Evangelical Community Church (ecc)

God liberated the people of Israel from Philistine oppressors through the feats of strength of the well-known Judge Samson, but Samson’s story includes not only displays of his divinely-given strength but also his self-destructive sin. Consider with us on Sunday all that his story means for us as we seek to live faithfully before God as his people today.

Barak was reluctant to obey God's command to rally troops and attack Sisera's well-fortified army, but he did step out in faith.

What does a group of escaping slaves, a conquering army, and a prostitute have in common? According to Hebrews, faith. Not only faith, but faith that allowed them to experience the deliverance God had prepared for them. This week we look at these three episodes and the distinct qualities of the faith on display, praying to have our faith in God's promised deliverance, in all its dimensions, strengthened.

Moses found his faith living in the hostile land of Egypt, and his faith led him to make some remarkable choices. While we don't worry about Pharaohs and crocodiles in the Nile, we have a lot to learn from Moses and his faith-based calculations regarding what is truly valuable.

"Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Heb. 11:6). Surely this statement is true, but it also prompts more questions about faith. What is the nature of faith? What are the essentials of Christian faith? How can our faith unite us? How might it divide us?

Most people don’t like adversity. We usually prefer ease and tranquility. We all know it is not realistic to expect this all the time, so it’s important to ask questions about how to deal with adversity. If there was ever an expert on living with adversity, it was Joseph.

Hebrews 11:1-2, 20-22. This week’s message explores the life of Jacob – the self-reliant deceiver who eventually becomes the namesake of God’s family of faith. Join us as we explore how God worked blessing into Jacob’s life in the midst of his sin and shaped him into a person who depended on Him amidst the struggles of his life.

Each time a Christian looks at the Scripture, he or she is encountering Jesus. No matter what the passage, the larger narrative of the Bible is always about the Word. Sometimes Christ is hidden deeply within the story, but he is always there. Come encounter the story within the story as we look at the life of Isaac.

Faith doesn't come to us all at once, it is a growth process. Let's look at the stages of faith in the life of Abraham.

What does it mean to walk in the faith-steps of Noah? Noah believed God and acted accordingly. What does this look like today?

“He walked with God and then he was no more because God took him.” This summary of the life of Enoch is the ultimate description of walking with God by faith. Enoch had such a deep relationship with God that the Lord decided to walk him right on to his eternal reward without ever experiencing death. Wow! Let’s think about that.

This begins a new series on Hebrews 11, a passage that describes those who have walked by faith. Some of the characters are not the people we might have picked as the best examples of Christian faith. However, the author of Hebrews picked them for a reason. Why these folks, and what can we learn from them?

When we trust Christ for salvation, we are given a new life today and the promise of an eternal life with God. That is the personal good news, but according to the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:18-25 the good news also includes a promise for all of creation. Let's consider the enormous breadth of the gospel and the ways we might participate in the coming of God’s kingdom.

Pastor John opens our two-week spring missions focus. How are you reaching out with Christ's love? Contact the church office for a booklet on what people in our congregation are already doing and get some ideas!

Like the people who shouted "Hosannah!" at Jesus arrival to Jerusalem and later chanted "crucify him," we, along with generations before us, have also misunderstood our King. At Easter, we stop to remember our need for the grace of God. We remember, too, that he stands ever ready to give us that grace.

"Ready to Rumble." This week's message in our Words to Live By series (1&2 Timothy) explores the Apostle Paul's comparison of the life of faith to a battle. We'll think about the importance of recognizing that faith is something believer's must contend for, consider strategies for fighting the battle well, and reflect on the goal we're chasing after in all of this as we follow after Christ .

Josiah's sermon, "The Gospel Example," starts a 4-message series that will take Connexion to the end of the semester called Words to Live By. This series will look at key insights from Paul's letters to Timothy and consider how they impact the way we live today as followers of Christ.

A look at the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem as their one and only true king, foretold in Zechariah 9:9-10. We oftentimes try to reign over our own lives instead of acknowledging the sovereignty of Jesus.

The Bible is honest enough to describe the weakness and failings of the New Testament disciples. However, few of the disciples seem more human than Peter. At one moment he claims that Jesus is the Son of God. At another, he denies that he ever knew Jesus. Between those two stories Jesus rebukes him for being a stumbling block on the way to the cross. Peter is both sinner and saint, a person who is remarkably similar to us.

When Jesus came to announce the Kingdom of God, he declared his lordship through miracles. Some of those miracles included specific encounters with the forces of darkness – a war with Satan and his demons. Some modern people are skeptical of the very idea of supernatural power. However, the life and teachings of Jesus include numerous direct encounters with spiritual darkness. What does this mean for us today?