Fairfax Community Church

Love Has A Name

The Advent of Joy

The Advent of Freedom

The Advent of Justice

Life In The Spirit

ACTS: Many people feel that God is distant, unreachable. The often feel like there are all sorts of spiritual prerequisites that they need in order to even approach God. Sometimes the church is guilty of reinforcing this idea. If we're not careful, we can give the impression that there are all sorts of hurdles that people need to get over before they can really have a personal relationship with God. The first century church struggled with this. Many in the church thought that Gentiles (non-Jews) must first become Jews before they could accept Christ and be considered part of God s family. But Paul reminded them that such was not the case. In this sermon we will examine this first century controversy and then look at the cultural, religious and even physical barriers that we deal with in the 21st century church and how we can overcome them.

ACTS: Be good. That s the message that we get from childhood on. Be good in school. Be good in your vocation. Be good morally. Be good and everything will work out fine. But being good is not enough. You can be good and miss out on the most important things in life. The Apostle Paul was a good man before he met Jesus. He kept the law. He did well academically and vocationally. But there was still something missing in his life something he would never experience by just trying to be good. In this sermon we will look at the life of Paul - his upbringing, his accomplishments, his incredible transformation and why being good is never enough.

ACTS: All of us deal with fear fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of being harmed in some way. Fear is a normal human emotion. It can keep us from making unwise decisions. But fear, if we allow it to become the controlling principle in our lives, can also paralyze us. It can become a barrier to living in obedience to God. God does not want us to live in fear. He wants us to live bold, courageous lives. In this sermon we will look at the courageous lives of others who have gone before us in the faith and will talk about what is required to live a life that is defined by courage rather than fear.

ACTS: What would it be like to be a part of a community where people truly cared for one another a community where you could laugh together, face the challenges of life together and grow in Christ together? God has called the church to be such a community. In this sermon we will look at practical ways that we, as the Body of Christ, can truly do life together.

ACTS: There is a great deal of confusion that surrounds the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. People often get lost in a myriad of phrases filled with the Spirit, baptized with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit fell on them, and receive the Holy Spirit. All of these phrases are just different ways of expressing the same reality God, through His Holy Spirit, wants to live and dwell within His people. The Holy Spirit is not optional equipment for the believer. His presence in our lives is essential if we are going to live out our new identity in Christ. In this sermon we will explore the significance of the Day of Pentecost and the new hope we experience when we live our lives in the Spirit.

Fight Club: Relationships rarely end because of a knock-out. Rather, they end because someone chooses to throw in the towel. Most relationships are redeemable. Reconciliation is possible. But it takes time. There must be an ethos of commitment in the relationship.

Fight Club: Some people avoid conflict at all costs (and the cost is usually a lack of honesty) believing that their relationships will be better off. But the avoidance of conflict does not strengthen relationships. It causes them to slowly deteriorate eventually resulting in relationships that lack intimacy and purpose. This is about dealing with conflict in a healthy way.

Fight Club: Some people avoid conflict at all costs (and the cost is usually a lack of honesty) believing that their relationships will be better off. But the avoidance of conflict does not strengthen relationships. It causes them to slowly deteriorate eventually resulting in relationships that lack intimacy and purpose. This is about dealing with conflict in a healthy way.

HEROES: Rod ends his series on Heroes. What is the purpose of a hero? To Make the World a Better Place. As Christians, much like that of a superhero, our transformation begins with a new identity; a new identity in Christ. Rod challenges us to live out our baptism.

HEROES: