Access Point Church

This week, we look at the familiar story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar's statue and are thus thrown into the fiery furnace. They tell the king that their God is able to deliver them, but even if He doesn't, they will not bow. This is a great display of faith in God. What would our lives look like if we said, "Above all, even in the midst of the pain and the trials, I am going to trust in God"?

Daniel displayed great confidence and faith in God, even in the face of being threatened to be killed by King Nebuchadnezzar. However, because of his faith and obedience, this evil king would praise the God of Israel. We pray this message encourages you to have great faith and confidence in God's sovereignty and provision in your life!

As we start this new series through the Book of Daniel, we look at how Daniel and his friends were faced with a choice: would they surrender to Babylonian culture, or would they remain loyal to their God? Daniel was unwilling to compromise his faith, even when threatened by an evil King. We pray this message inspires you to become determined to remain faithful to God, even in the face of adversity and persecution!

This week, we look at Romans 13:8-10 and see that since Christ has paid our sin debt in full, we are now indebted to love others. This kind of love that requires sacrifice, action, and humility. We pray this message is an encouragement to you!

This week, we examine the "how" of sanctification. How do I push all other distractions aside and stay focused on Christ? How do I continually live in a manner worthy of the Gospel? We pray this message is helpful to you as you engage in the process of sanctification.

This week, we ask the question: "If I am saved by faith, then why does it matter how I live?" We see that just as Christ obediently went to the cross for us, we are to live lives of obedience, seeking to please our Father in response to the great mercy and grace we have received. We pray this message encourages you to take steps to grow in your relationship with the Father!

This week, we begin a journey through the Book of Philippians as we take a look at sanctification. What is it? Is it necessary? We all have goals in life; however, most of the time, they are physical or materialistic. Rarely do we have spiritual goals for our future. Yet, according to Scripture, sanctification is a critical process in every believer's life where an individual continually grows in Christlikeness. We pray this message encourages you to desire to grow in your relationship with Christ!

As we celebrate the beginning of our 6th year as Access Point Church, we take some time to look back and remember where we have come from. This week, we reminisce on past years, revisit our mission and purpose, and look forward to the future!

This week, we take a look at Psalm 51. This is David's prayer of confession after committing adultery with Bathsheba and then having her husband killed. David recognizes his hardness of heart and the lies of the enemy that he has believed and returns to the Lord to be cleansed. As we enter this new year, we pray this message encourages you to draw near to the Lord!

This week, we take a closer look at Ezra's response to God's faithful goodness in the midst of Israel's blatant rebellion and continual sin. Ezra mourned over Israel's state and was deeply troubled for their sin, while being amazed that God would still care for and guide His people. He displays the act of repentance--the acknowledgement of sin apart from making any excuses or justification and a turning away from that sin. Like Israel, we often disregard God's goodness and defile His name, yet He remains faithful!

This week, we look at how important a physical temple was to the worship of God's chosen people. We no longer have to worship in a specific place, but rather, He dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. We have become temples in which He dwells. Because of Jesus' mediation of sinful man to the Holy Father, we have constant access to Him. Therefore, may we lay aside distractions and spend time in fellowship with the One who longs for us to commune with Him!

This week, we see that time and time again, God uses unlikely people to accomplish His purposes for His glory. Though we may feel insufficient or like we have little to offer, if we surrender to Him, He can use the weakest and most unlikely person to do mighty things. We pray this message challenges you to live for Him!

In the first week of our new series, we see how God used King Cyrus (a pagan king) to issue a proclamation allowing God's chosen people, the Israelites, to return to their homeland. However, in order for them to reclaim Jerusalem, they had to fight contentment and complacency and act. In the same way, we often become comfortable where we are and fail to passionately pursue God. In order for us to live out our new life in Christ, we must come to Him with a desire to know Him and follow Him. We pray this message is an encouragement to you!

In our final week of this series, we look at the ways Ordination has been misunderstood throughout Church History. Ultimately, we come to see that ordination is simply the act of a church recognizing an individual's God-given call to ministry, and giving its blessing! We pray this message is helpful for you!

This week, we take a look at a phrase that is often quoted as Scripture to those walking through pain and suffering: "God will not give you more than you can handle." When we look at the actual verse and its context, we see that Paul is writing concerning temptation, not suffering. He is saying that, for the believer, there is always a way of escape. We see that time and time again throughout Scripture, people of God find themselves helpless and at the end of their rope. In His goodness, God often gives us more than we can handle on our own so that we will depend on Him!

This week we look at a verse commonly used to support getting revenge on another. However, as we take a closer look, we see that this law was to be enforced by governing authorities, not individuals. Jesus clarified in the Sermon on the Mount that, as Christians, we are to leave justice in God's hands, and show love to our enemies. We pray this message is an encouragement to you!

This week, we look at the commonly quoted phrase: "Money is the root of all evil." As we take a closer look, we realize that 1 Timothy 6:10 does not say that the issue is money itself, but rather the "love of money." We come to understand that the crux of the matter is where we find our identity and security. As followers of Jesus, we are to find our contentment and satisfaction in Christ and Him alone! We pray this message is an encouragement to you!

This week, we look at a verse we frequently quote to those facing difficult times: "Everything will work out for good." This is our cultural interpretation of Romans 8:28 that ignores the context surrounding the verse. Paul, a man who endured his share of suffering, penned this verse and shows that our definition of God is not the same as God's. When we take a closer look at the context surrounding the verse, we realize that this is a promise that God will use every event that touches a believer's life to conform him or her more into the image of Christ. We pray this message is an encouragement to you!

In this message, we look at a Scripture that is often used at graduations or in cards for those experiencing transitions in life. However, when we see the context surrounding this verse, we come to understand that this promise was given to a particular people (Israelites) who were in exile because of their disobedience. God was telling them that He had not forgotten them and would ultimately redeem them, but not for 70 years. From this, we learn that no matter where we are, even in the valleys and times when God seems far away, He has a plan of redemption for us through Jesus Christ!

In this message, we look at "Judge not, lest you be judged" (Matt 7:1). This verse is frequently used to tell others that they have no right to judge us; however, in its true context, we see that judgement is not the issue, but rather the way we execute judgement. Jesus is telling us that we are to examine our own hearts and deal with our own sins before addressing the sins of others. However, he tells us here and elsewhere in Scripture to "judge a tree by its fruit" and "test the spirits", etc. We see that judgement, according the method prescribed by Jesus, is helpful and necessary when used towards the end of restoration. We pray this message encourages you!