there encouraged me there to stay there for some time and learn their language! It would probably take me about two years! Why do we hear these messages over and over again every Sunday? Why do we take communion every week? Is it we have nothing else to do? We need to learn the language of God! We need to learn His language! If you are in love with God read His Bible! Study, pray and do the things that please Him! Live righteously! Hate sin! Love God! Love people! Serve others sacrificially! Praise Him! Serve Him! As we come forward for communion this morning let us receive His language of love! Excerpt from message by Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. His entire message may be viewed by going to web site; NewLifeChurch.org
Good Grief! Ecclesiastes 7: 2-4
We need healing conversations this morning! Solomon says grief brings joy! American culture tries to pass by death! We want to avoid conversations about it! Solomon says in verse four that the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning. John 11: 32-35. Jesus knows how to grieve! In fact we see in this scripture that Jesus gets blamed for Lazarus death! Where have you buried him? Jesus wept! Why did Jesus stop and weep when He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead? We cannot skip over the sad places in our life! Jesus was fully man and fully God and is illustrated so plainly in these events! We cannot celebrate the miracles without paying attention to the process! Psalm 137. Two third’s of the Psalm’s are complaints and lamentations. The Jews were taken captive and taken to Babylon! The Babylonians took the best of the population back to Babylon and left the sick and elderly in Israel. Many of the grandchildren never saw their grandparents again! As the Jews sat by the rivers of Babylon they remembered Zion and wept! How do we grieve properly? First we must admit a new reality! Something is new about my life! Everything has changed about my life! It may be from a loss of a spouse, mother, father, sister, brother, job loss, sickness, financial loss, home or something else. I lost my dad in 2005. I miss dad but now a new reality. Second take time to weep. They wept in Babylon! Jesus wept! Slow down and grieve! Grieve properly! It is decompressing! Third remember the past! I have many good memories of my father! My father developed a barbeque sauce! He always wanted to get a patent on it. What my mother did not tell us for years is that she added some ingredients to the sauce so we could eat it! Tell the stories that make you smile at a funeral! See God’s imprint on our lives! Tell the stories that heal us and carry us on! What happens when we grieve properly? Our pain is confronted! We cannot ignore pain! In fact there is more pain for avoiding pain! Drug addiction is caused by trying to avoid pain! Invite the Holy Spirit into our pain! Jesus invited His Father into the pain in the Garden of Gethsemane! When we grieve properly we become available again! Your story matters! Millions of American’s have lost loved ones in battles of war in American history! Their stories matter! God is not finished with you yet! Your story is not over! Your final chapter is not the last one! God needs you available again! God will heal your heart! Even Jesus own disciples thought it was all over for them as Jesus went to the Cross! They scattered and went back to their old jobs! They could not look forward? God needs you available again! God knows what it is to grieve! Life was never the same when I lost my father! Storms are not forever! As we prepare for Communion let us remember the grieving of our Lord He has gone through for us on the Cross! Because He lives this morning we can live! He suffered so that we could have victory! He conquered death for us! Joy comes in the morning! He has Risen! Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Empires and Rusty Treasures Ecclesiastes 2:1, 4-9
When you examine all the empires over history they have all vanished! Whether the Assyrian, Babylonian, Greek, Roman or any other they have all disintegrated! Most of their best dreams are in museums! Solomon was a great leader and powerful in managing his Kingdom! Next to his father King David he was a brilliant leader! He was a civil engineer building dams, roads, bridges, palaces, temples and anything he imagined! Solomon was rich and ambitious but very broken inside! Solomon longed for something he could not build himself! Why do we do what we do? Why do you get up in the morning? Why do you go to school, work and plan for retirement? What motivates us? What is in our heart? Solomon longed to go back to the Garden of Eden! He built groves and gardens but something was missing? If we build our own garden God will be absent! We do our own thing and then ask God to Bless it! If I build my own empire it will be empty in the end! Solomon created a lot of gardens but was empty inside! Let God come into the garden He created for you! God spent time in the Garden of Gethsemane to prepare a place for you! Ecclesiastes 2:10- Heathenism is the religion of choice in the world today! Heathenism is defined as getting more pleasure and avoiding the pain! It is like trying to sin and getting away with it! Even though Solomon lived about 3 thousand years ago people are chasing the same dream today in 2015! The problem is the more pleasure we seek the less we find! Emptiness will creep up on you! All the past empires are a pile of rock today! Living in Colorado we do not need anymore rocks! Each empire tried to rearrange the rocks! Why do empires fail? Simply empires use people to get money! Solomon said he bought slaves and women! Empires are built for pleasure! The empires trying to be built in 2015 are enslaving people and killing people for money! Jesus had a very different idea about money and power! In the first century Christian’s sold their lands to help those who were suffering! They did not claim property as their own! The Apostles sold their possessions to help others! People in the world build an empire so they can be King! Solomon was brought to a place of emptiness! At the point of our limitations we need to respond to the invitation of Jesus! What would Jesus have said to Solomon? Matthew 6:19 Do you store up treasures for yourself on earth? There is a lot of discussion in our culture about capitalism right now! Is it good or evil? Remember the talents? God does not hate capitalism! What God does despise is selfishness! When people of God catch the heart of God great things happen! Again why do we do what we do? We can even do the right things for the wrong reasons! God wants our worship! So does Satan! Like Solomon when we worship ourselves we are at the wrong God and the wrong Altar! Jim Carrey got 20 million dollars for every movie he produced but yet said wealth is not the answer! John 10:9-10 Jesus invitation to you the world cannot give you! If we are motivated by God lasting things happen! Invest your treasures in Heaven in eternal things that will outlast any worldly pursuit! Source; Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Do You Have a Meaningless Life? Ecclesiastes 1:1-9
Solomon was a wise man but sometimes not so wise! Starting life off with 1000 wives would not be a good starter? You would have to remember 3 wedding anniversaries everyday! Could he remember all their names? Name tags would help! Solomon seemed to be a cynical old man at times but he did write a book of wisdom! He tries to explain to us not to make the same mistakes! He took an honest look at his life! He was the richest man in the world! He did not spare himself any pleasure! Solomon wished he had asked himself the hard questions! Do you have time to wrestle with your Faith? Take an inventory of your Faith! Why do I believe? Why do I follow Jesus? Do you ask questions about God? Solomon repeated 27 times, “Is there anything new under the sun?” Life can seem burdensome and meaningless at times! I have two teenagers at home. We have on going conversations like when can I get my drivers license? When can I go off to college? I want to go to a college far away from home? Teenager’s want your money and your absence! Do not be in a hurry to grow up! Our daily routines of dishes, laundry, house cleaning repeat everyday with no end in sight! A lot of life is routine! You may hate your job and is just a paycheck? Sometimes we can lose our passion for life! Like Solomon we are looking for the right things in the wrong places! We are looking for something to give life meaning! In 1st Kings we see Solomon was a great builder! He built palaces and Houses of Worship! Today in 2015 people are not sparing themselves any pleasure! We have hundreds of options! We have all the electronic gadgets to amuse ourselves! We have drugs and alcohol to drown our meaningless in! Solomon arrived at emptiness! Is your tank on empty? When we reach the point of our limitations collapse can come! What can we turn too? Our need for completeness comes from outside of ourselves! Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said come unto me! Those that are laboring and overburdened! To those that are carrying a heavy load! Jesus promised to those that receive His invitation He will give rest! Yes! Rest and refresh. You will find completion in Christ! How do you know you are doing well? Solomon had everything but was not doing well? Jesus said, “Come to me.” Solomon did not have the revelation of Christ we have today! True worship is to come to Jesus! Jesus did not come to promote Himself but to promote you! The Old Testament Books point to the Cross! People without Christ come to despair! You may have lost a key relationship? Husband or wife? Son or daughter? You may have lost a job or business failure? A sickness or accident may have taken your ability away to provide for your family? Internal failure requires and external rescue! When we learn we cannot make it own our own then we discover the only one who can give us rest! We discover Christ’s yoke is easy and His burden is light! A yoke is designed for two! Let Jesus come along side you and lift you out of your troubles! Rest in Him! Talk with Him! Walk with Him! Think on Him! Discover in Him! Love in Him! Plan in Him! Win in Him! Stand in Him! Trust in Him! Faith in Him and He will never leave nor forsake you! Source; Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado