081317 | Stop Investigating and Start Investing | Jacob Hickman

We are a society that loves to look in on stuff but not necessarily get involved.  We like to investigate but not always to invest; our time, money, resources, etc...  If we truly want to make a difference and/or have authentic relationships we are going to have to get beyond investigating and start investing.

We need to learn to initiate conversation, relationships and not just wait on others to step up.  Jesus came to seek and save the lost, He took the initiative.  We must do likewise because we are motivated by love.  But we can never do what Jesus did if we fall into the trap of always depending on what we know about people.  What we know about them can hinder us from reaching out to the team.  

In order to make a difference in peoples' lives we need to invest our words into people's lives.  Words of hope, encouragement and love.  We also must invest our time.  People don't care how much you know they want to know how much you care.  You do that by spending time with them.  And lastly we must invest our resources into others lives, be it money, time, talent, influence, etc...  When we do these things we will see the world around us change and it will bring glory to God.

080617 | Supernatural | Allen Hickman

We are not just a two dimensional being: soul and body.  We are created in the image of God in the fact that we are a triune being; spirit, soul and body and we should live in that order. God is a supernatural God and we as His children should live naturally in the supernatural and live the God life and in so doing change our world.

God is willing to move for us in the supernatural and change our world but we must be willing for Him to move.  Most followers of Jesus believe that He can do miracles but we don't believe that He will.  It is when we bridge this belief gap between can and will that supernatural things begin to happen.

Living the God life is to live in the supernatural.  When we do it brings glory and honor to God because He performs miracles and happenings that are outside the power of man to accomplish.  Today is the beginning of a life lived supernaturally, just simply step out and believe that He WILL because He CAN!

073017 | Dream On | Todd Goodwin

God is a creative God and we are created in His image, then we are creative people. He places dreams in us but life has a way of choking the very life out of our dreams.  Remember when you were a six-year-old child and you dreamed of being a flying superhero or a princess, fireman, or a great athlete?  What happened to that child?  Did they die?  If so, why?  Is it because we grew up?  I say grow up but don’t grow old.  We can’t do anything about getting older but we don’t have to stop dreaming and fulfilling those dreams because we get older.

God has a perfect plan for our life and it is so much more than what we can ever imagine.  He goes above and beyond what we could ever ask or think.  It is time for those that have lost their dreams to the harsh reality of life to start dreaming again and for the rest to continue to dream on.

This week’s message is about overcoming the set-backs and fulfilling the dreams God has given you.  Dreams help predict our future, help us prioritize our present and increases our God-given potential.

072317 | The Trap | Allen Hickman

071617 | Love Your Neighbor | Part 7 | Allen Hickman

Jesus called His disciples to "come and follow me". That is the same call He is issuing to us today. "Come follow me, be like me, and love like me." Love is more than just nice actions and sappy words but a condition of the heart. In order for our hearts to be like Jesus we are gonna have to do a few things that God left up to us. First is to be mindful of the things of God. Set your “affections on things above”. We must deny our flesh and take up our cross daily and lay our life down for others. That’s not easy. Actually it is impossible without the help of the Holy Spirit’s power living inside us. Once we come to a place of surrender then we can begin to follow Jesus. Following Jesus is to walk and live like He did. It is not asking Him to follow us or to bless our dreams. When do what He has blessed and not asking Him to bless what we are doing then we will love like He does. If we want to see the miracles of God we are going to have to consecrate ourselves according to Joshua 3:5 and “God will do wonders among us”. This week Pastor Allen sums up this series with points on how we can submit ourselves to the one that started it all and be like and love like Him.

070917 | Love Your Neighbor | Part 6 | Allen Hickman

Love is one of the greatest benefits we have from the Kingdom of God. Its dynamics are so different from the world's interpretation of love. It is only through love that we can become perfect, like our Father in Heaven, according to Matthew 5:48. We are able to see Him, love like Him, and become like Him when we walk in love. Being a “Christian” means that we are “little Christ”. We are to be like Him not only in behavior but in heart as well. A man will never rise above the limitations of his heart. You want your behavior to change? Your heart has to change. The thing about it, is that we don’t have the ability to change our heart only God can do that. We must surrender our hearts to Him allowing His Holy Spirit to put His love in our hearts. When He does that we are now empowered with a love that is divine and beyond our ability to replicate with human efforts. A divine love that will change the world to many is incomprehensible. That’s what make God’s love so amazing. It doesn’t make sense to this world because it truly is “out of this world.” Pastor Allen continues the summer series of Love Your Neighbor by targeting the benefits of love and by giving us 4 ways that walking in love manifests itself in our lives.

070217 | Love your Neighbor | Part 5 | Allen Hickman

Loving your neighbor is more than just doing things for them but it’s also about building them up with the words that you speak. Words have power. They can end wars or begin wars. They can end marriages or end marriages. Our country was founded on the words from the constitution. The civil war and the end to slavery in our country had to happen or the words of our constitution would have to change. If we as followers of Jesus Christ are to love like He loves then we must stand on His words to us and His commandment to love our neighbor. He has lavished amazing words upon us as His people. We are a peculiar people, a holy nation and royal priesthood. Wow, those are some pretty amazing words for lost and sinful people. But that is what He says about us. Then why shouldn’t we follow suit and do the same for each other, for our neighbor. Words have the power to build or destroy the choice is yours. If we use our words to build we must have 3 things contained in them. First, they must be true. Secondly, they must be timely. Lastly, they must be sincere. One sincere compliment does more than 25 insincere ones. Let us love our neighbors by using our words and His words to build them up and not tear them down.

062517 | Love Your Neighbor | Part 4 | Jacob Hickman

Love takes chances.   You can’t control what other people do.  You may try but you simply can’t control others.  When you love others despite their behavior you are taking a chance of them never loving you back.  You are taking a chance of being hurt, used, or taken advantage of.  But true love according to 1 Corinthians 13 is worth taking the chance.  

It’s hard to receive or give love when you are full of shame, guilt and condemnation.  They are a plug that keeps the true love of God flowing through us.  If you truly want to love your neighbor as God does that means you will have to receive the love of God first and allow His love to eradicate your shame, guilt and condemnation.  When you do you will be able to give an unfiltered and untainted love.  A pure and flawless love that never expects anything in return.  It’s reward is in the opportunity to love beyond reason.

The second plug of love is offense.  When people hurt you, and they will at some point in your life, what are you going to do?  Are you going to get even, get mad, or wait till they get hurt and rub it in?  Bitterness and unforgiveness are two major enemies to true godly love.  If we are able to receive the love of God unfiltered, with the forgiveness of our faults, shortcomings and sins, they should we not do the same for others that has been done for us?

Pastor Jacob Hickman this week shares about these two plugs of love with powerful and personal testimonies of how he and others have learned to love their neighbor like God loves their neighbor. 

061817 | Love Your Neighbor | Part Three | Allen Hickman

What does the kingdom of God value more than anything else?  Relationships.  You can’t love God and hate people.  If you hate people then you need to look at your relationship with God.  It is out of order and not functioning properly if you don’t love people.  Simple, yet profound truth that if lived out on a daily basis can change the world.  Yes, change the world be it the world in which you live or the world at large depending on the “relationships” that you have.  

An author once said, “we are unfit for communion with God with an ongoing quarrel with someone.”  Wow, that is a powerful statement.  God in His Word tells us how important our horizontal relationships are but their health has a lot to do with the health of our vertical relationship with God.  You can’t separate the two they are intertwined.  “Love your neighbor” is more than a nice philosophy or slogan.  As followers of Jesus Christ it should be a way of life and embedded into our hearts, minds, souls and life.

In part three of this series Pastor Allen Hickman share what it means to love your neighbor when they have wronged you.  What do you do with hurts, grudges, and mistreatment?  Hang on to them?  Get even?  Just ignore them in hopes they will just go away?  No, No and No.  We must take our hurts and lay them at the feet of Jesus and allow Him to give us and empower us with a divine love that can only come from Him.

This weeks message is powerful and potent but the punch is eased with a little levity as our drama team does a skit entitled “Grudge”.

061117 | Love Your Neighbor | Part Two | The Greatest | Allen Hickman

Loving your neighbor is not always the easiest thing to do.  Especially when your neighbor doesn’t deserve love, or at least that’s what we may think.  Last week we defined what love is and how we are empowered to love by the Holy Spirit of God.  This week’s message is about what kingdom we live in, what true servanthood is and how to define who our neighbor is.

You can’t give love if you have never received love.  Jesus told Peter at the last supper, “if you don’t let me wash your feet you can have not part of me.”  Wow, what powerful words spoken by the creator and savior of the world.  Basically said, “if you don’t let me serve you, or receive from me, you can’t give and serve others as I have loved you.”  Jesus was and is the example of what love is and how to love our neighbor.

Loving your neighbor and serving your neighbor will not be convenient.  You may have to adjust your lifestyle in order to love your neighbor.  It also may require you to sacrifice, time, money, ego, etc…  But true love says it’s worth the sacrifice.  Honestly, according to First Corinthians 13 if it’s true godly love it’s not a sacrifice, you can’t help it.  Loving our neighbor means you go above and beyond what society says is enough.  Love is more than just a choice it is a compulsion. 

Take time this week and look for the opportunity to serve, love, and do kindness to your neighbor; your co-worker, family member, person on the street, etc…  If you do you and they will not regret it.