Northgate Christian Fellowship

(Ephesians 2:4-10) The fifth message in the series "The Me I Want To Be" by John Ortberg. God did not design you to merely exist. He designed you to live life at the fullest and your life will only be fulfilled in Him.

(Ephesians 3:14-21) At the core of the Holy Spirit's power to transform us is love. And that love comes to us through His family of love... the church.

(Ephesians 4:17; John 16:7-15) Living in the flow of the Holy Spirit. The greatest obstruction to the Spirit's flow in our lives is sin. The Spirit will not allow us to hide in that sin, but will guide us back to the presence of God.

Taking control of our thoughts is critical to renewing our mind. You have the ability to decide what you retain in your daily thoughts and what you let pass through. Dwelling on things that are positive can change your entire outlook and help take you in a direction where God is honored in all we do.

(John 7:37-39) There is a person God designed you to be, a life He longs for you to live. It is life in the flow of His Holy Spirit. For five weeks, April 18 - May 23, all Community Groups are studying John Ortberg's newst book - The me I want to be.  The studies are contained in the Participants' Guide, available at the Information Center or from on-line vendors. 

(John 11:1-44) We are all too anxious to have God answer our prayers on our terms and under our time frames. Just because we may experience disappointment because God may seem silent to us, it doesn't mean He doesn't care about us or our situation We just don't see the whole picture. The story of how Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave illustrates this very principle.

(Acts 2:22-39) Easter is not a celebration of God. Nor is it a celebration of Jesus. It is a celebration of a significant event; the resurrection of Jesus. It is an event that not only forms the foundation of Christianity and our faith in the miracle of Jesus Christ, but it also has the power to transform a persons life. This one solitary but incredibly important event in history... changes everything.

(John 9:1-38) Have you ever had a God moment that challenged the "theology‟ you thought you knew? Jesus healed a blind man on the Sabbath and in doing so demonstrated to everyone that God wants to make a person whole and that He is not concerned with the day or the manner in which he does it. This is truly a revolutionary concept to those in Jesus' day who were not allowed to work at all on the Sabbath, regardless whether it was trivial or a miracle.

(Matthew 14:25-32) Jesus challenged his disciples in many ways, not the least of which was his encounter with them on the lake. They were not accustomed to seeing someone walking on water. Then he challenged Peter even more by calling to him to join him on the water. This would require real courage and faith on Peter's part to leave what he knew (the boat) to join God's calling. Living a rewarding life in Christ may often call us to uncomfortable situations. We need to answer that call with faith and trust in the one who is able to give us real meaning in life.

(John 5:1-15) Jesus sees your need, and He says to you, "Do you want to be made well?" (or whole). You may have excuses why you are not whole. But that is no problem to Jesus. He can make you whole immediately! But He may ask you to do something that seems impossible, just like He asked the man who could not walk to get up and walk, and even carry his bed!   

(John 2:1-11) The Bible provides many insights into the miracles Jesus performed during the time when he walked among us. However, it is sometimes hard to accept them at face value, especially when they can't be explained using today's science. The first message in the series "The Miracles of Jesus" helps us understand the importance of one of Jesus' first miracles where he turned the water at a wedding into wine. But that was only the beginning of a call for us to experience the power of joy in our lives.

(Mark 14:17-31) Can your trust God when everything is falling apart? Can you maintain faith when all that you have believed in seems to have been a false hope? Is God great enough to carry you through your most confusing circumstances? The answer to each of these questions is "Yes, you can." 

(Judges 6:11-16, 25-32, 36-40; 7:1-8, 15-22)  The way we live and the risks of faith we are willing to take are the result of the “greatness” of our God. If we live with a “shrunken” God we will be plagued by fear and anxiety, we will worship without awe, pray without faith and suffer without hope. Our problem is that most of us have a God who is too small.

(Psalm 19:1-4, Genesis 1&2, Acts 17:24-28) The Bible tells us that God created the universe, the earth and every living thing we see around us. You can see evidence of God’s creation in the wonder of nature all around us, the universe that expands beyond our comprehension, even in the beauty of a tiny baby. The one and only Holy God who created billions of stars and all we see around us loves each one of us, personally. God alone is the great creator.

(Proverbs & James) There is little disagreement among most adults that our words carry tremendous power. They can be used either to encourage or to hurt others. For example, gossip is something we are all tempted to engage in. But in reality we should recognize that when we participate in gossip, someone is about to be hurt by our words. This message, "Words of the Wise", is the concluding message for the series entitled the Game of Life. 

  (Proverbs 6:6-11, 10:2-5, Ecclesiastes 4:4-8) The way you approach your work can say a lot about how seriously you are seeking Godly wisdom in your life. Proverbs has many valuable insights into how you should see your career in context to you walk with Jesus. In so many ways, your work is your ministry. You should never forget that when you walk into your place of employment.   

(Proverbs 5:18-19, 6:20-23, 24:3) God's Word provides us with tremendous insights into the kind of family dynamics He wants us to build. But it doesn't come easily. It will take wisdom and commitment to ensure your family truly moves in a Godly direction.

(Proverbs 3:5-10; 11:24-28; 22:7, 9, 26, 27) God's desires for you financially is that you do not live beyond your means. If your lifestyle exceeds your income, you will eventually lose your ability to choose your own financial future. But you can begin today to get rid of your 'dumb debt' using God's Word. All it takes is a desire to change.

(Ecc. 4:9-12, Prov. 17:9,17; 27:6,9,10,17) In these passages, God encourages us to have (and to be) close friends with others who will love at all times. But we often are too busy or don't know what this kind of love should look like. Today's message helps explain how we should open our lives to those around us.

(Proverbs 3:5&6, 16:1-25) You can learn the difference between knowledge and wisdom. But it will take a willingness to be honest with yourself and a desire to spend some time in Proverbs. Getting Started - Making Wise Decisions is the first in the January series entitled The Game of Life.