First Church Charlotte

May 9, 2021 | Pastor Nathan Elms Follow this link for the online sermon notes: http://nathanelms.com/mama-needs-jesus-5-9-2021/

Mine Eyes Have Seen by First Church Charlotte

May 2, 2021 | Pastor Nathan Elms Follow this link for the online sermon notes: http://nathanelms.com/faith-and-strength-5-2-2021/

3 Things That Make People Quit by First Church Charlotte

Follow this link for the online sermon notes: http://nathanelms.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-anointed-4-25-2021/

April 21, 2021 | Pastor Nathan Elms How do we serve this moment? We can sometimes connect with people by answering people's questions about our faith. Jesus showed that the contents of our hearts is much more important than the outward appearance shown. Change is not slowing down, but instead is speeding up rapidly around us. We can't be afraid of broken people. We must be agile in our leadership since the separation of our culture will not only continue, but worsen. The difficulties of the questions posed to the church will become more divisive not less. Love unconditionally towards others will always succeed.

April 18, 2021 | Pastor Nathan Elms Follow this link for the online sermon notes: http://nathanelms.com/praying-in-the-ashes-4-18-2021/

April 14, 2021 |Pastor Nathan Elms

Follow this link for online sermon notes: http://nathanelms.com/life-with-a-fake-id-4-11-2021/

The essence of the Good News is the simplicity of following Jesus Christ.

Follow this link for online sermon notes: http://nathanelms.com/hope-has-a-name-4-4-2021/

March 31, 2021 | Pastor Nathan Elms See the online notes for this message at: http://nathanelms.com/real-talk-about-easter/

March 28, 2021 | Pastor Nathan Elms Here is the essential question: Am I being transformed by Christ, and by what Christ represents, or am I just sticking a label on my life? • Do I truly seek to pattern my life after Jesus, and what his life represented, or is Christianity a social convenience, or a social signaling? • Do I clothe myself in virtues that model Jesus, or do I dress myself in attitudes that reflect my culture? • Do I truly desire to be the person God designed me to be—not my culture’s expectation of me or my idealistic version of me? • Do I hunger to know Jesus more than I hunger for any other knowledge, status, or achievement? Or is Christianity just the life I have found reasonable within my personal story? • Am I willing to proclaim what God has done for me wherever I am and to whomever he places in my path? Jesus represents God's idea of man; not man’s idea of God! Full notes at this link: http://nathanelms.com/god-help-you-3-28-2021/

March 24, 2021 | Pastor Nathan Elms If we only see God as the God of judgment of the Old Testament, then we miss God of the New Testament Who shed His blood for saving humanity. Jesus is what God is really like. After the prophets spoke judgment on God's behalf in the Old Testament, God spoke Himself hope through Jesus Christ.

March 21, 2021 | Pastor Nathan Elms Why do people weep? Why do you weep? Why do I weep? Loss. Pain. Sorrow. Evil. Trauma. Reality Check for us: 1. EVIL IS THE DOWNSIDE OF OUR FREE CHOICE “Sin came into the world because of what one man did (Adam), and with sin came death.” Romans 5:12 (NCV) 2. Everything on earth is BROKEN by evil & sin “There will be more and more evil in the world, so most people will stop showing their love for each other.” Matthew 24:12 (NCV) 3. God grieves WHEN HE SEES US HURTING “In all their suffering, he (God) suffered too.” Isaiah 63:9 “You, Lord, keep a record of all my sorrows. You’ve collected all my tears in your bottle and list each one in your book.” Psalm 56:8 (NLT) I think it is significant that the first appearance of the resurrected Christ was to someone who was weeping, Mary Magdalene. Mary's weeping was understandable. Christ had done so much for her. I am going to take my tears to an empty tomb. Because an empty tomb is not a place of mourning… an empty tomb

March 17, 2021 | Pastor Nathan Elms If I've been transformed, then why am I still being tempted? We are subject to time, but our testimony takes time, through own faith We are not God's story, we are a part of God's story, but God is telling His own love story through us. Love is the story of God. Our lives answer whether God's love is enough for us, or do we have to be bribed? The language of Transformation in the New Testament is similar to the language of Promise spoken in the Old Testament: 1. Divinely powered 2. Cultivated by community 3. Faith is intentional 4. Life and faith are tested by time The perfecting of the saints was compared to the development of the body. It has to grow... God loves you enough to get involved in your life, and is willing to stay at your side as you grow.

March 14, 2021 | Pastor Nathan Elms The will of God is known through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And yet, this is a seeking function, not just a “knowing” or “speaking” function. God has a plan for your life, your ministry. Trust me. The point is to seek, ask, knock… Luke writes in Acts 16: "We took it as from the Lord that this is what God wanted us to do." When the Israelites were in the wilderness, if you had asked one of the Jewish leaders how long they were going to stay there, they would have said, "Look, you think we know how long we'll stay? You see that pillar of fire by night and that cloud by day? When that cloud moves, we'll move; when that cloud stays, we'll camp.  This is totally out of our hands. God doesn't ask for any creative thought from us. He just says, 'Follow the cloud.' But as we follow the cloud, he provides manna for us, and he provides everything that we need." God will do the same for you. He'll do the same for me. Wherever the Lord leads us, he's made a promise: "I will s

March 10, 2021 | Pastor Nathan Elms Genesis 8:22 Like the seasons changes the gloomy to new life, this is how God's Word does for us. Seed is used within the Bible as a symbol for God's Word and grows Spiritual possibility. What kind of ground will our hearts offer the Word of Life? God has chosen His church as to show Himself to the world that He loves. You will come out of your winter season into new life.

March 7, 2021 | Pastor Nathan Elms The problem of idols is more than just an ethical or moral problem, the idolatry question is – what do you seek? Where do you think your blessing comes from? Where does your protection come from?  The author, Susan Cain, unintentionally does something interesting … describes an idolater in psychological terms:  a person described by psychologists as a “reward-sensitive” person is actually an idolater at heart: “A reward-sensitive person is highly motivated to seek rewards–from a promotion to a lottery jackpot to an enjoyable evening out with friends. Reward sensitivity motivates us to pursue goals like sex and money, social status, and influence. It prompts us to climb ladders and reach for faraway branches in order to gather life’s choicest fruits. “Life’s choicest fruits” like sex, money, relationships, and power are some of the top idols that humans throughout history have served. Being ‘reward-sensitive’ turns a good thing (sex, money, relationships, and power) into

March 03 2021 | Pastor Nathan Elms Sometimes we are not as intentional of making the day of the Resurrection of Jesus the Messiah as holy and set apart as it should be. Jesus made the law a beginning not a purpose. The group who saw Jesus as a great teacher is quite large, but we who see Jesus as the Son of God is much smaller. The Son of God to monotheistic people, see Him as God incarnated as a man. The submission of the Divine flesh of Jesus, changed everything for all who respond and act to what He did and accomplished. We actually becomes a new beginning and a new identity in Jesus. The Kingdom of God is based upon God becoming flesh and paying a price for us that we couldn't pay for ourselves. It is only when we understand Who Jesus is, can we achieve what God paid the price for us to become.