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Every one of us gives our lives to something or someone. We were made for a mission. The only question is whether that mission is worthy of us. The same Jesus that died and rose from the dead for us wants to accomplish his life-giving mission through us. It's a mission that's small enough that each of us play a part and big enough that it will require all of us working together. Join us as we walk with the early disciples through the book of Acts and see what God can do with a few people who are "Mission Driven".

Challenge - Read a chapter of Proverbs a day for the month of January

A while back a friend prayed for me. He said, "Father, give Ben wisdom and not just an opinion." I thought, "Wow! I need to keep praying that." That is the spirit with which we want to approach 2023. To that end, on New Year's Day 2023, we will be having an open mic time in the service. But it will call for preparation from you. Here is what we want you to do:

Before the service read through the book of Proverbs asking God to point out one proverb that is wisdom for you.
Reflect on what the Proverb is saying and its significance for you.
Come prepared to share your proverb and its significance for you in 1-2 minutes. We want to be brief so many can share. Why are we doing this? Because "Wisdom is better than resolutions".

December 18, 2022

Blown Awayecember 18 - Blown Away

Luke 2:10-14; Deuteronomy 6:5; Colossians 1:15-22

Sometimes it's hard to grasp the significance of a gift and what the giver is trying to say. Sometimes we don't want the gift to be as significant or extravagant as it is because of the response it calls for. Sometimes that is exactly what we have been waiting for, a gift that tells us we are loved that much. This week the angel calls for our response to who God is and what the birth of Christ says to us.

July 3 - I AM El Olam (The Everlasting God)

Psalm 90:1-2, Ephesians 3:8

As we thank and ask God to bless our land, we also understand, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8). This country is not our everlasting home nor was it ever intended to be. This means our citizenship is in Heaven first, and we are sustained by the Everlasting God. As we gaze on the name EL Olam let us be encouraged to know what we do for the kingdom on earth matters for eternity, because we serve an Everlasting God.

July 10 - I AM Yahweh (Lord)

Exodus 3:12-15, Deuteronomy 4:35

This is my name (Yahweh) forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations (Exodus 3:15). When God called himself Yahweh (LORD) he wasn’t saying it in a general or generic term lord. No, he was declaring I am LORD (all caps). So every time we hear the word Yahweh, or every time you see LORD in the English Bible, you should think: this is a proper name (like Peter or John) built out of the word for “I am” and reminding us each time that God absolutely is. God absolutely is LORD, in every sense of the word!

July 24 - I AM Jehovah-Jireh (The Lord will Provide)

Genesis 22:14

In this chapter Isaac asked his father, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” And Abraham responds, “God himself will provide the lamb for the offering my son.” Have you ever found yourself in Isaac’s position? In a position that doesn’t make sense, a position that is beyond your control? A position that appears hopeless? If so then you have come to the right place. This week we are going to explore how the same Jehovah Jireh that provided a burnt offering (ram) for Abraham will provide for you as well.

July 31 - I AM Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord our Righteousness)

Jeremiah 23:1-6; Romans 3:20-26

So much of the turmoil and conflict of the human race over the ages has come from this one question, "What is right, good, just and fair?" Sometimes the conflict has come because one party has ignored what is right. Other times conflict has come because we disagree over what is right or we fight over what is in our best interest. But what if the question is not "What is right?" But "Who is righteous?" What if we were to let him lead? This week we meet God by the name "The Lord our Righteousness."

August 7 - I Am Jehovah Rapha (The Lord that Heals)

Exodus 15:26; Jeremiah 30:17

If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that our bodies are fractured vessels. And not just in a physical manner but also emotionally, and spiritually. Our lives are constantly under attack. Under attack spiritually, emotionally, and physically from outside forces and from our own flesh. But we don’t serve a God who leaves us as orphans to wallow in our pain; no, we serve a Jehovah Rapha ( A Lord that Heals). This week let us come and rest in this God who heals our past, present and future brokenness.

August 14 - I Am Qanna (Jealous)

Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 4:24; 6:15

The word jealous in our culture has mostly negative connotations. To say someone is jealous implies there is something wrong or missing in that person or that there’s some deficiency in that person that is causing them to feel or act in an undesirable manner. However, when God says he is Qaanna (Jealous) he can’t be referring to some deficiency in his life, so why does he refer to himself in that manner? Is there another side to this coin? Maybe even a positive and beneficial side? This week we are going to unpack the blessing of having a God who is jealous!

August 21 - I Am Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is Peace)

Isaiah 9:6; Judges 6:24

The word Shalom (Peace) is one of the most important words/concepts in all the Bible. In fact it is the first word that Jesus says to his disciples after His resurrection, “Shalom to you” (John 2:36). Yet despite its importance, it is the hardest thing to ever accomplish. Having Shalom in our world, country, church, homes and personal life feels impossible, yet we are called to pursue it. We are called to pursue Shalom, because in doing so we will meet Jehovah Shalom.

August 28 - I Am Immanual (God with Us)

Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; John 14:18

Over the past 3 months we have haven been unpacking the essence of God by studying His names. We have seen there is more to a name that just legal identification. A name reflects who we are and what we are made of. The very nature, character, and heart of God are reflected in His names. For our final week we will see that this God isn’t a distant, absent, abstract being who is forever beyond our reach. No, this God is Immanuel (with us) in every meaning of the word!

May 22, On the Grid

John 1:6-9; Isaiah 42:5-9; Matthew 5:14-16; Acts 1:8;

Isaiah 43:10-12; Acts 12:25-13:1-3

God is at work all over the world. It's overwhelming actually. There are networks of Make The Difference teams doing amazing things for Jesus in amazing ways. How do we as a community of Christ-followers even begin to engage? Who do we work with? What are we doing? When it comes to missions, NorthRidge is "On the Grid". This week we see the power of working with mission partners.

Ask a random group of people why anyone should take Jesus Christ seriously today and the answer might be, "I don't know… why should I?" That was the question that motivated the Gospel of Matthew to be written. Who Jesus is, what he taught, what he did, how he died and that he rose has moved many to take him seriously. The message of Matthew is that he is a king to be followed, for all people, of all nations, for all times. Join us this year as we consider the message of the Gospel of Matthew. What does it mean for us if Jesus is still King in 2021? How would you live if he was your king?

September 11-12: Why We Call Him King, Overview of Matthew

by Pastor Ben McEachern

King. What comes to mind when we say the word? Pomp and circumstance, a guy on a horse with a sword… chess or checkers? It meant something different in ages past. In our culture the whole idea of a king is a curious note in history. Our country has no king. The Bible says that Jesus is king, today… in our country. What does that mean for us? This week we begin our journey through the gospel of Matthew by asking “Why We Call Him King”.

We want to use the Psalms (the poems, prayers and reflections) to grow our ability to have an authentic conversation with God within the whole of life, the good and the bad, the beautiful and ugly, the hopeful and the confusing. The Psalms give us words to articulate our experience in a real, honest way that is not just honest for us but let God be honest with us. The Psalms articulate true spirituality at an emotional as well as intellectual level. In different circumstances and seasons, the Psalm are meant to help us deepen our conversation and give us words and permission to get real. Honest with ourselves and honest with God.

July 10-11 Redemption Psalm 103

Brax Carvette

Youth Minister

"Honestly, what's the point?" That's a hard sentence to hear from someone you care about. It's a hard sentence to say. Someone who says that sentence sounds like someone who is in despair– but at least they're honest about it! At least they're getting real about their despair! We can feel worn out as we go about life. At some point, we're going to have to get real with God and tell him that we don't see much of a point to keep following him. This week, we hear how King David (who wrote Psalm 103) reminded himself of the benefits of following God.

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July 24-25 Justice of God Psalm 64

Mike Stella

NorthRidge Member

This week we continue our Get Real series by exploring Psalm 64 and looking at how to handle personal injustice. The injustice that happens to us on a personal level is without question the hardest one to deal with…because after all, it’s personal. So, how do we deal with the attacks to our character? How do we operate with the co-worker that is slandering us at work? How do we reconcile a relationship with a family member who has turned the family against us? How do we deal with a business partner who has lied and broken our trust? How do we interact with those who hurl insults at us for standing for the truths of the Bible?

Come this week and have a real conversation about how we can trust God to right these wrongs.

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Peace so often feels like an elusive thing. Whether in our hearts, in our personal relationships or in our society, real peace doesn't just happen. Passivity is a problem not a solution. That's why the Bible says to "seek peace and pursue it." If that's the case, where do we go to get it? How do we find it? The biblical answer is we make it. Jesus listed peacemaking the outcome of his salvation and as one of the qualities of his followers. Peacemaking is a process with many pieces. Join us this spring as we learn from God's word to build "Peace by Piece".

April 17-18, 2021 - What are we trying to do? by Brax Carvette, Youth Minister

Isaiah 59:7-8; Matthew 5:38-42, Leviticus 26:6, Psalm 4:8, Psalm 85:10, Isaiah 27:5, Isaiah 55:12; Jeremiah 14:19,29:7,33:6,9, Malachi 2:6, Acts 9:31

It's always good to know what it is you are trying to do. Generally good outcomes happen because there was a clear understanding of what we were trying to accomplish. The second piece of peacemaking is to understand what the bible means. The biblical word is "shalom". It is a thing and it has an impact. This week we explore what Biblical peace is and what are its outcomes.

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April 24-25, 2021 - On Being Children of God, by Gregg TIsor, Adult Minister

Romans 12:18; Matthew:5:9; James 3:13-18

There are things you do because you have to and things you do because of who you are. Every new thing is awkward at first. It takes learning. But the things we do because of identity we pursue with passion. We are children of God. The third piece of being a peacemaker is to embrace it as part of our identity in Christ. This week we learn how to live as children of God.

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May 22-23, 2021 - Peacemaking Takes Practice

1 Corinthians 10:31-33; Phil 4:2-9; James 4:1-3, Mt 7:3-5; Col 3:5-14, Galatians 6:1-2; Eph 4:1-3,

Sometimes we can make something more difficult than it needs to be. The truth is we can't control the outcomes of our efforts at making peace. We can control our approach. The seventh piece of peacemaking is to prepare ourselves for the conversations. This week we will learn a simple process of preparation for the act of peacemaking.

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May 29-30, 2021 - Becoming People of Peace, by Matt Hutchcraft, Mission Partner

Isaiah 52:7, Ephesians 6:15 and Matthew 5

Peacemakers feel like the Gospel. Relationships matter. We carry the Good News of Jesus across all the boundaries and barriers that normally divide us. We cross boundaries of geography, culture, race, class and ideology. The eighth piece of being a peacemaker is bringing the Gospel of Peace to everyone. This week we learn how to be people of influence who open doors for the Gospel.

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Thursday, April 1 - REserved (Last Supper Service 7:00pm)

Luke 22:1-34; (2 Corinthians 7:10)

What a crazy night. So much is going on. But tonight we look at two men at the table with Jesus. One prepares to betray him. Another will deny him. One will leave the table never to return. One of them receives redemption and finds his way back. For people like him, there is always room at Christ's table. There’s a place reserved for you. Tonight isn't for the perfect. It's for the redeemed.

Friday, April 2 - REvealed (Good Friday Service 5:30 & 7:00pm)

Luke 23:26-56

It was the darkest day in history. Jesus called it the "hour when darkness reigns". And yet, there was light in the darkness. A thief, a soldier and a judge all saw something, and each responded in the moment in a personal and an appropriate way. There in the darkness our redemption was revealed. All that is left is for us to see it and respond.

Sunday, April 4 - REjoicing (Sunrise Service 6:30am), by Pastor Dan Monson

Luke 24:1-8

Somethings are so outside our experience we need someone outside our experience to explain it. The resurrection of our redeemer is like that. Angels celebrated his birth and angels celebrated his resurrection. This morning we join the angels and rejoice in our Redeemer!

Saturday, April 3 & Sunday, April 4 - REmade (Easter Service Saturday 5:00pm & Sunday 8:00, 9:15 & 10:45)

John 20:11-18 (Luke 24: 13-49)

You can rest in your redemption because you can trust your Redeemer. We don’t just trust him because he redeemed our past. He redeems our present and future. Redemption remakes us. This is something worth believing, receiving and sharing with others. Because "He is risen! Just as he said."

It’s not just that "God's got this!". He does, but it's so much more. "God's got this!" is good if we remember that he has us in his plan and purpose and not the other way around. God is sovereign and he is in charge and in control even when people are in rebellion to him and circumstances are dark and difficult. He acts, we respond and our responses have repercussions, for good or for ill, salvation or destruction. Consider Daniel and his friends. Caught in the storm of history, overrun by events, suddenly thrust into dark circumstances, still they kept their bearings because they knew it was not about them but about Him. The Book of Daniel reveals the scope of God's sovereignty. From the intensely personal circumstances of four young men ripped from their homes and forced to serve the king who conquered them to fantastic visions of world events, we see God's sovereign power and purpose throughout. It is my hope that this study will help us all to face the personal and global challenges of our time with less fear, cynicism and anger and with greater faith, hope and love because God's Got Us!

January 9-10 When the challenge is too great, Daniel 2

by Glenn Herschberger, Executive Director of Church Planting//Converge Great Lakes

Sometimes life is unfair and people are unreasonable. Sometimes circumstances are perplexing and people are evil. How does a man or woman of God navigate? Few of us will navigate murkier waters than Daniel but our circumstances are just as important for our moment as his were for his. Today he teaches us how to trust the God of Heaven in order to navigate our times well.

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